As a small business, you have a lot of things on your plate. It’s understandable that branding might not be a top priority — especially if you’ve heard small businesses don’t need a brand.
However, this concept is actually untrue. Small businesses do need a brand to help draw in customers, streamline internal operations, and grow and scale over time.
Here, we’re breaking down five reasons why you need a brand. Read on to learn why branding is worth your time even as a small business.
What Is A Brand?
Before we discuss why you need a brand, it’s important to understand what your brand is.
Your brand and your business are not the same thing. Your business is the actual company that provides your products or services. Your brand is your business image or identity — how people perceive your business.
Not every business has a strong brand. Some businesses don’t have a brand at all. But we’re here to tell you that even if you’re a small business, you still need a brand. Building a brand will benefit your business in a myriad of ways. Your brand can lay building blocks for your marketing, helping you define your “why” and your “who.” Knowing and implementing the answers to these questions will catapult your small business to big things.
Here are five reasons why all businesses, big or small, need to define their brand.
#1. Branding Increases Recognition
Without a brand, you can’t establish brand recognition with potential customers.
Brand recognition comes after brand awareness. Once people are aware that your brand exists, you want them to be able to recognize your brand out of context — recognizing things like your logo, packaging, or colors even if your company name isn’t involved.
You can improve brand recognition by making a point to share how you’re different from your competitors. What’s your UVP, or unique value proposition? This will help you stand out in consumers’ minds. And of course, all aspects of your branding — such as colors, typography, and messaging — should be consistent across various channels. DirectLync offers a vast suite of digital marketing services, including creative design and website content management, that can elevate your brand image and leave a lasting impression.
#2. Branding Builds Trust and Loyalty
Brand trust is the relationship between you and your customers. You’re going to develop a reputation whether you like it or not. By focusing on branding, you can take the reins, making sure that your reputation is a good one. Factors like your reputation and communication will help you create a strong, positive feeling of brand trust with customers.
The final step after brand trust is brand loyalty. When a customer is loyal to your brand, they continue doing business with you long-term instead of defaulting to a competing brand. These loyal customers will also likely tell others about your product or service.
#3. Branding Improves Employee Satisfaction
Branding will not only help you draw in more customers but can also have benefits internally.
Even if you only have a few employees, they’ll feel more pride when working for a company with a strong brand. As your reputation improves, so will employee satisfaction.
Bonus: When you’re ready to hire more employees, it will be easier to find people who are ready to jump on board.
#4. Branding Boosts Marketing
Branding and marketing aren’t the same thing. Branding is who you are. Marketing is how you communicate it.
However, your branding strategy and your marketing strategy can and should work together. If your branding guidelines are already well thought out, it will be a whole lot easier to get started with marketing. You’ll be able to rely on your branding strategy as you plot out marketing tactics — simplifying the process of planning a marketing calendar.
#5. Branding Improves Business Value
When you have a strong brand and a good reputation, the value of your business will improve. You’ll become an established brand in your industry. Your products will be highly perceived. And you’ll attract quality customers.
Branding helps you become more competitive in the marketplace. It will also be easier to grow and scale when you operate from the specifics of your brand — such as your mission statement, target audience, and overall vision.
Yes, You Need A Brand
At the end of the day, your brand will provide innumerable benefits to your small business, helping you reach and retain as many customers as possible. But if branding still seems like a mystery, you don’t have to do it yourself! We regularly work with small businesses who use our platform to understand their audience and communicate their message more effectively — helping improve your brand recognition, trust, and loyalty. Sign up for a free trial today.