3 Ways a Strong Brand Identity Can Lead to Greater Success for Your Small Business A strong brand identity has the power to elevate and position a company in a way that can yield greater success.

By Christina-Lauren Pollack

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A strong brand identity has the power to elevate and position a company in a way that can yield greater success. For small businesses, a strong brand identity is one of the key ways to stand out from competitors and differentiate yourself. But branding is more than just a logo and tagline. It's about how you tell your story to customers through all the different channels available to you. It's not always easy, but creating a strong brand identity for your small business can be one of the most important decisions you make, as it will shape how people see your company.

Here are three powerful reasons why branding matters so much for small businesses and how you can start to create a strong brand identity.

What is brand identity?

From your website's appearance to your messaging style, branding helps your company create a visual presentation to the world. From your mission statement and brand values to the types of imagery you'll use to highlight your products or services, these elements are all key parts of your brand identity. A strong brand identity delivers a cohesive message to your audience and builds trust.

When you think of branding, it's easy to associate the word with logos or color palettes. However, in reality, branding encompasses much more than that: brand positioning, customer experience design, advertising campaigns, marketing materials — the list goes on!

Related: Why Branding is Even More Relevant To Businesses Today

Why is a branding strategy important?

A branding strategy is a plan for positioning your business as the market leader and generating customer loyalty.

A branding strategy is essentially a roadmap for how you'll develop and communicate your brand identity to customers. It involves defining who your target audience is, what type of branding content they might want or need from you and where they can find it (including social media channels).

It's about coming up with relevant brand values that are special to you, defining what makes you different from other businesses in your industry, understanding how people perceive you online (both social media influencers and bloggers) and building an emotional connection with customers.

Related: 4 Branding Strategies Every Startup Founder Should Know About

How can a small business do brand marketing?

You need to create an emotional branding message that resonates with your target audience so that they form a deeper connection with your company. When people think of your business, they should be able to succinctly explain to others what you offer and why you're valuable (from their perspective).

From your social media marketing content to your website's blog posts, press releases and online ads, every aspect of marketing your company corresponds directly to the way you want people to perceive your brand.

Think about your core messaging, your tone of voice and your imagery. In essence, make sure that every touchpoint relates to your "vibe". Is your brand fun or playful? Is it sophisticated and chic?

As you can see, developing a strong brand identity encompasses a variety of important factors. However, the more that you think through the creation of your brand identity, the easier it will be for your company to set itself apart and gain greater success.

Related: Why Personal Branding Is a Secret Weapon

Christina-Lauren Pollack

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

Entrepreneur, Executive, Influencer & Business Branding Coach

Christina-Lauren Pollack is an entrepreneur, manufacturing executive, pro lifestyle blogger and influencer, e-commerce expert and branding course creator. She loves educating entrepreneurs about digital branding and marketing ideas and empowering them with inspiring advice about entrepreneurship.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Branding

When to Know If Rebranding the Right Move For You — and What You Should Focus on When It's Time

Discover if rebranding is what your company needs to work on by asking yourself key questions about why you want to rebrand in the first place and which key areas are most important to focus on, whether that be a refresh, partial or full rebrand.

Operations & Logistics

3 Ways Logistics Leaders Can Edge the Competition by Embracing Industry Problems

Success often comes to those who stay focused on the problems they're trying to solve, rather than getting fixated on their solution.

Innovation

If You Want to Be an Industry Leader, Be an Industry Innovator. Here's How to Inspire Innovation in Your Business.

Innovation isn't just about making something new; it's about improving something.

Business News

Target Will Close 9 Stores Across 4 States Due to Ongoing Crime That's 'Threatening the Safety' of Customers and Employees

Target stated that it "invested heavily" in efforts to combat crime, but it just didn't work.

Business News

Here's the Secret to Growing Your Small Business, According to Execs at UPS, Airbnb, Mastercard, and Other Big Brands

These 10 executives work at big companies, overseeing programs that help small business. Here's the advice they wish all small business owners were getting.