A Bank of America survey says 76 percent of small business owners feel ready to survive a recession. Their strategy must include foolproof branding if they truly have their ducks in a row.
As a small business owner, you know how crucial branding is to your success. It sets you apart from your competitors beyond the physical, such as your logo or packaging. It allows you to shine and gives your target customers a reason to try your brand. That’s assuming you’ve caught their attention.
After all, capturing market interest can be a challenge, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome with a dash of innovation and plenty of determination.
According to Kantar, effective branding can improve consumers’ perceptions of a brand, increasing its market volume share by up to 900 percent compared to weaker brands. In this article, we delve into five ingenious ways to harness your brand and give a little advice on how to make them work each time:
1. Team up with social media creators
Establishing a brand presence in 2023 can involve influential creators whose values match your brand. These projects can take different forms, from sponsored content to product reviews.
The influencer marketing market is currently valued at $16.4 billion. It has been expanding consistently, dominated by Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
By riding on the clout and credibility of influencers, you can benefit from their followers’ trust and widen your customer base. This technique can drive authentic engagement and breed faithful customers.
2. Hire an SEO company
An SEO expert can significantly assist in branding your small business by utilizing search engine optimization strategies to improve your online visibility and reputation. They conduct keyword research, optimize website content, and enhance website structure for better search engine rankings.
By achieving higher visibility on search engines, your small business gains increased exposure and attract more targeted traffic. Additionally, an SEO professional can assist in creating compelling content, optimizing social media profiles, and implementing effective link-building strategies.
Experts can specialize in various industries or niches, from gym SEO to lawyer SEO. All the same, they can help you create a strong and memorable brand.
3. Be socially responsible and relevant
As consumers give increasing importance to environmental and social concerns, brands that promote them have a greater chance of thriving in 2023. Take that leap by incorporating sustainability into your branding strategy and publicly declaring your commitment.
There are many ways to do this, such as using green packaging or supporting fair trade. When you sync your brand with advocacies that mean something to your target audience, you can develop a brand identity anchored in social consciousness and morals.
4. Offer augmented reality (AR) experiences
Augmented reality offers huge branding potential as it allows you to provide an engaging and interactive experience for your target audience. When optimizing your garment store website, for instance, you can add an AR feature allowing shoppers to try on your products virtually.
AR helps you leave a lasting impression on your audience and communicate your innovative spirit. This feature helps your brand gain consumers’ trust and confidence as a market leader.
5. Use voice-activated technology
With Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and similar tech, voice-activated branding offers exciting opportunities for the business community this year. You can acquire branded voice-assistant skills or actions that bring value to users.
Adding voice-activated experiences to your brand can increase customer engagement and strengthen brand recognition in a rapidly expanding medium. This helps you remain at the forefront of technological advancements while making your voice heard in the market.
6. Launch or sponsor a podcast
The world currently listens to five million podcasts with 70 million episodes combined. Podcasts can improve your branding by offering a channel for sharing high-value content, demonstrating expertise, and interacting with your target market.
You can launch your podcast for complete content control and a more direct platform to connect with your audience. On the other hand, you can sponsor an existing podcast that lets you leverage its current audience and gain from the host’s credibility.
Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that fits your branding best. In so doing, consider a few factors, such as your audience, budget, and the time and work you can realistically commit to the endeavor.
Indeed, 2023 calls for less-than-typical branding methods, from AR experiences to voice-activated branding to podcasts. There are many ways to pique your market’s interest for real instead of simply adding to the noise.
With the above, you can start capturing audiences and setting yourself up for long-term success in the competitive world of avant-garde marketing.
