Building Brands on Small Budgets

We all know Coca Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s. We know their products, we know their slogans. These big dogs of business have logos that speak for themselves. Ahh…branding at its best.

So it takes a nine figure marketing budget to build a recognizable brand, right? Wrong. But for small business marketers, it can be overwhelming to build a brand without that massive chunk of change. I know, because I work for a small business, and I was initially overwhelmed in the prospect of doing just that.

However, I’m learning that building a brand is essentially building credibility. Building my brand with a small budget doesn’t enable me to place my company’s logo on every billboard throughout town. I can’t hire an agency to write a catchy jingle my neighbors whistle while they wash their cars. But I can build a brand that is known for solid work that speaks for itself. I can position my company as my neighbor’s go-to when they’re in need of our services.

To build that turn-to brand, companies need visibility in the local community. Employees need to be seen as experts in the field. Clients need to be happy and recommend services. Essentially, as John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing puts it, a brand can be built by “becoming knowable, likable, and trustable.”

And guess what? We small business marketers can do that…small budgets and all.