Over three-fourths of consumers need to trust a brand to buy from them. For small business marketing, you need a holistic approach. And the best way to elevate your brand strategy for 2021 is through the latest trends.

Put your small business branding ahead of the curve with these top tips. You’ll find new ways to update your old strategies and put your business back on the virtual map.

 

6 Effective Branding Strategies for 2021

Here are six effective branding strategies that were relevant for 2021. Keep in mind that the field of branding is dynamic, and strategies may evolve. Nevertheless, these strategies provide a foundation for building a strong brand presence:

1. Simplicity Is Staple

Keeping branding simple is a 2021 trend for many reasons. As web design trends introduce new features like a parallax scroll, it’s critical to simplify. One of the biggest mistakes in brand development is overdevelopment.

Simple doesn’t have to mean bland, though. Instead, a streamlined logo design can enhance your marketing versatility. Color palettes vary in popularity by year based on consumer behavior.

With an increase in virtual employment, comfortable colors like pastel and warm tones alleviate eye strain. A versatile logo design can easily change an element like a color palette. An overcomplicated brand strategy doesn’t set you up for success.

Simplicity can carry across your brand strategy, beyond a logo. Basic design elements such as fonts also communicate emotional sensations to viewers. Balancing white space on any web page or ad avoids a cluttered, busy feeling.

2. Connect to a Cause

The importance of branding increases the more consumers purchase with a conscience. One of the primary reasons consumers need to trust a brand is ethos. More and more, people are aware of the impact of mindless consumer culture.

A brand strategy ensures you communicate the culture and mission of your company. Social media marketing is one of the best and easiest ways to share what your company stands for. Its very emphasis on socialization lends it towards cause-based marketing.

Make sure whatever cause you pick connects to your company’s purpose. If you’re unsure, consider what industries and impact your operations. Whether it’s diversity, ecology, or something else, find a way to humanize your small business marketing.

Humanizing a brand isn’t about profit. The importance of branding to ethical appeal is the legitimate authenticity behind it. Too many big businesses focus on virtue signaling to make fast capital.

3. Immerse Site Visitors

Website design impacts your small business branding more than you might realize. As graphic design trends favor immersive experiences, your site design needs to match. You can use several tools to create an immersive experience on your website.

The aforementioned parallax scroll is one such feature. You can also enhance an e-commerce store with 3D representations of products. Or, offer virtual tours of your brick and mortar location(s).

Your branding needs to elevate your current offering and show customers a good experience. Customize that experience by focusing on your brand voice. If you’re a luxury brand, make sure the sounds and sights shown appeal to a higher-end clientele.

Immersion doesn’t have to use multiple dimensions. If 3D tools aren’t in your brand strategy, explore video marketing’s potential. And don’t ignore details like a brand character or simple melody to build brand recall.

4. Official Hashtags

Small business branding means putting your name where it will get noticed. In social media marketing, hashtags are one way to stand out. Depending on the preferred social media platform, you can increase customer engagement by 50%

Increased engagement aside, this kind of brand development also boosts brand awareness. The more people recognize your brand, the more qualified leads you generate. Better leads mean increased ROI and overall revenue boost, too.

Official hashtags work across different platforms. Including a trend like this in your brand kit also ensures you communicate consistent messaging to consumers. And brand consistency is critical to generating leads and revenue.

5. Nostalgic Branding

Another popular trend to how to develop a brand involves appealing to the right demographics. Although Millennials relate to digital marketing better than Gen X, they still have certain favorites. One of this 2021’s branding trends includes callbacks to 90s and 80s ad trends.

Playing on consumer nostalgia can open untapped niches in your current market. Small business marketing is all about connecting with individuals personally, and your brand can show this. For example, a project launch geared at 90s kids could feature stylized fonts and color palettes.

Customizing ad campaigns around a branded launch increases the chance of brand recall. It also evokes an emotional appeal, which is essential to building trust and loyalty with customers. Instead of worrying about staying current or on-trend, a throwback rebranding could open new doors to a broader target audience.

6. Natural or Organic Arrangement

These branding tips already noted the importance of simplicity in basic design. Current graphic design trends favor earthier tones and warmer colors for consumer needs. This extends beyond color palettes, though.

Your 2021 branding should also focus on creating a natural, rough, artisanal, or hand-made aesthetic. These organically oriented traits mix up the rigid, bold geometry of technical design. Even geometric small business branding has simplified to simpler shapes.

Exploring hand-drawn or hewn elements evokes an authentic feel. It also creates a beautiful visual contrast to the cold blue light of a mobile phone, computer, or tablet screen. Using these elements immerses viewers beyond the screen.

Explore Holistic Branding With Bianca Frank Design

The best way to elevate small business marketing is to look beyond your branding strategy. Taking a holistic approach means leveraging everything from social media marketing to SEO to branding.

Whatever your needs, upscaling small business branding is only one step. Working with experts in marketing, branding, and design, you’ll have every angle covered. Contact us today to discuss your goals and put your business on-trend.