Building a brand isn’t about color codes, mobile-friendly websites, and a cool logo. Those are all very important and can make you stand out and be remembered but being remembered isn’t the same as being loved. Building a brand people love is something more than on-trend fonts and having a catch phrase.
Building a brand that stands up to the test of time and the fickle habits of consumers requires 3 keys-
- Key One- Actions that align with messaging
- Key Two- Personality that aligns with messaging
- Key Three- Fostering relationships over transactions
If you focus on these three keys, the rest just may take care of itself.
Key One- Your actions must align with your messaging. Probably the most important aspect of branding is continuity between who you say you are and what you deliver. Your branding- website, brochures, jingles, tag lines, imagery, and all the bells and whistles need to deliver what they promise. Even better if you over-deliver! Exceeding expectations is a great goal for customer service and client experience.
When your marketing material doesn’t deliver what it promises, it feels like false advertising and can lead to complaints, negative reviews, and loss of customers, trust, and income. Make sure that what your clients and customers experience is in alignment with what you market it to be.
Key Two- Your personality must align with your messaging. It’s easy to build a brand presence that hits all the pain points and uses all the buzz words. You can hire copywriters to create magnificent sales copy and craft wonderful emails but if the one-to-one experience doesn’t match, it can lead to distrust and confusion.
Your personality should be in alignment with your brand. If your brand is loud and screams I’m outgoing, be prepared to show up larger than life with your customer. If you’re branding is demure and soft, be certain that you don’t appear to be a bull in a china shop with your customers. Consistency and predictability are important when it comes to building a brand people love.
Key Three- Focus on relationships rather than transactions. What it takes to make a sale is way different than what it takes to make a relationship. Going to your company once, takes a certain level of trust, but it takes another level to keep someone coming back again and again. Focus your brand on building relationships rather than transactions. When making branding decisions, consider the long-haul benefits for your customers who fall in love with you. As you know, it’s easier to get friends and family to buy cookie dough from your child’s fundraiser, because they already love you. Taking your child door-to-door to peddle that same cookie dough is rough. Invest in your clients so they automatically want to say yes to you when you offer them a product or service down the line.
Your brand is more than your website. It’s who you are, how you behave, and what investment you put into your customers. Focus on these keys and you’ll design a brand people can’t help but fall in love with.