Small Business Branding: The Power of Integration

Let me tell you about two different small businesses. Both have been in business similar amounts of time and yet they have followed two totally different paths.

One business feels integrated. It feels like a "big" business even though it is still only a fledgling. The other feels ad hoc. It feels as if the business owners cobbled together their business on a shoestring and at any moment it may close its doors.

What is the visible difference? Their small business branding.

The integrated business worked with their graphic designer and marketing company from day one. Even though they didn't have the budget to have everything done at once, they started with their business cards. They had a logo developed, colour palette and font selected, key words defined and marketing message specified. They included their logo on their emails and invoices, and had a Word template done up for their letterhead for their letters sent via PDF attachments. They made sure they had a marketing template that they then used in all of their future work.

The ad hoc business (a graphic/web design agency) has by the look of it have had a number of different designers work on their branding. The letterhead doesn't match the website design, which is different again to the marketing material they send out to promote their business. Their catchphrase or USP (unique selling point – editor) varies across all the different mediums. Particularly given the nature of their business, this does not inspire confidence.

One of the most important things any small business can do is to ensure that the branding for its company is 100% integrated. Learn from the big companies and check every document and email that you send out is consistent in terms of style, image, feel, language and approach.

Visual branding: When businesses start up they often are working on a very tight budget and watch any penny carefully. It is false economy not to have a professional branding concept created. Invest up front and you will save money down the track. You don't have to spend a fortune on printing. Just print what you need when you need it, but make sure your design reflects the image of who you want to be on the market.

Make sure your images have consistent colours across all media and reproduce well both in print and electronic media.

Create a "style guide" so you use the same font size and type across your business. Also include guidelines for employees in terms of how they are to create their signature block at the end of letters and emails.

Consider also the decor of your business, the layout of your store or office and how tidy or untidy it is. Also consider the little things like the cleanliness. A good cleaner is worth their weight in gold to reinforce your professional visual brand.

Word branding: Consistency of word branding is also important. Many small businesses create their own website and brochure content. If you can't afford a copywriter to help you put your business into its best light, then at least pay for a professional editor to check your spelling and grammar. Poor sentence construction costs you customers. People do notice!

As your budget situation improves, pay for a professional copywriter to review or redraft your content. The difference in terms of customer conversions and page ranking on search engines for your website pays for itself.

Your copywriter will work with you to ensure that the feel of your business is reflected in the words you use. Is your business hip and funky, traditional or alternative? What is unique about you and your business? The language used needs to reflect who you are and what you bring to the world.

Each business also has core keywords that need to be reflected in their content. This is not just for search engines, but to also convey the uniqueness of the business. What are your business keywords?

Sound branding: People forget that sound also is part of your business. How do people answer the telephones? How do they put people on hold? What happens when someone is on hold? What sounds can people hear in the background when they ring or visit your business? What tone of voice is used in radio or TV ads? Is the tone consistent with your brand? Your sound branding is often forgotten when considering your overall branding.

Feel of your business: One of the most important parts of integrating your branding is how you make the customers feel. Do you make them feel cared for, important, better for having visited you? What unique feeling are you trying to share with your customers?

It doesn't matter how great everything else is in your business, if your customers don't feel great after visiting you, then you need to go back and relook at what you are doing and how you can improve. After all, your customers have the ultimate power over your business.

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This article was authored by Ingrid Cliff. She is a freelance writer and the Chief Word Wizard of Heart Harmony - a writing services studio that helps put your business into words. For a free copy of the "7 Secrets of Compelling Copy & Powerful Words" visit her website www.heartharmony.com.au.