When you think of local branding, do you find this a challenge to establish within your small business? Local branding can become complicated, but there are many reasons why you should set it up for your business. The good news is that you won’t have to invest a ton of costs in branding.
Local branding should be the heart of your business, but why does that even matter? Find out why having a good brand presence is the key to your success and how you can start expanding your business in more ways than you ever thought possible.
Increases Recognition
One of the most validated reasons why you should curate your branding locally is that it helps people recognize your business. When you have a solid local brand presence, people tend to take notice of your business.
Having a strong brand matters because, without it, people quickly forget, and it doesn’t necessarily take hold in someone’s mind. But if consumers can recognize your business, your brand is memorable and creates awareness around it.
Local branding recognition is key to placing you ahead of the competition. Generally, you want to keep your customers satisfied with a great business. But when you have a strong brand that creates an unforgettable experience, your customers will keep coming back for more.
Establishes Trust
If someone walks up to you and asks you to buy their product, would you trust them? The answer is probably no because you don’t know who they are and whether their product is worth buying.
Gaining trust from your customers may not always be easy. But when it comes to branding, this gives you a greater chance at building trust with your customers. Many local businesses make the mistake of not establishing a good brand from the start, which is one of the main reasons their company shuts down within the first few months.
However, your business can avoid this mistake by building a brand message, making promises, and displaying your values. Once you have something to showcase your business values, your customers will know who you are, and they will end up feeling confident enough to purchase from you.
Generates Revenue by Word of Mouth
After you have a brand message to compete with, you’ll have your new customers coming back to you. But business will only keep going up if you can attract new customers.
A great customer experience with a strong brand in the mix allows the word of your business to spread like wildfire. Customers satisfied with your business are more than happy to tell their friends and loved ones how excellent your company is, elevating your reputation and your brand’s image. Customers satisfied with your business are more than happy to tell their friends and loved ones how excellent your company is, elevating your reputation and your brand’s image. This is why many people invest in online reputation management services for their business.
A strong brand allows your consumers to describe the experience they receive and describe your company’s logo or the spacious layout of your business. While these critical elements are helpful for your small business, they play an essential role in attracting new customers and generating more revenue.
Defines Who You Are in Your Local Business
The “why” behind your business and your brand matters when it comes to local business success. You know it’s not all about the money, so what inspires you to show up at your pottery studio each day? Why do you love serving coffee to your customers each morning? The reasoning behind your business helps you to define who you are with local branding.
Customers will fall for your business if you think about the “why” and convey those messages plainly and compellingly. Once they see the inspiration you carry daily, your brand will catch on, and the “why” will compel your customer to buy because they’ll feel good doing it.
How to Establish Local Branding
1. Craft Your Brand Guidelines
Before you jump ahead in creating a solid brand, make the process easier by building yourself a business map. A business map allows you to visualize coordinated elements such as competing businesses, customer prospect locations, consumer demographics, and much more.
Once you become aware of your sales territory and your targeted customers, you can create your brand guidelines. Start taking measures by building a brand story, crafting your message, and making a visual identity, such as colors, logo, photography, and other elements.
This first step is crucial to being able to build branding consistency. Even the smallest gestures like your business’s Facebook page matter because you’re building a presence that your customers and employees will have to interact with each day.
2. Utilize Social Media
These days, everyone is on social media, even small businesses like yours. A social media presence establishes value for your brand. Without social media, you are giving your business away to other competitors.
Establishing your presence on social media is a helpful tool for your business. You have so many opportunities to advertise your business for free while attracting new and retaining old customers.
You can also use social media to interact with your community, to show that your brand is a part of it and that you genuinely care about your customers. Overall, social media allows your customers to get to know you, and it helps them stay up-to-date about what’s happening inside your business. Additionally, a social media wall can be a powerful tool for events. By aggregating posts from various platforms using a specific hashtag or keyword, you can create a dynamic and engaging display that showcases the event’s excitement and encourages participation.
3. Invest in Local SEO
If your business has a new website, this is the perfect time to start investing in local SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is an effective way for your business to capture new sales leads and build awareness around your brand.
Nowadays, most people are using their mobile phones to search for local businesses that surround the area. For instance, a customer may need a new coffee shop to go hang out at with friends. So they surf the web to check out the local hot spots that are nearest to them. If you want to meet that customer’s need, your business must show up in those search results.
Start boosting your business with local SEO by claiming your business on Google, verifying your business’s address, and posting blog content that includes local keywords relevant to your business.
4. Maintain an Online Reputation
Apart from setting up your business on Google, online reviews and ratings are key factors for showing up in those search results. While an online presence can establish awareness, a strong reputation is the most influential for customers making a purchase decision.
Reviews are also crucial for receiving valuable feedback, as this allows your business to identify problem areas you can work on. How can you start getting more reviews? Interact with your customers in-person and online. Ask your customers to tell you about their experience and let them know that you appreciate their feedback.
5. Get Involved With Your Community
Another great way to establish a local brand presence for your small business is by getting involved with the community. You can take one route by giving back, like sponsoring local charities or volunteering at a donation center.
While these ideas expose your brand to the locals, it also places a positive angle on your business while doing good for the community.
Local Branding Is the Boost You Need
At the end of the day, building great local branding is about relationships. The community around you will come to regard you as a resource, a local hub, and potentially even a friend if you play your cards right.
Eleanor is the editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the director at a marketing agency prior to becoming a freelance web designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and dog, Bear.