Do you struggle to be consistent with your business or personal branding?
Do you simply not know where to begin with your branding?
A well-defined and executed brand strategy can bring increased sales and profits, especially when it's done correctly. When it's not effective, it can deter your target audience from purchasing from you and potentially tarnish your reputation.
Branding gives your business an identity beyond it's product or service. It gives consumers something to relate to and connect with. It's an element of marketing that all brands should strive to master.
Use this simple 5 step checklist to strengthen your brand and fast track your success.
5 Step Branding Checklist
Step 1: Define Your Brand.
Brand Mission: Write down the exact vision for your brand. Don't do what everyone else is doing as your efforts won't stand out. Having a clear mission will keep you going in business.
Brand Message: Identify your core offering/s and brand message. Sharpen the language, tailoring it to your ideal customer. Your message should be able to grab your audience, persuade and motivate them, and convert them into paying customers.
Brand Language: Create a list of words that encapsulate your brand and your product and/or service. These keywords will act as the basis for your brand messaging and will be used across all marketing efforts. Make sure you research these short and long-tail keywords, to ensure they are optimised on Google and other search engines.
Step 2: Identify Your Strengths.
Outline these elements and make them a core focus when developing your content marketing and digital strategy.
Why should people invest in your products and/or services, instead of those of your competitors?
What is the Unique Selling Point (USP) that makes your business or brand trump the rest?
Step 3: Know Your Niche & Target Market.
Niche: Specify your industry and expertise. Hone in on the specific niche you are trying to target and tailor all messaging and branding accordingly.
Target Market: Focus on who you are trying to target with your messaging. Elements such as age, location, gender, platform preference and interests are all factors that should be taken into consideration when developing your brand.
Step 4: Design Your Look.
Mood Board: Brain dump all your ideas to formulate a mood board of imagery, quotes, colours and fonts, that all relate to your current brand and also to where you are looking to take your brand.
Brand Guidelines: Now it's time to define your 'look', which is done by formulating a Brand Guidelines document. This includes everything from your logo, fonts, colours and messaging. Often the support of a graphic designer can work wonders in the development of your Brand Guidelines.
Step 5: Be Consistent.
A brand that is consistent with their messaging and aesthetics - will trump the rest and let you stay ahead of the pack.
Naomi Johnston
Founder & Creative Director | NJ CONSULTING
E: naomi@njconsulting.com.au
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