I love this article about the importance of branding.  I feel like branding was an over used and not fully understood term tossed around the small business marketing world for a good part of the past decade.  The problem is that many small business owners think that branding means expensive (and in some sense they are right).  Branding is really saying “this is who I am” and then making sure that everything you print, everything you write, everything you say, everything you video and everything that you do reinforces this thing that you say you are.

Small businesses often mess this up when they change messages, cut corners to save money by designing their own flyers or marketing materials, self printing business cards or flyers, advertising in a magazine or on a site that is not in line with their brand or not understanding what their brand is actually saying to potential customers.  Here is a great article that talks about just this issue. 

My internet marketing advice for small business:  Know Who You Are.  Know Who You Are Selling To.  Know Who Loves Your Products.  Stick To Those Truths in All Your Endeavors:

Creating a strong brand is one of the key marketing methods to pursue business growth. And if you thought that branding is just for big businesses with mega advertising budgets, think again. Marketing experts note that a strong brand can help small companies stand out and grow.

“Consumers choose specific brands of cola, toothpaste and burgers, and this same approach can create loyal small business customers,” says David Wilton, director of small business banking at Scotiabank.

” Un f o r t u n at e l y, many entrepreneurs don’t put enough emphasis on their brand because they don’t realize how it can help them stand out from competitors.”

Mr. Wilton defines a brand as your value promise to customers, including the service, price and quality they will experience. You can likely identify your brand by going back to your business plan, in which you spelled out your unique offering and how you will serve prospective customers.

For example, you may pledge to be “the friendliest organic bakery that helps customers choose healthy alternatives.”

Read more here

Alison Elliott is a Marketing Expert and founder of Corner Your Market Global Marketing.  She helps small businesses market themselves online by setting up social media and optimized blogs for small business owners and solopreneurs.  She then trains small business owners to use their blogs and social media to drive traffic and increase interest in their business. 

To get these tips along with tips on SEO for Small Business, Social Media Marketing for Small Business, Marketing Ideas for Small Business ,  Help Creating Online Marketing Plans for Small Businesses, and Businesses and Software to help Market your Small Business online , you can sign up to our small business marketing e-guide here.