What do you sell? Why should I use you? What makes you different to your competitors? How good is your product or service?
These are all questions often asked by lost clients, lost clients that need assistance and direction, a road map that explains who, what, where and why. These clients need to be guided by a brand strategy or consistent message.
Think of how many messages your brand delivers to these clients across how many mediums and how often, take a step back and think could you find your way or be guided towards your product or service through this fog of messaging and confusion in direction.
It is difficult enough for business owners to decide between traditional and digital marketing platforms, without making sure that the correct message and appearance is being portrayed within the right environment at the right time. We need to allow for the biggest opportunity for conversion just at that point in time and place during the decision or buying process, therefore that brand experience and message needs to be there consistently at all relevant touch points.
A brand and communication strategy must be consistent when it comes to message selection. If social media marketing does not connect and resonate with the website or the website messaging isn’t consistent with press advertising or email marketing, the client or customer can easily get lost in the fog!
Think how many voices you have calling different directions, everyone from a receptionist answering calls to sales reps. The marketing team to radio stations who have created an ad independently. Your yellow pages advert that was signed off by the bookkeeper or the online directory entry compiled by an ex employee. Facebook posts by an office junior or worse, a family member and a Twitter profile that is set up but no longer used.
All these voices screaming messages and fighting for attention and influence the brand messaging, what chance has anyone to find direction?
Your messaging needs to be consistent across all departments, from answering calls to making sales. Consistent across all experiences each customer has when exposed to your products and services. Everyone within your organisation should be on board and an ambassador for your brand.
There are a number of obstacles to overcome on your journey to brand consistency and recognising these obstacles is a great first step to the achieving the road map to success. The following examples of obstacles may resonate with you as a business or individual, doing everything to get around these obstacles is a step in the right direction.
Time
Doing things in a rush or with a ‘that will do attitude’ without taking that moment to as is this on brand or does this communicate correctly with my target persona?
Budgets
We are all guilty but doing things on the cheap can often be a main contributor to brand dilution!
Old Collateral
Go through your archives and find just that! Archive the old marketing material and messages created before the corporate re-brand or material promoting out of date offers and products.
Communication
As mentioned before, communicate with staff - make sure everyone is on board and using the same marketing content library, right down to email signatures. All promoting a consistent message and brand that promotes a business in the correct light.
Staff Turnover
Is that ex-member of staff still on the website or does he or she still have an email address that people are directing enquiries to. Taking that moment to think these things over makes all the difference.
Modern Technology
The speed at which messages and imagery can now reach our clients across social media platforms and blogs, in emails and through digital print on demand is speeding up on a monthly basis. Keep check of these as the wrong message can be sent in the click of a mouse.
All of these opportunities where inconsistent messages can be delivered to a client or customer can have a huge impact on your brand:
- Key marketing messages or campaigns required to make an impact at a certain time could be less successful.
- Your position within a marketplace becomes less memorable.
- Your target persona becomes lost and confused.
But all is not lost! There are a number of cost effective, low impact solutions you can integrate into the business today that will have an effect tomorrow!
Manage
During any brand or marketing development give one key representative the task of spearheading the project. And get a list of needs or wishes from all relevant staff.
Support
Create and provide corporate templates so all staff can carry that consistency with ease.
Guide
A corporate guideline document is of great value internally and to assist sub-contractors who may promote your brand. Make these strict enough to ensure consistency, but relaxed enough to promote creativity.
If I haven’t fully convinced you by now that a correct and consistent brand message matters, take the following into consideration:
- 75% of buying decisions are based on emotion.
- 40% of organisations cite ‘complexity’ as the greatest barrier to improving customer experience.
- When asked what were the key drivers for a customer to spend more with a company 35% said provide quick access to information and make it easier for customers to answer questions.
With the above in mind, can you afford a lost and confused customer?
To discuss how we can support your business, get in touch with our team today, via hello@thriveability.co.uk.
