The “belongingness hypothesis” (proposed by Baumeister and Leary in their landmark paper) suggests that people have a “a basic psychological need to feel closely connected to others”. That is why most of the brands use different emotional triggers to connect with their customers on an emotional level and develop strong, lucrative relationships. These days, small companies have a chance to brand and distinguish themselves from the competition.
In addition, branding is not only good for connecting with your customers – it is also great for your SEO. The search engine, Google in particular, prioritizes branded listings in its search results, because users are more likely to click on them. But if this is not a reason enough for you, let us look at more reasons why small businesses should develop their brands.
A Good-Looking Website Is Your Calling Card
According to the findings from the Missouri University of Science and Technology research, it takes an average internet user around 0.2 seconds to form an opinion of your brand after visiting your site. Therefore, giving a good first impression should be your top priority. Including an introductory video on your website might be a good idea, because, according to a Forbes survey, 60% of the people would rather watch a video than read a text with the same information. Of course, before you even build a quality site, you should think about your domain name. Even though the .com TDL still dominates, if you want your brand to have a more personal feel to it, consider some alternatives like domain.me. A catchy name will certainly help you to separate yourself from the competition.
Strengthen Your Brand Reputation on Social Media
The Social Media Examiner reports that nearly 65% of marketers are using social media for more than 6 hours every week. It is no wonder, because social media is simply one of the most effective marketing tools out there. An effective social media campaign will increase your brand exposure, help you establish a following and drive revenue. Before you start building your reputation, find a platform that suits your brand image. For example, 73% of adults in the United States use Facebook, so if you are targeting an older demographic, FB should be your main platform.
Sharable Content Engages the Customers
It stands to reason that if you concentrate on producing useful and sharable content, you will create a much stronger brand and establish yourself as an industry expert. That is why, according to the latest Content Marketing Institute report , more than 75% of marketers plan to produce more creative content in 2016. You should figure out what content will resonate with your target audience the most, however, you should not shy away from using visual content. Mainly because articles and blog posts with images tend to get 94% more views than the ones with plain text.
Remember to Review Your Activities
Perhaps the best way to ensure a steady growth of your brand is to review your strategies and evaluate your achievements through different metrics and statistics. Regular evaluations will help you seize new opportunities, steer your brand on the right course and stay relevant in the following years. Lastly, do not expect success overnight, because the fact is, more than 50% of people do not trust brands, so you need to work gradually to earn the trust of your potential clients.