Want to build a strong brand identity? How can you do that? Brands are the heart and soul of any business. They communicate to consumers who you are, what you do, and why they should buy from you.
But brand identity is more than just a logo or slogan. It’s everything that comprises your brand: the design choices, the tone of voice in your marketing materials; even how employees behave when interacting with customers can all contribute to brand identity. And it doesn’t stop there! Brand identity also includes how competitors see you as well as how people perceive your brand on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Your brand is constantly evolving depending on these factors so it’s important to always reflect on these aspects of branding for greater success in the long term.
How do you go about building a strong brand identity then? Below are five essential tips to help get you started:
1. Choose the Right Logo and Typeface
The logo and typeface are two of the most important elements of brand identity. They appear on all your marketing materials and create the first impression of your brand for consumers.
Consider your brand’s personality and how it should be represented in your logo. For example, if your brand is hip and modern, think about using a geometric typeface like Hexatype or perhaps use a stylized photo to represent the brand through an abstract and artistic logo (my favorite: Google’s multi-colored logo).
Your logo should also be simple and easy to remember. Avoid using too many fonts or colors in your logo as it will only make it harder for customers to identify your brand. And always use the same logo across all platforms to create a consistent brand image.
2. Create a Comprehensive Brand Style Guide
A brand style guide is a comprehensive and detailed document that outlines how brand identity should be used across all brand materials. This includes your brand’s logo, color scheme, typography, tone of voice, and more.
For example, brand style guides typically include the brand logo as well as for instructions on its size and measurements for different applications such as web imagery and print graphics. It will also outline brand color schemes and typography preferences (for brand logo and other brand materials like your blog or website).
Your brand style guide should always be reviewed and updated to ensure brand consistency across all brand materials – whether it’s an email newsletter, annual review, or social media post.
3. Create a Consistent Tone of Voice
Your tone of voice is what gives your brand a personality and sets it apart from the competition. It should be consistent across all brand materials so that customers can easily identify your brand.
Think about the words you’d use to describe your brand and make sure these are reflected in all your marketing materials. For example, if your brand is hip and trendy, avoid using formal words like “deliver” or “in accordance with.” Instead opt for casual sounding words like “here’s” or describe what you do as an adverb (e.g., we help customers simply).
4. Control Your Online Presence
As a brand, you should be actively managing your online presence. This means monitoring all brand mentions on social media and responding to any customer feedback (good or bad).
It’s also important to have a social media policy in place for employees so that everyone is aware of what is and isn’t acceptable when posting brand content online. They should also know what to do when brand mentions appear on their personal social media profiles (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) so that they don’t alienate customers in the event of negative brand feedback.
5. Have a Plan to Protect Your Brand Identity
You can’t control everything so always have a plan in place to protect your brand identity. This includes having trademark protection for your brand name and logo and setting up digital asset management (DAM) software to help you keep track of all brand materials.
Digital asset management software allows you to store all brand assets in one central location, including logos, photos, videos, and text. This makes brand materials easier to find if you’re looking for the brand logo on your website, brand photos for an upcoming marketing campaign, or brand videos that can be used on social media.
It also saves you the time and frustration of digging through files on your computer when you need to access brand assets quickly.
Building a strong brand identity isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort. By following these tips, you can create a brand that customers will love and be more likely to do business with.
Conclusion on How to Build A Strong Brand Identity
These are all important aspects of creating a successful brand. A brand is so much more than a logo and a name. It’s the personality that your company exudes and the feeling that customers get when they encounter your brand. By creating a strong brand identity, you can ensure that your brand is positioned for success.
