Small Business Marketing Guide - DIY (do-it-yourself) BRAND MARKETING STRATEGIES to HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS

What is your business card doing for you? Is it a plain piece of card stock with your logo and contact information printed on it? This is okay for most companies, but for a startup, your business card is one of the easiest ways to spread word of your brand.

You could take Ji Lee‘s simple–albeit a bit risky–approach:

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I know, I know, you’re all saying: “Print? Print? Battelle, in your last post, you implored us to get with the social times, start a blog, start Twittering, figure out Yelp. You even wrote that most small business websites were “static brochures, devoid of personality and life.’”

And now you want us to…print a brochure!!!

Yep. This my fantasy brochure of sorts, a slim piece of cardstock I wish every small business I worked with would hand me on the way in or out the door.

But before you can print this brochure, before it can deliver on its promise, you have to first go back and read that post of mine, the one about Cultivating Your Online Garden, and you have to actually go DO what I suggest you do.

Go ahead, DO it!

OK, now you’re ready to create the best brochure you’ve ever printed. Because this brochure isn’t a sales pitch, it’s an invitation to join a conversation that will last for a long, long time.

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I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again: Whether your business is just launching or has been in the black for years, your brand is — or should be — as unique as you are. Your “story” is often the reason customers decide to spend money with you.

The expertise, strategy and tips shared right here in the DIY Small Business Marketing Guide will help you develop and evolve the compelling and unique story of your business — whether that brand story is a logo, a brochure, your company letterhead, a website, or all of these and more. I want to help you start sharing that story — without breaking the bank. And it starts with three easy steps.

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It’s no secret that consumers today are increasingly embracing all things green–green products, green services, anything that promises to be more environmentally sustainable than the options of days gone by. In fact, recent data shows that even during these tough economic times, 82 percent of consumers are still buying green products, despite the fact that they may cost more.

While an “eco” focus may not be part of every company’s mission–at least not yet!–it’s also a mistake to ignore the trend altogether, especially when you’re creating paper-heavy marketing materials. All other things being equal, the competitor with a greener image will likely win the sale.

So how can you create a greener image?

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Your logo isn’t the most important thing about your business. But if you think it doesn’t matter, think again. A good logo communicates that you are a professional who pays attention to detail.

I’m not a professional designer, but I am a customer. I’m the person you’re trying to win over. And I’m going to do the thing that customers rarely do: I’m going to tell you how to make a good impression on me. A logo is just one of the many ways.

Let’s start with an example of a great logo we’re all familiar with: the Nike Swoosh.

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