Social media has become an essential part of building a brand identity. With the rise of social media, companies have a unique opportunity to reach out to their target audience and engage with them directly. However, simply having a social media presence is not enough to build a brand. Consistently applying the brand identity on social media is crucial to creating a strong brand image and increasing brand recognition.
So, what exactly is a brand identity? A brand identity is the visual representation of a brand. It includes elements such as logos, color schemes, typography, imagery, and messaging. It is the unique combination of these elements that make a brand recognizable and memorable.
Consistently applying the brand identity on social media means using the same visual and messaging elements across all social media platforms. For example, using the same logo, color scheme, and typography on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms. This not only creates a consistent look and feel for the brand but also helps to build brand recognition.
Here are some tips for consistently applying the brand identity on social media:
Use the same profile picture and cover photo on all social media platforms. This will help your audience recognize your brand across different platforms.
Use the same color scheme and typography across all social media posts. This will help create a cohesive and consistent brand image.
Use the same messaging tone across all social media platforms. Whether it’s a formal or casual tone, consistency is key.
Create a style guide for your brand identity. This should include guidelines for logos, color schemes, typography, imagery, and messaging. This will ensure that all team members and stakeholders are on the same page when it comes to brand identity.
Monitor your social media channels regularly to ensure that your brand identity is being applied consistently. If you notice inconsistencies, address them immediately.
Consistently applying the brand identity on social media can have a significant impact on brand recognition and brand loyalty. By creating a consistent and memorable brand image, you can build trust with your audience and create a strong emotional connection with them. This, in turn, can lead to increased engagement, sales, and brand advocacy.
In conclusion, social media is a powerful tool for building a brand, but it’s important to apply the brand identity consistently across all platforms. By using the same visual and messaging elements, you can create a strong and memorable brand image that resonates with your target audience. So, take the time to develop a brand identity and consistently apply it on social media to build your brand.
In today’s competitive business landscape, building a strong brand is crucial for success. A brand represents a company’s identity, values, and messaging, and is the foundation upon which all marketing efforts are built. Without a strong brand identity, it can be difficult for businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and attract and retain customers. That’s where marketing comes in – by promoting the brand values and messaging through various channels, marketing plays a crucial role in building and maintaining a strong brand identity. In this blog post, we’ll explore the relationship between branding and marketing and provide tips for building a strong brand identity.
Understanding Branding
Before we dive into the relationship between branding and marketing, it’s important to understand what branding means. At its core, branding is the process of creating a unique identity for a company, product, or service. A brand includes various elements, including a name, logo, visual identity (such as colors, typography, and imagery), messaging, and values. A strong brand identity helps businesses differentiate themselves from competitors and establish a unique identity that resonates with customers.
The Relationship between Marketing and Branding
Marketing plays a crucial role in building and maintaining a strong brand identity. By promoting the brand values and messaging through various channels, marketing helps businesses establish brand awareness and recognition. Here are some of the ways marketing can help build a strong brand identity:
Creating Brand Awareness: One of the primary goals of marketing is to create brand awareness – that is, to make potential customers aware of the brand’s existence. By using various marketing channels such as advertising, social media, email marketing, and content marketing, businesses can introduce their brand to a wider audience and establish brand recognition.
Promoting Brand Values and Messaging: Marketing also helps businesses promote their brand values and messaging to potential customers. Through various marketing channels, businesses can communicate their unique selling propositions, their brand values, and their messaging to establish a connection with their target audience.
Shaping and Evolving Brand Identity: Marketing can also help shape and evolve a brand identity over time. As businesses grow and evolve, their brand identity may need to change as well. Through ongoing market research and analysis, businesses can use marketing to help shape and evolve their brand identity to stay relevant and resonant with their target audience.
Now that we’ve explored the relationship between branding and marketing, let’s take a look at some tips for building a strong brand identity:
Conduct Market Research: Before building a brand identity, it’s important to understand the target audience and competition. Conduct market research to gain insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and needs, as well as competitor strengths and weaknesses.
Define Brand Values, Personality, and Messaging: Once you have a clear understanding of the target audience and competition, define your brand values, personality, and messaging. Consider what your brand stands for, the tone and voice you want to use to communicate with customers, and the key messaging you want to convey.
Develop a Visual Identity: Develop a visual identity for your brand, including a logo, color scheme, typography, and imagery. The visual identity should reflect the brand values, personality, and messaging and be consistent across all marketing channels and touchpoints.
Consistently Apply the Brand Identity: Consistently apply the brand identity across all marketing channels and touchpoints, including website, social media, advertising, email marketing, and content marketing. Consistency helps establish brand recognition and reinforces the brand identity in customers’ minds.
Engage with Customers and Stakeholders: Engage with customers and stakeholders to build brand loyalty and advocacy. Encourage customers to share their experiences with the brand on social media,
One year ago I wrote a blog on branding and why it is important to your business. This blog is a redux of part of that blog in order to help you understand the importance of the relationship between your vision, your mission, and your logo in branding your business.
So, let’s get started.
What is Your Company Vision? What is Your Company Mission?
Before branding your company, let’s make sure your company’s vision and mission are firmly stated. Condense what you do and what you stand for in one simple statement. That sounds hard. But it’s easier than you may think. To get started, you can establish a niche category in your industry that will not only set you apart from the rest of your competition, but it can also help you to solidify your company’s vision and your mission.
Here is one example. Let’s say you are an electrician and you want to focus on servicing single-family homes. Your underlying concern is that people may be unsafe in their homes due to faulty wiring, older homes no longer meeting code, or unlicensed people working on their electrical systems. Simply stated, your vision is to keep people safe. Now what is your mission? What is your goal? Is it to reach each and every person in your city or county? If so, is there a way to do this? One way would be to offer low-cost electrical inspections. Why is this important? Because people do not call an electrician until there is a problem in the home. Now, you may be thinking that by offering a niche service you will not be able to reach all of your potential customers. However, establishing a niche in your industry makes you different from the competition, which will actually bring your more work and more business. You will come to be known in your community for your niche service.
Here’s another example. Let’s say you are a veterinarian. You have opened up a clinic in a subtropical climate and you have noticed an increase in heartworm in the dogs that you are seeing as patients. This concerns you. Due to the warm environment most of the year, the mosquitos are out and buzzing, biting dogs and infecting them with heartworm. As a veterinarian you may want to establish yourself in the area as a preventative service provider, offering educational resources and preventative testing throughout the community. You might do speaking engagements, host a podcast, write a short ebook which you can distribute to dog owners, and/or offer testing at a minimal cost at your clinic. Your vision is protect canines from a preventable illness and your mission is to reach everyone in your area. Of course, you are going to offer your regular preventative services and perform checks on dogs with acute problems. But your care and concern for prevention will prevail about all else, setting you apart from the rest.
So Let’s Talk about Logos
So, how does all of this relate to your logo?
The first thing you want to do is make sure that your logo shows what your company does in a simple, discernable, and attractive way.
Logos are art. Logos are also part of your packaging. People buy on impulse and often make decisions based upon packaging. People may be attracted to a certain design or a certain color. Certain designs and certain colors also elicit distinct responses from potential customers and clients. For these reasons, your logo should be simple. If people cannot tell what your logo is or what your business does, they will not be attracted. The point is to not make your logo complex or colorful, which ultimately can confuse and distract the consumer.
Let’s go back to the example of the electrician whose goal is to keep residential homeowners safe by doing electrical safety checks in the home. The name of the company could be called Safe Electric and the logo could be a bright yellow lightbulb. This is simple logo which shows what the company does. The name of the company says it all. Safety first.
As for the veterinarian who wants to prevent dogs from getting heartworm, a possible name for the business could be the Pup Protector. The logo could depict a brown, happy pup with one eye closed and a smile with a tongue hanging out. Happy Dog. Happy Dog Owner.
One more thing about logos. Not everyone can make a logo. It takes an artistic eye, an understanding of psychology, a knack for advertising, and a graphic artist’s touch to create a simple logo that says it all. There is so much more that goes into the creation of a logo that there is too much to write. Our graphic artists would be happy to consult with you about your vision, your mission, and your logo.
Think about how many people you see around town or around your workplace wearing a graphic T-Shirt on a daily basis. You probably see quite a few. However, how much have you actually thought about what goes into the making of a custom T-shirt design?
Maybe you needed shirts made for a school, church, or sports event and went through the process of finding a place to get them made. Depending on how many shirts you needed, you may have looked into finding a local business that makes shirts. You may have gone online and ordered from Custom Ink or Spread Shirt. Either way, you probably found that creating a custom T-shirt design was more confusing than you had thought.
There are 3 main ways of creating a custom shirt. All three ways are very different, so keep them in mind when designing your next custom T-Shirt.
Screen printing is a way of printing shirts where each color is laid down separately. They are printed in a specific order to get the desired design. Six to nine colors is typically the maximum amount of colors you can print at any local print shop. However, the more colors you are printing, the more it will cost. The reason screen printing can get pricey is because of how much work goes into it. As shown in the diagram below, screen printing is a multi-step process that starts with a silk screen.
A designer will take your design file and open it in an editing software, such as illustrator. They will then limit the number of colors in it. The design will be printed, each color will print on a separate sheet, and one at a time each color sheet will be sealed against a screen. Each screen is then exposed to light which burns the printout image onto it. You then wash out the screen to reveal the image burned into it. Once you have your finished screens, add the correct ink color to the corresponding screen. Then squeegee the ink from each screen onto the shirt. After you dry the ink, the final product should have the same design on it that the designer printed.
The fewer colors the better
Screen printing is your best bet if you are looking to print a design with few colors, such as a simple logo. If a large quantity of shirts is needed for events, such as races, school plays, or church events, consider using only one or two ink colors.
When ordering from a company with automatic screen print machines, large quantities of single ink colored shirts are typically more economical than ordering a small quantity of 6 plus ink colored shirts. This is because of how much easier it is to print a single color on a shirt versus even two ink colors and up. The difficulty in printing more than one color is getting the colors to line up to create the desired T-shirt design. Not to mention, the more colors you print, the longer each shirt takes. If you are printing a design with nine colors, it will take roughly the same amount of time to print nine shirts with one ink color as one shirt with nine ink colors.
Screen printing takes a lot of time to set up no matter how many colors you get. Because of that, most larger screen print shops won’t print less than a dozen shirts.
Direct to Garment Printing
Direct to Garment printing, also known as, DTG printing, is the process of using a modified ink jet printer to print on apparel. Instead of printing a design on paper, it’s printed on a shirt. Unlike screen printing, Direct to Garment printing can print as many colors as you want. This method is best is you are wanting to print an actual picture. However, because of the cost of ink, direct to garment printing can get expensive. DTG printing is much easier to set up than screen printing. It is best to consider direct to garment printing when needing a dozen, or less, shirts.
Some shops that print direct to garment may only allow you to print on a white shirt. This is because the ink will show up better and last longer.
When looking to get shirts printed, sublimated printing is probably the least common method you will find. Sublimated printing is when you print sublimation ink from a printer onto sublimation transfer paper. After printing your design, you press in onto a blank shirt using a heat press. Sublimated printing can be quite costly. The ink is expensive and the multi-step process makes printing large numbers of shirts not very economical. If you are only printing a few shirts sublimation is a great option. However, like previously mentioned, it can be harder to find somewhere to do sublimated printing.
Instead of printing a design on just one part of the shirt, you can also use sublimation inks to print on the entire shirt. You may have seen this method used on sports apparel and other graphic t-shirts. Fully sublimated shirts start essentially the same way as regular sublimation. However, the designs will be printed in the shape of the shirt, pressed onto blank fabric, cut and sewed together. This method, of course, is the most expensive. That is why typically these types of shirts will only be mass produced.
A logo is probably the most important part of your company’s branding as it literally says who you are. A good logo design should be a simple embodiment of your company. It should also be easily recognizable.
In this blog we will look at best practices that you, the business owner, can follow to help the process go as smooth as possible when working with a graphic designer.
We will discuss how to find the right graphic designer for you, how to communicate what you want, revision etiquette, and cost saving compromises.
Finding the right logo designer
There are several things to keep in mind if you are just starting the process of finding a graphic designer for your logo design.
Budget
The first thing to keep in mind is your budget. Once you have determined what your budget will be, then you can begin the search for a graphic designer to bring your logo vision to life. Knowing your budget when searching for a graphic designer will help you choose someone who is in your price point. Knowing how much certain graphic designers charge and what you are looking to spend will prove useful in avoiding future miscommunications when it comes to your invoice.
Location
The second thing to keep in mind is that there are many places you can find a graphic designer. With a quick search on the internet, you will find that there are plenty of options for finding a graphic designer. You can check out freelance sites such as Fiverr and Upwork, or search for a local graphic designer in your area. Be sure to also keep in mind that a local designer may be able to meet with you in person and go over your ideas. This is always helpful when making sure your thoughts and ideas are communicated accurately, which will help the design process go smoother.
Compatibility
The third thing to keep in mind is compatibility. When choosing the right graphic designer for you, you will want to look at samples of their previous work, if provided. Make sure that the designs they have done in the past are along the lines of what you are looking for when it comes to your own logo. Every graphic designer has a different art style. Most designers will adapt their art style to fit what their client is looking for. However, some designers have a very specific style and will always stick to that even if it means upsetting the client.
There are a couple things to keep in mind when dreaming about your perfect logo.
Colors
The number of colors in your logo doesn’t matter for most things you would use it for digitally. However, if you are ever going to want your logo screen printed, or embroidered on shirts, keep in mind, the more colors, the most cost.
Details
Logos with a lot of detail are also difficult and expensive to screen print and embroider. Also, keep in mind, if you will be ordering business cards with your future logo, you may not like the way your logo looks when shrunk down to fit on a standard sized business card. It may be hard for potential customers to read your business’ name.
Communicating your logo design ideas
Once you have chosen the right graphic designer for your logo design, it’s time to reach out and let them know what you are looking for and agree on a price.
Have an idea in mind
Keep in mind that having an idea of what you want, even just a vague idea, will help the design process go so much smoother. When envisioning your dream logo keep in mind some of the elements that make a logo design successful. A good logo should be: simple, memorable, timeless, versatile, and appropriate.
Provide examples if possible
A couple things you could do to help the designer have a clearer picture in their head of what you are looking for. One thing you can do is to provide the designer with a hand drawn sketch of what you envision your logo looking like. If you are not able to do that, show images of other logos you have seen and like. This will go a long way in helping the designer create your dream logo, faster.
Speak your mind
A good graphic designer will be able to take the instructions you have given them and communicate back an initial “game plan” on how they will execute the design. If the ideas they give you are not what you had in mind, make sure to speak up and correct any miscommunication. A good designer will take your feedback and revise the plan until you are comfortable with direction they are heading in. Make sure everything is cleared up in the initial stages of design. This will, in turn, make the process go smoother in later stages of the logo design.
Mock-ups and revisions
When your logo designer sends you your first mock-up make sure you look it over carefully. Analyze it to figure out the things you like about it, and the things you don’t. It more than likely wont be exactly what you are looking for in the first mock-up you receive. That’s normal. This is where it comes in handy to be as specific as possible about what you want in the initial stages of discussion with your designer. Now that you have received your first mock-up, be as specific as possible when communicating to your designer. Be specific about the things you like and and don’t like.
Again, don’t be afraid to speak your mind. The clearer you can be the quicker your designer will be able to perfect the logo. With clear direction, it shouldn’t be long until the designer has come up with a logo just like what you had in mind.
Revision etiquette
Be sure to keep in mind the number of revisions that you and your designer agreed upon. The logo design process may take more revisions than you initially had hoped. If this happens, you can ask your designer their protocol when more revisions than quoted will be necessary. Again, this is where it saves you money to have a clear idea of what you want upfront.
File types
In this section I will go over the different file types you may want to have when the logo is completed. Be sure to think about what you are planning to do with your completed logo before meeting with a designer. This way the file types you will need can be included in your logo design package upfront.
Bitmap
When talking file types, most can be categorized as either bitmap or vector. A bitmap file, such as a .jpeg or .png relies on pixel size. This means that the logo can only be enlarged so much before it starts to get fuzzy and pixelated looking. I am sure you have seen a logo online or printed that looks very pixelated. This is because the business is using a low resolution .jpeg. When made any bigger than it’s pixel size it looses quality and often times looks bad. Make sure that your logo designer provides you with a high resolution JPEG. Then it can be used on items such as small business cards to large banners.
.JPEG
You have probably heard of a JPEG file, and more than likely you will be receiving a JPEG file with whatever design package you chose. It’s the most widely accepted image format. If your logo has a colored background, a JPEG file will be perfect and can be used for most things you would use it for digitally.
.PNG
If you have a logo that is not square or rectangular A PNG file will more than likely be the file type you will use the most. Unlike a JPEG, a PNG file has a transparent background. This file type comes in handy when placing your logo over a colored background.
Vector
Unlike bitmap files, vector files can be as large or as small as you want and they will not loose their quality. Vector files do not rely on pixels so they can be scaled to any size imaginable and look just as smooth on a skyscraper as they do on a business card. As opposed to pixels, vector files are based on shapes and use mathematical equations to be infinitely scalable. Vector files are editable if opened in a vector editing software, however it is best to let your designer do the editing if future changes are needed. That being said, some designers may not give you the option to include vector files. However, as long as you have high resolution bitmap files you should have everything you will need to get your business started.
We talked about screen printing a little earlier. If you are ever wanting your logo screen printed, a vector file will more than likely be required.
Examples of Vector file types include
.AI
.EPS
.PDF
In Conclusion
The design of your logo should not be taken lightly. It is often someone’s first impression of your business as well as what will last in their mind. Follow the steps discussed in this blog and you will have a logo you are excited to show off in no time!
When did things get so complicated? Back in the good ol’ days business seemed simpler and you did not need to worry about how to market your business online. You didn’t have to worry about your ranking on Google or creating a social media presence to stay competitive.
Staying relevant in this increasingly difficult world requires a new knowledge base and an entirely different set of strategies. So next time you ask yourself when things had to get so complicated, know that there is a method to the madness. If done right, you will see that marketing your business online can be the most valuable thing you can do. Here are six essential online marketing tools for your small businesses in Brevard County.
1. E-mail Marketing
A very important tool that should be utilized by all businesses is e-mail marketing. Email addresses are a guaranteed link to your customers that you can segment and target to communicate. These addresses also cannot be taken from you or closed down easily, the way a Facebook Group or an Instagram Page can be. In the online marketing world, email addresses are the gold standard.
Email marketing is a great way to attract and retain customers with authentic messages about your business, product or service. You can reach your entire email list with a click of a button, unlike social media platforms that are at the mercy of the algorythm.
There are many websites that will provide you with a platform to begin your e-mail marketing plans such as Constant Contact and Mailchimp.
2. Blogging
Creating a blog for your business allows you to create fresh, high-quality content showcasing your thought, expertise, and leadership in your industry. This is a great way to engage more people in what you do and why it is important. It can also provide a catalyst for email marketing, social media promotion to drive search traffic to your website.
Some examples of blog content are:
How to do or create something.
Answers to frequently asked questions.
Your portfolio.
Recaps of events or activities.
Industry knowledge and updates.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is the process of optimizing the content you create so that it will be placed where you want it and it is essential to online marketing. It is responsible for ranking your website above all your competitors. It makes you more visible, increasing your traffic, conversion rate and ROI.
SEO can help you:
build better relationships with your audience
improve the customer experience
increase your authority
drive more people to your site
give you an edge over the competition
increase conversions, which means more sales, more loyal customers, and more growth for your business
4. Facebook ADs
Facebook ad campaigns are a targeted form of advertising that allows you to reach a more specific audience on Facebook and Instagram by selecting them based on key demographics and interests. These ads are not free but when used properly, they can be very beneficial, especially when you have a strong organic reach.
How do I develop Ad Campaigns?
Developing the right types of ads can take time. The process begins by creating your first set of ads and then analyzing the analytics at the start, duration, and completion of your campaign. Analyzing and comparing your results can help tell you what type of posts receive the best responses based on your specific goals. Facebook Split Testing is your best friend when it comes to Facebook ADs and deciding what does and does not work.
5. Social Media
Facebook
Facebook is one of the most used social media platforms to date with 2.6 billion people online every month. This social media platform provides a network for socializing amongst friends, family, or businesses. People use it to share information, and stay connected.
Facebook is one of the most important platforms to use when marketing your business online because it is usually the first place people search. They will be able to read a profile of information about your business, view photos, videos, and observe your conversations and interactions with others. You are showcasing your personality and experiences to potential clients and customers in a tangible and authentic way.
Instagram
There are over 1 billion people using Instagram every month. According to a Facebook survey by being on Instagram, brands can make a positive impression on potential shoppers. People surveyed say they perceive brands on Instagram as popular (78%), creative (77%), entertaining (76%), relevant (74%) and committed to building community (72%).
Instagram has quickly become one of the most influential platforms for ideas, styles, businesses, and individuals used today. It is also a well know discovery engine for brands with over 80% of users discovering new products and businesses on the platform.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a valuable tool to network within your industry and build credibility by showcase your expertise. It is known as a social network for recruiting and hiring. In addition, it is a great tool for keeping up to date with industry news and learning new business strategies.
YouTube
Youtube can be an excellent place to communicate with your target audience by showcasing your expertise. Make an informative video for something that can educate your audience on what you do or why you are the best. You can do this with a tutorial or “how-to” video, or film a demonstration for your product that highlights all of its features and benefits.
For example, a restaurant may show a video of how to create a favorite dish, or feature a virtual tour through their restaurant so viewers can experience the atmosphere. This can make your audience feel more connected with you and be more likely to eat at your restaurant.
6. Collaborations:
With Other Accounts
On Social Media, you can identify other well run accounts that have a similar following to your targeted followers and collaborate with them. Chances are that their followers are your followers and you can grow off each other. A collaboration should always benefit both parties involved.
For example, a photographer may want to collaborate with a wedding caterer because they are not in competition with each other and they are also targeting the same audience, brides. When followers view posts from the accounts they are following they are introduced to the accounts they partner with.
With Influencers
Influencers can be great for collaborations too, especially influencers who blog about your industry and have the analytics to back it up. Validated influencers can be invaluable to getting the word out about your brand or business. There are two main types of influencers: micro-influencers and macro-influencers.
Micro-Influencers vs. Macro-Influencers
Micro-influencers are influencers with 1K-100K followers. Macro-influencers have a following of over 100K followers.
Micro-influencers have less of a reach than macro-influencers but a higher engagement rate and are more affordable. Micro-influencers are more trustworthy to consumers because they are more relatable than macro-influencers that have a celebrity appeal.
For example, a local school will generate more valuable engagement with a local mom blogger than a celebrity. The mom blogger is more impactful because they are apart of the community they are speaking to.
We hope that you found these six online marketing options helpful for your small business. If we can help you with any of your marketing needs please contact us below, or give us a call directly at (321) 301-7143.
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