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Small Business Corner: Three steps to get started with building a better brand

Redefining your brand for your small business can help you define your goals, target your ideal audience, and outline your vision and overall look. We have put together some tips to help you as you set out on your brand building journey!

1. Craft your Mission Statement

You will need to write out a mission statement, if you do not already have one. The mission statement gives you a chance to outline how your business impacts employees, communities, and the larger world. Just putting thoughts on paper will create clarity. You will want to spend a fair amount of time tweaking it before signing off on the final version.

2. Brand Building Foundation

Think of your brand strategy as the blueprint for how you want the world to see your business.

Is your business modern? Traditional? Youthful? Wise? Serious? Funny? Carefree? Whimsical? Bold? Calm? Reliable? Wild? Natural?

Think about the adjectives above (and add your own!) to get very clear on the message your brand will evoke.

Do a brainstorm and write down your ideas for how you would like your business to be seen.

You can use these ideas to form the foundation of your branding, through a tagline, slogans, voice, messaging, stories, visuals and more.

Dig real deep and find those pieces of truth that will help to distinguish your brand from others.

3. Define your Target Audience

We may want to be everything to everyone, but we know that is just not realistic. It is always wise to keep in mind who we are trying to reach. Targeting a niche requires committing to something very focused from the start. The intent in this step is to come across crystal clear to the intended recipient (s).

Remember, a recognizable and loved brand is one of the most valuable assets a company owns. As a small business owner, you may be competing against big brands with devoted customers and unlimited marketing budgets. That is why you have to find ways to differentiate, to really stand out—with a solid brand building process of your own.