Branding: What it comes down to
Your company’s branding is the lifeblood of your existence. It’s who you are, what you represent, what you say, what you don’t say, and your entire personality. Customers are attracted to brands that they share values with, and the importance of having strong branding that a lot of people can share values with cannot be overstated.
Conveying those values builds an emotional connection with your customers which creates brand loyalty. Your customers will then be more eager to try your new offerings and make purchases once you’re able to gain this loyalty. If you’re able to keep up with your market’s demand, then you’ve got customers for life.
Brand Messaging
Brand messaging is your first impression, and is what inspires and persuades customers to learn more and ultimately buy your products or services. It can start anywhere from a beautiful logo, a strong slogan or tagline, to just an awesome-looking Instagram page. It may also include messages for headlines, calls-to-action and lots more. It’s a very important part of your overall branding.
Your brand messaging must be crystal clear. It must be short and to the point. Your audience should “get it” immediately and relate to it. It must also be stronger than your competitors’ brand message, recognizable and it must also be consistent across the board. Having confusing and inconsistent brand messaging can be damaging, so it’s important to have someone in charge of it to keep it on track.
Unique Selling Propositions
Why should customers choose your company vs your competitors? What sets you apart and makes you a better choice? Is it higher quality, better price, better availability, easier use, or maybe a better design? These are all things you need to sit down and figure out.
Once you state your top USPs, it is important to make sure that your value promise surpasses that of your competitors. USPs are essentially what can end up locking down your sale, and used to develop your brand messaging, and for writing copy for your website, brochures, video scripts and all your other marketing materials.
Logo Design
Your logo is a visual representation of your brand identity and messaging, and is the first brick in the foundation of your visual branding. As we mentioned in Brand Messaging, it is important to get this right, since we all know there is no second first impression.
A great logo is simple, beautiful, easy to understand and most of all: memorable. It gives customers a feeling, and a poorly designed logo can exude lack of care and professionalism from a brand. Ever buy a bottle of wine because the label was “cool”? Give people something they’d be happy to own, wear, or use.
Brand Guide
When it comes to brand identity, consistency is the key. You need to make sure your customers will recognize you everywhere you pop up with a quick glance. Your brand’s color palette, logo usage, typefaces, style, plus your brand tone and voice must be used consistently across all media.
Maintaining consistency is not easy when more than one person is developing content. A brand guide sets the rules for treating your brand message, brand look, and other brand assets. Marketers, partners and employees will know how to present your brand, what to say and more importantly, what not to say.
