Small Business Branding
A number of clients have spoken to me recently about their documentation and branding. It's a request I enjoy because I know when we look at it, there are a number of small and simple changes that can be made in a very cost effective way to make an instant impact. But why is branding so hard for small businesses to get their head around?
1. When we think of brands, what springs to your mind, I think Coca Cola, Toshiba, Ted Baker and Aerial (yes they all popped into my head). These are big brands, they have money to spend and they use it well to market and sell again and again making even more money.
But small businesses don't have those kinds of budgets and therefore they don't even look at their brand.
2. For a lot, the logo is the main element of the brand. Do you even register the use of background colours, the images chosen very carefully, the internal language that is adopted and the values coming through in all the brand.
One brand I love is Independence Matters a Adult Social Care Social Enterprise in Norfolk. It is so cleverly put together. Independence Matters, I Matter. It is recognisable from their lanyards to their newsletters. Bright, clean, colourful and images of the people that matter in all that they do.
3. Another element of brand is pulling through on your story, your reason for existing as a business, your why. Simon Sinek is well known for identifying that it is the WHY that sells, not the what you do or the how you do it but the WHY YOU DO IT.
For a lot of small businesses there is often a wonderful story that truly inspires others to buy from them. A story will help connect you with your clients in a way not just a logo can. A Logo will of course help your brand to be recognisable but only if when they see that logo it evokes a reaction, usually an emotional one for the good.
4. Your customer service is as much your brand as your logo is and should not be forgotten. Imagine treating your customer better than any other provider, your brand is that emotion, that happy feeling.
So what small changes can you use today to help your brand?
Don't feel you need to do it alone, pull on the expertise of The Work Bees, to help tell your story, improve your customers experience of working with you or updating all that documentation that looks bland and out of date and nothing like you and what you stand for.
Call us today on 01223 782105 or email rachel@theworkbees.com
