When you’re trying to manage your content calendar, your social networks, and maybe even the office copier, it’s no surprise that you may be forgetting a few areas of focus for your brand. In our role as consultants, we work with marketers to help make doing “all of the things” easier and to spot areas for improvement. Some of the most forgotten areas of focus are easy to fix once you’re aware.
To help highlight some of the most common areas, we asked our team: What’s one thing as part of a brand’s online presence that many organizations or businesses may be forgetting to put time into?
Nick Westergaard, Chief Brand Strategist — The brand basics. We’ve always preached the need to invest in a good logo and identity system but these chickens have now come home to roost for those who haven’t. These are the brands that have a sign instead of a logo and aren’t sure what to do now that they have a small, square avatar. In creating an identity system today it’s not just about matching business cards and letterhead. It’s creating a system of images, iconography, and fonts that you can you can use to build your brand on platforms you don’t control like Facebook and Twitter.
Dean Westergaard, President — Brand personality. Every brand has its own distinct personality. Hopefully, it is one that has been consciously cultivated through your own set of brand values, and manifests itself in the way you are perceived by your customers. Take special care to make certain that your brand personality carries through online. This is not always easy to achieve, and your efforts toward it need constant monitoring. Remember, your brand isn’t what you do — it’s what you believe. Does what you convey online reflect your true brand personality?
Macy Koch, Director of Digital Strategy — The biggest opportunity for engagement that many brands forget to focus on is having a clear path that a user can take online. This can be easily achieved if you focus on having a clear call to action or chance to learn more on each page or blog post.
I constantly ask clients “If you were a consumer, what might you want to see or do next?” If you can answer this, make it easy for them to do so.
Angie Cottrell, Client Services Manager — Consistency. Consistency across all platforms. You should be able to recognize a brand anywhere by its feel and messaging — in the store, on a commercial, or on its Facebook page. Many brands put a lot of effort into their top platforms but forget to ensure their message and image trickles down to all aspects of the brand. Your message and voice is what defines your brand. Today, we have the capability to utilize more platforms than ever before, but this also makes it more difficult to achieve consistency. Remember, consistency doesn’t mean boring. You can be creative and fresh; just make sure that it comes from your core voice. The most recognizable brands are the ones that are the most consistent.
Sarah Moy, Search and Analytics Coordinator — Customer segmentation. With most of the world online, it’s tempting to sell to everyone. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Selling to everyone online is like walking down the street shouting promotions through a megaphone. You’ll be much more successful if you engage individuals in meaningful conversation. Strong brands are a collaborative effort between companies and customers. They are dialogues and relationships built on trust. Understanding whose needs your business solves best and who your brand resonates with will help you focus on reaching the right customers. Ask yourself: Who is your target audience, where are they online, and how do they want to interact with you?
Jordan Williams, Writer — Keeping your website up-to-date is key to your brand’s online presence. Often times, organizations do a great job of getting new information posted to their blog — but lack time to spend cleaning up or archiving outdated information. Each entity of your online presence represents your brand, if you have outdated or irrelevant information on your current site, your brand risks losing its credibility.
Are you guilty of losing focus on these important brand areas? What others would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments or on our social networks!
