Branding is much more than your logo and working with a Brand Strategy Agency such as https://www.reallyhelpfulmarketing.co.uk/specialist-services/brand-strategy-agency/ will help show you all the elements that fall under branding.
One key document that you need to think about creating is that of a brand strategy. This doesn’t have to be a huge document and if you work with an agency like the one mentioned above they will take you through this process. It is essentially a plan that looks at the evolution of your brand and the long-term goals that you want to achieve. A good strategy will look at all the elements that build up your company from the tangible assets through to the intangible feelings that your brand evokes in others and the perceptions that are created.
Some of the key elements of a strategy are noted below.
Purpose/Why – knowing your business purpose and the why for it existing in the first place helps you to be able to position your business products and services in the marketplace. It is the passion behind the business, what makes the business tick and why does it exist. For some businesses such as charities, this might be easier to define but every business has a purpose. There are essentially two distinct types of purpose – functional which could be to make money or to build an asset that is scaleable and sellable in the future, or it could be intentional which could be to build awareness of an illness or to provide products that will help certain people.
Consistency – this means regularly updating your site with new blog content and posting on social media but also means making sure that the imagery you use, the tone of voice and the messaging is consistent as well. This helps to build trust with your customers and also builds up a brand image in their minds.
Emotion – this is where you can really make a connection with your potential customers. By pinpointing the reasons why they are looking for your products or services and creating content and imagery that targets these reasons you can make an emotional connection. As human beings, we are wired for connections and relationships so helping your customers to connect with your brand on an emotional level will help to gain and retain their interest and in turn their business.
Involvement – getting your employees involved in a brand strategy can be incredibly advantageous as they will often give you insights into areas of the business that you might not be so immersed in and it will also help you to really hone your rand voice. By getting your employees on board with this the brand will be strengthened further.