Find your voice, be innovative, bold and daring - stand for something you believe in
What you say is important, but don’t overlook the way you say it. Your company’s “voice” is the language and personality you and your employees will use on a daily basis to deliver your brand’s message and reach your target customers.
Successful brands speak with a unique voice. Think about the brands you admire, what is it that makes them unique? How do they communicate with you, their customer?
Be bold and daring in your message and its delivery as this will help you stand out from the rest. Also be flexible to react to the ever-changing needs of your customers and how you communicate with them.
Be consistent
Why should you care about brand consistency? You should care because brand consistency leads to familiarity, and familiarity leads to trust. Don't change the message too often or too much - this can be a big mistake. Changing your message and how it's delivered can cause confusion within your audience.
For example, a company might take a serious tone on their website, but a very lighthearted tone on their Facebook business page. This can confuse potential customers as the two have completely different identities.
To build and maintain a strong brand, every aspect of your brand should be as good as your product or service, and you must be consistent in your brand's message. This includes not only your company’s name, logo, overall design, products and services, but also includes your marketing materials, website and content posted to social networks, etc.
Stand out from your competition, but also know what works
Be distinct, but also understand that it’s okay to learn from those who have succeeded. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel.
Don’t be afraid to pursue radical ideas that seem like they’ve never been done before, you might just be onto something. Still, keep in mind that not every business is going to change the world, and that’s OK.
Treat your brand as a person
The purpose of branding is to create a personal relationship with your customers. To best get your head around the branding process, think of your brand as a person. Your brand should have an identity, personality, and experience.
Ask yourself these questions about your brand:
- How would your brand introduce itself? It might wear a suit and shake your hand, or it might wear shorts and give you a high-five!
- How would your brand talk about your products or services? It could be serious and professional, or could be humorous and edgy.
- What would someone say about your brand after “meeting” it for the first time?
Every one of us is an individual whose character is made up of beliefs, values and purposes that define who we are and who we connect with. Our personality determines how we behave in different situations, how we dress and what we say. Of course, for people it's intuitive and it's rare that you even consider what your own character is. But when you're building a brand it's vital to have that understanding.
Strive to build long-term relationships with your customers
Don't dress up your offering and raise expectations just for a quick sell. Create trust with honest branding and be clear who your company is, and be true to the values that drive it every day.
By doing this, you will build strong relationships with the right customers for you, who will return and recommend!
Branding encompasas everything - your organisation’s name, logo, colour palette, voice, and imagery. It’s that intangible feeling your customers receive when they interact with your brand.
Truly strong brands thrive when they focus on the overall picture. Get to the heart and soul of your target audience and your organisation, and a successful brand will follow.
If you’d like to discuss a project with us, drop us a line on [email protected] or call us on 01353 882111. You can also find out more information on our services here.
