The Best Brandisms: Small Business Words to Live By

When you’re a small business, branding can unfortunately take a back seat to the seemingly more important day-to-day running of your company. However, branding is one of the most important aspects of your marketing and advertising plan. If you’re wondering where to start, you’re not alone. That’s where “brandisms” come into play.

Brandisms? What?

Think of a brandism as “words to live by” when building your brand. These handy little “isms” can help you get started and keep you on track when thinking about and building up your brand. They can also act as your future mantra as your brand grows and evolves. Some great brandisms for small businesses are:

1. Define Your Brand’s Voice And Use It

One simple trap that many businesses fall into is not using one voice or style across all their communications with the outside world. Your brand needs to stick together, and appear fluent on everything from your social media to newsletters to even your e-mail signatures. Define your look and tone and marry it. Additionally, create a brand guide for your company that defines your plan and ensure that everyone has a chance to get to know it.

2. A Logo Is To The Face As A Brand Is To The Spirit

You’d be forgiven for thinking that branding is nothing more than your logo. However, this is an outdated way to think of your brand. Try thinking about your business as a living and breathing entity. What do they look like, and what would their feelings be on things? How would they speak? Once you start thinking of your company this way, your ability to stick within your brand becomes much easier.

3. If You’re Not Standing Out, You’re Blending In

This is an easy one, and something every good marketing and advertising department knows by heart. Getting your company’s image and brand out there and visible above your competition is a key element to your success. Take a look at your competition’s campaigns and keep up with what they’re doing. By knowing what they’re up to, you’ll be able to continue to give your brand that competitive edge.

4. Be A Brand That’s Always Eager To Learn

There’s nothing worse in business than getting stuck in a time warp. Not moving with the times and employing new branding tactics can be extremely detrimental to your business. As noted by DKC, a public relations firm,” Experiential marketing and events are an increasingly popular way for brands to engage with their audiences.”

For example, are you taking advantage of spreading the word across the most popular social media platforms? Are you regularly engaging with your customers and industry through an online blog? Keeping up with the latest innovations can keep your company on top of your competition.

Getting on top of branding your company can feel like just another chore you have to add to your ever-growing list when you’re a small business. However, adding a branding strategy to your marketing mix is essential to your company’s success. By staying up to date with the newest ideas and implementing them into your existing arsenal, you’ll find yourself miles above the competition.

Nadine Swayne offers these branding tips to all companies, new and old. Whether your business is in the San Francisco Bay area or New York City, branding knowledge and cutting edge techniques for marketing should always be employed for success.

Photo credit: https://flic.kr/p/nVn1YY