Say the word “branding” and most people will automatically think of a large company. Maybe Burger King, Nike, or Amazon comes to mind.

But branding isn’t just for large corporations. Every entrepreneur should incorporate branding into their marketing and SEO efforts. It’s what separates them from their competition.

To help you out, here are 11 branding tools every entrepreneur needs to try.

1. A Website

Websites should be at the top of your list of branding tools. As an entrepreneur, people want to know who you are and what your business is about. A website provides all that information all in one place.

It doesn’t have to be a large website, just make sure it shares the most pertinent information about you and your business. Don’t forget to include a call to action and an easy way for people to reach you.

Use your website to show how you differ from your competition. Feature what makes you the best choice for your potential clients. This is where they’ll first decide whether or not to trust you. Make it count.

Don’t forget to add testimonials to your website. Having other people sing your praises will go a long way towards other people trusting you and your business.

2. A Logo

A logo is one of the best branding tools you can use. That’s because a logo is a great way to instantly separate you from everyone else. It’s also highly recognizable.

Choose colors that represent you and your company best. Only choose 1-3 colors to use. Any more and it will be too much. Don’t clutter up your logo, either. Less is more.

Check out what your competition has chosen for their logos. You don’t want to use something that’s similar to theirs. It will be too confusing to people.

Also, while it’s perfectly okay to use a symbol that represents the type of business you’re in, it’s not necessary. And while it might seem like you need to follow the latest trends in logos, try to think long term. You want to be in business for a long time. Try to find something that will withstand the test of time. Check out this article: How to Choose the Right Logo For Your Business.

3. A Blog

No branding tools list would be complete without adding the suggestion of creating a blog. Blogging easily sets you up as an authority on your subject matter.

You can use keywords as you write your blog articles to help people find your company more easily. Don’t forget to add internal and external links. Internal links help back up the information you’re sharing. You also get more of an opportunity for people to check out other sections of your site.

External links help set you up as an authority figure within your field. Especially when you link to well-known and respected sites. Go one further and contact the company you’re linking to and let them know you’ve linked to them. They’ll become aware of who you are and what you do. They might even become a client themselves.

Offer to write guest blogs for other sites.That will increase your visibility online.

Write consistently and produce at least four blogs per month. Make sure you write so that your audience understands what you’re saying. You’re educating them, not impressing them with your incredible vocabulary.

4. Comment Alerts Set Up

To increase your box of branding tools, make sure your comment alerts for your blog are set up. That way, if someone has a question or a comment, you’ll know right away.

Usually, people don’t like waiting very long for things. If they leave a comment or have a question, they want to know you received it. If it was a question they left, they want a response as quickly as possible.

Especially if something you wrote triggered them in a negative way. The longer they have to wait for a response, the more unhappy they’re likely to become.

The more quickly you can respond, the more likely you’ll turn an unhappy person into a happy fan. Even if they liked what you wrote, they’ll be even happier if you comment quickly rather than waiting.

5. A Way to Track Social Media Mentions

Obviously, you should set up your blog so it’s easily shared on social media. But if you’re a busy entrepreneur, you shouldn’t be wasting your precious time on social media looking to see what the results of your latest posts are.

That’s why setting it up so you can track your social media mentions should be a part of your branding tools. You’ll be notified exactly when someone comments or leaves a question on your social media page.

You’ll also be able to automatically set up a response in case someone does try to reach you. That way, you won’t have to rush to answer them but they’ll know that their comment has been viewed and someone will be with them shortly.

This is a great way to be able to increase happy relationships on social media without going completely crazy. Your followers will also be more likely to interact with your content in the future.

6. Write a Book

Writing a book is no easy feat. But there are plenty of ways in which to publish a book once it’s finished. You can locate and hire a company to do it yourself.

You can scout around and hope your book is so great someone will pay you to publish your book. You can also self-publish an e-book and sell it on Amazon or other online retailers.

There are a lot of choices. But no matter which route you choose, writing a book sets you up as an authority.

How you use a book as one of your branding tools is your choice. If you get the book published as a hard copy, you can bring it along to conferences you attend. You can also sell it in your shop if you own one.

It’s also possible to simply give away your book to select people. Some people use it as a marketing tool. Others sell theirs on their website. Some choose to give their book away for free. The choices are endless and completely up to you.

7. Google Analytics

All of your branding tools are useless if you don’t know exactly how effective they are. That’s why you need to get and use Google analytics.

You’ll be able to tell which marketing efforts are working. You’ll also know which ones aren’t doing so well. Often, you can identify why a certain marketing effort isn’t working so that you can fix it.

All you need to do is to install it on your website. Then you’ll be able to track how well you’re doing on a weekly and monthly basis. Having Google analytics will also help you improve user experience and you’ll learn which pages are causing people to walk away.

Your business and your brand can’t afford to wonder why you’re not converting your viewers into paying customers.

8. Google Alerts Set Up

Google alerts will let you know whenever your company is mentioned somewhere online. You can then read exactly what’s being said about you, your company, or your product.

You can also use Google alerts to monitor a developing news story that’s pertinent to your industry. If you own a Chinese restaurant, you’ll want to know that the price of rice is rising immediately.

Google alerts will allow you to keep abreast of what your competition is doing. You’ll also know exactly what’s happening in your industry.

Lastly, if your name gets mentioned anywhere, you’ll be the first to know. This is an extremely helpful tool. If the news is negative, you can immediately take action to lessen the blow or change the conversation.

If it’s great news, you can use it to share with everyone within your network.

9. Organize a Conference

Organizing a conference means you’re creating an opportunity for yourself to increase your branding tools. You’re the authority and you’re bringing authority figures to the conference to help drive that message home.

It provides you with an opportunity to get in front of a large audience and share your wealth of information. They’ll have the opportunity to speak with you personally and ask you questions.

You’ll be able to increase your visibility and your network.

10. Use Video as One of Your Branding Tools

A video is a powerful branding tool. It can be used in many different ways. You can do a live video on Facebook and answer people’s questions.

You can feature a video from your conference on your website. Videos are used to educate and inform your potential customers. You can even use a video to entertain people and let them know a different side of you.

11. Start a Podcast

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. They’re also relatively easy to start and inexpensive to set up.

You can even do a podcast in your own home. You can then promote your podcast on social media, share it in your newsletter, and even post it on your website.

If doing your own podcast isn’t for you, you can still use podcasting as one of your branding tools. Simply become a frequent guest on other people’s podcasts.

Make sure you have your media kit ready and then reach out to podcasters who are most likely to feature you. Make a pitch that sells yourself and your area of expertise. Often, if they like you, they’ll ask you to come back. Check out: How to Get Featured on Popular Podcasts.

Work With Us to Increase Your Brand

Whether you’re local to San Francisco or are based somewhere else, we can help increase your online visibility. We’re experts in SEO and we offer a wide array of services.

When it comes to your building your brand and your business, don’t wait. Contact us today.