Does Your Small Business or Startup Need a Logo?

Quite often, the success of a brand is not due to the products it sells but rather to the emotional connection the audience has with the brand message. Your logo can act as a great marketing tool to promote your brand’s message and create emotional engagement with your target audience.

Think about how your brand’s logo is processed by a viewer. Their subconscious plays a big part in how they react to your logo. Your goal should be to have a logo that communicates your brand’s message in an instant.

Why do I need a logo?

The smaller the business, the more you need a great logo. A logo inspires trust in your brand and trust is a vital part of growing your business. A logo-less company is basically a faceless company. A visual identity creates a familiarity with your brand that a small business or startup can’t afford to miss.

What color should I use?

Color affects people’s decisions, both consciously and subconsciously. Colors have meaning so make sure the colors you choose for your logo represent both your company and your target audience.

·        Blue is a color of trust, stability and authority. You will often see it used in the financial and technology sectors.

·        Red is high energy, passion and demands a call to action. Choosing red for your logo can make it feel more dynamic.

·        Green is compassionate, and reflects nature and wildlife.

What should my logo look like?

Your logo should be unique to you and your business. You want it to stand out and differentiate you from your competitors.

Think outside the box when coming up with ideas for your logo. Remember not all brands’ logos reflect their industry. Apple, which sells computers and technology, doesn’t have a computer as their logo. Yet, the Apple logo is recognizable and synonymous with great technology….not apples.

A good designer will work with you to create a logo that is perfect for your small business or startup.

Some Fun Ways to Boost Your Marketing

Creating a marketing strategy for your small business can be complicated and time-consuming. There are a few fun and playful methods to boost your current marketing plan.

Promotional items

Chotchkies with your company’s logo on them are just for trade shows. They can be a powerful marketing tool that can spread the word about your products and services. Give your current customers something they can and will use that will promote your business. Think about what you do and what your customers would like to use, then pick from the multitude of products available.

At Blue Dog Marketing, we have small Post It note pads with our Blue Dog logo on them along with our website. What business owner doesn’t need more sticky notes? This type of promotional item keeps us top of mind with our client because we’re on their desk top and they’re using our ‘gift.’

Branded cars

You’ve seen them around town and they do catch your eye. Some companies just have their business logo, name and phone number on the side of the vehicle. If you’re a plumber or handyman, this can be a great way to promote your business.

Some small businesses have their vehicles wrapped. This can be an awesome way to grab attention while you’re driving. One of our clients, Rochester Travel Group, has her car wrapped in a Sandal’s Resorts wrap. All you see is palm trees, sunny beaches, the Sandal’s logo and, of course, the Rochester Travel Group logo. You can’t miss her car!

If you drive your car a lot for your business, consider branding your vehicle. People stuck in traffic or parking next to you will see your message. Small businesses with branded vehicles often notice a spike in web searches and social media likes wherever their car is.

Blogging

Having a blog is one of the best ways a small business can boost their marketing. Blogging establishes you as an expert in your field. Blogging can be conversational and fun too.

Being consistent with your blogging schedule is important because your readers will expect to see a new post from you on a regular basis.

If you need help writing your blog, a marketing firm like Blue Dog Marketing, can help you create a blogging schedule and write some pretty amazing posts for your small business.

Have fun with your marketing. Yes, sometimes marketing can be dry and boring when you’re looking an analytics or writing your marketing plan for next year, but try to add some fun components to it and both you and your customers will enjoy it!

3 Tip on How to Market Your Business When You are Busy

As a business owner, you are a very busy person. You have to meet clients, create and present proposals, network to find new clients, do your bookkeeping and write your blog. How can you keep marketing your business when you’re so busy running your business?

Here are a few tips you can use to get more marketing done in less time. You’ll also improve your marketing outreach and lead generation efforts too.

Schedule time to write your blog

Blogging for your business will set you apart as an expert in your industry so posting on a regular basis is a great idea. To write one blog a week you should schedule time on your calendar to write, edit and post your blog. Setting aside a half an hour to an hour a couple days a week will get you a great blog you’ll be proud to post.

Day 1: Write a working blog title and an outline of your blog.

Day 2: Start writing. Take your outline and fill in the blanks. Once you’re done with your blog, change your working title to a catchy title that will make people want to read your blog.

Day 3: Post your blog and promote it on social media.

Day 4: Start working on ideas for your next blog.

Use your blog posts everywhere

Having your blog on your website it a must. Visitors to your site will be able to read your posts and better understand what you do and how you can help them. Your blog on your website will also raise your website in searches because you’re adding new content to your site.

But don’t limit your blog to your website. Share it on LinkedIn and Facebook. This will allow you to attract prospective clients to your business on different channels.

Use your email signature to market your business

Email signatures are often an underutilized marketing tool. Create an email signature that includes links to your website, your social media profiles and your latest blog post.

4 Ways Small Businesses Can Maximize Their Marketing Dollars

Here are four tips for small business owners to maximize their marketing without busting the budget.

1.    Create a referral system: Getting clients is as easy as asking your best clients who else they know that would happily benefit from your services. Satisfied clients are usually more than happy to share this information--sometimes they just need to be asked! While asking for a referral, ask for a testimonial too. Use testimonials on your website and marketing materials.

2.    Network:  Create relationships by networking. Meeting and getting to know new people will increase the number of people who can refer your business to others and who can connect you with great new vendors or alliance partners.

3.    Develop strategic alliances: Strategic alliances are people who share the same target audience or clients as you do, but whose company or service doesn't overlap with yours

4.    Build your database: If you want to build your business quickly, build your database. And use that list of clients and potential clients as part of your email campaign. Send your newsletter to this list. Offer discounts or other incentives. This will keep you top of mind with these important contacts.

Using a set of proven marketing strategies that are simple and effective will help your small businesses save a lot of financial stress.  

4 Ways to Market Your Small Business

In today’s market, small businesses need to work smarter, not harder, at reaching their customers. Let’s take a look at 4 smart ways you can reach your target audience.

Have a Professional Website

Having a presence on the internet is essential. Your website is the first place potential customers will go to see if you are legitimate and if you have what they need. Having a great website will keep your potential customers on your website and ordering your products. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly so people checking you out on their smartphones see a good looking website too.

Advertise on the Web

You can find low cost advertising available on the web. Look at Google ads or Facebook ads as a great way to get your company in front of your target audience. Exposure is everything.

Engage in Cause Marketing

A great way to get your business in the public’s eye is to support a local charity. Find a charity you feel strongly about and donate your time and money to it. Use the charity’s logo during fundraising events you sponsor. The charity can use your logo too if you are a sponsor. Being involved in a local charity is good for your small business and your community.

Join the Chamber of Commerce

Join your local Chamber of Commerce and get involved. Meet other small business leaders in your community. The Chamber is a great way to get your business’ name out in the community. 

Great Ways Market Your New Small Business

Marketing plans can vary significantly from one business to the other, but the ultimate goal of your marketing plan is to promote your business and sell your product or service. Below are some of the best strategies you can implement to market your new business.

Build a Professional Website

A professionally designed website is so important for your business, your image and your online reputation. You website should be functional and your potential customers should be able to easily see that your business can solve their pain points. If your website is poorly designed or messy, consider hiring a professional to redesign your site.

Create an email list and engage customers with email marketing

Email marketing is the most effective digital marketing strategy. However, many small businesses don't focus on building an email list. A simple email sign-up form on your website can generate great results. It pays to give free eBook or whitepaper that is relevant and useful to your audience. Once you have gathered the emails, start sending marketing emails, newsletters and targeted campaigns to your prospects and current customers.

Offer Special deals

Who doesn't love a discount? Offering discounts and deals is a powerful way to market your business. Promote your offers on your social media and through blog posts. This is a great way to engage new customers while improving your business reach.

Be alive on Social media

Social media can bring your small business a large number of potential customers. Make sure you focus your time and energy on the correct social media channels for your business. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and blogging are great social media outlets where you can connect with your target audience. Pick the one or two that will be best for your specific business. Your posts should be helpful and engaging. Pick a schedule and stick to it. Your readers will come to expect to see something from you on the specific days that you post.

An effective marketing strategy is crucial for the success of any business. Whether you are a startup, small business owner, or been in the industry for several years these proven marketing strategies can help you find new customers while expanding your business.

How to Better Understand Your Marketing Efforts: 5 Questions to Ask

Doing a self-assessment of your marketing efforts will keep you on the right track and stop you if something is not working. Here are five questions a small business owner should ask themselves to get the most out of their marketing efforts.

1. Are your sales and marketing efforts working well together? Sales and marketing have to support each other within a unified strategy centered on your customers.

2. Do you really understand your clients and your target market? You may say “yes”, but in today’s constantly changing market, it is not always easy to keep up with your clients’ needs. We can break this question down to some relevant sub-questions that can assist you in better assessing your answer:

- How well do you know the needs of your clients?
- Do your employees share information about clients’ needs and use this data to modify your products or/and services?
- To what extent is your team proactive about building customer loyalty?
- How well do you anticipate the needs of your customers?
- Are you able to successfully impact their purchasing criteria?
- Do you take the time to think about how your company’s products or services create more value for your customers?

3. Do you know who your competitors are and what they offer? Constantly gather up-to-date information about your competitors’ products, marketing activities and even their company structure because this data helps you see where your market is going, what your customers really need, and which tactics used by your competitors have a positive impact.

4. How do you handle negative comments about your products or services? The negative feedback you receive can be a great marketing opportunity. Learn how to deal with negative feedback in a constructive customer-oriented fashion.

5. Are you using the latest marketing tools to promote your company? Evaluate if you are making the most out of the must-use marketing tools available. Social media, a great website and email marketing all provide excellent ways for small businesses to get their products or services noticed.

If I Could Turn Back Time…

A recent USA Snapshot asked 504 small business owners what the top things they would have done differently. Not surprisingly, “doing more marketing/promotion” was the number one response.

Don’t let this be your regret. Contact an expert, like us at Blue Dog Marketing, to handle your marketing for you. We take marketing off your plate so you can concentrate on what you do best, running your business. Let 2015 be the year your business grows through marketing!