If you’ve been following along, we’ve been talking about branding, and how to properly build and execute one.
Now that we’ve got your brand persona and voice figured out, and established a solid foundation for your branding guidelines to follow, you are ready to start applying it all in the real world.
So what are the best ways, and how/where do you do just that?
Let’s dive in.
1. All forms of communication
It is imperative to carry out your brand voice and guidelines across all forms of communication you produce and publish.
This means that, for example, in your email newsletter — stay true to your brand persona. Use it to your advantage and carry it through, to ensure that your customers are receiving (and seeing) the same brand they are used to elsewhere.
So in your written copy — whether email, social, website, or a brochure — keep your brand voice in mind.
Or with your employees — emphasize your brand voice and persona that your sales team should follow.
Every touchpoint in a customer journey should reflect the same brand execution.
2. How you style your copy
This aspect is more difficult to maintain, yet can create a truly cohesive brand experience if done properly.
In all the written copy you do produce, you should aim to style it the same.
This means:
For main headings, use the right brand font AND brand color.
For subheadings, use a consistent brand font and color.
For body copy, use a brand font and color.
For buttons, make them the same background color and similar style/size.
So that wherever the user is digesting your material, it is the exact same everywhere. The experience that they are receiving is consistent, recognizable, and on-brand.
3. Live and breathe your brand
Now, this is more of a non-tangible aspect of executing and applying your brand, but you yourself should be mindful of your brand (especially as the business owner).
I think it’s important to appear at client meetings dressed how you want those to perceive your business.
I show up most of the time in jeans, a nice polo, and converse sneakers.
This is who I am as a brand — I’m professional, but creative and fun. I am not a luxury real estate agent, therefore I am not going to dress like one.
I think it can be fun to also live your brand in small ways — such as my iPhone case is bright orange (one of my brand colors), and I’ll wear a polo that has my logo embroidered on it. Or have a sticker
I don’t think you need to be totally acting like your brand in real life (pertaining to the persona/voice), however I believe you should be cognizant of how you act and present yourself.
One thing to keep in mind — you never know who you’ll meet or where an opportunity to find a new client will happen.
4. Using your guidelines
In the last email we talked about how you can setup your branding style guide.
One of the biggest, and easiest, things you can do to ensure you’re applying your brand properly is FOLLOW IT!
Always use your brand colors.
Always use your brand fonts.
And most importantly, always use your proper logo!
I can’t stress enough — do not change your logo colors just to suit a particular design that you want.
If it doesn’t fit your branding guidelines, then don’t use it.
This means on social, for flyers, business cards, your signage, any other print materials, and your website.
The only way you’re going to gain proper brand recognition, is by being consistent.
Be Consistent — Always
I think you’ve probably understood by now that I constantly have preached consistency in your branding.
This is by far the single most important rule you can remember when it comes to applying your brand.
Without consistency, you may as well not have any guidelines to begin with.
Build your brand, establish your rules, and stick to them.
Thanks for reading,
