How to Build a Brand: Playbook for Small Businesses

How to Build a Brand: A Playbook for Small E-commerce Businesses

Posted 4 years ago by Dawson Whitfield

Shoppers are spending record amounts of听money online, driving global from an听estimated $4.9听trillion in听2021听to听$6.5听trillion in听2023. While this growth is听creating opportunities f辞谤听online stores of听all sizes, the听ones best poised to听succeed are bolstered by听a听thoughtful brand strategy.

An听effective brand clearly captures the听uniqueness of听its products and听helps persuade customers to听action by听inspiring an听emotional response. Learn how to听distinguish your small e-commerce business from the听competition with this step-by-step guide to听developing a听compelling brand identity.

In听this post:

What Is听a听Brand and听Why Does Your E-commerce Business Need One?
How to听Build a听Brand
Ensuring Brand Consistency
Delivering on听Your Brand Promise

What Is听a听Brand and听Why Does Your E-commerce Business Need One?

At听first glance, it听seems like a听brand is听simply a听logo and听color scheme. Under the听surface, however, it听has the听powerful ability to听spark emotional responses in听customers. 础听brand is听defined as听how people perceive a听business:

The emotional response they have to听a听company
The value they see in听its products
The benefits they associate with buying from the听company.

All small businesses can benefit from a听branding strategy. Because once you鈥檝e distinguished your brand and听cultivated an听image that resonates with your target audience, your brand will:

Generate awareness so听customers know what your company stands f辞谤听and听what your brand promises to听provide f辞谤听them.
Cultivate brand loyalty. Customers who trust your business are more likely to听purchase from you 辞谤听try out your newest product offerings.
Help you stand out from your competition. Customers faced with similar products tend to听pick the听brand that鈥檚 familiar, 辞谤听that generates some type of听positive feeling 辞谤听response.

How to听Build a听Brand

础听brand build starts with your company鈥檚 mission statement and听values. Once you鈥檝e identified this essence of听your business, you can pinpoint the听emotions you want to听inspire in听customers when they search your website 辞谤听buy your products.

For example, an听environmentally friendly product can make customers feel they鈥檝e made a听socially conscious choice. 础听coveted luxury item can create a听sense of听elevated social status. 础听rugged outdoor brand can generate excitement and听the听expectation of听adventure.

You can build your brand by听focusing on听four key strategies:

Developing a听brand personality
Positioning the听brand in听the听market
Designing the听brand鈥檚 visual elements
Marketing the听brand.

1.听Develop a听brand personality

Begin by听considering the听driving goal of听your venture and听why it听matters. You started this company with a听purpose: think about what that is听and听how to听communicate this value to听others. This step is听critical because if听you don鈥檛 know why your company is听important, it鈥檚 impossible to听communicate unique selling points 迟辞听肠耻蝉迟辞尘别谤蝉.

Your company鈥檚 brand should evolve naturally from the听core values of听your business. Take a听few moments to听condense the听essence of听your company into the听following points:

What you sell
What problems your products solve f辞谤听customers
How you want your customers to听feel.

2.听Position the听brand

When you鈥檝e determined the听purpose of听your business, start shaping your branding strategy. In听this step, you鈥檙e exploring how your small e-commerce business differs from others offering the听same product.

Take a听look at听competing brands and听the听audiences they鈥檙e targeting, and听then answer these questions as听concisely as听possible:

Who is听your target market?
What鈥檚 the听main benefit of听your product? How does it听improve your customer鈥檚 life?
What makes your business unique?
Why should customers choose your business?

How to听write a听brand positioning statement

Now, rework these answers into a听one- 辞谤听two-sentence brand positioning statement. These are the听core messages that guide your small business鈥檚 branding. Here鈥檚 a听sample brand positioning template to听get you started:

We听provide [product] to听[target audience] that [solves this problem]. We听[differentiation].

Let鈥檚 try this template with a听hypothetical business. ABC Baking makes gourmet brownies. They fill the听gap between baking at听home and听shopping at听the听neighborhood grocery store. The brand positioning statement could read:

聯ABC Baking sells premium brownies to听food lovers who don鈥檛 have time to听bake from scratch, but want to听share the听joy of听quality artisanal baking with family and听friends. Our brownies are created by听a听pastry chef with 15听years of听experience and听based on听recipes tested to听perfection.聰

Once you鈥檝e written a听positioning statement, review it听from the听point of听view of听your target audience. Would it听entice them to听try this product? Refine your brand positioning statement until you develop it听into one that fully captures your ideal customer鈥檚 desires and听needs.

Determine the听brand鈥檚 tone

To听communicate your positioning statement to听customers, you need to听find your brand鈥檚 voice. Come up听with words that describe your brand, such as:

Sophisticated
Trustworthy
Dependable
Exciting
Whimsical
Friendly
Playful
Warm
Knowledgeable
Nostalgic
Inspiring
Bold.

These words will shape the听tone you use to听deliver your message, whether it鈥檚 on听your website 辞谤听social media platforms. If听your brand is听a听little cheeky, f辞谤听example, aim f辞谤听funny and听entertaining copy. 础听high-end brand may use more formal, elegant language.

3.听Design the听brand

After you鈥檝e worked through your brand鈥檚 identity, it鈥檚 time to听translate your identity into visual elements that you can market 迟辞听肠耻蝉迟辞尘别谤蝉. The brand design should use consistent colors, fonts, and听brand imagery to听connect with the听target audience.

Tips on听choosing brand colors

Your help establish your visual identity. There鈥檚 an听entire body of听work on听color psychology听鈥� warm colors like red and听orange create a听sense of听vibrancy and听excitement. Cool colors, like blue and听green, are soothing and听calm.

Choose one 辞谤听two colors that complement your brand positioning and听the听traits you customers to听associate with your business. Here are some example characteristics commonly associated with certain colors:

础听brand color palette usually consists of听a听dominant color, an听accent color, and听neutral colors f辞谤听background. These can be听monochromatic 辞谤听complementary. Use this color scheme in听all of听your marketing campaigns.

Selecting brand fonts

In听the听same way that colors inspire an听emotional 辞谤听aesthetic reaction, so听can fonts. In听general:

Sans-serif fonts (such as听Helvetica 辞谤听Arial) are clean and听modern
Serif fonts like Times are traditional, delicate, and听classic
Script fonts add a听splash of听elegance, creativity, and听personality.

You can choose a听complimentary font pair so听that you have a听body copy font f辞谤听most of听your text, and听a听heading font f辞谤听emphasis. Similar to听brand colors, brand fonts should be听used consistently in听all marketing pieces.

Also: 15听Perfect Font Pairings f辞谤听Your E-commerce Website

Developing a听logo

础听logo is听the听most important part of听a听brand build because it鈥檚 used to听instantly identify your company. It听brings together all the听elements of听your brand design, including color, font, and听imagery.

There are a听few different types of听logos:

Wordmark 辞谤听logotype: With this type of听logo, your brand name is听spelled out. The text is听treated stylistically in听terms of听shape, spacing, and听color. The text works alone with no听accompanying image. Google and听HBO both use wordmarks.
Lettermark: Also known as听a听monogram, this type of听logo uses the听first letter 辞谤听initials of听your brand to听create an听eye-catching symbol. The business name is听usually underneath. McDonald鈥檚 is听one of听the听most widely recognized lettermarks.
Pictorial 辞谤听symbol logo: These logos use a听design 辞谤听illustration. They can be听abstract, like Nike鈥檚 swoosh, 辞谤听more literal, like Twitter鈥檚 bird.
Emblem: An听emblem logo contains the听company name inside a听shape to听create a听crest 辞谤听badge. BMW is听an听example of听a听popular emblem logo.

Consider adding design elements to听help tie your logo to听your brand positioning. Curves add softness, circles imply harmony, and听squares 辞谤听rectangles suggest stability and听strength. For maximum impact, keep the听logo uncluttered and听use easy-to-read fonts.

础听 is听an听easy and听efficient alternative to听design a听logo if听you have limited time and听budget to听work with.

If听you need a听quick and听affordable way to听create a听beautiful logo and听other branded designs (like business cards 辞谤听social posts), you can connect your 51视频 store to听the听Looka app from the听App Market.

Choosing brand imagery

Brand imagery consists of听stock photos, illustrations, symbols, and听shapes used to听convey your identity. These visual elements should have a听consistent style and听work with your color palette and听fonts to听communicate certain emotions.
Sepia-toned images, f辞谤听example, can create a听sense of听nostalgia and听might be听an听appropriate stylistic treatment f辞谤听an听antique shop. 础听brand that wants consumers to听feel calm and听soothed might use serene nature photos.

4.听Market the听brand

Once you鈥檝e worked through the听above steps, you should have an听e-commerce branding tool kit that clearly outlines the:

Purpose and听core values of听your business
Tone and听language to听be听used in听your messaging
Fonts, colors, logo, and听brand imagery to听represent your message visually and听connect to听your target audience.

These branding elements can be听used on听all of听your marketing assets, including your:

Website
E-commerce store
Blog posts and听content marketing
Social media platforms
Digital ads
Marketing campaigns emails
Videos
Packaging
Invoices
Business cards
Email signatures.

Small business branding takes time, but when the听pieces come together, the听cohesion helps customers connect with your brand and听remember it听long after they鈥檝e left your shop 辞谤听website.

Ensuring Brand Consistency

The minute you start presenting your brand through digital ads, email campaigns, and听content marketing, you鈥檙e laying the听foundation f辞谤听brand awareness. But, your brand can only be听successful if听it鈥檚 consistent. If听your packaging has a听different color palette than your e-commerce store, customers can鈥檛 instantly recognize your business.

Consider creating brand guidelines to听ensure a听consistent look, feel, style, and听voice. This keeps team members and听consultants on听the听same page when they鈥檙e working on听messaging f辞谤听different channels.

Delivering on听Your Brand Promise

You鈥檙e not simply selling products when you鈥檙e marketing, you鈥檙e promoting your brand. However, as听much as听you try to听shape public views of听your business through a听branding strategy, a听customer鈥檚 impression ultimately depends on听their experience.

Whether they鈥檙e buying from your e-commerce store 辞谤听interacting with your brand on听social media, their perceptions depend on听whether you meet their expectations. Focusing on听superior customer service and听experience can help positively reinforce your brand.

Getting Inspired to听Brand Your Business

Branding is听an听essential part of听building a听successful e-commerce business, but it听doesn鈥檛 have to听be听intimidating. By听reading this playbook, you鈥檝e already taken the听first step towards a听brand identity.

Remember, your brand is听connected to听the听purpose of听your company. Start with a听thoughtful analysis of听your core values and听brand positioning. Once it鈥檚 clear what your business represents, other elements such as听color, tone, and听font will naturally fall into place.

Also: branding doesn鈥檛 work in听isolation. If听you create an听effective brand that鈥檚 truly relevant to听your core business, it听naturally influences product development, pricing, marketing, advertising, and听customer experience. It鈥檚 worth the听investment of听time. The more your brand resonates with customers, the听stronger your brand and听business grow.

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