If you own a small business operating in a crowded sector it can sometimes seem as if the sound of your message is getting drowned out amongst all the other similar organizations providing the same service as you and targeting the same customer base.
The fastest and most effective method of differentiating yourself from the competition is through branding. Branding is something that makes your products instantly recognizable – try thinking of some of the most successful companies in history and you can probably identify a specific aspect of their brand that was memorable and still resonates with you today.
It is never too late for your company to benefit from a rebrand, whether you have never previously valued branding or unsuccessfully tried in the past to create a unique brand. Rebranding gives you an excuse to remind everyone about your company by releasing the finished results to your business partners, employees and customers. This will create renewed interest in your company and generate free publicity.
A common mistake that many small businesses make is to underestimate the importance of naming their company well. Do some investigation before deciding upon the right name – market research is not just a tool for multinational corporations! Your business name should ideally be short and say something about the type of services you offer. Check that the domain names are available (.com and .co.uk) and that the name is not already in use or has been previously used by a company that has since dissolved.
Once you have your name, you should pay to have a company logo professionally designed. This will speak volumes about the professionalism of your business and should be seen as a long-term investment.
It is important to establish brand guidelines that dictate consistency in your company’s message. This only need be a document of a few pages in length but it should be seen as the ‘Company Bible’ in terms of how your business is presented in all communications. The guidelines should cover font colour and sizes to be used, typeface, taglines, e-mail signatures etc. Ensuring that these small things remain consistent will demonstrate the professional nature of your company to potential clients.
The final important aspect of branding is your company website. If you are serious about branding then you should pay to have it professionally designed because it is potentially visible by thousands of people on the Internet who would otherwise not know that your company exists. Making an impression on these people is important in convincing them to purchase from you. Try to maintain and update it with new content regularly because an inactive website will also create a bad impression.
Online Examples & Resources
