5 BRANDING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

It’s not necessary to be a multi-billion naira organization to come across as a professional, high-end looking business.  Building a brand awareness strategy doesn’t have to involve a big budget.  Here are 5 branding tips for small businesses with a limited budget.

1.     Have a strategy in place before taking any action

All too many businesses put actions into motion without proper consideration.  Some of the things businesses need to decide on in advance are budgeting, what near and long-term branding goals are, how they will engage potential partners, provisional plans for brand repositioning, brand management delegation, and review procedures.

2.     Build a professional website

A website is essentially a must have for businesses today.  Official company websites act as virtual business cards, portals to engage customers and potential business partners, point of sales, and a way to communicate the latest news and information about the company. 

The design, layout, and content of a company’s official website are outstanding ways to convey the brand image.  A professional services company, like a small accounting firm or homebuilding contractor, could choose to have a clean, simple website that describes the needs they can fulfill.  Trendier design businesses might opt for more style.  Technology businesses tend to go the cutting edge route.

Businesses that don’t have website building skills in house can conduct a search for professionals that understand design, SEO, and hosting.  Of all the tips on this list, this is probably the most costly, but small businesses can minimize the cost by doing a little research and finding a website designer who charges a competitive rate.

3. Logo and slogan design

Image and design branding are excellent tools for a comprehensive brand awareness strategy.  Anything that positively differentiates a company and its products is a good thing.  Logos and slogans do just that.

4. Networking

Part of an effective brand awareness strategy is choosing the right partners.  Networking with parties that will be able to enhance the company brand expedites the process.

5. Market research

Monitoring market trends helps small businesses determine how best to orient the brand.  Social media is one way to interact with customers and conduct market research.