Is branding important for a small business or is that just for the big guys who have big budgets and large staffs? The answer is that branding is important for every business, large and small. As American businessman and author Robert Kiyosaki said pointedly, “If you are not a brand, you are a commodity.” Commodities don’t drive preferences, don’t generate memory, don’t create loyalty, and don’t demand premium prices.

What Is a Brand?

A brand is the combination of name, symbol, design, colors, features, and meanings that identify a company or product as something unique. It communicates what a company or product stands for. As author Seth Godin said, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, and relationships, that taken together account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Why is Branding Important for a Small Business?

Branding is important because it:

  • Improves recognition.
  • Creates trust.
  • Generates new customers.
  • Helps drive revenues.
  • Motivates employees.
  • Builds financial value.
  • Supports all marketing efforts.

Branding Mistakes to Avoid for Your Small Business

Avoiding these branding mistakes will help every business achieve more consistent success:

  • Having a vaguely defined or undefined brand that reveals nothing about the company, product, or service, and that allows it to be undistinguished.
  • Creating no brand guidelines (or allowing others to ignore them.) This involves the logo, taglines, fonts and typography, colors, and imagery.
  • Using conflicting images or slogans that may confuse consumers and that may make the brand image fuzzy.
  • Failing to investigate and understand competitors’ branding.
  • Not testing your branding with a sample of consumers to clarify and validate your image.
  • Fail to have branding consistent on the website, social media, visual identity, and in all communications elements.

Seek Professional Branding and Marketing Assistance

Contact the professionals at MGA Digital Marketing, based in Irvine, CA for expert marketing solutions. Our goal is to provide results-driven marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes. Trust MGA Digital Marketing to help improve your branding, promote your services, grow your customer base, and increase your bottom line.