The year is in full swing and so is your marketing plan, right? Or maybe you have “update my brand and marketing” as part of that plan. Either way, it’s wise to periodically audit your brand and messaging to make sure you are relevant, where you want to be, and not all over the place.
Here are five brand components to review as you look across your marketing initiatives to make sure you are "on brand" right now.
Brand Component No. 1: The physical attributes.
What does it look like? This will include your logo, your colors and fonts used on all of your materials. All of the things that you use to visually represent your brand identity. E.g. social profiles, invoices, emails, website, etc. When you lay them out all together - ALL of them, do they look cohesive and part of the same company? Or a bit disjointed and not reinforcing the story or tone you are aiming for? Brands are ideal with a cohesive, unified look with a curated and prescribed # of fonts or colors that serve specific purposes.
Brand Component No. 2: Your communication style.
What to do you sound like? Are you a leader, a guide or authority? What type of vocabulary do you use in your messaging? What is the tone? How do you want others to hear you? Soft and nurturing or empowering and bold?
It’s important to remember that every touch point that your customer has with you is significant. Brand voice shows up everywhere. In your invoices, your web copy, your blog posts. Each part of what a client experiences should have the same voice.
Brand Component No. 3: What is your brand promise?
You may be selling a service, or a physical product or a book or a combination of those things. Let’s say people are selling consulting services. That’s not really what your clients are buying. Customers are buying a solution to a problem. An author is selling a book, but they are also selling the messaging in the book. The solution is what your client is buying.
This is also a great place to get clear on why people are buying from you or not buying? Often, digging in to find out why your message is different is a good way to really get clear your unique brand promise.
A great example is the Mastercard “Priceless” campaign. At the time this was conceived, Mastercard was number 2 in their industry. We decided to lead with that notion and say Mastercard is for those special purchases, the ones that have to happen, the ones that are not every day. And it worked!
Your brand promise are the benefits around what you are selling and what a solution your clients and prospects are looking for.
Brand Component No. 4: Who are you selling to?
I often hear people say “Everyone can use my product or service.” And that might be true, but everyone isn’t looking for it and everyone isn’t necessarily going to purchase. If you want to market to everyone it requires a massive budget to reach everybody.
Instead, let’s focus in on who will get the most benefit of what you are selling and really clarify that. Demographics are one part. Men or women? What age? Sometimes a geographic component might be important.
Even more important, what is the mindset? What are they thinking? If everyone can use what you’re selling why don’t they have it already?
Writing for “everybody” means generic communications that aren’t going to resonate with anyone.
Who are your people, your tribe? When you get really clear here and it makes everything much easier.
Brand Component No. 5: How do you know what your clients really want?
Do client research. Talk to them and ask them to share their experience with your company. Not just the product, but all aspects. The buying experience, customer service, ease of use etc. How did the product or service impact their life? Why did they choose you? How did they find you? What else did they consider before buying from you? Did you meet their expectations?
If you are new and don’t have clients, interview your prospects and find out from them why and how they go about making the decision to buy from you.
You will be able to understand their pain points and then you can shape your messaging to speak to that in a well-defined way.
Creating ways to listen to your readers, clients and customers on a regular basis will help you create marketing strategies that stay relevant and resonate.
