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6 Steps to Building a Small Business Branding Strategy
Why is branding important?
Marketing is the engine that drives a steady flow of opportunities into an independent professional’s project pipeline. It is essential for independents to create a strong brand and develop a plan for keeping that brand visible to reach potential clients, keep them engaged, and build a lasting relationship.
A strong brand tells your market who you are and what problems you solve, while marketing communicates your brand message and engages your target audience so you can acquire new clients. Without a clearly defined and visible brand, you may not only lose the game, but miss being a part of it.
6 Steps to building a small business branding strategy
Follow the six steps in our guide to build a brand for your small business:
1. Define the market for your brand
Identifying your target audience will help you to direct your marketing and messaging efforts towards the right clientele.
2. Develop a marketing strategy to promote your brand
Your marketing strategy should align with your overall business goals such as growing revenue, expanding your service offerings, or moving into a new geographic area.
3. Create a marketing budget for personal branding
Plan a budget so that you know what you are spending and how that money will be allocated.
4. Develop a marketing plan
Your plan does not have to be lengthy, but should be something that you will use, review, and refine to keep you on track to accomplish your goals.
5. Identify marketing channels for your brand
Your target market is the best way to determine how you will spend your marketing dollars and the marketing channels you employ.
6. Conduct a SWOT analysis
The SWOT Analysis framework is used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a venture or project.
From in-person networking to social media, there is a wide range of choices when it comes to marketing your independent business. Whether it’s your ambition to grow revenue, expand your service offerings, or reach out to a new geographic area, our guide will help you discover the right marketing strategies and channels to reach your goals.
Download our guide to learn more about these six steps and get ready to start successfully building your brand and marketing your business.