What’s in a brand?

Branding is incredibly important for modern small businesses. It’s how customers and potential customers perceive your business, and it can make or break whether or not they choose to work with you.

There are so many benefits to building a strong brand. It can make your business more profitable, help you attract and retain customers, and make it easier to launch new products.

Unfortunately, there are also a lot of misconceptions about branding. Many small businesses think that branding is all about marketing or that it’s only for big businesses.

In reality, branding is much more than that. It’s the foundation of your business identity and it should be a central part of everything you do. It’s also important for businesses of all sizes and in all industries.

Many small businesses make critical mistakes when it comes to branding. These can be costly errors that set the business back and make it difficult to recover.

In today’s blog, we’ll cover a few of the most common brand marketing mistakes small businesses make and how to avoid them.

7 things small businesses get wrong about branding

 

#1. Picking a name that’s complicated or hard to spell

Your business name is one of the first things potential customers will see, so it’s important to choose something that’s easy to remember and spell.

A complicated or hard-to-spell name can make it difficult for customers to find your website or remember your brand when they’re ready to make a purchase or schedule an appointment.

The best brand names are:

• Simple
• Sweet
• Unique
• Memorable
• Available

If you’re having trouble coming up with a name that meets all of these criteria, try brainstorming with friends or family, looking for inspiration in other businesses or using a brand name generator.

#2. Having a name with no meaning

Your brand name should convey some sort of meaning or message. It should be more than just a random collection of letters.

For example, the “Mad” in Madwire® comes from our mission — to make a difference. It also stands for marketing and design, which is what we do, at least in part.

Another great example is Adidas, a company that sells soccer apparel, which stands for “All Day I Dream About Soccer.”

Your brand name doesn’t have to be as literal as these examples, but it should give customers some insight into what your business is all about.

If your brand name is completely meaningless, it’s going to be much harder for customers to connect with your business and form an emotional bond.

That emotional bond is a critical part of modern success. In fact, studies have shown that customers who have an emotional connection to a brand are much more likely to be brand loyal and make repeat purchases.

Pro tip – If you’re having trouble coming up with a brand name that has meaning, try thinking about your business values or what sets you apart from your competitors.

For example, if you’re an eco-friendly company, your brand name could be something like “The Green Choice” or “EcoLogic.”

Customers today want to do business with companies that share their values, so if you can align your brand name with your company values, you’re more likely to attract customers who are passionate about what you do.

#3. Believing a brand is just a logo

Having a great logo is important. But a brand is so much more than that.

Your brand includes your mission, your values, your story, your identity and the way you communicate with customers. All of these elements work together to create an emotional connection between customers and your business.

A strong brand will communicate what your business is all about, who you serve and what you stand for. It will be consistent across all channels and touchpoints, and it will create an emotional connection with customers.

Many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that a brand is just a logo, but it’s so much more than that. If you want to build a strong brand, you need to focus on all aspects of your business, from the big things, like your mission and values, to the small details, like the language you use on your website.

#4. Not creating clear brand guidelines

If you want your brand to be consistent, you need to have clear brand guidelines. These guidelines should include everything from the colors you use on your website and in your logo to the tone of voice you use in your marketing materials.

Creating brand guidelines can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by taking a look at the brand guidelines of some of your favorite companies.

Then, create a document that includes all of the elements you want to include in your own brand guidelines. Here are some things to consider when creating brand guidelines for your business:

• Colors – What colors should you use on your website, ads and social media content? Choose two or three colors that you want to use consistently across all of your channels.
• Logo – What should your logo look like? Where should it be placed on your website and marketing materials? It’s a good idea to create different versions of your logo so that it can be used in a variety of situations.
• Fonts – What fonts should you use on your website, ads and marketing materials? Again, choose two or three fonts and use them consistently across all of your channels.
• Images – What types of images do you want to use on your website and in your marketing materials? Do you want to use photos or illustrations? If you’re using photos, what kind of feel do you want them to have?
• Tone of voice – How do you want to communicate with your customers? Do you want to be friendly and approachable or more formal and professional?
• Grammar – What grammar rules do you want to follow when communicating with your customers?

These are just a few of the things you’ll need to consider when creating brand guidelines.

Pro tip – Make your brand guidelines digital and accessible. That way, everyone in your company will be able to reference them when they’re creating content or working on marketing materials.

This will ensure more consistency across the board for your business, helping you create a more recognizable and trusted brand for your business.

#5. Not getting professional help

There are a lot of aspects of small business marketing that are DIY-friendly. However, there are certain things, like branding, that are best left to the professionals.

Working with a brand consultancy or marketing team can be a big investment, but it’s worth it if you want to build a strong brand for your business.

The marketing professionals at Marketing 360® have the experience and expertise to help you create a brand that will resonate with your target market and achieve your business goals.

If you’re not ready to invest in professional help, there are a few other ways you can get started on building your brand. Start by reading books and articles about branding.

It’s also a good idea to see what your competition is doing. Take a look at their websites and marketing materials to see what kind of branding they’re using.

You can also get some inspiration from brands outside of your industry. Pay attention to the way they communicate with their customers and the overall feeling their brand gives off.

Once you have a better understanding of what you want your brand to look and feel like, you can start making some changes to your own business.

#6. Having mismatched branding online and offline

In today’s world, it’s important to have a strong online presence. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect your offline brand.

Make sure your brand is consistent across all channels, both online and offline. That means using the same colors, fonts, logos and overall design on your website, social media accounts, print materials and more.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to create brand guidelines that include all of the elements you want to use in your branding. That way, everyone on your team will be on the same page when it comes time to create new content or design new marketing materials.

Always consult your brand guidelines no matter what marketing material you’re creating, whether it’s something physical, like a business card or direct mail campaign, or digital, like your website or social media profile.

Consistency across your marketing materials will help create a cohesive brand that customers will recognize and remember.

#7. Having an unclear, inconsistent message

Your brand’s message is what you want customers to know about your business. It should be clear, concise and consistent across all of your channels.

If it’s not, it will make your brand hard to recognize and remember for your customers. And if customers can’t remember your brand, they’re not likely to do business with you.

Make sure to include your messaging in your brand guidelines, and that everyone on your team has access to them. That way, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes time to create new content or design marketing materials.

When creating new content, always keep your brand’s message in mind. Make sure everything you create is consistent with the message you want customers to hear.

If you’re not sure what your brand’s message should be, take some time to brainstorm with your team. Once you have a clear understanding of your brand and what it stands for, it will be easier to come up with a message that accurately represents it.

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Creating a strong brand is essential for any small business. But it’s not always easy to do, especially if you’re not sure where to start.

By avoiding these common branding mistakes, you can set your business up for success. And if you need some help getting started, the marketing professional at Marketing 360 can help.

Learn more about Marketing 360, and see our plans and pricing.