5 Benefits of branding your small business

So you’ve started a business, not only that but you have worked really hard to make it work - investing time and money (and all your energy)! You’ve come to the point where you don’t know whether to invest in a designer for your brand, DIY everything yourself, or buy cheap templates online for your logo.

Here is the thing - you get what you pay for. Creating a DIY logo at the start of your journey is fine, but when it comes to seriously growing your business and setting yourself apart from your competitors - here is why hiring a designer is best for you and your business:

01 A BRAND DESIGNER WILL ATTRACT YOUR IDEAL CLIENT

Branding is so much more than a flashy logo or snappy strapline, a strong brand identity is a powerful representation of the core foundations of your business. It’s about defining your audience, finding your niche and infusing what makes you unique into a memorable, polished ‘look and feel’.

For example, before any design work, I send my clients an in-depth questionnaire, and then present a strategy document - which forms the back-bone of the brand design. It is all about your brand, your values, your client, and how you can solve their problem. Creating designs with YOUR client in mind really enables you to connect with your audience. This is so important to grow a successful business. You can, of course spend much less money on ‘just a logo’, but what that won’t include is the strategy. The logo will not be unique to your business or be designed to get you clients.

But before you go ahead and choose a designer to work with - read my guide below: ‘3 things to consider before hiring a designer’.

02 EVERY DETAIL WILL BE CONSIDERED

Consistency is key and your designer will have all bases covered. Not only will you have all the logo variations, sub-marks, pattern designs and colour palettes that you need, but you will also have a brand strategy document and style guide to refer back to. You can create your own social media graphics within these guidelines and know that you are totally on-brand, and attracting the right people. A great side note here is that it will save you so much time! No more worrying about how your social posts look, you have your style guide to refer to so you know how everything needs to look to be aligned with your branding.

03 BUILDING TRUST AND CONFIDENCE

It is pretty rare nowadays that we buy a service from someone without knowing a little bit about them and their business. We want to trust that a business is the right choice for us and will solve our problem. Think about the last service that you invested in - what was your buyers journey? How did you come to make the decision to buy? Typically consumers might find you on your website, stalk your social media, maybe download you freebie and get on your email list…and then buy when they are ready. Obviously there are variations on this but you get the point!

By hiring a professional designer, you can ensure that every detail will be a reflection of your brand. Beautiful, eye-catching graphics that tell your story, and a consistency and professionalism that creates brand confidence and trust. You want to be seen and remembered as the expert in your field. With it is this all-important know, like and trust factor that will woo and wow potential clients into paying customers.

04 STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

First impressions count. Typically a consumer will spend less than 15 seconds on your website, and if you haven’t grabbed their attention - and your brand has not resonated with them they will go elsewhere. Your brand is always sending a message to your potential clients, whether you realise it or not. A thoughtful, well-designed brand gives off a message of quality and intent. You may offer the same services as your competitors, but a clear brand and purpose will make you stand out and make your customers want to buy from YOU. What makes your business unique? Why do your clients love working with you? What style do your clients love? All of this will be reflected in your brand design. It will stand the test of time, and guess what? People will remember you and your business.

05 INCREASE YOUR SALES AND PROFIT

Attracting your ideal clients is key to growing your business. With the right branding in place, you will be seen as a credible professional - and guess what? You can charge like one! Forget underselling yourself just because you want to get ANY clients through the door. Your ideal client will value your service and they can clearly see the benefits it will bring to them and their business. This gives you the confidence to grow, charge what you are worth, and create the work / life balance of your dreams.

I hope this was helpful if you are considering whether or not to brand your business.

If you'd like to know more about my branding services, and how I can help you, click below.