Brand strategy is vital for small businesses

I constantly talk to several small companies, and as soon as the word strategy comes up in the conversation, the hairs stand on end and we say "We don't need that". Brand strategy is often thought of as a matter for big companies or corporations, and perhaps even as a certain kind of marketing scam used by malicious marketers to extort money from their customers. This is a confusing thought because I would argue that brand strategy is vital for all companies and especially for smaller companies of less than 20 people.

What is brand strategy?

Prejudice often comes from not knowing what the word brand means. The word strategy is also often thought of as some kind of scam, where you are guided to do something that would not have been done otherwise.

In a nutshell, a brand means the mark and image that a company or person leaves on you. A brand is customer encounters, marketing, visual appearance, service experience, complaints process and anything that comes to mind when thinking about business. Strategy refers to planned and coordinated business activities, and a good strategy does not push or push a company to people who are not interested in it.

Some time ago, I was in a webinar where a quote was used regarding sales, which I think also fits the brand strategy perfectly:

“To sell is to help the unaware, inspire the interested and reassure those who have formed intent.”– Blair Enns⁠
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Why is brand strategy vital for small businesses?

Many small businesses fall into a state where they do everything terribly without any kind of end result. We know that we need to make social media and market the company, so we post weekly useless posts without content value, because we don't know what to post, where to market and how. A logo is thought of as a brand.

If you make and take a brand strategy seriously, then you will know who you are talking to, what they are interested in, in which environments they are comfortable and why they would choose you. When you know these things, it is much easier to produce content and find effective marketing channels. In addition, when you know your buyer, you also know how to create a suitable customer experience for them.

What was enough before will no longer be enough

This year, the number of bankruptcies has increased by 30% from last year and the number is the highest in fifteen years. The means that used to be sufficient to maintain the business are no longer sufficient. Many were used to the fact that customers come with little effort, if the company's goal was not to aim for a turnover of millions anyway. However, now that buyers have their purse strings tight due to rising prices and the heavy corona years are behind us, problems are starting to appear.

The company needs a strategy and visibility. The company needs a base and a brand. If you can't say what your company's brand or strategy is, it's time to do something about it. ⁠These things have been solved before.