Is Small Business Branding Worth It?
If so, what are the advantages of branding for local businesses?
Whether you’re on the verge of launching your first business or you’re a small business veteran, …
If the thoughts swirling around in your head sound anything like these, then you’re in the right place.
· Is small business branding worth it?
· What’s the return on investment for brand design?
· How will having an established brand help my business grow?
As a small business writer based in central North Carolina, I contacted a few local brand designers and asked them to weigh in about why small businesses need to consider hiring or outsourcing small business branding services.
We’ll discuss all of this and more in today’s blog, but before we get started – let’s get clear on what small business branding is.
What is small business branding?
Branding isn’t a new concept. Historically, branding’s origins are found in wrangling cattle and branding each cow so that neighboring ranchers would know who owned which cows! Simple, right?
Now, what in the world does that have to do with your business?
I consulted two lovely, local experts to find out.
BrandWell owner and creative director Victoria Marcouillier said branding is what sets you apart from other businesses.
Victoria Marcouillier, BrandWell owner and creative director
“Whether you’re a photographer, a blogger, a copywriter or a boutique owner, your market is saturated, and there are many other businesses offering what you offer.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a brick-and-mortar store trying to drive foot traffic to your shop or an online business trying to scale to new markets, the way you craft your brand message and aesthetic will make or break your business,” she said.
What are the advantages of branding?
Good branding makes your business automatically recognizable to anyone who has seen it before and helps imprint your business into your customers’ minds.
When you ask copywriters, we’ll say it’s the message that sells.
When you ask designers, they’ll tell you it’s the design that gets people’s attention long enough for them to care about the message.
And, if I’m honest, these positions don’t oppose each other.
They work together to boost businesses of all sizes.
Victoria said she believes small businesses of all kinds benefit from strategic branding.
“Keep in mind, your brand is so much more than your logo or your color palette,” Victoria said. “Your brand tells the story of your business. Your mission statement, your values, the problems you solve and who you help. Every business, large or small, will benefit from branding.”
And it seems we’re all in agreement about the advantages of branding.
When I spoke to ARAY owner and brand stylist Kristin Austin, she said branding is a big part of how your clients and customers get to know you. If they don’t know you, then they’ll never grow to like or trust you.
Kristin Austin, ARAY owner and brand stylist
“If clients know your style well enough to spot an Instagram post as yours before even seeing who posted it, that's brand recognition.”
“The biggest benefit of consistent branding is recognition,” Kristin said. “If clients know your style well enough to spot an Instagram post as yours before even seeing who posted it, that's brand recognition.”
However, Kristin said it’s not just about recognition online. Part of your brand’s job is to keep your business top-of-mind for people when they’re going about their regular, everyday life.
“If you have a thing for sprinkles and your customers think of you every time they have a cupcake or walk down the baking aisle, you're doing something right.”
When should I invest in branding, and what about the branding cost for small businesses?
“As early as possible,” Victoria said. “Businesses thrive on referrals and customer reviews. If you show up for those first few customers with a captivating brand that gives them an exceptional experience, they’re going to tell other people about you. This fuels the growth of the business early on and allows you to grow at a faster pace.”
Okay, but the branding cost for small businesses can be expensive, right? What about the new entrepreneur who is willing to do whatever it takes to be successful?
“I never encourage people to go into debt to invest in custom design,” she said “I’m all about bootstrapping your way to success as an entrepreneur. If you want to invest $1,000 into a custom brand design, then decide what it will take to save that amount … and make it a goal to work toward.”
There is one more deciding factor that you should consider when you’re thinking about taking the brand design plunge. It’s a more emotional factor, but it’s just as important.
As Victoria explained, your branding will either give you confidence or it will hold you back, and she’s right. Imposter syndrome is a big enough problem without aiding and abetting it!
“When you DIY your brand or copy your logo from Pinterest, you will always have limiting beliefs surrounding your competency as a business owner and as a professional,” she said. “It’s hard to show up as an authority in your space when you’re embarrassed to show people your website!”
Kristin agrees. “As soon as possible branding” doesn’t have to include a massive investment upfront, but it is a trade-off of time instead of money.
“At the very least, you should invest your own time,” Kristin said. “There has to be some sort of plan, guidelines to follow or an idea of where you want the business to go. There are so many inexpensive and free resources out there. If you don't have money, put in the time.”
Of course, your time is extremely valuable. It’s the only resource you can spend but can’t get back. And that’s exactly why many ARAY and BrandWell clients choose to invest their money instead of their time for quality, consistent branding.
The first thing Victoria says to new BrandWell clients is “This will be the best investment you make in your business” because she believes that branding is the best use of any small business marketing budget.
“We are quick to bypass branding and start running Google or Facebook Ads,” Victoria said, “but if people aren’t drawn to your brands’ aesthetic and you don’t have a clear message … no amount of money spent on ads will help you grow your business.”
What’s the biggest design mistake you see small businesses making?
Brand confusion is often the biggest pitfall that business owners fall into.
Kristin calls it “misaligned efforts.” She says it’s critical to zoom out and get an overall perspective of your brand, which can include looking at brand assets like your website and social media graphics, but it also includes your physical set up whether you have a physical store or you set up a stand at artisan popups.
“If your business is selling feminine, pretty bath goods, but your branding looks like it belongs to an auto shop, that's a huge mistake,” Kristin said. “That's kind of an extreme example, but I've seen something similar happen.”
While it might be easy to overlook some of this as a shopper, I would consider these misaligned efforts huge mistakes because they waste your time and money without moving your business.”
Yes, time is money. So, should we use premade templates and move on with our lives?
Victoria says no to copying templates for social media.
“I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest for two reasons,” she said. “I love Pinterest because it serves as an endless source of inspiration for us as creatives and as business owners, but … it often stifles our ability to think creatively. I see a lot of small business owners grabbing a design they see on Pinterest and copying it entirely.”
If you’re trying to stand out in a saturated market — your brand needs to tell your story not someone else's.
How can I make the most of my brand?
Victoria said, “My best piece of advice to get the most out of your brand design is to be consistent, show up often, and continually point people back to your mission. And, yes, your mission should always solve a problem for your customer!”
And guess what? That’s the SAME thing Kristin said, too.
“Consistency — That's the best way to maximize any of your branding efforts. Visually, you want your brand to be recognizable … anything that's client-facing should have your branded elements — signage, tags, invoices, emails, social images, anything,” she said. “And while I work primarily with visuals, your voice is especially important, too. People will pick up on your writing style and the tone in which you present your business. So, again, consistency is key here.”
She continued to say that while branding can feel personal, it’s more about what will attract clients. “While having a pretty logo is great, real brand identity goes much deeper and will carry your business much further.”
Why is a small business writer talking about brand design?
I want to support your dream in every way that I can, duh!
When that means writing website copy, social media captions and marketing emails or newsletters, then that’s what I do. When that means connecting you with talented brand designers or brand photographers (that blog is coming soon!), then that’s what I do, too.
Besides, what would one of my favorite SYTYCD performances be without Adele's lyrics to Daydreamer? The same dance without words wouldn't be as great, right?
The music will convey the emotion behind the story, but the plot is lost.
Words and visuals go hand and hand – they’re equal dance partners.
Take the branding plunge! Click the logos below to explore designs from both of these local branding agencies!
If you’re interested in incorporating your brand into the words you use to market your business…
Let me know! I’m always here to answer any questions you may have about content and copywriting!
