Branding Ideas to Get You Started (+AI Prompts You Can Steal)
By Erin• 7 min read, Nov 7, 2024
Small business owners are some of the most creative and resilient people we know. You’re taking on big tasks that large-scale businesses have entire teams and big budgets for– and honestly– you often do it better!
But you’ve also got opportunities that large businesses don’t. Small business branding can have personality in ways large corporations can’t. That’s what this blog is about. We’re going to show off some creative branding ideas, how to bring them to life, and discuss unique small business branding strategies.
You’ll walk away (hopefully) filled with brand inspiration and a better understanding of how to capture the hearts and minds of potential customers.
Let’s look at the impact of strong branding
Strong branding is one of the most foundational marketing strategies. All your branding efforts can significantly influence your business’s success. Research shows that consistent branding can increase revenue by up to 23%.
Branding goes beyond a logo or a catchy name; it’s about how customers view your business. A thoughtful brand helps create trust and loyalty, making it easier for potential customers to choose you over the competition.
Simply put, when you invest in your branding strategy, you’re not just creating a visual identity but also building a relationship with your audience. This is where implementing smart branding strategies becomes vital!
Branding ideas: Visual inspiration to get your creative juices flowing
Once you have a logo you love, you’re one big step closer to getting your business in front of people. It’s the most prominent part of your visual identity, and using it for different marketing and promotion efforts will help you gain recognition and instantly appear more professional.
If you’re looking for visual inspiration of well-defined branding ideas we’ve got you covered. Below are some examples of gorgeous small business branding.
Build a strong visual identity
Here’s a great example of how to bring a technology platform or app to life with bold and vibrant branding. Whether you’re launching a new app, or building your own AI platform, having a strong visual identity creates a punchy first impression with customers.
This includes your brand logo, color palette, and typography. Don’t be afraid of bright colors, and striking visuals. It can be hard to understand (and explain) a tech-related business, so use your visual identity to convey messages, tone, and meaning.
Logo design: More than just a pretty picture
Your logo is the face of your brand. It should reflect your brand’s values, mission, and personality.
Take a look at the logos made with Looka below. Without knowing anything about these businesses, you immediately get a sense of their brands. To the left, we have a clean and professional brand; in the center we see a more classic and nostalgic brand; while the far right offers a friendly, energized brand personality.
Design a logo in under 10 minutes now!
Develop a brand voice
Just like people, brands have unique voices. A brand voice should reflect your brand personality and resonate with your audience. What tone do you want to convey? Friendly, professional, quirky, inspiring? Maintaining this voice across your marketing messages, social media posts, and your website will help you connect with customers more effectively.
Looka customer, Bar Kolo, does a brilliant job of using brand voice to entice customers. They use both hilarious and mysterious wording to bring their brand to life and create excitement. Check out their about page below:
Crafting your brand voice
To develop your brand voice, define your core values and/or mission. Ask yourself:
- What do I want my customers to feel when interacting with my brand?
- How do I want them to describe my business?
- What personality traits should my brand embody?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you should do some good ol’ market research to understand your target audience a little better. This doesn’t have to be as complicated, though!
You can even use ChapGPT AI by trying a prompt like this:
Build me a persona of a [job title] with [roles/skills/responsibility] at [industry/company size/geography]. This person is looking for help with [challenge/problem/task] and is considering [product/service/feature]. List their hopes/dreams, fears/concerns, emotional triggers, and decision criteria for hiring/contacting/using a [industry/category/service/product/feature].
And following up with one like this:
Now, I want you to act as a branding expert who is trying to build a brand that would appeal to [persona name]. Consider and suggest the following:
– What voice and tone would appeal to [persona]?
– Are there specific word choices or turns of phrase they would really respond to (their power words)
– If you were to liken that voice and tone to a well-known celebrity or brand, who would it be?
– In terms of the visual identity, what palette and design elements (photography, illustration, UI) would appeal to [persona]?
Once you have clarity on these aspects, create brand guidelines to maintain consistency. This will ensure that your brand voice remains intact whether you’re writing a social media post or a product description.
Use storytelling to humanize your brand
Everybody loves a good story! Sharing the story behind your business can create an emotional connection with your audience.
Northshea, another Looka customer, does a great job at this! Northshea uses their website, social media, photos and videos to tell the story behind their brand. Through these channels, we learn all about how the founders work with local women and shea butter producers in Ghana to alleviate poverty in rural Ghana.
When sharing your brand story, talk about what inspired you to start your business, your mission, or the challenges you’ve overcome. A compelling brand story can set you apart from competitors and make your business presence felt in the market.
Elements of a compelling brand story
A well-crafted brand story typically includes:
- The challenge: What obstacles did you face when starting your business?
- The solution: How did you overcome those challenges?
- The mission: What do you hope to achieve through your business?
Incorporate these elements into your website’s “About Us” section, social media profiles, and marketing materials. The more authentic and relatable your story, the more likely it is to resonate with your audience.
Focus on the customer experience
Branding isn’t just about visuals; it’s also about how customers experience your business. From the moment they first encounter your brand to their post-purchase experience, every touchpoint matters. Ensure that your branding is reflected in your customer service, packaging, and even your email marketing.
A great experience is like a compelling story that builds customer loyalty and can turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.
To create a memorable customer experience, consider the following:
- Personalization: Tailor your interactions to make customers feel valued. Use their names in emails, recommend products based on previous purchases, and respond promptly to inquiries.
- Consistency: Ensure that your branding is consistent across all platforms, from your website to your social media pages. This includes visual elements, tone of voice, and messaging.
- Feedback: Encourage customer feedback and actively listen to it. Use surveys, social media, and direct communication to gather insights and make improvements.
Want more branding ideas? Here’s some inspiration
Using greys and blacks as above paired with stark imagery creates a futuristic and powerful brand. Look for branding ideas and inspiration in magazines or other print materials!
You can get branding inspirations from everywhere– including the season you’re in! Check out these fall-inspired branding ideas. How does a particular season make you feel? And how would it translate through a brand? Notice how one season can contain multiple layers or personas.
Sometimes, we feel warm and cozy in autumn, whereas other times, we feel mysterious and moody.
The trick is to tune into how you feel, and the colors, images, and themes that lead you there.
Once you have a brand: Use it everywhere!
Your brand should appear in various places where your target customers might encounter you. Here’s a list of branding ideas and places to present your brand:
- Your website: Instructions for adding a logo to your website will depend on the platform you’re using to build it. See these how-to articles from Etsy, GoDaddy, Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix.
- Your email signature: See this help article for instructions on how to add your logo to a Gmail or Outlook account. You can also use email signature generators like this one.
- Your social media page: See this article on how to use your logo on social media. With Looka’s Social Media Kit, you’ll get 40+ perfectly sized versions of your logo for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and more.
- Business cards: With Looka’s Business Card Designs, you’ll get a sheet of designs with your logo and contact information in different layouts. You can print business cards with providers like:
- T-shirt, hat, hoodie, or other pieces of swag: You can put your logo on a range of apparel to show off your brand IRL and get word-of-mouth advertising in the process. For the best results, send vector logo files (EPS or SVG) when getting clothing and swag made, from vendors like:
- Make custom stickers or labels: Stickers can be handed out at events or stuck on laptops, notebooks, and more for portable branding. Vendors include:
- Invoices, receipts, and estimates: Don’t forget to add your logo to invoices and receipts after you’ve completed work or made a sale. It’s one more step in your customer journey that will leave an impression.
- Presentations: Creating a presentation on PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, or another online platform? Use the transparent background version of your logo in the footer of every slide.
- Product packaging: If you run an e-commerce or retail business, you have a unique opportunity to use your packaging to increase brand recognition every time you send or sell your goods to a customer.
- Banner ads and other digital marketing assets: Doing some online advertising with Google ads? Make sure your brand identity and logo are prominent to make that all-important first impression.
- Targeted video content: If you’re making videos for YouTube or TikTok, placing your logo on the video will ensure your brand travels wherever that content goes (or gets embedded)
- Decals for your walls, windows, or vehicles: Decals are a relatively inexpensive and fun way to brand a space or vehicle.
- Branded office supplies and printed marketing materials: This includes stationery but also print brochures, menus, notecards, postcards, and other graphic design
Incorporating your brand consistently across these channels will enhance recognition and solidify your place in the market.
Pro-tip: Building brand guidelines will help ensure that you use your branding collateral in a consistent way.
Wrapping up: Bring your branding ideas to life and accelerate your business
A strong brand is essential for small businesses looking to make their mark. By implementing these branding ideas, you can attract potential customers and foster lasting relationships. Remember, branding is an ongoing effort—you don’t have to do everything at once.
Stay open to evolving your brand as your business grows and your audience’s preferences change.
Ready to get started? Try our business name generator and AI logo generator today and create a custom logo that reflects your unique identity. Investing in your brand is investing in your future, and with the right branding strategies, you can make a lasting impression that resonates with your customers.
Pick the branded assets that make the most sense for what you’re offering, and remember: there are plenty of ways you can promote your business on a budget, whatever stage you’re at.
Now…go work your logo!