Creating a brand identity takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. Designing a great logo and website are important first steps but how do you establish your brand to make it recognisable, trusted and credible?

There are a number of steps you need to take when building your brand from researching your competitors to communicating your story, message and values to your target audience and then applying these to your marketing strategy.

Be Seen - Grow Your Sales - Build Your Brand
Business directories make your business easier to find online with a direct link to your unique search engine optimised business profile. Your business profile featured on online directories allows you to target your audience and build brand awareness. It is an affordable alternative to improve your online presence and digital footprint. Quite often Google Ads campaign or other paid for ads are unattainable to small businesses. Just think your brand is being promoted on all social platforms, on a regular basis and it is something you don’t have to directly manage yourself.

Local Online Business Directories
Our heart is with two local online business directories that have a support local ethos. If you understand back links and the impact of linking to credible websites to your own website, then you will appreciate the value of driving traffic to your website to again more enquiries, more leads and in turn more sales.

A great way to find prospective customers is to sign up to a local online directory, such as The Local View and Peterborough Business Directory. Our online directories give you access to potential new suppliers, advertise your business across a number of social media channels and allow you to promote your products, services, courses and events to a wider audience through, online articles, banner advertising, our own email marketing and paid for ads.

Here are just some of the benefits;

• Search engine optimised business profile.
• Business description, opening times, contact form, photos of your products, services, courses or events.
• Your profile is shared on all of our socials.
• Links to your website, email and social media platforms.
• One minute video* created for you, posted bi-monthly on all our social media channels.
• Get quarterly stats on our online performance and social awareness/reach.
• Support for you and your growing business.
• Digital and print services as and when you need them.
• Opportunities to promote your products, services, workshops or events through all our marketing channels.
• Publish your news, articles, achievements, events and press releases on our directory for FREE.
  
  

Design, Print & Distribution
So you have got a website, what else can you do to promote your business and get your brand out there? Did you know The Local View provides design and printing services? We can design and print marketing materials such as brochures, compliment slips, banners (great for local expos), business cards and more. We also offer a leaflet design, print and distribution service- perfect for your next marketing campaign!

Articles & Spotlight Articles
If you have some exciting news or developments to share, a spotlight article includes Search Engine Optimisation, chosen key phrases, an advert and video to promote your product, service, course or event.

Articles are a great way to spread the word about what’s happening in your business, create a buzz and engage with your audience.

Do you have a story to tell?

• A local community project or initiative
• A local business event or conference
• Innovation of a new product or service
• Maybe you have recently had some PR and want to maximise your online exposure
• Are you a winner of a business award?

Please request a copy of our article submission guide. Contact us >

Being part of a local online business directory is more than advertising, it’s also about supporting local and your local business community. The Local View and Peterborough Business Directory fully support the shop local ethos with a focus on small independent businesses and focused business owners like you. We understand the challenges SME’s face out there but within our local directories you become more visible, supported and learn about what is happening locally in terms of grants, funding, business support courses, local news and events, share knowledge and network with other like minded businesses. All of this will help strengthen your brand and improve your online presence.

If you’re a small business owner you will already be well aware of the need for a strong digital marketing strategy. You might be handling your own digital marketing, carrying out day to day tasks such as social media management. But are you truly getting the best out of our digital marketing while trying to run your business? It isn’t easy to split your time between marketing and the day-to-day running of your business.

This is where hiring a team to handle your digital marketing could actually save you time and money, as well as ensuring your marketing is top notch, on brand and working hard for your business.
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Reasons for Outsourcing your Marketing;

Delegate
You might have been managing perfectly well when you first started out but as your business grows it becomes much more difficult to keep juggling all those plates. The money you think you’re saving by handling your own digital marketing is actually not a saving at all, YOUR time IS money and your time needs to be spent where it's most needed- on running your business. Allowing a professional team to manage your digital marketing will not only free up your time but the team will also be much quicker and more efficient too - they already understand all the software, apps and technology required to make your business digital marketing successful.

Objectivity
It’s not easy to think objectively when it’s your own business that you’ve nurtured from scratch but a digital marketing team will be able to look at it from an outsiders point of view, allowing them to find effective communication strategies.

Expertise
When you hire a professional marketing team you have access to all their combined knowledge and expertise. They will be able to advise you on all aspects of your marketing strategy, help you establish your target audience and create the perfect plan. You only have one chance to do a launch- make sure you do it the right way!

Creative Unique Ideas and Thinking Outside the Box
A digital marketing team can look at your business with fresh eyes, spot potential avenues for targeting your audience and they’ll have the expertise to try out new ideas. Your expertise is in your products or services, their expertise is in digital marketing. As with everything, the marketing sector is constantly evolving but luckily for you it’s in their job description to make sure they’re up-to-date with all the latest advancements. They’ll be able to help identify and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and see ways to improve them.

Strategy and Communication
A digital marketing team will be able to help devise an effective digital marketing strategy - they might do a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) or set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and make sure these align with your overall business goals.

Most importantly, your marketing team will know what needs doing and when- less reactive and more proactive thinking.

Hiring a digital marketing team could be the best decision you make for your business. From creating the perfect strategy, trying out new tech or finding exciting and innovative ways to engage your audience.

Do you need support with your digital marketing? Get in touch and book your FREE consultation.

​If you don’t currently have a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) you are missing out on a fantastic, free tool that gives your customers access to vital information such as your business operating hours, contact details, location and much more besides.
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Google is a huge deal when it comes to search engines - it has 92.66% of the search engine market share (Search Engine Market Share Worldwide - June 2023) indeed its name has become synonymous for searching online for something.

Why You Need a Google Business Profile
If your business has contact with customers, including those with a physical location such as a hairdressers, or you provide services requiring meeting with customers at other locations such as a plumber or electrician then you are eligible to set up a Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile gives you the opportunity to list your business location on Google Maps and Google local search results - your target audience will have instant access to your exact location and any other important information they may need:

• Your business location
• Contact details
• Opening times / closing times
• Payment options
• Contact details
• Link to your website
  
  

One of the best things about this tool is that it doesn’t cost you anything! You are able to advertise your business, its location and even post updates with pictures and other information all for free. You’ll even get access to insights on how your profile is performing, including the number of views on your posts and how many users viewed your profile.

Getting seen online is not always easy, competition is tough and it’s hard to know if anyone will see your business. A Google Business Profile puts your business on Google maps and Google search making it much easier for customers to find you online and makes your physical business location easier to find too.

• Improve your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Showcase your products and services
• Get more reviews
• Be better than your competition
• Get more sales and enquiries

A Google Business Profile Can Help Your Business Grow
Your business profile will be among the first Google search results after the sponsored ads. Being near the top of the search results has many obvious advantages including increasing traffic to your website. Not only that, your profile will appear higher in local search results - helping you target your audience.

Another great advantage of your Google Business Profile is the customer reviews - reviews are essential in order build trust and credibility.

Increase Visibility, Increase Awareness, Increase Sales
There really are no reasons not to set up your Google Business Profile - if you need help setting yours up we can help guide you through the process, including showing you how to update your business details and add posts to your profile.

Recent Update To Google Privacy Policy
Google recently updated the inactivity period for a Google Account for two years (across all of their accounts and services). The change is now active and applies to any Google Account that hasn’t been used or signed into within a two year timeframe. The earliest date that inactive accounts (and any content) will be eligible for deletion would be December 2023.

You will receive reminder emails if your account is inactive before any action is taken so you’ll have plenty of time to sign-in and prevent your accounts from being deleted if you still wish to keep them.

Find out more about Google’s inactivity policy here.

Need more help? Contact us for more information.

When you think of the word ‘brand’ what comes to mind? Do you imagine big brands’ such as McDonalds, Coca Cola or large supermarkets such as Tesco and Asda?

They’re all great examples of successful businesses that have managed to build recognisable and highly successful brands.

But every business, large and small, needs to focus on building their brand. It’s no small task, brands don’t become successful overnight and it takes hard work, determination and patience to build a strong and successful brand for your business.

What Makes a Brand Successful?
Aside from the above, there are steps every business must take to build a successful brand:

Market Research
Your brand will only succeed if you find out who your target audience is - you need to build trust and a lasting relationship with your customers so it’s imperative you learn who they are and what they want.

What is your Mission?
What are you trying to achieve? Why did you start your business? In order to create a successful brand you need to pin down what you're trying to achieve- all your branding including logo design will then reflect this ethos to reinforce your message to your audience.

What is your USP?
You need to stand out from your competitors so make sure you shout about what makes you different. What are your company values? Ethics? Do you offer locally sourced goods for example? Champion what makes your business unique.

Great Visual Assets
​Once you’ve established the above you can get creative and build your brand assets - your logo, colour palette, fonts etc.

Why Hire a Designer?
A professional designer has a swathe of skills and knowledge to help you build your brand. They know how to help you craft your story and can help you find your audience. Not only that, they can take your story and USP and together create the perfect logo and other visual assets to determine your unique brand style.

You might think you know exactly how you want your logo to look but a designer can help you push the boundaries and create something truly spectacular. Their knowledge of colour and how it will work on the web and in print will be invaluable- get ready for hexadecimal triplets and Pantone chats over a cup of coffee!

Even after you’ve established your brand image, you need to reinforce that image at every customer touch point. Website, social media, email marketing, in print and your physical premises - all need to give out the same message using the same brand imagery. Your designer will ensure your logo is the correct format for every requirement - print ready and web optimised.

Ultimately, a great designer will save you time and money in the long run. They can be on hand at every step in building your brand and can help ensure you stay true to your brand values, message and story.

Are you struggling to establish your brand? We can help bring your brand to life, contact us for more information: Contact Creative Remedy