Beyond the Logo: Unconventional Branding Tips for Small Businesses

This is a guest post from Jill Goodwin – thanks Jill.

“The more you tell, the more you sell”—David Ogilvy

Branding plays a crucial role in the process of marketing your business. Small businesses in particular need to cultivate broad-reaching brand awareness in order to gain the public’s trust and establish themselves as contenders in their respective industries.

Where bigger, more recognized businesses have the advantage of familiarity with consumers, small businesses are tasked with building up a positive public image from scratch—and that can be tough.

But with the right branding strategy, anything is possible. And sometimes, it pays to take the path less traveled. These eight unconventional branding tips are designed to elevate your business’s name and help you lay down a foundation for positive, long-lasting relationships with customers and the world in general.

Get Interviewed On Podcasts

Podcasts have graduated well past the point of passing fad, and we have the statistics to back it up. There are over 460 million podcast listeners in the world as of 2023, and you’d be surprised by the incredible variety of topics they’re interested in.

There’s bound to be a respectable enough podcast host in your area who’s looking for stories to share. If you angle your business’s purpose and mission in the right way, people will want to listen.

Podcast interviews are also great ways to network with other local businesses and influencers who could help your brand reach new heights of engagement with the public. Plus, it could be fun!

Utilize Employee Advocacy Strategies

Employee advocacy is a marketing strategy that involves using employees as ambassadors for your brand on social media. Employee spotlight posts are a great place to start.

An increasing number of studies show that customers are far more likely to support and trust a brand when they connect with the people behind the business. So, who are the friendly faces behind your business and why do they love working there? Uploading employee-spotlight posts to your social media is a great idea.

Avoid Magpie Syndrome

Don’t fixate so much on every major marketing trend you hear about online. There are near-endless ways to get your brand’s name out there and start driving sustainable sales. But not all of them work, and not all of them are worth the investment.

While continuing to keep your finger on the pulse of current marketing trends, refrain from taking every piece of advice as gold (or in this case, silver).

Don’t Be Afraid Of Email Marketing

Email marketing gets a bad rap in many circles due to its perceived outdatedness. But anyone who shuts down this tried-and-tested digital marketing strategy before actually giving it a go is missing out on some serious traction with customers.

Where social media is filtered through algorithms that target accounts (millions of which are often inactive), email marketing targets real people, most of whom check their inboxes every day.

The buying process that occurs through email marketing is also 3x higher than it is on social media. Don’t be afraid of this traditional form of marketing. There’s a reason it’s been around for so long.

Get Involved In Your Community

This is an especially powerful tip if your business deals with local interpersonal engagement, like a food subscription service or massage therapy practice. Participating in local events and getting involved in the community is a great way to get your name out there and cultivate some healthy brand awareness.

Community involvement is also a great way to network with other businesses in your area and forge stronger bonds with those in your industry. This can pave the way for potential partnerships and other forms of collaboration marketing to thrive.

Run Competitions And Giveaways

This one might not be super unconventional, but it is an underutilized marketing strategy that can garner some amazing results. Getting online followers to subscribe to take action on a new subscription, product, or service is much easier when there is an incentive involved.

Showcase The Process Behind The Product 

Customers love feeling like a part of the process. They want to see the human side of your business, and you can show it to them by giving tangible insight into the process behind your products or services.

Whether you sell organic beauty products or offer online tutoring services, there’s always a way to capture the process behind your purpose in a way that brings viewers closer to your business.

Investing in high-quality product photography that showcases every step of the journey your product takes is a great place to start. You can also opt for video footage of your behind-the-scenes activities, your team, and any other relevant content. Show customers how much effort, love, and care goes into your brand. This marketing tactic also ties in very well with employee advocacy marketing.

Adopt An Attitude Of Continuous Learning

When it comes down to it, you don’t need to have the biggest budget, the fanciest technology, or the longest years of experience to become a successful business.

But you do need to be proactive, methodical, and always open to learning new ways of promoting your business. Marketing trends are prone to change, and that’s okay. Just remember to maintain a student’s perspective and never stop learning about how to ride the choppy waves of change.

By following different marketing strategists online, networking with other businesses in your industry, and following news online, you’ll never miss an opportunity to grow.

Final Thoughts

Branding isn’t easy, especially in the hyper-competitive world of today. It requires a keen understanding of who your target audience is and what exactly they want from you as a business.

But on a more practical level, it also means employing a variety of different marketing strategies to find out what works best. In order to successfully market your business, you have to be willing to try new things. That’s what will make you stand out as a brand.

Taking an unconventional approach might not always feel comfortable as a young business, but it often pays off. Be open to experimenting with different marketing strategies and remember that adaptation is one of the strongest qualities a contemporary brand can have.

Jill Goodwin – Content Master & Writer of Amazing Ideas

Shawn Kinkade Kansas City Business Coach