Why branding matters for your small business
Most of us started our businesses because we love our craft, and because we saw a need in the market for what we have to offer. So it’s common for most business owners to dive into creating their product or service first, and then think about the brand as a whole later. And sometimes that’s how you need to start–to flesh out your offerings and get a better understanding of your market.
But at some point, most founders come to realize the importance of a well-thought-out brand presence–whether that’s on Day 1 or as they get deeper into their business and start trying to build out more marketing systems, messaging and visual aspects of their product or service. So in this post, I’m sharing all about what strategic branding is and why it matters for your small business.
Hopefully this gives you some good insight!
First, what are brand strategy & branding?
Before we talk about why brand strategy and branding matters for your business, we have to define them. These terms are often used in the design world, but sometimes with varying definitions. And what’s the difference between the two?
Brand strategy
Brand strategy is the plan for how you want your business to be perceived by your target audience. It defines your brand’s purpose, positioning, voice, audience, and overall direction. It’s the thinking behind the brand.
Branding
Branding is how that strategy comes to life visually, verbally and emotionally. It’s the expression of your brand strategy and the perception your audience has of your business. Think logos, color palette, photography, type, voice, packaging, website–all the tangible pieces that people see and interact with, along with intangible qualities that evoke an emotional connection.
Notice how this definition of branding encompasses so much more than a logo or color palette.
Branding is the strategic alignment of visuals, voice, and values to create a cohesive and memorable presence across every touchpoint.
It’s the foundation that informs not only how you look, but how you communicate, how you’re positioned, and how people feel when they interact with your business. So, it’s the verbal and intangible elements (like your values, personality, and positioning) in addition to the visual ones.
What are the elements of a strong brand?
Now that you’ve got an understanding of what branding is, let’s talk about all the elements that make up a strong brand.
Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission Statement: This defines what your business does, and how. It’s a statement that declares why your business exists.
Vision Statement: This details the long-term vision for your business. It describes where you are going and what your desired future state is for the business.
Core Values: These are the core principles around which you’ll do business. Often a list of values (versus the mission and vision, which are statements), these are the things that matter most to you as the business owner and therefore to the business.
A clear and consistent voice & messaging strategy
Having a defined voice and messaging strategy that captures your brand’s personality is essential for keeping all communication (print marketing, social media captions, website copy, etc.) consistent and memorable.
Clear positioning
Your business and your products or services won’t be for everyone, so having clear positioning helps you speak to the right audience and articulate the distinct value your business provides.
A distinctive and cohesive visual identity
A distinctive brand identity–one that incorporates unique design elements, captures attention, and speaks to your target audience–makes your business more memorable.
And when you have consistent systems for your brand’s visuals (such as your logos, typography, color, imagery, and layout), you build trust with your audience. The more recognizable your brand is, the more trustworthy it becomes.
A seamless brand experience across touchpoints
When all of the elements above are clear and consistent, your audience will have a cohesive and memorable experience across every touchpoint. This includes every email, piece of packaging, checkout page, and everything in between.
Why branding matters, and what it can do for your business
When all of the elements of your brand work in harmony, branding becomes one of the most powerful tools in your business.
It drives recognition: With consistent use of your visuals and your unique voice, customers will come to quickly recognize your business.
It builds trust: When customers recognize a business as familiar, they begin to trust it more.
It elevates perceived value: Branding that matches the quality of your products or services gives your customers a greater perception of value. They will see the value in your product or services, and will therefore be more likely to purchase.
It creates connection: Customers buy from businesses they feel a connection to. And branding creates that connection.
It drives customer loyalty & growth: When customers connect with your brand and have memorable experiences, they are more likely to come back again and again. Great branding helps you build a loyal following, which leads to long-term growth for your business.
For service providers, great branding allows you to attract the right clients and command premium pricing. For product-based businesses, it elevates your presence in the market and deepens customer loyalty.
It becomes a very powerful tool and is the foundation of every remarkable business.
You can see below where inconsistent fonts, type styling, colors and brand elements (before Shae & Palmer’s rebrand) can create a disjointed brand experience that may not reflect the quality of your goods. It can subconsciously lower your potential customers’ trust in your brand, or cause them to perceive the quality of your products or services to be lower than they are.
Before rebrand
Before rebrand
Custom Brand Design
When it comes to the visual elements of your brand, such as your logo systems or color palettes, investing in custom design can be an even stronger way to set your business apart in your industry.
As a brand designer, I love to work with clients to create artistic, handcrafted elements for their brands. Details like custom patterns, illustrations, and layered, refined typography all help to position them as standouts in their industries.
Thoughtful, handcrafted design drives a perception of greater value, connection, and helps elevate your business to a premium level.
If you are ready to start reaching more of the right customers with an elevated brand presence, I’d love to support you! Inquire below, and I’ll be in touch to learn more about your business and your goals.