What visual pops into your head when you hear the word “apple?” For some, it’s merely the fruit. For others, it’s the latest iPhone or tablet grazing their desktop. Steve Jobs knew a thing or two about consistency – facial and fingerprint recognition, for instance – continues to be a gateway for security. It’s unchanging and infallible since only your DNA unlocks the codes.
What if your brand identity could be just as airtight? It can, and it should be!
The term “brand consistency” refers to the pattern of expression that affects what people think about your company. The more predictable you are in your message with words, design, and offerings, the more opportunity to build awareness and develop trust with your customers.
I see small business owners make the same mistakes again and again. Their website, social channels, emails, and imagery aren’t working in unison, and they aren’t attracting the right audience (or any at all). This mismatched DNA buries their significance and value proposition, which means consumers have to dig deeper to understand them. That’s a red flag as studies show the average consumer sees 10,000 brand messages a day. And Microsoft claims the average person’s attention span is just eight seconds.
Yep, that’s a tiny window of time to appeal to your target market.
But, don’t throw your hands up because it seems like a tall order to tackle. One Part Social can help you cure your brand identity blues and avoid epic failures with these simple measures:
Bust the Myth
You believe that consistency = boring. The most popular brands in the world – from Apple to Nike – know their claim to fame is steady recall. It takes time to climb the mountain, but slow and stable strides always win out.
“Think of your role as a marketer like the role of a musician. An artist who writes one great song quickly becomes ‘That Singer Who Did That One Song.’ But an artist who consistently creates great music develops a devoted base of fans who trust him or her to consistently deliver music they like.” – John Hall, Forbes
Keep Everyone In-The-Know
You don’t have a brand guide. It’s crucial to establish internal branding guidelines to safeguard a professional, consistent image. Your staff and third-party affiliates should know the proper use of your company logos, taglines, mission statements, typography and fonts, graphics, trademarks, and other intellectual property that affects brand identity. No one wants to see a pixelated logo on your blog or a different brand personality altogether on your website or Facebook banner. Here’s more on what to include in your brand guidelines.
“Branding, of course, is more than just the company name. And it’s also more than just a logo, website or a nice piece of stationery. As with any business that involves human interaction, intangible qualities like specialization, experience, knowledge, and reliability are all things that customers look for—and can be difficult to communicate.” – Travel Weekly.
Hire a Professional
You try and do it yourself. Your brand identity is the foundation of your business. If it’s not an accurate reflection of your company and services, it will be tough to be successful. If you’re not creative or don’t know the first thing about establishing a style guide, then hire an expert. I see time and time again where startups waste time and money on this first crucial step. Outsource the details and documentation from the beginning; trust me, you’ll be happy you did.
Understand the Essentials
You don’t know the answers to the important questions. Before you hire anyone, it’s essential to know:
Who are your customers?
What problems are you solving for and how can you do it?
How can you do it better or different from your competitors?
And finally, be able to explain your elevator pitch in 20 seconds or less.
No one has a digital footprint quite like yours. Your brand DNA is unique – and should be shared consistently and proudly. And, being the “apple” of everyone’s eye should be precisely what you’re going for… don’t you think?
Need a brand strategist or social media marketer who can grab your audience’s attention in eight seconds or less? Let’s chat.
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