What Can a Brand Strategist Do for Local, Small Business Owners to Meet Their Business Goals
- simplyk2mktg
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
At Simply K2 Marketing, I refer to myself a Brand Strategist or say that I provide brand strategy, but what does that really mean for you and your business goals if you’re a local, small business owner? Let’s break it down a little first.
A Brand is the name, logo and any outward symbols that distinguishes a business, product or service from others in its category. On a deeper level, it’s expectations established by the seller that, once fulfilled, form a lasting and sacred bond with its customers/buyers.
Branding is the process and actions taken to shape and manage a business’ or product’s perception that both differentiate and influence how it’s perceived (see, hear, and experience) in the marketplace against its competition. It’s also important to mention that this perception is not just the customer’s. It’s experienced across your prospects, suppliers, distributors, and your employees.
How I Help Small Businesses with Brand Strategy
When it comes to brand strategy and my business, I’m here to help small business owners get a hyper clear understanding of what makes them special, who their marketing to, and how to communicate these “benefits” to their dream clients in a way that’s fostering honest engagement. The key to what I do is clarifying and developing brand messages that communicate how my client’s product or service can solve a necessary problem or “pain point” better than anyone else out there.
This collaborative process which includes 30 years of experience, strategy, analyzing market and consumer insights, and competitive research, has helped clients:
Identify how the brand stands out and is different vs. simply talking about what services or benefits it has to its customers
Talk to the right people (those who need and want their brand/product and services) and who will come back time and time again to buy it,
Create consistency in what messages are shared, how they are shared, and where to include them across different marketing channels
How Brand Strategists Help Local, Small Business Owners Meet Their Business Goals
When it comes to brand strategist, each may have a different approach, but here are three key elements about your brand where they can make a real difference for your small business.
1. Identify Your Ideal Client/Customer
Too many small businesses start their business off with the perception that they “sell to everyone.” It’s simply too hard to make an impact this way because ultimately your messaging is too watered down and not specific to who really needs your product.
A brand strategist asks key questions to uncover more about whom your true target audience is including the demographics (age, gender, income, location) and psychographics (their spending habits, where they shop, what they like to do, beliefs and values). These are all factors that can predict why someone may like your brand and how they could interact with it. Some benefits:
Knowing your target audience allows you to create messaging that speaks directly to that person.
It attracts dream clients to your store/business because you’re able to clearly talk about your brand and what it can do, and
It helps you differentiate your brand from your competition and stand out for what makes you uniquely qualified to solve a need – which increases qualified leads and conversions.
2. Develop Your Brand Messaging
This is not simple marketing copy that you use in a social media caption – it’s the foundational messaging off of which all of your marketing copy is created. These will be used on your website, in emails, in social media and in networking. Here are just a few messaging examples that a brand strategist will help you create:
Positioning Statement: What you offer to whom and the difference/why they should choose you over everyone else (aka your competition). It underlies how you market your business.
Mission Statement: This is your reason for being. It’s what you do, who you do it for, and the benefit it provides. It’s often used to motivate and inspire employees and is something you or they are proud to share.
Brand Promise: This is an external statement you share with your customers and clients that speaks to the long term promise it makes to them. Not based on product or service features (as those can change over time), this promise endures as a heartfelt commitment.
Brand Vision: An internal and external statement identifying where the company hopes to go/be in 5-10 years from now if they fulfill their mission. It provides guidance and inspiration.
3. Create a Brand Strategy/Brand Plan
Not be confused with a marketing plan, which is focused on what content you’re sharing and where to achieve a specific goal; the brand strategy or plan is a long-term blue print outlining the brands market position, core messaging (like those above), the brand identity (visuals, colors, logo), target audience and competitive differentiation. While most commonly used for medium to large sized business, these are ideal when your small business is in a highly competitive category or marketplace. This brand blueprint helps clearly identify the validity of success and how you can get there through.
Note: One thing a brand strategist may not do. They may not be versed in graphic design or developing identity elements like logos, fonts, or images. Some do, do both, but many specialize in one or the other as they each require unique skill sets. However, like me, they may have a network or team to handle the brand design-side while they handle the strategic one. If you’re looking for both strategy and design assistance it’s best to ask ahead.
The overarching benefit of hiring a brand strategist for your small business is to help figure out what makes you different, highlight those differences and put you in front of the right audience with clear consistent messaging. This in turn will help drive more leads and conversions for your business. It’s also worth your time to speak to a marketing manager if your brand strategist does not manage marketing plans or executions. Marketers will help you focus on the tactical activities like where to promote your business and how, while your brand strategists will focus on the long-term, strategic positioning and messaging of the business and brand.
Whether you’re just starting out or 3-5 years in business, it’s never too late to incorporate a formal brand strategy and your foundational brand messages. However, at the end of the day, no matter who you work with, your brand’s messaging and strategy should feel authentic to you and needs to be based on your individual product/service or business and the industry that you’re in. If your local business that isn’t backed by a well thought out brand strategy, thoughtful messaging, and marketing it won’t work long-term.
I am always looking to help more local business stand out and thrive in their communities. Submit a contact form if you’re interested in learning more about my brand development services.
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