Danbury Chamber of Commerce Panel: Branding Your Business

It was a pleasure to participate in the Danbury Chamber of Commerce's expert panel on Branding Your Business. I was joined by Bill Zierolf of Thryv and Kristen Jensen of Kristen Jensen Productions. Thryv specializes in marketing automation for small businesses and Kristen is a photographer and videographer who works with clients on personal branding.

Some key learnings from the discussion included:

1. Branding is much more than visual imagery. So many clients believe that a color palette or logo makes a brand. While those are important components, branding is really about the promise you make to your customers. As one colleague said, "GE has been bringing good things to life for years but not the same good things." What is your business's unique selling proposition? What are you known for? We have a client who is known for athletic performance. If this client decided to sell fashion athletic wear it would be a mistake. Clients would wonder if they were truly serious about performance.

2. Do not forget your existing clients for revenue generation. Your existing clients love you and know you, and you have already invested in acquiring those customers. Why not try to give them that special you are offering new clients? Or maybe you have an up-sell or other product that they would like. The panel agreed that across industries, it is a common mistake to constantly go after the new target prospect instead of working with existing clients. Existing clients are also a wealth of information when you are trying to determine what makes you stand out from the competition. Ask them why they chose you. Use that information for your marketing.

3. Social media offers companies an efficient way to find like minded prospects At sparqGEN, we often remind clients that their next customer will likely look a lot like their existing ones... Why? Because your business is meeting a certain target's needs, and that target customer has attributes and pain points that others will share.

4. Make sure your contact information is accurate: All businesses should ensure that their listings are accurate across the major search engines. Take some time to review your contact information. It may seem very basic, but according to Bill at Thryv, this is a common error.

5. Video is a great way to showcase a business's personality especially for small businesses where an individual may be a large part of the branding. Video is becoming increasingly central to marketing and branding which is not surprising as Cisco estimates that by 2021 78% of all mobile data traffic will be video. For small businesses, a video that showcases the personality of the owner can be the most effective communication medium.

As a CT Marketing Agency, sparqGEN Marketing welcomes the chance to interact with local businesses to help them determine the best path for their branding. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.