The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources

The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources

Are you having trouble promoting your business to the world? If so, then a bit of proper branding might be what you need. 

Having a properly planned and implemented branding strategy for your small business might mean the difference between success and failure. 

If you get it right, you’ll effortlessly attract new and potential customers to your brand, and you should be able to reap the financial benefits for years to come. 

On the other hand, if you get it wrong, you may find yourself having to rebrand your business later on, which could be a pricey and easily avoidable branding blunder.

This blog post will outline several tips for getting the branding for your small business just right!

Identify Your Target Audience

Knowing your audience is crucial because you won’t know how to position your brand if you don’t. 

Many questions should be posited and answered while you’re in the process of creating your brand or rebranding your business. 

The more you understand about who your ideal customers are, the easier it will be to create marketing and branding materials, such as logos, graphics, and blog posts that will resonate with your audience.

Your Brand Mission

Your business will also need to have a mission statement and a few clearly defined values. 

What is the meaning of your brand? What exactly are you attempting to accomplish? What impact do you want your company to have on the world?

A solid mission keeps you on the right path throughout the years. 

Your mission statement defines your fundamental purpose, outlining the ‘who’ and ‘what’ of your small business.

The objective of your brand is critical in creating the foundation for your small business branding initiatives.

The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources Image 2

Naming Your Brand 

One of the most challenging obstacles for small business entrepreneurs is deciding on a name for their company.

So, how do you choose the “perfect” brand name for your startup? And, more importantly, does it make a difference?

Some top tips for choosing a business name includes:

  • Ensure your brand name is individual – and different from your competitors.
  • Ensure it has relevance and meaning for both your customer and business.
  • Choose a timeless name. It is costly to change it.
  • And last but not least – make sure it is memorable.

In the best-case scenario, your small business’s brand name will generate interest in it. People will want to know what you do if it’s fascinating.

Logo Design 

One of the first things your target audience will associate with your brand is the design of your logo. 

The cost of professional logo design can vary significantly. 

You can usually get a cheap logo design for free or for as little as $10 to $20. 

However, it would help if you collaborated on your brand identity project with a professional design agency or designer. Professionally designed logos are often far more expensive, but they’ll usually be of much higher quality. 

If at all feasible, your brand logo should represent your brand’s objective and story. It doesn’t have to show everything you have to offer, though! But it should be easily relatable back to your business and its products or services. 

Click here to create your very own business logo for free: www.logocreator.io

Brand Guidelines 

Last but not least, you’ll need to create your company’s brand guidelines. 

Also referred to as a brand standards document, a brand guide is a comprehensive document that specifies how your brand should appear, ranging from logos and graphics to the tone of voice and the fonts you’ll use.

A brand guide is ideal for giving over to businesses that will be collaborating with yours. 

Here’s what you should include in your brand guidelines:

  • Logo and its use cases
  • If you use a distinct typeface, include fonts and typography in your brand guidelines.
  • Corporate Colours – outline your brand’s colours in RGB, CMYK and HEX code.
  • Language – if your brand has a unique written tone, ensure you include this in your brand guidelines.
  • Photography

Small Business Branding 2021

Branding and marketing often seem complicated and overwhelming. 

However, when you take the time to think ahead, learn as much as you can about your target audience, and create the right materials that will support and enhance your brand, you’ll be attracting and converting new customers in no time!

What to steal my Branding Photography Checklist?

Want to save this on Pinterest? Click Below:

The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources
The Ins And Outs Of Small Business Branding Resources

Want more info:

How To Create An Email Marketing Strategy That Sells

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Core Web Vitals – What you should know for ranking on Google!

I discovered this information about six months ago and started my research to find out how my website ranks for Google and how to fix the areas that need help!

Here are the places I researched that I found helpful:

Core Web Vitals report

The Core Web Vitals report shows how your pages perform, based on real-world usage data (sometimes called field data). You can read more about this initiative on the Google Search Central blog. OPEN REPORT. Why page performance matters. Longer page load times have a severe effect on bounce rates.

Explanation of core web values

Evaluating page experience for a better web

Understanding page experience in google search

https://developers.google.com/search

And this too!

https://support.google.com/webmasters

How to run a report for your website

OPEN REPORT

How to improve core web vitals

https://yoast.com/boost-core-web-vitals/

5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest

First and foremost, you want to ensure that you have your Pinterest Set up with keywords!  Keywords are words that your potential client will type into a search bar on Google or Pinterest to find your content.  So ensure you have keywords in these areas:

  • Your Name (the name that is under your image on your Pinterest profile)  – Make sure that you have keyword | your name.
  • All throughout your Profile description.  Utilize all the keywords you can in a paragraph describing who you are and what you do.
  • In every Board title and description
  • In every Pin title and description
pin on a consistent basis

Just like the algorithm for other social media sites, Pinterest wants you to be consistent.  You don’t want to pin 30 pins at one time and come back in two weeks and do the same.  

It’s far better to pin 5-20 pins a day (or even 3-5) than to pin 50 now and not pin again for a few weeks.  The more consistent you are the better.  But since I don’t like to pin morning, noon, and night, I use Tailwind to help me.  It not only pins regularly, but it also knows from your audience, when is the best time to pin.

Of course, it does far more than pin consistently and regularly, but that is a key feature of using Tailwind.  If you want more information about Tailwind, check out the information HERE.

create quality content

Using Youtube, Instagram, your blog, podcast, etc, all those things are content.  You can pin any of those and more to Pinterest.  But make sure that it’s quality content.  In order to know that, think of these questions:

  • Does it teach people something
  • Does it inspire them
  • Does it motivate them
  • Is it interesting
  • Is it easy to read, listen to, watch (not confusing)
use templates to create multiple pins for the same content

I’ve always advised my clients to create multiple pins that go to the same content.  This helps to double or triple the traffic to your content. This is especially important because you work so hard to create it in the first place.  

Creating a different look and feel to your Pinterest pins helps you to capture the attention of different people.  Everyone has opinions on what is the most “click-worthy” so creating multiple pins will help get more people.  

It’s also helpful to change the title and/or description a bit so that it appeals to different people.  (i.e. Wedding at Lake Tahoe with snow vs. Elegant white and black wedding in Lake Tahoe in Winter).

Canva is great to create templates.  Creating templates will save you a ton of time.  Canva helps you to utilize your brand colors.  The best part? Canva is free

Time-Saving Tip: To save time, start on new blogs you write, and on a monthly basis, check your google analytics and create pins for old blog posts that are highly trafficked that month.

don't forget the details

The biggest mistake that people make with Pinterest is they don’t fill in all the areas that matter.  They forget to choose a category for boards, or they name your boards something ironic or funny or cute instead of describing what they will find on the board, or they leave the description blank.  

When it comes to Pinterest, keywords are the same as SEO.  In simple terms, you want to include words and are what people would type in a search bar.  Here’s a quick checklist to ensure that you do the minimum:

  • Choose a category for your board and Pinterest profile (if there isn’t an appropriate one, choose other)
  • Name your pins or images for what they will find when they click 
  • Write the title of a board or pin with what they will find clicking on it
  • Write a description for a pin/board for what they will find clicking on it
  • Add your website and any freebie or pdf you are giving away in the description to your profile
Claim your sites in your profile

Make sure that you claim your sites like Instagram, YouTube, and Etsy account on Pinterest. That way when people pin your content from those platforms to Pinterest, you’ll see the engagement in Pinterest, which means your impressions, visibility, and engagement will go up.  This tells the Pinterest Algorithm that people are engaged and it will serve up your stuff to more people.

It also helps people who like your Pinterest know where else you are at and they can follow you there.

If you need help with Pinterest, shoot me an email HERE.

Feel free to share this information with the pins below:

5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest
5 simple tips to get more clients with Pinterest

5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest

Most of our potential clients are on Instagram these days, but they are also on Pinterest.  I teach my students to use a marketing strategy that enables them to reuse content (why reinvent the wheel) and help grow Instagram followers and engagement by using Pinterest. 

Why does Pinterest work so well?  Because it’s the most link-friendly social platform out there.  The referral traffic to your website, podcast, youtube channel is awesome but the referral traffic to Instagram is amazing! 

So let’s grow your engagement and following on Instagram! Read below for the 5 steps!

#1: Claim Your Instagram Account on Pinterest

It’s important for you to claim your Instagram account in your Pinterest account as your first step.  Doing so allows you to get much better analytics including Instagram info.

claim your instagram on pinterest by pinterest expert jen vazquez

You should also claim your website on Pinterest.  This is similar and again gives you so much analytics.  

One of my favorite sayings is by Dan Zarrella “Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed.” 

pinterest post shows instagram on the ones shared by instagram by jen vazquez pinterest marketing strategist

Because Instagram posts have an average lifespan of 24-72 hours, utilizing that content by sharing on Pinterest, you are lengthening the life of an Instagram post that you spent time creating.  

You can also drive more traffic and engagement to your Instagram account. Win-Win!

#2: To Grow Instagram, take your popular posts, reels and IGTV and publish to Pinterest

Using Pinterest to grow Instagram is smart.  You are already spending time, energy, blood, sweat, and sometimes tears creating a ton of content for Instagram.

Get engagement on Instagram and have that content last longer and spread by sharing on Pinterest.

You’ll want to share the content to all the boards that make sense.

Pinterest is all about FRESH IMAGES.  Utilizing your Instagram content is fresh and your Pinterest analytics will grow also!

Video is king – so Reels and IGTV do very well.  Definitely share those first!

Pinterest (like Instagram) keeps changing things, but right now video length is 4 seconds – 15 minutes.  The sweet spot for best performing video length is 15-60 seconds.  To stay up to date, check out Pinterest’s help guide updated video creative specs.

#3: Share Your Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are fleeting and go away in 24 hours.  So a good way to use them is to save them in your highlights, or auto-save stories to your phone like I do.  I have an album on my iPhone and I pop them in there each day.  When I spend my 30-60 minutes a week working on Pinterest, I can just go to that album and post away.

Since Stories don’t have a link, you can use my workaround.  Here’s how to do it:

When you are on a story, tap the 3 dots on the bottom right:

sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 1

Then tap SAVE 

sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 2

Then you’ll choose PHOTO or STORY which is all the stories in an  MP4 file.  Choose STORY and crop the video to the one you want.  Or perhaps you create several stories of your day, then don’t crop because it will be a great video.

sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 3

Go to Pinterest and upload.  It will ask to use the Instagram link — um yes, please!  If it doesn’t work, then include the link directly to your Instagram profile.

Then because it’s a video it will ask you to choose tags.  Think hashtags or keywords and try different combinations.  For this branding shoot, I use Photography, Branding, Content Marketing, Creative Photography. 

sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 4
sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 5

Videos require reviews — don’t panic.  It typically is approved within a few hours to 24 hours.

sharing story to pinterest by jen vazquez pinterest marketing expert 6

#4: Keywords are important

Pinterest is a visual search engine and is very powerful! If you ever do a search on Google, you’ll notice one of the top three posts is almost always Pinterest.  That’s because using keywords (an SEO term on Pinterest) is super effective on google too.  

What are Keywords or SEO? It’s really simple! It is what your ideal client is typing on their keyboard to find your content.  

A lot of people use cutesy names in the title or description of Pins and Boards.  You want to be super-specific.  Instead of saying “yum yum” as a board title.  You should say “gluten-free recipes you’ll love” or “Easy and simple recipes for busy moms”.

Add these keywords EVERYWHERE – use them in Instagram posts, and pin titles, pin descriptions, board titles, board descriptions, and your Pinterest Profile — also include a keyword in your name (under your image).  I have “California elopement photographer + branding photographer | Jen” because ‘elopements and branding’ is what my ideal clients are looking for.  I keep my name because people buy from people.

Pinterest Profile example by Jen Vazquez a Marketing Strategiest specializing in Pinterest Marketing

ALSO use 2-3 hashtags on each pin, board, and your Pinterest profile.  But, unlike Instagram, you want to use broad hashtags.  For me it’s #wedding #elopement #photographer

#5: Where to start?

That’s easy! Use your Instagram Insights of course! 

Start by clicking the three lines on the top right then click INSIGHTS

Instagram insights to see which post to share on Pinterest by Jen Vazquez Marketing Strategist 1
Instagram insights to see which post to share on Pinterest by Jen Vazquez Marketing Strategist 2

Click the arrow to the right of posts. Then select Post Interactions and 3 months.  You can select more or less but I always suggest for the first time select three.  Then do 1 year and see what posts are to the top.  Those posts a year old will now get more traction because of Pinterest and more engagement and potential business on Instagram!

Instagram insights to see which post to share on Pinterest by Jen Vazquez Marketing Strategist 3
Instagram insights to see which post to share on Pinterest by Jen Vazquez Marketing Strategist 4

Summary

Pinterest and Instagram are the biggest social media platforms that are focused on images and video.  If you use them together, you can create a powerhouse for marketing and also save a ton of time while repurposing your best content.  

NOTE:  Make sure you really know how your clients found you.  Many of my clients ask, “how did you find me?”.  Clients / potential clients will always say the last place they were when they decided to contact you.  It is usually Instagram.  

I always follow up casually with an  “Oh awesome, was it with a hashtag or did someone refer you”?  You want to know that hashtag of course or who referred them, but you are also digging.  70% of the time when I do that with my clients/potential clients say oh no it was a google search or they found me on Pinterest.  

It just took one little extra question, and information that would be valuable to confirm how your marketing is working.

Now….. WHO is going to be pinning their Instagram content to Pinterest now?  I thought so!!

If you need help with Pinterest, shoot me an email HERE.

Feel free to share this information with the pins below:

5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest2
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest8
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest6
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest1
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest4
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest5
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest3
5 Steps to Grow Your Instagram Using Pinterest7

Virtual Assistants and Management Companies List

Outsourcing is one of the best ways to up-level your business!  So, my friend Jaime Kostechko and I have created a weekly room OUTSOURCING: Wedding pros 💍 + VA’s chat each week on Clubhouse in the Wedding Pros – Connect, Converse and Collaborate club!  You can check out the date/time by going to the club and seeing the weekly schedule for rooms. 

If you don’t have the Clubhouse app, and you have an iPhone, send me a DM and if I have an invite, I’ll invite you!

We chat about tips and tricks for outsourcing and we have VA’s (virtual assistants) and management companies on there to chat about how they help and what they specialize in.

We created this document for wedding pros looking to outsource a piece of their business.  This list is not vetted, you will need to do that on your own, but it’s a nice spot to start.

If you are a VA or Management agency, please send a DM to me to be added. 

Screen Shot of VA's and Management companies

List of VA's and Management Companies

To access this google sheet and be able to save it, just click the button below!