Most people think that branding is just about creating a brand’s logo and then moving to creating visual elements. But it's way more complex than that. Branding is about the whole experience customers will have with your business.
Establishing a solid brand identity is crucial for small businesses to distinguish themselves from the competition in order to get the attention of their target audience. As a business owner you already have so much going on, developing a brand on top of everything else can be overwhelming.
This is where a branding consultant can make a huge difference. Not only do they offer expert advice and guidance, but they’ll also help small businesses build and maintain a strong, unique brand.
This blog will give you a better understanding of what a branding consultant is and the benefits they provide. You will learn about the differences between choosing a freelancer or a brand consultant agency. Once you have made your decision, this blog will explain your role in the consulting process.
What is a branding consultant?
The landscape of modern business has changed and evolved over the years. On average, there are 4.7 million businesses that start every year in the USA alone. That means standing out amongst all these businesses has become more crucial than ever.
There are a few ways to stand out as a business, but one of the most prominent ways is through branding efforts. That’s where a branding consultant comes in.
A branding consultant is a professional who specializes in creating and managing brands. These professionals have a much deeper understanding of consumer behavior and market trends, which helps them master the art of shaping perceptions and making emotional connections that will ultimately drive business growth.
Their primary role is to work closely with businesses to define their unique value proposition, establishing a strong brand identity, and ensuring consistent brand messaging across all touchpoints.
How a Branding Consultant for Small Businesses can be Beneficial
As a small business owner, you have to be a master of many different skills. You have to master general business operations, customer support, and marketing just to name a few.
Branding is another task that requires a whole new world of skills to master. While trying to take on this position is admirable, it might take away your time from core business operations.
Here are some more key benefits of small business branding consultancy:
- Have Brand Consistency: Seeing the end picture from the beginning is difficult. A brand consultant will help you see the end goal and ensure your messaging and visual identity will work together cohesively to fit the end picture.
- Save Time: Having extra time to run your business is important. Branding is another task that can take away hours in a day. Having a brand consultant will give you the gift of time, one no business owner can pass up. .
- Get a Competitive Advantage: Standing out is difficult in today's business landscape but a brand consultant can help you do just that and become easily recognizable to your potential customers.
- Expert Insights: Having a branding expert means you have the pros at your fingertips. These brand experts have valuable information and can help you stay ahead of the trends.
- Create Brand Equity: Branding can be seen as an investment. A good brand can increase customer loyalty and command premium pricing, paying dividends for years to come.
Choosing Between a Freelancer or a Branding Consulting Agency
Hiring a brand consultant can feel daunting since you need to find someone who can encompass your brand into everything you want it to be. Generally, there are two options you can choose from. You can opt to hire a freelancer, or you can go with a branding consulting agency. Each option has its pros and cons to consider:
Freelancer Pros:
- Cost-effectiveness: Sometimes, freelancers can be more affordable than branding consultants since you only pay for one person.
- Flexibility: Freelancers are often able to adjust their schedules to meet your needs.
- Personalized attention: Freelancers can typically handle fewer projects and could prioritize your project.
Freelancer Cons:
- Issues with Availability: If a freelancer gets sick or goes on holiday, you might not get your services done in time.
- Reliability: Since there is no legal obligation, freelancers could just disappear mid-project, leaving you stranded without your work complete.
- Limited Resources: They might not be able to complete projects due to their limited resources that agency’s usually provide.
- Quality and Consistency: If they lack the necessary experience, freelancers might not always meet your quality expectations.
Branding Consultant Pros:
- Produce Quality Work: Branding consultants have structured teams and experts. This means that you will always receive high-quality work.
- Access to the Latest Trends and Techniques: Branding consultants have tons of experience and are well-versed in the latest trends and techniques.
- Have Loads of Resources: Brand consultants have dedicated teams for different aspects of branding. They use the latest technologies and can complete jobs quicker.
- More Reliable: A branding consulting agency has a structured environment. There are routine check-ins and progress reports.
- More Skills: Having a team of experts means they offer a much wider range of services that can accompany your business.
Branding Consultant Cons:
- Higher Costs Involved: Hiring a branding consultant agency is generally more expensive than a freelancer. They experience more overhead costs due to having larger teams.
- Less Flexibility in Schedules: Brand consultant agencies might not be as flexible in their schedules and may not be available outside of traditional business hours.
As you can see from the pros and cons list, choosing a branding consulting agency is more often than not the better option for your business.
However, as a start-up or small business, the costs associated with hiring brand consultants might be the only reason you opt for a freelancer.
But what if there is a best-of-both-worlds situation? There is! It’s a branding consultant with a subscription-based pricing model!
Choosing a Subscription-Based Brand Consultant
A subscription-based brand consultant is a top solution because it offers all the services of traditional brand consultant agencies plus a pricing benefit. Here is why subscription-based branding consultants for small businesses are gaining popularity:
Predictable and Affordable
This type of subscription-based brand consulting means that your brand can evolve with support and updates and without the massive upfront costs of traditional agencies.
Abundant Services
Consistency is key when it comes to branding. These brand consultants offer a wide range of services to create a well-branded business at every touchpoint.
Adaptability and Flexibility
The subscription-based model allows small businesses to scale their services up or down according to their needs. This fast adaptability is important for small businesses, as they can respond quickly to market changes without breaking the budget.
Continuous Support
Using a subscription-based consultant means you will always have ongoing support and communication. This means you will get expert guidance as your small business grows.
Access to Expert Branding Consultants
What’s better than getting one expert? More than one of course! Having access to a bunch of talented brand professionals means you will get the best quality work possible, and fast!
Hire a Branding Expert: Understanding the Consultant Process
When choosing a branding expert, you are not only choosing a service provider but, rather, choosing a strategic partnership. Your role and preferences are valued in the process. Here are the steps involved when working with a branding consultant for small businesses:
Step 1: Discovery and Research
In the first step, the consultant will conduct an in-depth investigation of your business, the industry landscape, the target audience, and the competitive environment. Here, you can give your consultant any leads and information to help narrow the search.
Step 2: Developing a Brand Strategy
With all the information gathered, it's time to define your brand's core values, positioning, and unique value proposition. You will work closely with the branding expert as this will be the stepping block for all of your branding decisions in the future.
Step 3: Designing Your Brand Identity
Once you and your marketing consultant have completed your brand strategy for small companies, the brand consultant will create a visual identity. They will create all the visual elements for your business such as your graphics, color palette and typography. These elements can be used on all your customer touchpoints.
Step 4: Style Guide and Brand Guidelines
Having all your branding elements is one thing but using them in the correct places is another. This step will include an outline of how to use the brand elements above. For example, logo sizes for websites or social media.
Step 5: Brand Implementation
Now is the time for you to implement all your new branding elements across all your touchpoints such as websites, social media, and marketing materials. You can ask for advice from your small business branding consultant.
Step 6: Ongoing Brand Management
Branding isn’t a once-off job, it is an ongoing process. Your brand consultancy may offer ongoing support to help you maintain your brand consistency and adapt to changes in the market. This is why using a subscription-based model is a great idea.
During this process, you have the option to be in communication with your new strategic partner and will get regular feedback. You will not only gain a partner but someone who will ensure that the outcome of your efforts aligns with your vision and meets your business objectives.
Conclusion
A brand consultant for small business success is vital. Distinguishing your business amongst other well-established businesses is a difficult task, but the power of branding cannot be overstated when it comes to growing your small business.
Partnering with branding consultants will give you access to experts and strategic insights that will take your brand to the next level. They will help you create a compelling brand identity to ensure consistent messaging across all touchpoints.
Remember that your brand is way more than just a logo and a tagline, and it is the backbone of your business. Choosing the correct brand consultant for your business is essential for your long-term survival.
So embrace the power of branding and let a skilled consultant guide you on the path to success.
