The human brain will not remember something unless it is memorable in some way. In fact, studies show it takes over 37 times before a business brand is recognized. Thus, we have some suggestions for businesses to make themselves recognizable and memorable to your clients. A brand tells your customer who you are. Here’s a step by step action plan for creating or developing your brand:
1) Create an identity – Every business should have its own identity. What makes you different from another business offering the same products or services? Do you have a logo? A logo is a visual representation of what your business stands for. Do you have a slogan? usually a slogan is a one line statement about what your business offers. The logo and the slogan help create your identity so you are more easily recognized by your customers. Keep in mind that 80% of human beings are visually dominant as opposed to auditory or kinesthetic. This means the more visually pleasing you make your brand, the more likely it will be recognized. Do you have a website? Is your website professional, technically accurate and clean?
2) Keep your Brand Simple – There is something to be said about keeping things simple. You don’t want your brand to be so overwhelming that you actually create a negative impression. Keep it Simple Silly (KISS). How many colors are in your logo? This will make a difference when you are looking to print promotional products. If you ave too many colors, make sure you look for 4 color processing so you don’t get over charged. Does your logo look good in black and white? Sometimes your logo will not be able to be replicated in color and so you want to keep the design crisp, even if it is presented in black and white. Your slogan, is it recognizable? Would your customer have a tough time recalling it? Remember to recognize a logo is different than to recall a slogan. Recognition involves remembering that you have seen it before whereas recall involves remembering it in a technically accurate way.
3) Use multiple mechanisms to promote your brand – Do you use social media? Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? Do you have an email address? Do you have a phone number and a fax number? What address are you using for your business? Do you use the newspaper for local advertising? If you are advertising, how are you doing so and is it successful? Branding is keeping your identity consistent through various mechanisms.
4) Improve and Evolve – Know that the most recognizable brands have changed over time. It is important to continue to reinvent who you are to keep your business alive and fresh. Ask people for feedback about your work. See what others think about your business. Use this information to continue to evolve over time.
Branding helps to build value for your business. Communication helps create customer loyalty. Repeated exposure of your brand and positive experiences with your business will help bring more people to want to do business with you. In your message, you should remind your customers what makes you different from the rest. Be memorable.
