Let’s take a look at some of the major brands out there today. These brands serve similar needs, but you’d never mistake Microsoft for Apple, RC Cola for Coca-Cola, or Dunkin Donuts for Starbucks. Why is that? These brands created a positive brand perception through the way they look, what they say and what they do. Not to mention their consistency over the years.
Maybe you’ve developed your company’s brand but there’s no rhyme or reason to it, or maybe it doesn’t seem to match who you really are and what you really do. Creating a brand image combines many factors, but the two we like to focus on here at Rock Paper Simple is your company’s personality and visual presence.
Taking your company’s personality and visual presence into consideration, here are four ways to improve your brand’s image.
1. Corporate Culture
Corporate culture is the foundation of your brand. If your team doesn’t believe in your brand, why should your customer? Often times, we see companies who’ve developed core values they can’t commit to. Not only is it important to develop core values you can commit to but also ones you’re passionate about. Remember, your employees are your most powerful brand advocates and building a brand should start with them.
Here at Rock Paper Simple, we created six core values that define who we are – simplicity, results, integrity, teamwork, community and fun. Each one is defined in one sentence, and each team member is committed to carrying out these core values (or they wouldn’t be on staff!) If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff – like great customer service and passionate customers – will take care of itself.
(Click here to read our blog post about company culture)
2. Invest In Brand Consistency
Remember those major brands we mentioned at the top of this blog? Well, how do you identify them? By their logo, of course! Your logo is the core visual of your brand and the one-thing customers will associate with your company over and over again.
Brand guidelines have become essential in achieving consistency. If you’re not being consistent, this leaves room for your brand to be misused and misrepresented in the many mediums and platforms that exist today. By establishing your own look across all your marketing and social media channels, your company will stand out amongst the competition. The key is consistency, and like we say here at Rock Paper Simple, “Keep It Simple.”
3. Update Your Website
When it comes to your brand’s presence online, your website should be your highest priority. Now you may be wondering if your website needs to be updated, and if you’re not sure, check out our free Website Checklist resource by clicking here.
If you want your brand to stand out then your website should reflect your brand’s identity. Take it a step further and imagine that same website generating leads and creating conversions. What about eye-catching images, compelling content, a crisp design and fast load times? Sounds too good to be true! But all of that is possible, and users will love engaging with your brand online.
4. Commit More Time to Purposeful Social Media Marketing
Social media gives companies the opportunity to interact with potential customers instantly, yet most small businesses miss the opportunity to engage with prospects because they’re not using social media marketing effectively. Whether you’re trying to manage multiple networks or you don’t even know where to start, consider these three things when creating a strategy:
- Define Your Target Audience – Who is it that you want to reach? Depending on your target audience, Facebook may be the platform for you instead of Instagram. There’s no need to be on every single social network if your audience isn’t on there.
- Define Your End Goals on Social Media – What do you want to accomplish through social media? Maybe you desire customer loyalty, or perhaps you’re looking to capture leads? Your content strategy should align with these goals.
- Identify Your Brand’s Voice and Stay Consistent – Your brand’s voice should align with your core values we mentioned above. If your brand operates with humor, let that shine through on your social media pages; however, we believe in quality content. Just because one of our core values is humor, that doesn’t mean we are going to share a funny meme with our fans every single day.
We will be talking more about staying true to your brand on social media in an upcoming blog, but in the mean time, start thinking about these three things.
One thing we are passionate about here at Rock Paper Simple is branding. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your branding, request your free consultation today.
