7 Branding Basics for Small Businesses

Branding plays a pretty big role in how you present your business to your ideal audience and how they perceive it. There’s more to it than picking a logo, slapping it on everything, and calling it a day! The branding basics for small businesses are elements that shape what you share, how you share it, and the reactions and emotions people feel when they experience your brand. 

If you’ve only gotten as far as your logo, and you’ve put everywhere, it’s okay! Logos are a great start. Today I’m sharing my top branding basics for small businesses. Use this post to make sure you cover all your branding bases and start making strong connections with your audience.

But First: Emotions and Branding

Before we dive into my branding basics for small businesses, let’s start with talking about why branding matters. 

Brands trigger emotions. And emotion drives behavior.  That’s right. Every brand you see in your day-to-day life, from the flyer for your local auto shop to a commercial for a luxury brand, makes you feel things. You might not be aware of it as it’s happening, and really, how you feel about a brand builds as you’re exposed to it more and more. 

But those feelings you get when you see a brand’s colors and images, read its content and copy, and learn about its products or services shape how you view that brand… Better yet, they impact whether or not you’ll ever invest in that business. (Will you ever actually call that obnoxious ambulance chaser with the awful tagline and fugly colors? Probably not!)

So, as we get into these branding basics for small businesses, keep emotions in mind. Every piece of your branding plays a part in how someone will feel about your business and, more importantly, your brand “feel” determines whether or not someone eventually become a paying client or customer.

Branding Basic #1: Business Vision

Look, if your branding were a cake, your business vision would be the box mix. It’s the  foundation and central support for your branding. Your vision for your business is your idea of what you want your business to ultimately be. It should shape every branding decision you make.

The idea of “someday I want it to be…” might sound a little daunting. Vision is one of the pieces I most frequently see clients struggle with. I think it’s because it really requires imagination and passion.  I’ve even had people tell me it feels “too big”.  Hint: that’s a sign of an awesome vision.  I always advise people to put it on paper. Writing down your answers to these questions will help you craft your business vision:

• What was the driving force behind starting your business?
• If you had no limits, what would your greatest dream be for your business?
• What do you want people to know your business for?
• What values are most important to you?
• What do clients take away from working with you?

Branding Basic #2: Brand Message

Your brand message is a summary of why your audience should stop in their tracks when they see you coming. It’s a statement of what your business brings to the table, your values and what matters to you, and why you’re different from every other fish in the sea. Your brand message should be at the top of your priority list when it comes to the branding basics for your small business because it affects a lot!

Every piece of content you share or communication you send out should have roots in your brand message. You can draw on it for your slogan, bios, and really, anything you say, anywhere, on behalf of your brand. At the end of the day, everything you do and say in your business should align with your brand message. 

Branding Basic #3. Brand Personality

Have you ever encountered an online business that was just… bleh? Maybe their product or service was intriguing, but nothing about their website/social media kept your interest? It’s probably because it lacked personality. And let me tell ya, a brand’s personality is important, ya’lll.

Your brand’s personality is the combination of traits and qualities that people learn to recognize and associate with your business. Hopefully, it’s something that helps them relate to you. Just like someone’s personality is at the core of why you might like them or enjoy hanging out with them, a brand’s personality plays a significant role in whether or not people want to “hang out” with your business. This is especially true for personal branding.  

Wherever your business shows up, whether on your website, packaging, blog posts, or social media, your personality should be infused in how you interact with anyone who encounters you.

Remember how emotion drives behavior?  Yeah, people connect with other people, not logos and graphics. So, make sure you’re infusing your brand with personality.  

Branding Basic #4. Your Logo

I know I said there’s more to branding basics for small businesses than a logo, and I’m sticking to it! But, that doesn’t mean your business’ logo isn’t necessary. Your logo is like a handshake for everyone who encounters your branding experiences with your business. Logos are usually one of the first interactions a potential client will have with you, and it’s your chance to make the first impression you want to create. 

A good logo should be easy to understand and clearly communicate what your business does. Of course, everyone knows what a Swoosh means, but it took Nike decades to build that recognition. Instead, make sure your logo helps people get the gist of what your business does. I mean, ideally, it will make people pause and say, “Ooh, that’s cool, let me click on over to their website and learn more.” 

Beyond the basic (or primary) logo you have, you should also consider having a secondary logo, watermark, and submark. These variations will let you show up absolutely everywhere–social media, your website, stationery, favicons, etc.–consistently and help people start to recognize your business!

Branding Basic #5. Ideal Audience (or Target Customer)

What does knowing your ideal audience have to do with your branding? Oh, just about everything! If you were getting up and giving a speech to a crowd of thousands, wouldn’t you want to know who they were so that you could speak to them specifically? You know, tone down the cursing, pump up the pop culture references, that kind of thing?

Knowing, I mean really understanding your ideal audience, is huge for your brand. When you have a clear picture of precisely who it is you’re marketing to, you can make decisions throughout your business to appeal to them. From fonts and colors to where you show up online, knowing your ideal audience lets you build genuine relationships with the people you want to serve.

Branding Basic #6. Brand Colors 

Choosing your brand colors might seem pretty simple. Find colors you like and that you don’t mind seeing all over your business, and it’s a done deal, right? Not so fast! Color is powerful. It evokes feelings and inspires people to view your business a certain way. 

In fact, using the right colors can lead people to engage with you and even to sales. And the wrong colors? They can make people want to look the other way.

Different colors psychologically influence people. Seriously! Each color has qualities that stir up different feelings. Red, for example, evokes power, while blue suggests calm. Think about what the colors in your branding communicate, and make sure they support the emotions and reactions you want to bring out of your audience.

Branding Basic #7. Brand Imagery

The images you pick to share on behalf of your brand, from Instagram posts to Pins, should fall into the aesthetic… Meaning, they should have a look about them that says “Your Business” all over them. Is that cute black and white picture of puppies adorable and worth sharing? Maybe, but if it’s not consistent with your brand imagery, I’d pass on posting it to your business account.

Brand imagery is your chance to showcase your style and that dazzling brand personality to let your audience feel connected to your business. Whether your brand is sophisticated and polished or minimalistic, the imagery you choose will help you engage with people in a meaningful way.

Need help building your brand? My Ultimate Branding Kit has everything you need to bring your vision to life!