Your branded identity helps set you apart and reflect the overall excellence of your small business’s products and services.
You may do great work, but can people tell from the outside?
By Roy Harryman
If you had to choose between providing stellar service and a professional branded identity, service would win every time.
Because no one cares if your logo is cool when you can’t deliver on time, don’t tell the truth and are incompetent.
But reality is that no one has to make this stark choice. Great visual branding should complement a great business. Ideally, it is an outward representation of the excellence that goes on inside your firm.
Frequently it’s large companies that spend millions on visual branding and design while having terrible customer service and awful products. Small businesses don’t have this luxury. They would fail – and quickly.
Why your digital and physical branding matters
When I talk about branding, I’m referring to any kind of media that represents your business. This could be your storefront, sign, website, Facebook page, bumper sticker, blog posts and logo-embroidered t-shirt.
“The core services of your business will always be foundational. The role of a branded identity is to build on this bedrock of success. ”
Some business owners may ignore visual branding because “my service speaks for itself.” And this is true – to a point. .
But what if I have not yet experienced your service? And my first introduction is a website that looks like it was built by a novice in 2004? And an email newsletter that appears the same? Plus social media sites that haven’t had a post in years? This digital first impression is not winsome. It does not inspire confidence. It appears the owner is asleep at the switch.
Your small business’s marketing communications make an impression on prospects and customers, for better or for worse.
Referrals sabotaged?
A sloppy branding footprint can also come into play when you receive a referral. Referrals, of course, are golden and shorten the sales cycle. But what if someone refers you and the prospect visits your website? That’s good, right? Unless she finds it’s an incoherent, unprofessional mess. Instead of a website that converts, you may lose a potential customer. Or at least cause her to hesitate.
This is true not only of websites, but of any part of our branded identity. If we have social media accounts under the name of our business, but no profile photo and no content, we remain an enigma to the prospect. We’ve missed an opportunity to convert a lead.
And these first impression principles are even more important when there is no referral. Someone may be searching the web, looking for your service. Will they be pleasantly surprised? Or underwhelmed?
To put it another way, imagine two boutiques side by side. One is painted in matching colors with a brightly-lit overhead sign. The windows sparkle and there’s an attractive “open” sign hanging on the door. The window displays have been carefully designed for visual impact. But next door, the paint is peeling and the windows are filthy. There’s no “open” sign and no hours listed. The sign is hand-painted and unlit. Nothing is on display. It’s bare.
Which store beckons you to enter?
The same is true in the digital world of websites, email newsletters and logos.
“A first impression is a lasting impression”
Priorities
Depending on your business’s situation, you may be overwhelmed by all this. Or maybe you have a good start, but need to keep going. Where should you begin? You may not have the resources to tackle everything at once. And that’s OK.
Here’s what I recommend: Research what component of your brand gets the most customer exposure and start there. Is it your website? Your Google My Business listing? The brochure you hand out at events? Only you know. The important thing is to pick a marketing tool and make it excellent. Then keep going. It’s like painting your storefront. Little by little, you’ll get it done.
Your business’s fans already know the secret of your success. It’s time to let the uninitiated in on it too.
Roy Harryman is the principal of Roy Harryman Marketing Communications and helps small businesses and non-profits let the world in on the secrets of their success.