How to turn your small business into an engaging brand!
Often the words “brand” and “business” are used interchangeably, however, these two words don’t actually mean the same thing.
Whilst a business is made up of the operations, products & services that generate revenue for you, a brand is a business that builds an emotional & psychological connection with your customers & community. So before I talk you through the steps you can take to build your business into a brand, let’s quickly go over some of the benefits you get as a result of investing time into your branding…
Benefits of turning your small business into a brand:
Emotional Connection: A brand creates an emotional and psychological connection with customers and the community, fostering loyalty and repeat business.
Recognition: A strong brand helps customers easily identify and remember your business, setting you apart from competitors.
Trust and Credibility: A well-established brand builds trust and credibility among customers, making them more likely to choose your products or services.
Differentiation: A brand allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors by showcasing your unique values, personality, and purpose.
Higher Perceived Value: A strong brand often commands a higher perceived value, allowing you to charge premium prices for your products or services.
Customer Loyalty: A brand that resonates with customers fosters loyalty, leading to repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Community Building: A brand attracts a community of like-minded individuals, creating a sense of belonging and fostering engagement and advocacy.
Long-Term Growth: A brand-focused approach sets the foundation for long-term business growth and expansion.
By building a brand, you go beyond the functional aspects of a business and create a meaningful and lasting connection with your customers and community, which in turn, generates more success for your business.
But how do you go from small business to brand? Keep reading to learn the 3 steps you need to take to transform your business into an engaging brand that attracts & connects with your dream customers!
Step 1: Understand the difference between branding and a brand
Branding or branding materials are all the things you do to build or create a brand. Most commonly, branding refers to visual elements such as logo designs, brand colours, fonts & photography style, however, there are many other important factors beyond your brands visuals to take into consideration when building a brand.
These include, your marketing messaging, brand values, tone of voice & brand personality type as well as things like your website copywriting & how you name your products or services.
All of your branding materials & outputs are small pieces of the puzzle that when put together create your brand. Therefore, without “branding” you won’t have a “brand”.
Step 2: Make sure these branding essentials are in your brand toolkit!
In order to build a brand with a brand personality that effectively attracts & connects with your community & customers, you need to make a start on your “brand toolkit”. These are all the “tools” you need to to create effective marketing materials & brand visuals. Whilst you can work with a brand strategist or designer to help you with this, if you’re just starting out & don’t have the budget to invest in professional services, you can still get tons of value from working on the following:
Brand Values - Identify a set of 3 words that define what your brand stands for (I have a downloadable workbook here that guides you through this process)
Customer Profile - Create a document that identifies who you will be selling your products or services to. This should include things like your customer demographics, what they like, what they need & what they are interested in.
Brand Statement - Write a statement that outlines what your business offers, why you offer your products or services, what your business stands for/believes in & what value your products or services provide.
Key transformations - Identify a list of key “transformations” your customers or clients will experience by using your products or services. Eg. What they need & how you’ll help them to achieve this.
Step 3: Create visuals that effectively communicate core aspects of your brands personality!
Once you have identified the 4 essentials above, you can then begin translating your core brand messaging into visual designs. Whilst you can develop these overtime, to start your brand you will at least need the following:
Logo Design
Submark Logo
Colour Palette & Colour Combinations
Typography (fonts)
Brand Visual Mood Board
Once you’ve got these key branding materials in your brand toolkit, you’re ready to start sharing them with your community through your social media & marketing, product packaging experience & website design!
The “Build Your Brand in 30 Days” pack gives you everything you need (all in one place!) to develop your brand strategy (AKA your brand personality 💃) & set your business up for long-term success!
Broken down into daily tasks and activities (along with explanations & worksheets) the pack guides you through the exact steps you need to take to build a brand full of personality that aligns with your values & attracts your dream customers 👯!
The pack is specifically designed for small business owners & personal brands who are in need of a clear & easy-to-follow framework to help them develop their brand strategy (including examples for both product based & service based businesses throughout the pack)
🏆 By the end of the 30 days you’ll gain a clear understanding of:
"Who" your brand is & what it stands for (your vision, mission & brand values)
What makes you different to other brands in your industry (industry research & USP)
Who your ideal customer/ target audience is & how to connect with them on a deeper level
What you need to say to market your products & services effectively (Client/customer analysis & marketing scripts/ frameworks)
Your future goals & long-term vision for your brand
How to build a business that aligns with your personal values & helps you to work towards your lifestyle goals