Ever wonder how to get your business noticed? It can be difficult, especially with so many new businesses popping up every day. But know that you need to always remember that one simple rule: always stay on brand.
If you want your business to be successful, you need to make sure everything about it is in line with what people know and understand about your company.
This does not mean jumping on the bandwagon and duplicating other companies’ products or services to compete — instead, it means sticking true and doing your own thing.
So how do you keep your brand consistent without making it stale? Here is how:
Get honest feedback
First and foremost, it’s important to take the pulse of your business. Not only should you ask for feedback on product design or user experience, but you should also be open and ask questions about what people think of the brand itself.
It’s okay to admit when things aren’t going as planned.
- Update both your website and social media often with new content.
It’s easy to forget about updating your website or blog, and many people don’t have time for it (or have nobody on their staff who can do it). This is why tools like Buffer and Hootsuite are so useful.
They allow you to schedule multiple updates to your website, blog, and social media, which keeps your brand fresh. If you keep posting new, relevant content, people will be far more inclined to engage with your brand.
Keep it simple.
You don’t want your business’s brand design to get too complex or fancy — in fact, the simpler it is, the more memorable it becomes.
Take Twitter as an example: a simple blue background with a white bird (the actual bird being the symbol of Twitter) worked extremely well for them — they are a big company now and have competitors who still haven’t gotten past that logo change since they started competing.
Make it easy to engage
Usability is important in branding. If your website or app has a difficult time loading, does not present acceptable payment options for your business, is confusing to navigate, or is clunky to use, chances are people will find another brand to go with instead of yours.
It’s the same advice that was given about usability back when some Mac products had difficulty running Windows at the beginning of the 2000s — you don’t want people getting frustrated with your product and going elsewhere for answers.
Be nice.
The only thing better than growing your business is making friends with people who are important to them. Building a relationship with influencers will not only get them talking about you, but it will also help you get better recommendations for the products and services that you provide.
Don’t talk about trends instead of your business
If you are too caught up in trends, it’s quite likely that your customers will leave when your business “goes independent” in terms of the trends that are popular at the time — and this is a mistake that many companies make by jumping on the bandwagon of today’s selling buzzwords before they even have their feet on the ground.
Keep it simple, clear, and consistent across all channels
The most important thing to remember about your brand is that it should be consistent across all channels — the company name and logo should be the same on all products, and the tone of your content should be the same across social media and your blog, web design and graphics should look familiar to those who visit your site frequently, and people who engage with you via Facebook or Twitter should receive a response quickly.
Keep focused on what matters most when attracting attention to your business
If you’re too busy worrying about the latest fad, you might lose sight of what truly matters most. Make sure to focus on the core purpose and values that your brand stands for — people will remember those the most.
Think about structure, not style
Branding is not just done with a logo or with colors it can be done with any kind of visual element imaginable.
The more elements there are that match and make sense together, the more likely people are to remember one image from another as opposed to having a bunch of visuals that don’t go together at all.
Design based on the customer experience
It’s easy to get caught up in making the design of your brand fun and attractive, but it’s far more important to look at what people will see, feel and interact with when they come across it.
Your design should reflect how you want people to feel when they engage with your business — so think about that instead of just how it looks.
Consider how you’ll use your brand in the future, not only today
Your brand needs to be designed with its life span in mind. What do you see yourself growing into as a company, and what kind of tone, attitude, and visual style will you have once your business is massive?
What does your company look like once it is successful? You don’t want to spend time on something that won’t match with your business later down the road — so remember to look ahead so you know where it’s going.
Don’t be afraid to change
You have to be aware of what is happening in the world around you and your industry, but you also have to be able to keep your head on straight and stay focused on the bigger picture.
Don’t get caught up in fads or trends, but instead focus on the big picture of where your brand is going.
If a new design comes out that reflects it better, switch it up and make the change — but do it for good reason, not because you are being forced to follow something else.
Summary
So there you have it — a few key points for branding your business (and in particular, your company brand). You don’t have to reinvent the wheel and spend lots of money on a design.
You can use some of the best graphic design tools out there to make it easier on yourself — simply follow these tips and you’ll make sure to keep your brand on track and looking its best.
Are you using any of these tips? Or do you have any other tips or tricks that could be added? Share them with us in the comments!
