Successful branding starts inside your own organization.

• Start within, with yourself, your partners, and your employees or volunteers, and work your way out.
• You control what you distribute to the public.
• Make sure your materials stay true to your message and that they represent you in an honest, professional, and memorable way. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is by having and implement branding guidelines.

Branding Guidelines

Most design companies can help create branding guidelines for your organization in addition to creating your brand identity. Guidelines are a valuable investment that often get overlooked by non -profits and small businesses. These guidelines will help you and your staff distribute quality materials that stay true to your brand message in a consistent manner. I suggest that you hire or appoint a brand manager. It will be their job to review what you distribute to the public. A good  brand manager should be well educated with your brand message and guidelines. This person should also have a core knowledge of branding and design, marketing strategy, current marketing trends, and consumer behavior. It will be this person’s  job to make sure mistakes don’t slip through the cracks that would damage your brand identity.

Mistakes I see with those without branding guidelines:

• They send marketing pieces to print with the use of degraded, stretched, altered and unapproved versions of their logo. (This is a huge no-no!)
• They use colors, artwork, or photographs which conflict with or muddle their message.
• They use inappropriate fonts and font sizes that confuse the importance of certain items on the page.
• They don’t present a unified brand image from print to web.

Think About It

The more consistently we see a brand presented, the more we grow to trust and like it. When guidelines are in place and enforced they ensure consistency. It’s that simple. When working with your design company or designer to create guidelines keep these tips in mind.

Guidelines should:

1. define the core message of your organization,
2. be written for the user in plain, clear language,
3. contain an introduction explaining why their implementation is important to the success of the brand,
4. be  illustrated with simple what to and not to do examples,
5. have rules flexible enough for designers to be creative, but rigid enough to keep the brand recognizable,
6. be as succinct as possible,
7. be easily accessible in print and online,
8. be branded,
9. designate an individual or group of individuals to contact with questions,
10. establish a process of approval for materials being printed, posted, or distributed to the public.

Image via Wikipedia

Millions of  people with internet access are a click away from discovering your brand.

• There are several ways to promote your company, event, club, or organization online. First you need to explore your options to determine which are the best fit.
• A few avenues worth exploring are a promotional website, a Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Linkdin account, a Youtube channel or a blog.
• Each offers different benefits and levels of participation to keep them working to your advantage.
• When you do choose to implement one, research best practices so you can do it well. With a little research, you’ll find that there is much more to having an online presence than simply showing up.
• Just remember that any internet presence should always reinforce its brand and that the internet has an extremely long memory. Whatever you put out there, including the good and the bad, will be around for a long time.

• Every chance you have to gather honest feedback from a client is an important opportunity you don’t want to miss.
• When new costumers come in, email, or call you, be sure to ask them how they heard about you.
•  Keep track of these answers and use them in decisions for future marketing campaigns. For example, if most of your new clients report they discovered you using a Google search, through a blog post, or by seeing your advertisement in a specific publication, you’ll want to be sure to keep up your visibility in those places.
• Keep track of new customers who come from a current or former client’s reference. Be sure to show the referring client your gratitude with a thank you card, gift, or special reward or discount on their next purchase.
  

  Sample thank you note

More Ways to Track your Branding Efforts

There are several other ways to track the response you get from your marketing campaigns. Below I’ve listed a few for you to think about. By using one or more of these tools you can cut down on wasted dollars and focus on what works best for you.

• e-marketing campaigns  You can track who opens, clicks, and responds to specific links in client emails with tools like Constant Contact, Emma, and a few others. The great thing about these tools is they give you the information needed to target the people who are most interested in certain products you offer.
• on-line and print surveys Many e-marketing companies also provide track-able surveys. Surveys enable you to get right to the heart of marketing matters. The key is inspiring responses.
• print and other marketing To keep track of other marketing campaigns you can buy software, use an Excel spreadsheet, or simply track them the old-fashioned way with good book-keeping.
• coupons and coupon codes Using coupons and coupon codes allows you to really see which advertising is the most effective. Whichever codes are used the most are avenues you’ll want to continue to explore.
• QR Codes A Quick Response Code (see image below)  works when an individual scans it with a smart phone enabled with an easy to find code reading app with internet access. Basically the QR code creates a bridge between the real world and the digital world offering your client something special like a link to a video, a coupon or a website. The use of these codes can be easily tracked giving you another opportunity to see to which of your campaigns people are responding. To learn more about QR codes read The Compass blog post, What are QR  Codes?

Think about it.

Knowing the return on your investments (ROI) is crucial. Who wants to continue to throw hard-earned dollars into an advertising campaign that isn’t yielding good results or pull them from their most lucrative campaign? Just today I was talking to a doctor about the power of surveys and getting feedback from patients  to improve his service and attain more clients. He had an idea to send (via email to those with internet access and in print to others) a thank you letter to patients with a survey a week after surgery. Here is the gist of the printed letter we composed prior to sending it to the copywriter.

Thank you,

(physician name here)

I suggested adding the stamped envelope and the $100 drawing to increase the return rate on the survey. I mean think about it, how soon after you’ve had surgery do you really feel like filling out a survey? I knew we’d have to make it as easy as possible while offering a reward if we really wanted to hear back from these patients. After reading the letter to my client, he said, ” Why do we have to give them envelopes with stamps? That’s almost an extra .50 cents a piece?”

My response was this, “If  we give them the stamped envelope, it makes it easier for them to reply. You need them to reply. Without their response we have nothing. With their feedback you’ll be able to provide better service and  in  turn increase your patient list. That’s priceless.”  Well not really priceless, but you get the idea. At first, he was speechless. He stood there thinking, shrugged,  and then walked out of my office. I thought, Oh no, I’ve lost him over stamps! So you can guess that I was very happy when within  minutes he returned and said he was on board with the plan. I think he realized I was on to something good. We agreed that we would review where we got the best responses after 4 months –internet response, snail mail, or in hand returns to the office. At that point we could make decisions about what was and wasn’t working. And we’d cut the expense of what wasn’t and invest more in what was.

There are several ways to track your branding efforts. Take some time to figure out which tools work best for you and put an end to wasted marketing dollars and campaigns. Focus your energy and money on trying new ideas and on the ones you know work for you. If  one avenue doesn’t fit your niche, try something else. There is no one formula that fits all. But by keeping track of what goes where, you can make informed choices that have meaning and yield results.

Hiring a professional copywriter can be one of the smartest choices you make when preparing your materials for the launch of your new brand or marketing campaign. Sadly, hiring a copywriter is low or non-existent on the to-do-list of many small businesses, events, and non-profits because of small budgets or lack of know-how. As a designer, I know how important it is to have color, layouts, fonts, and photos that invite a consumer to check out your campaign, but I also know that having good copy is the next step to sealing the deal with a prospective client.  

What a good copywriter will do for you:

• give your brand a voice that portrays it in a positive and professional light
• explain your products and services in simple to understand terms
• engage your reader with subtle calls to action
• peak the customer’s interest in contacting  you
• increase your  sales (bet that one got your attention!)

Think about it.

Is your website or a mail piece the first point of contact that a potential costumer has with your brand? If so, how important do you think having good content is? Lots of people think they can get by writing their own copy when they have no real copywriting experience or training. The truth is that a talented copywriter is able to capture the voice of a brand, make lasting impressions,  and engage a costumer to the point of  sale. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, does your copy do that? Below is an interview with copywriter Evelyn Sacks. I ask her some basic questions about  the importance of good content, how to hire a copywriter, and some juicy inside information that only an expert would know. Read on for the details!

Interview Date: October  28, 2011

Rachel: Hello Evie. I’m so stoked you wanted to do this interview. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about the importance of good copywriting.  As a seasoned writer with 35 years of experience, I’m excited to share your insights with my readers.

Evie: Thanks Rachel, what fun to share some thoughts about writing with your readers.

Rachel: Please tell us a little about your experience, your area of expertise. And feel free to toot your own horn!

Evie: I guess you’d say I was a born writer. Even as a child I got the family assignments like “please write a poem for grandma’s birthday.” I was briefly in radio and in university public relations, but have spent most of my career as a professional freelance writer, primarily for business audiences. So that means newsletters, web copy, email blasts, marketing pieces, ad copy and all the stuff business people stack up on their desks for weeks, thinking they’ll get to but never do!

I’ve also ghost written a few books and co-wrote one in 2010. It’s called Eat, Nap, Play.  The subject is having/creating a great life with your kids without spending a ton of money.

Like you, I love the give and take with clients and the variety of working on different kinds of projects even in a given day. 

Rachel: Now tell me, for a client, what would you say is the biggest advantage of hiring a professional copywriter?

Evie: I think you nailed it as far as the advantages of hiring a professional copywriter. The client can shine and really stand out from the crowd. When you take a good look around you’ll see so much dull, unfocused copy. Then when you see a billboard or an ad or even a business letter that is brightly written and communicates powerfully, you remember it much more. And often you take action as a result.  

A professional writer is somewhat like a ventriloquist – she or he can bring your voice into and out of a piece.  And of course she can help you “speak with one voice.” That’s Marketing 101 and it means you want all your messaging to be consistent and recognizable. Think about Progressive Insurance and the incredible visibility they’ve achieved. Like it or hate it, it’s memorable!

Rachel: Okay, you know that there are a lot of people out there that don’t think they need copywriters.  So, Who does need  a copywriter?

Evie: Let me turn your question around a drop, Rachel and ask, “Who doesn’t need a copywriter?”  If you love to write, you might be able to do fine without help. Writing is one of those things – if you like it you’re probably pretty good at it. One easy compromise is to develop copy in house, then take it to a professional to be edited and polished. 

Rachel: Let’s pretend I’ve never hired a copywriter before. What are the biggest “dos” and “don’ts” of calling or emailing you for a job? For example, what questions should or shouldn’t I ask you? 

Evie: The biggest “don’t” is to be unsure of what you want. If a client can give me a specific goal or expectation I’m golden. But when the client doesn’t know what she or he wants out of a piece, I’m left to guess.  

Also, some people think they have to write something then have me use it or rewrite it. But in fact, I can usually do a better job without that. Background material (as much as possible!), a solid phone interview and examples of pieces (yours or someone else’s) that you like are all a great help in the process. And of course I often conduct my own research beyond what I’m given – that’s expected.

Rachel: How important is good content to marketers, especially on their websites and in their e-marketing?

Rise Above the Masses with Good Content

Evie: Good content is super important for various reasons. And of course it depends on your definition of “good.”  These days that can mean the copy is studded with keywords to give the piece high search optimization. But it can also mean clean, concise, inspired writing, which as I said before, is going to make your message rise above the masses. Good copy is also of value because you can get lots of bang for the buck by using it for a variety of purpose.  I encourage clients who pay hard-earned money for words to get as many uses as possible out of them.

The problem today is that there is a huge proliferation of writing because of the Internet.  Unfortunately a great deal of it is sloppy, poorly written and easy to ignore.

Rachel:  And that’s the last thing you want, right? to have your marketing ignored!  So, How can brand owners recognize a good copywriter? What should they look for? What questions should they be prepared to ask? 

Evie: You want to click with your copywriter in terms of personality, dedication to the job and overall approach. You want somebody you enjoy working with – the same way you’d approach other vendors. You also want to see samples. And although it’s unconventional I would encourage clients to call a reference and talk about working with copywriter A or B. 

Rachel: What should an employer expect to pay for an experienced copywriter?

Evie: The range of fees is vast and has to do with factors like experience and the market served (metro areas will be more pricey than rural areas). Some writers charge by the word, which is often about $1 per word. Others charge by the hour and that fluctuates a great deal. Another way to do it is by the project – client and writer agree on a set fee. Whatever structure you use, you want someone who gives you 110%. For me that means I am fully dedicated to that person’s needs. I keep working until it’s right and I don’t let other projects or calls interrupt me while I’m working for them. I want people to love working with me – otherwise, even if my content is good they might not be so quick to call back!

Rachel: This has been great Evie, I can’t wait to share this with my readers. Thanks again, for taking the time to chat with me. I hope we’ve provided some valuable information to our readers that will inspire some great content being created in the future!

Evie: Rachel thanks for these thoughtful questions. You are a designer who totally “gets” the value of copy. Some designers can deliver a gorgeous page or piece, but they lack that connection to the whole. You are a great communicator who really sees the big picture. 

I enjoyed the chat!

Evie can be reached at Evelyn Sacks Communications, Inc.
(770) 509-8116

• They should be excited about the products and services you offer and be properly trained in the message and voice of your company.
• I encourage owners/directors to provide their team with study materials, a class, branding guidelines, or at the least a script to learn so they can properly interact with the public.
• Make sure they help you reinforce your brand. When you catch a team member promoting your company in a positive light, be sure to reward them, then they will want to do it again.

Think about it.

Have you ever ended your relationship with a company because of poor treatment from an employee?

Recently I met a charming owner from a local business, who educated me about his company service plan; he bent over backward to answer my questions and gave me a fantastic deal. He made me feel like a wanted and respected customer for whom he could provide a valuable service–warm and fuzzy even. I will call him Mr. Wonderful because he was downright delightful and capable of meeting my needs at every turn. I was really looking forward to doing business with such a bright individual. I spoke with one of his employees and the good treatment continued. I thought if this is the kind of service this company is selling, then I’m buying. Within days I signed up.

It didn’t take long and I had new questions about my service. So I placed a call to get some help. Instead of Mr. Wonderful and the brand he sold me, I got his employee, who treated me like gum she had just discovered on the bottom of  new Manolo shoes. It was clear. She did not have time for me or want to help me. At first I thought, Mr. Wonderful has failed to tell this young woman the value he places on each costumer.  These two individuals treatment of me was so different that I was confused. I thought she must be a temp or new employee unaware of the branding guidelines and message of this company. But no, to my shock, I discovered she was a long time member of the company team!

Several people in my community began asking me about my new service. When I brought up the fact that I was signed up with Mr. Wonderful, they mentioned this girls name followed by complaints of how poorly she treated them. I think we all wondered how she managed to keep a job at this particular business when her behavior was in such divergence from the brand message of the company. I wondered if Mr. Wonderful knew? It turned out that Mr. Wonderful was now leaving me wondering–wondering if he was as capable as he had seemed. After several run ins with this young lady the magic spell of Mr. Wonderful and his brand, was broken. I began looking for the door and another service provider. I simply did not want to be treated in this manner week after week.

This is exactly what you don’t want to happen to your costumers. How can you keep it from happening?

• It starts with hiring good staff.
• Then you have to train your employees with your brand message and high standards of treatment for every costumers at all times. The truth is anybody could be your next big costumer–no matter how many times they’ve visited your store before, how they dress, or what they look like. Treat everyone like their the one’s who’ll be paying your rent next month.
• Training includes having and enforcing guidelines, testing people when they do and don’t expect it, and rewarding them when they do a good job.
• Provide ways to get anonymous feedback from your clients about your services and employees.
• Try placing an anonymous survey on your website or in your store.
• Give customers the chance to take a one question, “how did we do” survey at the end of customer support phone calls.

People ask me, “What does the way my employees treat the public have to do with my branding?” And my answer is this, “Everything.”

• The best taglines make us smile, think, or entertain us, but they are always believable. If you don’t have a tagline, I encourage you to get one. A great copywriter is an invaluable tool who will know exactly how to create what you need if you don’t have the in house talent to do it for you.
• Too many marketers think they are copywriters when they  have no training or experience in this area. Put your talents to use, and if that doesn’t include writing, then hire a copywriter to create your tagline for you. You’ll be glad you did (unless of course you’ve had a true moment of genius).
• If people discover that you can’t deliver on your tagline promise, you’ll lose their support. This will result in the loss of their business and positive word of mouth promotions. Neither of which is good for you. For example, when my friend, Leah, goes to a store whose tagline is, “We’ve got your fresh organic veggies,” to buy avocados, asparagus, and broccoli several times in a row, and they don’t have them, then she no longer believes the store has the veggies they’ve promised. In her mind they become liars who have wasted her valuable time. Knowing Leah, she won’t go back to this store. And if anyone asks her about this store, she won’t be sharing anything nice which could deter others from trying this store too.

Think about it.

Raise your hand if you enjoy being lied to, mislead, or having someone waste your time? There are few things we hate more, right? Consumers are more empowered than ever to find out about you. They have access to one another via facebook, email, and smart phones. On-line reviews, twitter and google searches make it easy to check up on just about anyone with an on-line identity. When promoting your business, club, service or self, it is best to step up, be honest, and be remembered. If you don’t tell the truth about yourself in this age of social media and information, someone else will. By using  your tagline to portray a truth about your product of service and deliver on that promise consistently you create likability and trust.

Below is a check list to keep in mind when creating your tagline or having your tagline created for you.

• When the same promotional marketing materials, commercials, and ads are visible for several years, they start to get stale and costumers begin to tune them out.
• Be sure to have your designer freshen up your materials with new pictures, illustrations, and layouts often even if they contain the same information. This will keep them fresh and interesting to your costumers.

Think About It

Have you ever seen an advertisement so many times that you started to hate it or ignore it? Which is worse, having costumers ignore or hate your advertising? Neither is desirable. You can potentially avoid both by keeping your marketing fresh, innovative, and lively by making simple changes.

For example, if you’ve been using the same marketing piece, a brochure for example, for 2 years with the exact same layout, cover color and photos, you are missing an opportunity to reinforce your brand and present your service and message to your clients. Why?  Because people won’t pick up the exact same brochure they’ve seen a dozen times. They think they know what’s in it and they ignore it. Chances are they are oblivious to a service or product you offer because they don’t want to waist their time looking at the same brochure they saw a few months or years ago. By simply changing the cover art, a few photos, a layout or a few colors your costumers will think you are presenting them with something new. BANG…You’ve got their attention again.

For the Small Business or Non-Profit

Listed below are a few  places your designer can get fresh photos and vector artwork on a tight budget. Some of these sites offer completely free downloads. You may need to give credit to a photographer or designer for the use of  a freebie. Be sure to read the guidelines of use before using any photo or artwork you purchase or download for free online for commercial use.

• istockphoto.com
• vectorstock.com
• vectorss.com
• vectoriffic.com
• dreamstime.com
• bigstockphoto.com
• mediabakery.com

By choosing your best service and focusing your advertising in that area you:

•  differentiate yourself from your competitors
•  send a single, clear message that makes you more relevant  to your audience
•  establish yourself as an expert in your field
•  make yourself more attractive to your target audience

Think About It.

Do you know which clients you want? Your bait must match your game.

Dad with his striped bass

My dad is an avid fisherman. When he heads out to the lake or to the ocean, he uses the type of bait needed to catch the kind fish he’s after. There are a lot of different fish out there, and they won’t all bite on the same bait. For example, when my dad fishes for trout or bass he uses flies. When he fishes for brim, he uses crickets, for a catfish a worm. But when dad heads to the ocean for king mackerel, he knows he needs 10 inch live porgies (live bait-little fish). You’ve got to do the same thing to win your desired potential clients. If you specialize in illustrations for scientific and medical journals, say so. If you specialize in web design, make that the focus of your advertising campaign.  By using the right bait–by being specific and specialized, you take steps toward the clients you want.

The service and materials you provide make an impression more powerful than words.

• Your marketing materials represent your business.
• You want to be sure that your  logo is consistently presented in a high quality format, your website conveys the message of your brand, that your photography and copy is compelling, and that your paper products are professionally designed and printed.
• I recommend that you do not skimp on the quality of design production or the printing of your marketing materials. When you do, it shows, and you lose valuable clients.
• You don’t have to spend a fortune, but you don’t want to present the public with cheap promotional items or marketing materials. In short, people will think the products and services you provide are cheap if your marketing materials are cheap.

Think about it.

If you provide a quality service, then your marketing materials need to say that.  Not by necessarily printing on them, “We sell quality merchandise.” Most of us are immune to those statements anyway. We know the proof is in the pudding.  You say we sell quality by doing it and providing materials that convey the same message by being quality products themselves.

Most of us can discern between a quality piece of merchandise and a piece of junk. For printed marketing materials a thicker paper stock, a well-chosen coating, a professionally designed piece all say quality. Are the marketing materials you distribute conveying that you provide quality or are they saying, “I’m cheap and unprofessional. I don’t value quality.”  If the latter, is that the message you want to send about your service and merchandise? Is it accurate?

Consistency in the cornerstone of branding.

• You need to use the same company name, logo, and tagline in every possible place.
• Your company name, logo, and tagline should be the same on your business card, brochures, website, e-mail signature, signage, and in all your promotional advertising pieces. It must not change from month to month or week to week.
• It takes exposure to a brand several times before it makes a lasting impression on a consumer’s mind. Think of this imprinted space as valuable property inside the mind of your consumers that you need to obtain. If your company name, logo, and tagline changes frequently, you greatly reduce your chance of retaining that coveted space.

• By presenting a consistent image, you’re more likely to retain that space, increase your name recognition, build a relationship with the consumer, and make a sale.

Think about it.

Who would you rather have a relationship with? Someone that is consistently reliable and behaves in ways you value, or someone who is unpredictable, forgettable, and leaves you feeling  insecure. People build relationships with brands in similar ways they do with people. By being consistent in your presention and marketing materials, starting with your corporate identity, you can promote trust. People come back to people and brands they trust!