Utilising marketing techniques the right way is very important for the success of any business or company. Whether you have a small business like a hair salon or a big garment manufacturing company, you constantly need to find new ways to reach potential clients and develop your brand. If you’ve come to a point where you think you’ve hit a marketing plateau, don’t worry because we’re here to help! This article will share six branding tips for small businesses to help you get started.

1. Emphasise Your Uniqueness

Small businesses have to compete with their competitors not only in cost but also in terms of service and logistics. To gain a competitive edge, you need to show customers what your company can do that other companies can’t. Once you know your unique characteristic, you need to use it to develop a unique brand position.

Look at your entire range of services and capabilities and compare them to other small businesses in your industry. You will discover that there are specific needs that your company fulfils better than any other firm, or you’ll find that there are certain services that no one else is offering. For example, if you are the owner of a local bakery, look at what other bakeries near you are doing. Perhaps no other bakery except yours is offering free delivery within a 2-kilometer radius. Highlight this aspect in your marketing efforts to achieve a highly targeted brand strategy and more loyal customer base.

2. Develop Helpful and Informative Content

Helpful and informative content is a highly essential aspect of marketing for small businesses. Why, you ask? The answer is simple: in most industries, businesses think that a leadership status is “nice to have.” However, small companies need to compete in a world where leadership is a requirement. If you do not meet the highest quality standard, it will reflect poorly on all your current and potential clients. Your company’s public-facing link will get the worst press. Hence, you need to establish yourself as a leader.

To establish yourself as a leader, you need to develop consistent and compelling content. That includes:

• Adding keyword and topic-optimised blog posts to your main website on a regular basis.
• Creating video content that highlights your solutions, people, and top brand values.
• Conducting independent research.

Blogging is the foundation of any content marketing strategy. After you build a robust library of blog content, prioritise video content. These days, more B2C marketers are using video content since it is convenient and tends to cover a lot of ground in less time.

3. Give Account-Based Marketing a Shot

Account-based marketing is a marketing tactic that concentrates on creating highly-targeted advertising and marketing campaigns aimed towards just a few large accounts that you know are your top clients. It may sound like a complicated process, but it actually makes things a lot easier.

As a small business, you’re probably already aware of who your top or ideal clients are. With account-based marketing, you can select some of them and create marketing campaigns to target them directly. For example, if you are a small town caterer with the local high school and church as your top clients, think of new ways to market your products and services to them.

Essentially, with account-based marketing, you are putting all your marketing efforts into just a few clients who you know will be the ideal fit for your business. It is a great way to get more important projects and translate them into more profits for you.

4. Personalise Your Business Cards

Yes, we agree that digital advertising, online events, and social media are the preferred means of advertisement these days. Still, we’d suggest you do not overlook the importance of humble personalised business cards. Having a physical token to hand out to potential clients while networking is valuable and can do wonders for your small business. Many people keep business cards in their wallets and see them more often than emails.

Several printing companies in the UK offer various deals for bulk orders of business cards. They have designs and templates available, making it easier for you to select one for your company. The process is much more streamlined than it previously was.

5. Sponsor an Event

One of the best branding tips for small businesses is sponsoring an industry-relevant event! Sponsorship can help you tell the world all about your brand and build customer trust. Once you find a selection of possible event organisers, reach out to them and ask them if they’re looking for sponsors. Then, negotiate a deal that is beneficial for both parties.

Remember that events are also not just held in person nowadays, so you also need to keep an eye out on the Web. Webinars are a standard marketing tool now. They can generate many new leads and deliver critical information to your current and potential customers. If you own a beauty brand, look for webinars focused on the subject and try to make your brand a part of them.

6. Be Credible, Constant, and Consistent

Lastly, when developing a brand strategy, be credible, constant, and consistent. Many strategies fail because the brand isn’t believable. Customers do not appreciate it when the delivery of services does not match the promise made by the brand or when the branding strategy does not fit with its mission or values.

Your brand strategy will succeed as long you stay consistently struggle to stay on top of your game. Before establishing a branding position, ask yourself the following questions:

• Credibility: Are your claims authentic? Can you back them up with evidence or statistics?
• Constancy: Does your brand come through in every aspect of your marketing strategy?
• Consistency: Can you deliver on your brand promise at every point in the customer journey?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, your brand would likely generate new business for your company. Otherwise, you need to make changes to your brand strategy before you move ahead.

Final Words

If your competitors are crushing it, there is no reason why you shouldn’t! There are plenty of marketing strategies out there – you need to find one that works for your small business and gives you an extra edge in your industry. If you found our branding tips for small businesses helpful, let us know in the comment section below. Happy strategizing!