You’re passionate about your small business or nonprofit, but let’s face it – budgets can be tight.
The good news? You don’t need a bottomless wallet to elevate your brand. In this post, we’re diving into cost-effective branding and marketing strategies tailored to the savvy spender. Get ready to supercharge your brand without breaking the bank!
Before diving into the deep end, make sure you’ve got your brand identity down pat. What’s your mission? Who’s your target audience? What’s your unique selling proposition (USP)? Online resources like questionnaires, and templates can help you clarify these fundamental aspects. It’s like putting together the pieces of your brand puzzle! We call that brand strategy.
We have a handful of free resources we have posted about in the past to help you get started:
- Odvant’s Brand Personality Worksheet
- Odvant’s End-Of-The-Year Checklist
- Odvant’s Brand Overview Template
Brand strategy is like the compass that guides your ship through the turbulent seas of the business world. It’s your North Star, your game plan, and your brand’s best friend. Brand strategy isn’t just a fancy add-on; it’s the backbone of your brand.
If you are a person who likes to watch videos instead of jumping into templates, here is a video from Simon Sinek. He is like the godfather for finding your why. This talk gives some simple exercises you can do as a business to start talking to your customers in a more meaningful way.
Branding tips to do today:
1. Share Your Journey….and Your Face!
The algorithm LOVES your face. We hate that about social platforms, but it is true. If you have not posted your face in a while, here is your reminder. We encourage sharing your organization’s story and values through social media, blogs, or newsletters.
2. DIY Design Tweaks
Refine Your Visuals
Simple design refinements can make a big difference. Are you using too many colors? We aim for 2-3 primary colors to use dominantly on everything and 2-3 secondary colors to use as accents. Too many fonts? Try to establish a single primary font for headers and calls to action, and a supporting font for body copy.
Consistency Is Key
The value of maintaining a consistent visual identity is so important. Try things like using your logo on the same color background and in the same spot everywhere you can.
3. Collaborate and Cross-Promote
There are so many benefits from forming partnerships with like-minded organizations. Of course, we love finding new friends, but having a group of vendors and partners ready to share resources is so valuable to a small business. Just by sharing each other’s content, you can reach new audiences and markets.
Here are some ideas on how to collaborate:
Partner for Events or Campaigns
There are opportunities for cost-sharing and increased exposure.
Cross-Promote on Social Media
Encourage cross-promotion through social media partnerships.
