Few companies have millions of dollars set aside for branding or marketing.  Companies are more concerned with building client relationships, increasing income, cutting expenses and so forth.

Branding, however, although not as high up on the scale of importance, is still something that should not be forgotten.  The points below give an overview of how to do this relatively easily, without mega-budgets.

1.    Use your name consistently.  You may decide to change your name a few times in the first few years, until you are happy, but it is better to do this and getting it right, rather than sticking with a name that doesn’t inspire the potential client.

2.    Use your logo consistently.  The logo should define your business and look good.  You should be proud to use it on all of your materials.

3.    Use your company colours consistently.  Make sure that it complements your name, positioning and the logo.

4.    Use a unique selling proposition.  Not doing so reduces the branding effort.  This should be a short, catchy phrase that sums up your business.

5.    Give out consistent messages.  Every marketing campaign should give the customer a consistent message otherwise it gives the appearance of disorganisation.  Whether it is that you provide healthy dinner menus or save clients’ time, decide which point you want to focus on and stick to it.

6.    The look and feel of your message should be consistent.  If you are selling your service as a gourmet chef service, then you need to use fonts and marketing materials that emit those higher end qualities.

7.    Consistent exposure.  Building a brand takes TIME.  It doesn’t happen overnight.  Any marketing campaign needs to occur constantly over a significant amount of time, e.g. if running a newspaper ad campaign, be prepared to run it for a minimum of 6 weeks for it to have any effect.  Repeating ad campaigns also needs to be considered.

8.    Stick to your promises.  You must deliver what you say you will deliver.  If you are selling a fresh service, make sure that you don’t go to your client with pre-packaged desserts.  You can’t serve chicken breasts while touting a gourmet dinner service.

9.    Keeping in touch with clients.  Sending out standardised email blasts offering a special offer or ‘let me tell you what’s new’ keeps you in contact with the client, but may not necessarily bring the client back to use your service.  If possible, customise the contact to each client or client group.

10.    Use Viral Tools.  Giving the client something to use long after you have left the scene reinforces your branding, and makes it accessible for others to see.  Sure, pens can be a cheap marketing tool, but have you ever treasured a pen that you were handed by a company.  It makes far better business sense to invest in more expensive marketing items, and making them useful to the client, so that you remain at the forefront of their mind, rather than having it tossed in the junk drawer.