Having a fully interactive and mobile friendly website is a must for today’s small businesses especially in regional areas. A website enables small businesses to put the customer at the forefront of their business. The customer can decide when they want to view your services and products. They might want to shop or look for services at 3 in the morning after their shift at the mine has finished or on a Sunday afternoon after a busy week at work.

Whether your business is just starting out or whether you’ve been established for generations, marketing is a must. And marketing in regional communities with their economic downturns such as in the Central Queensland region is more important than ever. Smart marketing (not expensive marketing) can give you the edge to succeed in any economy.

1. Determine your brand
   A brand is much more than a logo. It encompasses everything people see, hear, think and feel about your business. It tells your potential customers a story about you and your business. Is your business a family friendly business, located firmly in the local community? Do you want to portray your business as being old and well established or new and edgy? Once determined, your brand should be represented in your website, your brochures and every piece of written material such as your business cards.
2. Know your customers
   Identify who your target market is. Who do you think would buy your product or service? Is it newly married couples? First home buyers setting up their house? Retired couples? Women? Men? Children? You need to take the time to determine who your customers are so that you can make sure your website design, your branding, your advertising and your slogans and content ‘speak’ to your customers.
3. Advertising
   Once you have identified your customers you can tailor your advertising to your customers. Advertise in a ‘bespoke’, ‘boutique’ way. Don’t advertise like a big business with a one size fits all approach to promoting your products and services. Take the time to tailor your ads to your customers.
4. Take advantage of your current customers
   Your current customers know your products or services. You have already converted them to your business. They are now potentially your best advertisers. Connect with these customers through social media or an e-newsletter and encourage them to forward information and promote your business to their friends and family.
5. Promote community events
   On your Facebook site or website, share community events that reflect your business values. You might like to let your customers know about great things that are happening throughout the Gladstone Libraries or a school fete that is coming up in Rockhampton. By sharing these community events, people associate your business with a positive community event. It implies that your business is concerned about local people and local events. In turn the libraries and schools will see that your business is supportive of them and they and their customers may support you in return.

Many small businesses have been up and running a good while before they start thinking about branding and marketing. Of course, with the 101 things small business owners are faced with on an everyday basis this is understandable. However it is important not to underestimate the importance of good branding.

What is a brand?

You might have a great logo but that is only part of your brand. Everything about your business is your brand:

• The name of your business
• Your staff
• Uniforms and office furniture
• Colours that you use on your signs
• Your sponsorship and support (such as sporting teams or community activities)

Your brand is essentially the set of ideas your business stands for in people’s minds. Visually this is seen such as through a logo, staff uniforms and office layout and location your brand is also shaped by your actions as a business. A successful brand will help differentiate you from your competitors, build loyalty, increase traffic, create brand advocates and help connect people emotionally to your business.

Creating your brand

Before you embark on building your brand presence you need first to spend some time thinking about the fundamentals of your brand. Considering the following questions will help you define your brand.

• What is your purpose as a business?
• What are your businesses core values?
• Who is your target audience and what are their needs?
• What do your customers think when they think of your business?
• What differentiates your business from that of your competitors?
• And most importantly, what is it you want your customers to think when your business comes to mind.

The great news is you don’t need a huge budget in place to build your brand. You will however need to invest some time and thought.

Marketing your brand

Think about the tone you use when you write, how you interact on with people on the phone, what things you post on social media and what visual images you use. Remember all of this is a reflection of your business and your brand values.

Try using your ‘About Us’ page on your website to give customers a feel for the people behind the business. ‘Meet the team’ or ‘behind the scenes’ can give a face to your business and help people build an emotional connection to your brand.

Be consistent with your visual style, use the same fonts on all of your written materials. Link your logo in with any products or services you advertise and use your designated business colours throughout all of your activities from the business premises through to staff uniforms. Everything should be a reinforcement of your brand.

Customers should see your brand colours and immediately think of you and your business.