Having an effective brand for your company can impact whether or not you will be successful and who you’ll be able to reach. It’s easy to overlook the importance of a consistent brand, and many people are even unfamiliar with exactly what a brand is. This big decision often determines what people think about you and your business and builds credibility over time. Being consistent is vital to developing a successful brand and makes a tremendous difference in your company’s marketing. Inner Spark Creative is a highly trusted and qualified advertising agency located in Auburn, Alabama, with a team that has plenty of experience in helping companies grow their brand. Keep reading to understand why being consistent is so important and how your brand impacts your customers.
What Is a Brand?
Your brand consists of your company’s identity and personality which allows you to show consumers who you are. This includes your logo, website design, mission statement, and many more valuable elements that go into developing a successful business. Most highly successful and popular companies are recognized solely because of their top-tier branding and consistency of such. For example, Apple produces products that are recognizable by almost everyone around the world thanks to its consistent marketing and brand design. Having this brand builds credibility with customers and increases your chances of being discovered by consumers, which is what all businesses should strive for.
How to Maintain a Consistent Brand
1. Create Rules
Before you begin developing your brand, you should make sure you’ve discussed every area possible. This decision can heavily impact the amount of success your company receives and shouldn’t be rushed or thrown together without some thought. Many businesses choose to work with a qualified advertising agency, like Inner Spark Creative, to come up with an effective marketing plan. During this plan, you should determine who your target audience is and how your brand and design can appeal to them, specifically.
Additionally, before you launch, decide what your voice will be by coming up with a consistent mission statement and goals. Include what you’re trying to achieve with your business and why it matters to customers in order to form connections and catch their attention. This is also a good time to talk about what your company’s core values are and how they can be portrayed through logos, website design, and promotional messages.
2. Plan Ahead
Not only does planning out your brand ahead save time, but it also saves room for adjustments or reorganizing. Much like creating guidelines, you should develop a general plan as to where and how you’ll get your brand exposed across different platforms. One of the best ways to prepare for this is by using a marketing calendar that your team or employees have access to. Having all of your ideas and posts lined up in one spot makes this process much easier and more organized. Know what kind of posts you’d like to produce like blogs, video content, or even giveaways that will increase engagement.
Also, ensuring everyone is in the loop and understands the brand is important when keeping consistency in case someone is asked a question regarding the design or mission statement. The people who work within your business are part of its identity and they should be prepared to answer questions about your work. If they can confidently inform clients and customers about who you are and what your brand is, you’ll find yourself gaining more exposure and business.
3. Use a Style Guide
While a brand consists of your company’s voice and personality, the way it appears visually is just as important. A style guide will help you create a captivating logo and matching web design, along with any other areas you may want to incorporate your graphics. Some important elements to add to this guide are color schemes, logo concepts, font ideas, and post frequency. All of these factors are key in creating a brand that will stand out among others and catch the attention of your audience.
When it comes to selecting a color palette, try not to go too crazy. You should decide on one or two main colors with only two to three accents. Having the same colors displayed across your products and social media will give your business a more uniform and collective look which will attract more clients. On top of this, your logo should be used as much as possible to make sure it sticks in people’s memory. Find places on business cards, packaging, and websites to include it. Settling on a font may seem like a less important aspect of brand design, but it actually has a big impact. Find a font that matches your brand’s voice and personality, whether that’s fun or professional.
4. Use Social Media
As you surely know, using social media for marketing has changed the way companies gain exposure and make business. After you’ve planned out what type of content you want to produce, it’s time to use the platforms that are right for your business. Though it may seem like a good idea, don’t jump onto every single platform available just because they’re popular or easy to use. Determine whether or not it will ultimately benefit your company and how you can portray your voice through different networks.
For example, if your brand’s personality is fun and energetic on Instagram, maintain this look on FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, too. Additionally, make sure you include links to your social media on your website and within your other accounts to make it easier for customers to explore. If you find yourself using more than a couple of platforms, you should also avoid posting too much at once. Space out your content so as to not overwhelm your audience and continue to be consistent. Lastly, engage with your customers online as much as possible to develop a sense of trust and respect.
How We Can Help
At Inner Spark Creative, we strive to bring your business the success it deserves and care about your progress just as much as you. With a team of individuals who are experienced in the world of marketing and branding, we have the resources to help you get on the right track. Contact us to learn more about what kind of services we offer and how they can help you and your company.