Branding your business correctly is key to its success. Creating a brand that resonates with your customers gives your business a unique personality, and establishes a unique position in the marketplace. Not only does this attract the right customers, but it also helps to raise revenue as more customers turn to you for their purchases.

So how can a small business develop a strong brand on a tiny budget? Here are five simple things to get you started:

1. Make a Great Logo

Your company logo is an important part of your branding. Not only is it a visual representation of your business, but it also builds brand identity and customer loyalty. Be sure to create a logo that represents who you are, conveys your brand’s message, and reinforces your company’s core values. Additionally, it should be simple, memorable, versatile and timeless.

You may consider hiring a professional designer to riff off of the loosely sketched ideas. A skilled professional will make sure your logo communicates your values in a way that resonates with your audience.

2. Consistent Visual Identity is Key

Competition for customers is fierce in the market. For the weary, this can be nerve wrecking, and may easily fall into the trap of wanting to constantly change their brand. However, doing this will have the opposite effect since consistency is key to building a strong and successful brand. Remember, your brand is part of your business’s DNA and it should show the same face on any platform its on.

Things like logos, icons, images, and overall aesthetic design should remain consistent when presenting your brand – whether it’s on your website, products, marketing materials or content posted on social networks.

3. Create Promotional Materials

While branded products aren’t as popular as they once were, they can be very effective at building your brand. A study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) explains that people who receive promotional products are likely to pass them along to friends or relatives who will use them (and receive your advertising message). The study also shows the majority of people who receive a branded product are likely to have a good impression of the business that gave it to them.

Make sure the free giveaways are practical and related to what you do. For example, if you are a food and beverage business, sheet fabricating coasters with your logo and giving them to customers could work for you.

4. Avoid Similarity to Others

Another important ingredient of successful branding is authenticity. To make your product or service different in a me-too category, make sure it reflects your business’s integral values and culture. Additionally, it should tell your story and provide a vision for your target audience to buy into.

5. Build a Working Concept and/or Demo

Creating a product demonstration or a free trial is essential to developing a strong brand. Demos allow your users to see and experience how your product or service works. Additionally, it’ll help you get as much feedback as possible before an official launch. Understanding if your service or product can deliver its expectations to consumers can determine its success or failure.

Branding isn’t just a name, tagline, design or logo. It’s about knowing what makes you unique in the marketplace and building a strategy around it that grows the brand and attracts others who share that value.