Think branding is only for large multi-national corporations? Think again. Here are 9 easy tips you can use to grow your brand with your client or customers.
- The design of your logo really doesn’t matter in the end. Would you choose MSN as your search engine over Google because of their logo? No. How about Dell over Apple? Audi over BMW? Delta over Southwest? Nope. Nope. Nope. Having a nice professionally designed logo is great, but it very rarely increases sales by itself. Now, before you freak out, I’m all for a professional logo. If you’re using some crappy Microsoft clipart style logo, that definitely won’t cut it. Professional logos are cheap today. It’s more important to include your logo on every piece of communication. Put it on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, invoices, yellow page ads, building signage, newsletters, etc… It’s more important to be consistent and for it to visually represent what you want your company to stand for. If you value creativity, don’t have a logo that looks like everyone else. If you value stability, don’t have a logo that looks too fluffy and airy. Don’t “boil the ocean” trying to get it perfect. Your logo is one minor element of branding.
- Have a professional website. It’s not just good enough to just have a website, you must reflect your desired brand image. If your known as a top notch photographer, the last thing you want is a website designed 10 years ago. It doesn’t reflect well on you. Everyone, yes everyone, uses the web today to check references and gauge credibility. If someone recommends your service, you can almost guarantee that the prospect will go online to look for you. Your website design should be updated at least every two years to stay current. Your website is your #1 piece marketing material. Done right, it can become your best sales person–and always focus on what your client gets from working with you, not what you do.
- Blogs are good. Blogs help your business on multiple levels. First off, publishing valuable content on a consistent basis will make you look like an expert. People are looking for experts, not apprentices. The software that powers blogs has multiple advantages. It’s very easy to publish without technical knowledge. It’s a database driven environment where style is separate from content so you will not need to go back to your web design agency for every little change. And use of tags and sitemaps make basic search engine optimization easy. But the real reason blogs are great is that they enable conversation. Two-way dialog is much more valuable than a company that just dumps messaging and collateral on their customers.
- Blogs are good, but they’re just one tool. A blog should not be your sole marketing strategy. You should have a comprehensive multi-touch marketing plan to get your value proposition in front of your target audience. This can take many forms. You can launch a direct mail campaign, email campaign, host a webinar, sponsor a local event, attend a trade show, attend networking events, host seminars, cold call prospects, win awards, etc… There are a thousand different ways for you to be noticed. You need to be working at least three different marketing strategies to grow your business – referrals alone won’t get you where you want to go. Data shows that people need to be exposed to a brand at least seven times before they buy. If you simply do one touch and stop, you’re wasting valuable budget dollars and probably wondering why your efforts are not successful. There are 11 different marketing strategies that professional service firms can employ successfully. I recommend working a minimum of three separate marketing strategies all the time (more to come on this next month); this way you ensure that your audience is exposed to your message in multiple formats. It’s naive to think that a prospect will jump after seeing your marketing materials/efforts once. It typically takes 3-7 “touches” for a prospect to take action.
- Prepare a one page corporate overview. This one pager will be vital as a leave behind when you meet a prospect. Use short sentences in short paragraphs – people like to read quickly. Also make it very conversational; it’s not a white paper. Your one page overview should highlight that you understand the pain points of your target audience, how those pain points affect their business, the benefits gained by addressing those pains and a mini-case study – and don’t forget your contact information.
- Participate in local business groups/events. And by participate, I mean be on a committee. Just showing up at events is great, but you’re just a face in the crowd. Ask to be on one of the committees. Believe it or not, it’s as simple as just asking most of time. Groups are looking for volunteer help and it’s a great way to elevate your status and visibility among the entire organization.
- Do what you say you’re going to do. I know it may sound like common sense, but one of the primary drivers of brand loyalty is a consistent experience. If you say you’re going to have the deliverable ready on a set day, be sure its ready. Nothing leaves a bad taste in someone’s mouth like unmet expectations. Positive experiences lead to good feelings which lead to telling their friends. But don’t forget that bad experiences spread much faster and are harder to overcome – if you get a chance at all.
- Stand for something. People latch on to something they can understand and appreciate. If you’re trying to be everything to everybody, chances are you’ll attract no one. If you think it’s too controversial or risky choosing a niche, remember the power of being seen as an expert. Experts are not good at every thing, they’re awesome at one thing. This allows you to better position yourself and charge more for your services. People seek out (and pay more for) experts, not generalists.
- Realize that you’re not in control of your brand. That’s right, you only set the direction for your brand. Your actual brand image is determined by your audience. You can use these tips to ensure alignment between your desired brand image and your actual brand image in the minds of your customers. Branding isn’t a one shot deal, it’s an on-going juggling act of marketing, research and conversation. If you’re not tapping into those conversations with your audience, how do you know what their real impression of you is? How will you know how to address it? Brand growth comes from alignment. You have to ensure that your actions and marketing efforts put out the image you desire. But you cannot stop there–those are pre-sales activities that get you noticed–and hopefully bought. You also have to ensure that all actions during the sale and post-sale are positive and in line with your desired brand image. If your audience has a different view of you than you’d like, then your brand is out of alignment and you need to address it.
- BONUS TIP: Branding is as much about your people as anything else. Never forget that the best chances for positive brand reinforcement comes from one-on-one conversations between executives, employees, suppliers, customers and prospects. Every interaction is a chance to create, reinforce or erode brand equity. All it takes is one stupid mistake or harsh word to send it all crashing to the ground.
Unfortunately, branding is one of the most over-used and misunderstood words in business today–strategy is a close second. But, proper branding is critical to your long term success.
Effective branding is all about ensuring that your target audience feels what you want them to feel about your company and offerings. When you’re able to evoke the emotions that you want them to feel, your brand will grow and you’ll create more loyal and profitable customers. It’s not easy, but it’s what separates everyday firms from world-class firms.
I disagree slightly with your first point. Although in the end, a individual will not deny you their business because your logo sucks, but it does have a very large part in getting the attention of your audience. They can’t choose you if they don’t know about you. And if you’re not a big, well known company like Dell or Apple, then you’re gonna need something to draw attention to yourself. Yes, the logo is not everything, but since many people will eventually use your logo to recognize your company, you want to make sure it looks great. Great post! Thanks!
Erica, the first point always triggers a response. You’re spot on that your target audience needs to know who you are and what you do. And you’re right in that the logo plays a part in recognition; but how much would it matter if you had Logo A versus Logo B versus Logo C, D, E–as long as you used it consistently and it didn’t look horrible? Starbucks would still sell a ton of coffee if they had a dolphin instead of a mermaid (or anything else for that matter) because we’re all buying the experience not the identity package.
My point was that I’ve seen businesses spent an inordinate amount of time (and $$) tweaking and perfecting every little nuance of a logo concept when that time would’ve been better spent making people aware of your offering and the results gained by working with you.
Unfortunately, there’s a whole world of ad agencies and graphic designers that make their living off logo development and “branding”; and they don’t want people to know that graphic design is quickly getting into commodity territory. When you can have up to 10 concepts for as little as $99 from a reputable company like http://www.logoworks.com (owned by HP), there’s no reason not to have a professionally designed ID–you just don’t have to spend a ton of time and money doing so. Thanks for the comment.
Great article.
I’m a bit with Erica on the first point regarding logos.
Though I don’t think Starbucks, Nike or any of the other major brands would have failed without nice logos, they do help.
The reason the logo is important is that it helps make the company more memorable and makes it easier to spread the brand.
Ahh, but the trick is determining what makes a nice logo.
You’ve probably heard the story of Nike’s logo. It was designed by Carolyn Davidson, a student at Portland State University for $35. And the story goes, Phil Knight was facing a manufacturing deadline for the shoe boxes to be printed. He needed a logo, gave her a up front little direction, then picked the swoosh and said, “I don’t love it, but it will probably grow on me.”
He could’ve spent countless hours debating, asking for revisions, extra concepts, whatever. But he made a decision and went with it. 30+ years later it’s an iconic brand image.
So I agree with you, the logo is critical for brand recognition and remember-ability–but as long as that logo is used consistently, is professional not cheap/cheesy, and in-line with the brand attributes, it doesn’t always matter what the logo is.
I concur with your assessment on the value of logos and I actually design logos for a living. Logos are a good cornerstone to build your brand from but that’s all they are. On the other hand if your logo is trite or so esoteric that nobody knows what it means you’ll be starting with a disadvantage over someone that has a logo that fits the personality of their business. By the way I think your logo is a bit on the goofy side…or is that just your avatar.
Tim, what logo are you referring to? The blog component of my site doesn’t have a logo. I haven’t figured out how to tweak the CSS to make it look more like my main site.
Since I’m just a one man firm and the business name is Nick Rice Consulting, my logo is basically my stylized signature. You can see the two that I use here:
Logo 1: http://www.nick-rice.com/images/logo.png
Logo 2: http://www.nick-rice.com/images/logo_square.png
I typically use the square logo on printed material (biz cards, letterhead, executive summary, etc…)
But I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback.
Hey Nick I was just being a smart ass. The only thing close to a logo on your blog is the avatar the accompanies your own comments. So I was implying that you are a goofy looking guy. I’m just kidding though you actually look like a nice guy, not goofy in the least.
As far as your signature logos go I like the square one more than the other simply because it’s more legible. They are both a bit generic but in your case I don’t think it will have a negative impact on your business. Actually you’re business is a good example of the kind of business that it doesn’t really matter what your logo looks like. You make your point by example.
Nick, very good article. BRAVO especially on points #7 and 9. Those two (especially #9) just happen to be the focus of a branding article I wrote recently. I’d appreciate you could read, comment on, and rate it:
http://www.squidoo.com/brandingyourgrowingcompany
As for logos, they are like frosting on a cake: very visible, appealing to the senses, they define the “surface” of the brand. The frosting might get you to try one slice of the cake, but probably not why you’re coming back for seconds, thirds, and more.
I concur about the the logo won’t make or break a company, but I would add my 2¢ about companies that have logos so hard to read or figure out they are worthless.
When was the last time you viewed a logo and had to scratch your head to wonder are they sell soap, autos or something else.
I believe in the old saying KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid.
If you look up the term “business” you will find that the word itself refers to a particular trade or profession that involves the exchange of money for goods or services. Rarely is any business owner in business merely for the exchange of money for goods or service. I would venture to say that most owners have a value in mind, a value that their product or service presents to the consumer. At start up, they initiate their offering with great enthusiasm and vitality. They feel that their offering is better, perhaps less expensive, or more involved in caring for the individual customer. I ask my clients how they will present their value offering to every consumer–but without words or direct experience. It is that image, that presentation, which initiates the action of branding. Branding is a mirror of your value offering.
It is important to consistently be aware of how you are affecting your customers. It is critical to keep in touch with a consumer’s impression, and branding can be a conscious, action, purposefully directed by the business owner.
What is your distinctive purpose that sets your business apart from your competitors? What identifies your business product or service as a unique value to your consumer? Why should a buyer choose to no longer purchase from your competitor and buy from you? Is your logo consistent with these crucial identifying aspects or patterns? What is the impression that consumers are getting from your logo? Color is also key. How do your employees affect the buyer experience and opinion? Are your strategic protocols in line with your branding image? Do your employees exemplify and reflect this image? Do you solidify your brand when you participate in community events?
The word that you own in a consumer’s mind can be directly pursued by the business owner in every state of affair. When this attention to detail is recognized and acted upon by the owner, branding becomes a created and valuable marketing tool and strategic plan.
When a business owner thinks in terms of impact and image, and takes advantage of every opportunity to gain consumer awareness and recognition, every point of impact consistently mirrors branding your business in the consumer’s eye and experience. The most successful engaging companies have been built on a foundation of providing a unique consumer experience and value offering that became identifiable to their name. It takes determination, thoughtful preplanning and detailed attention. Don’t leave your business to the consumer to identify. Your business is your branding!
Here’s the trap that most business people fall into; they think branding is a visual-only exercise. I.e. the look & feel of logos, website, color palette, etc… And while that does have a direct impact on your overall brand impression; it’s not the core of what “branding” is.
Branding is the art of creating and maintaining alignment between how you want your organization to be perceived and the living breathing gut feelings of your employees, clients, suppliers–and whomever they talk to about your organization or offerings.
Every element of your business contributes to (or detracts from) your efforts to ensure alignment. That’s what makes branding such a tough thing to get your arms around.
Since we’ve talked about Nike above, let’s use them again. They spend hundreds of millions globally on advertising to “paint a picture” of what it’s like to wear and use Nike products. Energy, Motion, Speed, Activity, Self Esteem, Part of the Pack, Winner, Confident… Then, out of the blue, it’s discovered that a sub-sub-sub contractor in Malaysia uses child labor and suddenly a large % of your efforts are simply erased and replaced with negative feelings. It doesn’t matter that Nike probably has no idea who this manufacturing contractor is; their brand image is affected by every part of their supply chain–even the parts they don’t control.
This is why the last 3-4 tips above are most important. You must pro-actively improve alignment between how you desire to be seen and what employees, suppliers, and clients/customers are actually feeling about you.
Great comments!
Dare say, I couldn’t have said it better. Value offerings are merely statements if they are not integrated with who your are as individuals identified with a certain product or company. Estalishing belief systems within an organization can strengthen and solidify branding to the point of self-induced marketing. Often, representation transcends resourceful manipulation. Adhering to practices that demonstrate leadership,integrity and ethical standards, and consistently striving to develop strong relationships become critical identifiers that serve as an anchor when the unexpected happens beyond our control.
I like your thoughts!!
Nick,
I love this article, and the replies it has generated.
As a graphic designer who loves to create logos and help clients with their branding, all these points make sense. As computers help make designing logos easier, I balance the fine line between watching more and more clients want to “do it themselves” and assist them when I think I can steer them in a better design direction. Most just want a “swoosh” to call their own. Convincing them that a logo should not be the end of their “branding” is much more difficult. Thank you, and Andy Nulman’s blog for leading me to what has become an eye-opening web experience.
Mike Vallee
Montreal, Canada
Local business networking takes some effort but does build business and long term relationships.
Kinda disagree with logo examples but other than this post is very enlightening perception means everything
thx
Great Article. And I agree, Keep it simple and to the point. This will make the brand and business seem very strong.