You may have heard the phrase “consistency is key,” but what about consistency in branding? When you picture a well-known brand, like Target or Apple, one central logo and message come to mind. Well-known brands understand that consumers like stability, so they keep their brand uniform.
Building your brand equity will take time and effort, but it will greatly benefit your business in the long run. Your brand should be recognizable at first glance. People need to know who you are, what you do, and how you operate. When working with customers, familiarity and reliability are fundamental. Consumers like consistency because it shows that your business will be there to help them when they need it.
1. First, you need to decide what your story and message are. Once you’ve figured out what they are, only then can you move on to the rest of the steps. But how do you determine what your story and message are? We recommend reading “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller. Your customers need and want to know what you offer, how it will improve their lives, and why they need to buy it or choose your business over the competition.
Your story should be the easy part. Why did you decide to create your business? Having a good backstory helps build trust with your clients because it makes you more personable. Many small businesses thrive because consumers enjoy knowing the faces behind the company. Building client relationships is the most important thing you can do as a business owner; thus, you need to craft your story to help foster those relationships.
Your message is what you want to tell the world about your business. Once you’ve perfected your story, your message can come from it. Your message should be a shorter reason for why you want to serve your community. As we always say, everyone in your company should know your message and story.
2. Secondly, brand consistency makes your business more reliable and recognizable. Similarly to having one logo, having a cohesive brand keeps confusion at bay and helps your customers choose your business time and time again instead of the competition. Brand consistency helps you grow your local fanbase and keeps people coming back to your business. People like familiarity; that’s why many choose to shop at Target instead of an unknown brand.
Once you’ve established your brand and keep it consistent, your credibility and reputation are enhanced. Maintaining a consistent brand builds dependability and trustworthiness. Your clients know what to expect from you, and hopefully, they know to expect the best service possible.
One logo and one central message should come to mind when someone pictures your company. Keeping a consistent logo helps foster brand loyalty from your customers. If you are changing your logo, make sure to stop using your old logo. Integrate your new logo as much as possible to deter people from using your old logo.
Your logo says who you are. It makes you stick out from the competition and keeps customers thinking of you and coming back. Your logo should be memorable but not cluttered. It should boil down what your company stands for in a clean, distinctive way.
3. Next, let’s touch on the importance of choosing one logo to use for your business. We have noticed many of our clients have a rotation of logos they decide to use for different occasions. Having multiple logos is confusing for your customers because your brand is unrecognizable in some aspects. For example, if some people know your company by one logo, but others know you by another, people will be confused. Some might even believe that there are two separate companies with the same name. While some people may recommend using multiple logos to switch it up and create interest in your company, we have found using more than one logo to be ineffective and confusing for our clients’ customers.
Like your logo, your message should be centralized. You need one message that all your employees could easily name if asked. At the core of your business are your message and your branding.
Furthermore, brand consistency stretches to your social media and website, too. When someone scrolls through your social media, it should look cohesive and recognizable. Just because your website is well-established does not mean that you shouldn’t put effort into your social media accounts. Having a social media presence is crucial in today’s time, and making sure your brand is cohesive on social media is just as important.
The graphics and pictures you post should accurately reflect and boost your brand. You shouldn’t post anything you wouldn’t want to be on the Internet forever. While not every post has to be strategic, you should have a general goal or plan for your social media’s appearance.
Your website should have a cohesive feel, and your social media should reflect your website. We provided tips for updating your website that you can find here. Your logo should be on your website, along with your tagline, business practices, and who you are. Anonymity and mystery should not be part of your online presence. Your business practices should be available for the public to see so you can build trust.
If you’re interested in learning more about brand consistency, contact us for a 15-minute consultation.
