When building and running a business, putting a focus on branding and the presence your company has over all channels is essential. It shows customers who you are, what to expect, and distinguishes you from competitors, showing why your product or service is the better choice. Our web design Surrey-based team want to show you why you should define your brand and what the benefits are of doing so.
Let’s Start With What Customers See
Branding isn’t simply a company name, it’s how you present yourself everywhere be it online or in print. When customers see your brand’s presence over social media, emails, print, and even your website, they see the company’s personality, values, and trustworthiness. How your customers see you is important, and therefore shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Benefits of Consistent Branding Across All Channels:
You Become Recognisable
A flash of red in a vending machine instantly shouts Coca-Cola. Yellow arches on the side of the motorway scream McDonald’s. A dark green circular print on the side of a cup or brown bag can only mean Starbucks. These brands are perfect examples of why putting the focus on your logos and colourways is important. Make your brand known by a simple image and colourway, after all, 78% of consumers remember brand colours over just 43% remembering the name. For help with logos and colourways, speak to our web design Surrey team.
It Creates Trust
81% of customers need to trust a brand before they consider buying from it. Seeing companies display themselves differently over various channels can confuse and break down the trust they are trying to build. If they see one page with certain colours and a particular tone of voice and another page with something entirely different, they may not trust the business and can become unsure as to whether it’s legitimate. For more information on creating trust with customers, take a look at this Harvard Business Review article.
A Trusting Customer Is A Loyal Customer
To build a positive relationship with your customers, ensure they gain trust in 3 main areas: product experience, customer experience, and the impact on society (such as being a sustainable company). Focusing on building trust with your customer base means they are twice as likely to buy the first time and stay loyal.
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Seeing a company’s branding more than once means is a reminder of the product, service, or idea that they are trying to get across. It’s not unusual for customers to take time to decide on whether to invest, so your brand cropping up more than once with the same message could be the reminder or push they need. For information on marketing, speak to our social media and web design Surrey-based teams (https://www.wearethunderbolt.com/social-media/).
It Helps Create Your Social Media Strategy
Planning ahead is vital when growing a brand online. A company with consistent branding allows the social media team to utilise the tone of voice, message, and visuals of the company to create a strategy. Without this, the messaging can become unclear. With 77% of customers preferring to shop with brands they follow on social media, focusing on how you present yourself is hugely important.
It Creates Harmony on Your Website and Your Social Media Platforms
When a customer clicks on your website link from Facebook, they expect to see more information in the same style for the same brand. If your brand comes across on social media as relaxed and lighthearted but they land on your website which portrays a more serious tone, it makes it hard for the customer to trust and feel connected to your brand. Our marketing and web design Surrey teams work together throughout the branding process and beyond to ensure fluidity throughout. What your customers see on Facebook is in the same style as what they see on your website.
How To Create Consistent Branding With The Customer In Mind:
Determine Your Target Audience
Before you start planning Facebook posts and Mailchimp emails, determining your target audience is key. It’s not unusual to want to create something for everyone when you first start out, but honing in your audience means you can hone in on your message and target those who really need your product or service. Not only this, but it makes the customers feel valued and not just another number. Find your audience and personalise your message and mission statement from there.
Create Some Rules and Guidelines
Once you know what tone of voice you want to use, it’s time to look into guidelines. Brand rules and guidelines are important for any business. This maintains consistency throughout products, social media, the website, print, and any communication sent out. When creating brand guidelines consider font, colours, message, products/services, and tone of voice. Once this has been determined, it’s worth sending it to all employees and external companies working for you.
Hire a Marketing Strategy Team
Hiring a marketing company to help you means they can stay on top of social media, email marketing, website content, and SEO(https://www.wearethunderbolt.com/seo/); all of which are important for maintaining a consistent brand presence online. They can also sit with you to discuss creating the perfect brand guidelines for your company.
Create Visual Assets
Now is the time to delve into colourways, logos, website design, social posts, and physical marketing materials with your web design and marketing team. Find styles, fonts, and colours that work for the consumers you would like to target and the message you want to get across.
Updating Your Branding
Staying Up-To-Date
Consistency is key, but it’s not unusual to see some companies updating their branding to fit with the evolving market or how they now want to be seen.
A great example of this is companies that have updated their logos in line with their sustainability promises. This is illustrated well by Holiday Inn, whose previous logo was a marquee with a green background and white or goal lettering. They’ve updated their logo to be entirely green, showing insight into their environmentally friendly methods (such as low-usage bulbs and recyclable paper products). A small but impactful branding choice.
Consistent Branding – Marketing and Web Design Surrey
The world of branding may seem like a minefield, to begin with, but our marketing and web design Surrey teams are on board to help make it a smooth process that helps you, your employees, and your business in the long run. For help transforming your business or if you have any questions about creating a social media strategy with your branding in mind, contact our dedicated team at 01252 413757.