If you’re starting a small business at home, whether it’s an online store, providing services as a freelancer, or otherwise, then you want to make sure that it can grow healthily. A big part of that is getting people to check your business out in the first place. Your branding can play a major role in doing just that, and here, we’re going to look at tips on how to make yourself stand out as best as possible.
Create Your Online Presence
When you’re running a business from home, it’s usually safe to say that much of your interactions with your customers and clients are going to be done from home. With no office or storefront to attract foot traffic, you have to focus on building an excellent online presence instead. Work with professional website designers to make sure that you have a site that not only catches the eye but also catches the interest of search engines, using search engine optimization (SEO) to more effectively drive traffic your way. Creating a business blog that helps customers see how your products and services can fit their specific needs can be a very effective way to raise interest in your business, as well.
Define Your Brand Visuals
Both online and in any physical interactions (such as with your products or deliveries) you have to make sure that there is a consistent, quality, and unique visual component to your brand. You can work to find the colour scheme and the visual elements (such as typography and imagery) that work best to convey what you want your brand to inspire. Whether you want it to feel cosy, luxurious, or otherwise, be consistent with your visuals. Use branded imagery not just online, but physically, such as with custom stickers on your products, leaflets, and the like. Consistent branding is what helps your customers recognise you better over time.
Tell Your Story
Your brand is more than just the visuals you use to help it catch the eye. There has to be an emotive and compelling core underneath it all. This is what is known as your brand story. Typically, a brand story will be based on the unique value that you can offer your customers and clients, and how your products align with their needs. However, brand stories can also use personal aspects of your life, such as the craftsmanship, history, or expertise that goes into your products. Find your brand story, and make sure that it’s always at least an influence on how you communicate with your audience.
Be mindful that you’re putting as much work into branding your business as you need to grow it to the level you want. If it’s just a side hustle and you don’t want it to be anything more, you might not need to budget too much for it. However, if you want it to become your main source of income, then it pays to take it seriously. The tips above can help you do that.
