Effective branding should position you as an expert, so that your business becomes the “go to specialist” within your industry.
Like a good theme party, everything should be cohesive so it reminds your visitors what you’re all about at every turn, ideally in a fun and creative way. Good theme parties are clearly defined, specific, and follow through with what’s promised from the initial
invitation. For instance, if you plan to host a Jane Austen theme party, you wouldn’t hire a clown for the entertainment, or serve
Italian food. . . .
Wouldn’t you rather invite your site visitors (your guests) to a well-planned theme party rather than to something that turns out more like a frat party—disorganized, chaotic, and messier by the minute?
The following four strategies will help you determine if your brand is more of a theme party or a frat party.
- Define your audience. If your market is forty~something year old men, your brand, colors, copywriting and graphics should be tailored to them. They should invoke masculinity, maturity and profitability. If your audience is young, hip women, they should create a fun, feminine, ambitious vibe. Online visitors size up a website in seconds. If they think something doesn’t apply to them, they’ll move on. Grab their attention by making it clear who should hang out.
- Provide social proof. Convey the results your clients get through your copy, blog articles and testimonials. Make sure to write blogs that prove the points that you want your clients to absorb. Feature testimonials from actual clients in the same demographic as your target market. Your visitors want to read testimonials written by people who have experience with your service and who they can identify with.
- Speak results. Tie all of your copy to outcomes that your clients desire. If you’re a weight loss coach, blog articles should all relate to that result. An article about yoga is fine, but remember to relate it to weight loss in some way.
- Follow through with email marketing. Your brand should be carried throughout your website, blog and email marketing campaign. Do the graphics, fonts, and communication style match and relate to other elements in your marketing plan? If you have the same style and color scheme in your emails that are on your website, it immediately identifies you to your readers.
Catering everything to your readers’ demographic reminds them right away that your newsletters are relevant to them. Are your newsletters sent consistently? Once you’ve proven your expertise and people have opted in, the regularity with which you reach out to them will reiterate the importance of a relationship with you.
Review your branding and determine if your “theme” will help your business gain steam, or make people want to check out the opposing team.