By J’Nel Wright
Brand marketing has gone through its share of changes lately, including the way companies share their brand message in the digital space. But one thing that remains true is the need for a consistent marketing message for your brand. Why does brand consistency matter? Because it’s a direct route for business growth through customer trust.
Edelman experts found that 81 percent of consumers said they need to trust a brand before they consider buying from them. Much of that trust derives from consumers researching a company’s brand via their storefront and online presence.
“The benefits of creating consistent messaging is that it encourages connection with the customer and builds trust in your brand,” Megan Ross, director of SEO at Osmond Marketing. “When you think about the impact repetition has on brand recognition, consistency is pivotal in positioning your brand for that response.”
There are five areas of your digital brand—ranging from your company’s purpose and audience to the content you produce to promote it—that work together to support a solid, trustworthy message. Let’s discuss each point:
Know who you are—Identity is everything
What is your goal for being in the digital space? What are your core values? The answers are the foundation for your brand messaging, visual elements, tone, brand imaging, etc. Today’s customer isn’t just for shopping a product; they want to identify with the company.
“The customer experience doesn’t only include what the customer receives, but also how they receive it explains marketing expert Sam Saltis. “Customers are paying more attention to how a brand does what it says it will do and are identifying with brands that peel back the curtain and show them how things are getting done.”
When you are transparent about work culture, company values, and how those principles impact your product or service, customers have something with which to connect. And those are people you want to know.
Find Your Audience
It’s tempting to view everyone as your customer. Why leave anyone out, right? Not quite. The truth is, your quest to appeal to everyone will dilute your message to those most likely to buy your product.
At Osmond Marketing, we build Google analytics-based buyer personas, which provide our clients insight about who is following their website and where they should target advertising dollars. This cost-effective approach to digital marketing ensures that your customer experience connects with serious buyers and sets you apart from the competition.
Identify The Unique features That Place You Above The Competition
If you want to compare your customer experience with competitors, you need to know who they are. Analytics provides a solid database, but what you do with that information must be strategic. “Brand consistency is hard to beat,” says Megan, when asked how new businesses can compete against larger competitors, who have broader brand recognition.
“Smaller companies can’t outspend or outrank these companies in SEO rankings,” explains Megan. “Instead of trying to compete directly with these industry leaders, consider including their brand with your company’s marketing strategies. Then you find an edge.”
A long-standing Osmond Marketing client operates in an industry dominated by a massively influential tech company. To be competitive, they used their expertise in the industry leader’s products and services to their advantage by promoting a personalized, friendly, and approachable managed services angle for their brand.
“Your marketing angle could be offering the same quality in your product at a more affordable price, a better warranty, a more personal customer experience, or highlighting a caring work culture that supports and engages with the local community, for example, and build a consistent and repetitious brand on that,” says Megan.
While it takes time to move your way up the SEO rankings, gleaning marketing insights from industry leaders and getting traction from their traffic helps position your brand for growth based on the unique features and solutions you bring to the marketplace.
Tell, then Show
Yes, your brand needs thought leadership content to promote your core values, products, and your plans for business growth. But there are plenty of unique ways to deliver that message, and video is one of the most impactful.
According to Hubspot, 54 percent of customers want marketers to share more video content. Creating a visual library for followers, including video, photos, and animated slideshows, is a great way to illustrate your company’s brand and engage with your audience.
Reintroduce Content
Creating original content is essential for building our online brand. But great content isn’t limited to one-time use. When you follow a consistent message, it’s easy to take existing content and repurpose it to speak to the current climate in the marketplace.
For instance, studies show that viewers retain 95 percent of a message when obtained via video. Also, original blog content can be repackaged as an ebook that will appeal to your target audience. Or convert content into infographics, animated posts, or other easily sharable assets.
Consistency in your company’s brand messaging is an essential part of your marketing strategy, and consumer trust is a necessary byproduct. By aligning your online presence’s five main points, you can position your brand for a loyal customer base and create a scalable marketing strategy to encourage business growth.
If you need a better brand marketing strategy, we can help identify your customer base and get you started. Here’s how.