How to Build a Strong Brand Identity
If you’ve been in business a while, you probably have name recognition and clout among your target audience. But if you learn that customers are confusing you with your competitor, you might be at a loss as to what to do so. The secret to securing those customers is to build a strong brand identity.
New businesses make marketing a key part of their business plan, but many entrepreneurs don’t spend enough time developing their brand. A brand is essentially your company’s personality, and customers pick up on that more than you might expect. Your brand is more than your name and logo: It’s the basis of your appeal to customers and the promise you make to them to resolve their pain points.
Whether you’re an established business looking to grow or just getting your feet wet, it’s crucial to build a brand that will shape the relationships you have with your customers or clients. Are you a fun, fresh, accessible company that lets customers have fun, or are you specialized experts who provide a luxury service to them? Are you a compassionate, warm company or are you more formal and authoritative? Are you innovative? Funky? Classy? Data-driven? Organic?
Who you are is the basis of your brand appeal. Whether you have one competitor or one hundred, you don’t want to simply be the first one that comes up in Google search: You want to be the name that customers search for.
Here’s how to strengthen your brand identity and leverage it to win customers.
Be consistent.
Remember, a brand is a personality. So, a brand that behaves differently in different contexts comes off as insincere or clueless. To make a lasting impact on your customer, be consistent in your copy (in tone, voice, and style), visuals (fonts, colors, graphics, photos, aesthetic), and values (mission, philosophy, etc).
For example, you rightfully want a more casual, accessible tone on social media, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon the tone and style that defines your brand. Instead, you could loosen it up a bit but keep the same personality, e.g. use conversational language but retain your tone words and visual identity. This, in turn, builds your customers’ trust in your brand.
By the same token, you should use the same tagline, slogans, and logo to provide cross-platform consistency, and aim to match up graphic elements across platforms. Even if your social media is a bit more fresh and organic in its approach or your website a little more formal, a visitor should be able to recognize your brand from one context to another.
Be authentic.
Today’s top brands let their customers see who they are. Their values and mission are easily identifiable, and loyal customers appreciate being able to link their own identity to that of their favorite brands. While you might not be able to achieve the brand clout of Nike or Apple, you can give your customers something to be proud of when they purchase from you.
Customers like to feel like they know the business that’s serving them. Especially in a consumer culture where people appreciate customization and reward, it’s crucial to establish yourself as not only a provider to the customer, but also as a friend and supporter. To do this, let your brand shine through behind-the-scenes content, value-driven advertising, and branded language. You want to be as definable and authentic as possible.
Be assertive
A strong brand is one that’s easily identifiable. To stand out from the crowd, you should be assertive in your brand presence. Focus on the benchmarks of your company personality and hit those points in all your marketing materials. By doing this, you can cultivate a strong brand identity that can’t be confused with another company.
Don’t be shy with your logo, tagline, and other key assets: Share them far and wide to help build recognition of your brand. Customers will be turned off by ambiguous language and inconsistent visuals, so aim to be as consistent as possible in your branded materials. A strong brand identity is both cohesive and compelling.
Wrapping Up
To have a strong brand identity that appeals to customers, you need to carefully define your company’s personality to yourself. Then, work with your team to decide how you can communicate this to your target audience. Just like you’d manage your impression at a networking event or conference, think about how you can concisely, effectively communicate your brand promise to potential customers.
Need help? Reach out to Lyra Creative Studios for an expert audit of your materials to check for brand consistency. We also offer professional assistance in developing and refining your brand identity so that you can better connect with your customers. Reach out for a quote today.