For most small businesses, funds are tight so you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of every dollar you are investing. You might ask – what are the best areas to invest your money into when there are so many options? I have clients in all stages of business – from startups to seasoned companies with over 100 years of business practice behind them – at every stage they want to make the right choice to help push their business further.
Here are my top 5 best branding investments you can make:
1. Brand Identity
Branding is more than just a logo. Branding is your reputation, the face of your business, the heart and soul of your business. Make sure you’re making the best first impression you possibly can by investing in a designer that understands your business, your goals, your ambitions and your values. They’ll be able to channel all of this into an identity that attracts business from the right kind of customers. Great design builds trust and if trust is broken with a poor logo or a dodgy website you’ll never get that customer back. So take the time to find the right designer who can execute your vision to its maximum potential.
2. Awesome photography & video
This is huge! You can never underestimate the power of beautifully taken photos and professionally edited video. Images are EVERYTHING today. If you don’t have the right photos of your products then your potential customers can’t connect with you. Your customers like to connect with real people, they want to see the real you, so give it to them. Invest in photography & video that shows you, your products, your processes, your store, your skills and your story in the best light possible.
3. Website
We all know that if you don’t have a website you don’t exist. No matter where you are in your business life cycle, one thing is certain – a beautiful website is a must. A site that doesn’t work properly, isn’t thought through, and isn’t attractive to your clientele will most definitely repel potential customers. With all the templates around these days it’s not hard to build a great website without huge $, so if you need to, start small and build it up slowly. Imagine how great your brand and all the stunning photos you invested in are going to look online!
4. Time for you to focus
You are your best brand advocate. You’re the ambassador, marketer, owner, doer, and creative director all rolled into one. You are what keeps your brand ticking! The only way to do that successfully is to schedule time to develop your business ideas. Invest time in your business by learning new skills, meeting new people, writing blogs, reaching out. The goal here is to grow a sustainable business and magnetic brand, so make sure you take the time to focus inwards regularly.
5. Social media
If you don’t like the words ‘social media’ just think of it as ways to reach out to your potential customers. People live in front of screens and you want to be where your customers are. But you don’t want to bombard everyone with junk mail, you need a clear plan which hones in on your ideal clients and serves them content they WANT to see. So take the time to carefully plan. Think carefully about which platforms are best for your audience, your budget and your time. Then invest in the creation of beautiful templates you can easily edit yourself so that your social media always looks amazing even if you’re not a designer. Put those photos and brand to good use and put yourself out there.
