Your brand is a lot more than a logo. It’s the overall impression of your business on customers and clients – what it stands for, what it sells, how it interacts – your entire business identity. As a small business, you have an opportunity big businesses don’t. You can be yourself. You can be unique. You can be real, authentic and honest. You can stand out from the crowd. And all those things are good for business.
In today’s world, building your brand online isn’t an option; it’s a necessity. Your website, social media presence, email campaigns and banner advertising will all work together to present your company – your brand – to your prospects, and you must make sure everything is consistent, clear and communicating exactly the right message.
Who Are You?
If you haven’t done so already, you need to take the time to figure out exactly who you are and how you want prospects to see you. A good starting point is making sure you understand those prospects completely – their values, needs, wants, interests and worst fears. Once that is done (piece of cake, right?), look at your business and understand how your offering is unique and best meets those prospects needs. If you have the right brand message, and have determined the right target, the two should snap together naturally like two perfectly complementary puzzle pieces.
Your Website
Your website or blog is usually where you’ll make your first impression with your customers. Although there are many free or inexpensive ways to get a simple website up and running, it’s better to have your site professionally designed (by Envision Works, for example) to ensure it best reflects your brand and what your prospects are looking for. This is where your logo, color theme, copy strategy and contact strategy all come together to tell your unique story; spend the time to get it right.
Facebook (and Others)
Although there are dozens of noteworthy social networks, not all of them are right for you and your business. Facebook and Twitter, however, should be part of any small business’ communications (as well as Linked In, if you’re a B2B). For Facebook, create a fan page and make sure the visuals are consistent with your website. Leverage the tabs to link to your online videos, blog, newsletter subscription, etc. The same overall idea applies to Twitter and the rest. Be consistent.
Social Marketing
The number of followers you have is only part of the story. As a small business, focus, instead, on the quality of the engagements and make sure your loyal followers are getting what they need. For each site you use, you should lay out a content posting plan, rules of engagement and key success metrics. Remember to make it about your customers, not you. Or as someone smarter than me once said, “Stop selling, and start helping.” Here are a few social marketing tips:
- Share content that is educational or entertaining.
- Treat your customers well; people are more loyal to brands that listen to them.
- Be easy to reach, and respond quickly.
- Disgruntled customers are opportunities for brand-building, too – how you react to a rant says more about you than anything else.
Finally, to make sure your online branding is doing what you want it to do, you should track all activities. Each social media, as well as your website hosting company, will have some sort of tracking service; take advantage of it and heed the results.