Field service businesses don’t have the same luxuries that large corporations have. Their marketing and advertising budgets can be legitimately a million times larger than small businesses. Think of iconic brands like Nike, McDonalds or Coca-Cola. They’ve spent enormous amounts of time and money on their brands. When you think of Coke, what comes to mind? Their brand encompasses everything they do.
Small businesses can create strong and memorable brands, too. You don’t need millions of dollars in the marketing budget to build something lasting and recognizable. Here are ten things to consider when building a field service business brand:
What Is My Competition Doing?
Having an idea of what other companies in your space are doing with their branding is important. You can learn a lot from what others have already done and you can capitalize on what others aren’t doing. Is there something missing from their brands that you would be able to capitalize on?
What Are My Benefits, And Not Features?
When you’re creating a brand, focus on the benefits of your business. What do your services provide to your customers? You aren’t mowing customers lawns, you’re saving them valuable time that they don’t need to spend doing it themselves, the benefit is that the customer can then spend time with their families or spending time on their hobbies.
What is My Unique Selling Proposition?
What makes your brand different? How do you fill the voids that other companies can’t? Even if you offer the same type of service as other businesses, you need to differentiate your company. Do you use water conserving methods? Do your crews clean up exceptionally after a job? Find your unique selling proposition and go with it.
Do I Have Brand Guidelines?
Do you have brand guidelines? Do you know what your brand colors are, the fonts that you use, the type of language you should use for every situation? Your guidelines help you create marketing materials, it can help with how you post and interact on social media and it can define how you design your website.
Do Your Employees Know Your Brand Story?
All of your day to day actions are part of your brand. Are there expectations that your employees uphold? How do they interact with your customers? Your employees should know what your mission is, what your core values are, and why your company exists. They need to know your brand's story.
Do Customers Know Your Brand?
When you show up to a job, do your trucks convey your branding well? Do your field techs carry themselves professionally when meeting with customers? Your customers should be aware of your brand whenever you interact with them. Immediately when you arrive to a customer’s property, they will be forming opinions on your brand.
Does My Brand Form Long Term Relationships?
When creating and developing your brand, you should keep in mind whether or not your overall branding nourishes relationships. Are your customers able to regularly provide feedback and do you act on those suggestions?
Is My Brand Consistent?
Your brand is the encompassment of everything you do. So is your brand consistent? Is your messaging the same? Are you able to explain your unique selling proposition to prospects with similar language? Consistency is important for branding.
What Is My Brand Personality?
A brand can almost be thought of as a person. What is its personality? How do you handle customer requests or complaints? Are you helpful and pleasant?
What Does My Name Mean?
A name can tell a lot about a green industry business. It can be descriptive, but creative at the same time and can tell a great deal about a brand. Here are a few green industry names that we think support their brands very well:
