Does size really matter? I found this leaf while walking yesterday. Isn’t it lovely? It’s barely bigger than my thumb. I guess that’s what caught my attention. As tiny as it is, it’s as perfectly shaped and vibrantly colorful as any leaf I’ve seen this fall. Would it be any more beautiful if it were bigger? Of course not. Your brand does not have to be gigantic to be effective either, but you do need to follow some rules.
In our society we are bombarded with the message that bigger is better. In order to be noticed we have to make things larger than life. We even buy super-sized drinks, but does the extra volume enhance our experience? Does having more of something, anything actually, get our needs met to a greater degree?
As entrepreneurs we are constantly trying to grow our businesses by expanding our market reach. But I’d like to propose a crazy notion. What if instead of constantly thinking bigger, bigger, bigger we started thinking better, better better. Here is a word trade I’d like you to try on for size. (no pun intended)
|
BIGGER |
BETTER |
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More |
Enough |
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Broad |
Deep |
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Diversify |
Saturate |
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Broadcast |
Listen |
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Give More |
Give what’s needed |
|
Expand |
Refine |
Let me give you an example. Would you rather have 20 cubic zirconia crystals on your wedding band or one beautiful, perfect small diamond? Most of us would choose the diamond because of what it represents; high quality, high value and refinement. It represents something very special to us personally.
Small brand can have big impacts as well if they follow a few key principles:
1. Provide superior quality.
2. Make your product or service highly customized.
3. Create deep meaning around your brand.
4. Pay attention to detail.
**5. Fulfill a very specific need.**
I read recently about a trend in real estate called right-sizing. It means customizing your house to fit your lifestyle. Think back to my beautiful, little leaf. It was the perfect size for my hand. I noticed it because it was small AND beautiful. If you right-size your brand, and customize it to fit the lifestyle or your target audience, you will also start to right-size your bank account.
I’d love to hear from you.
What are your greatest challenges in refining your brand?
What do you struggle with to increase the impact of your current brand?
Post your answers below in the comments or find me on Facebook.
If you would like to use this article on your website or ezine, feel free! Just be sure to include the following:
Heather Poduska is a Reach certified personal brand strategist, image consultant and business coach who helps women entrepreneurs create client attractive brands, polished brand images and brand communication strategies to increase their visibility and impact in the marketplace and grow their businesses.
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