Crickets. It’s the sound we all fear the most. You create something you feel great about and then receive little traffic, few likes, and no additional sales.
When you sit down to create you’re hit with a blank screen and no idea what words or images to fill it with. Most brand owners wouldn’t also consider themselves to be professional content creators. Yet, here you are, tasked to write emails, blogs, create social media posts, and design advertising for your brand. And that’s just the start. It’s enough to dig up the biggest doubts in anyone.
Here’s the good news.
Creating content for your brand doesn’t have to be a guessing game. In order to connect with your customers, the secret is to know how to deliver them the right message at the right time in the right place. This is what’s going to convert them from might-be buyers into raving fans. And, with the right system in place, you’ll know exactly how to do this.
Download this free Content that Converts template, and I’ll talk you through how to use it in this post. By the end, you’ll have a system and a tool to help you create content that gets traffic, comments, shares, and most importantly sales for your brand – without having to be a professional writer or saleswoman.
Sound good? Let’s do this thing.
4 Steps to Creating Content that Converts
1) Decide who the heck you’re trying to reach
First things first, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. There are a lot of people in the world but quite honestly, we don’t care about most of them – at least when it comes to our brands. We care about connecting with the right people and that group is going to be a lot more niche. You might have heard this referred to as identifying your target market or target customers.
The reason we need to take this step first is because it’s going to influence how we write and communicate. Think about it. In life, we generally don’t talk the same way to every person. For instance, if your best friend asks how you’re doing you’ll probably share different information than what you would share if your grandma asked the same question. You modify what you communicate in order to appeal to the person with whom you’re talking.
Now let’s apply that concept to a business scenario.
Let’s say you sell kits that teach people how to knit. Your target customers are empty-nest moms who want to learn a new hobby. You want to appeal to their nurturing side and make knitting something fun and not intimidating to try. But what if your target customers were young men who wanted to build small businesses around knitted items? In that case, you would want to appeal to their business side and talk about your kits as a way to make money. See how your communication changes depending on who you want to reach?
I’m not going to into much more detail here. However, if you need help figuring out who your target customers are, I definitely recommend reading this post.
2) Know what to say and when to say it
Once you’ve determined who your target customers are the next step is to segment them by the kind of relationship they have with you.
Not all customers are the same. Some customers haven’t yet discovered you. Others are long time loyalists. And most will fall somewhere in between. This spectrum is often referred to as the customer decision journey. It’s the series of stages your customers go through in their decision to buy from you and the questions and concerns they face along the way. Your goal is to know what to say to your customers at each stage in order to answer those questions and alleviate those concerns so that they can continue on their journey.
This is where that system and tools I promised earlier come into play. So let’s talk through what to do.
First, I need you to download this template.
Ok, open your template and look across the top.
Here you’ll find written 5 of the most common stages consumer go through in their journey. Below is a brief explanation of each.
Awareness: Do your customers even know your brand exists?
Consideration: Who else are your customers considering buying from?
Purchase: Are your customers convinced to buy from you?
Referral: Do they have a reason to tell other people about you?
Fan: Is there a reason to keep your customers coming back?
Below each explanation is a goal. Remember, the aim of your content is to push people along in their journey so that they not only become customers but also advocates of your brand. The goal at every stage is to get them to the next step.
Under the goal statements you’ll find an area to write in customer insights. This where you write out the questions and concerns you believe your customers face at every stage that prevent them from moving forward. You’ll find examples in the template but go ahead and write in the insights specific to your brand.
Next you’ll find an opportunity to write your response. This is what you need to communicate in order to answer the questions and alleviate the concerns you’ve identified.
3) Choose where to say it
Great so now you’ve figured out who you want to talk to and what they need to hear from you. The next step is to decide where you are going reach out to them.
If we really start to think about it, there are a endless ways we can communicate with our customers. We have social media, email, blogs, video, and our packaging just to rattle of a few.
For that reason, and to keep things from getting overwhelming, we’re going to pick out the ones we want to use and decide how we want to use them. Our system and tool are going to help us do this.
Let’s go back to our templates.
You’ll find the next row is labeled channels. Here you want to write down the places where you want to communicate with your customers at each stage.
Looking at your awareness column as an example, ask yourself, where can I tell people about my brand who have never heard of me before?This means you don’t have their email address, they aren’t following you on social media, and they haven’t yet made it to your website.
However, they might find you through paid ads like Facebook ads, places like Pinterest where you don’t have to be a follower to see someone’s pins, and press articles.For that reason, these are good channels to put in that column.
Once you’ve completed the exercise for the awareness column go ahead and repeat it for every stage.
4) Ok, time to go ahead and say it!
At this point, you’re ready to brainstorm actual content ideas. You’ll find a place to do this in the last row of your template. Your ideas should address the questions and concerns you identified earlier and suit the channels where the messages will be delivered.
Congratulations! What you’ve just figured out is how to most effectively communicate to convert your customers! From here you’re ready to produce and publish your content.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we all have the ability to be great content creators. The key thing to keep in mind is it’s actually not about us at all. It’s about our customers. The best thing we can do is to get to know them and anticipate their needs. Then when we decide to reach out to them we know exactly the right thing to say.
And if you remember nothing else, at least remember this – Right message, right time, right place.
Now off to you! What questions can I help answer? Drop ‘em below.
4 Proven Strategies to Help You Build Brand Awareness
Let’s talk for a minute about what it means to build brand awareness.
40 million images are posted to Instagram each day and over 10,000 include the Starbucks logo.
The Starbucks brand also happens to be one of the most recognized in the world.
Coincidence? Probably not.
Take a look at this photo and tell me what stands out:
No matter where you encounter Starbucks, the experience is always the same. It doesn’t matter if you are in Australia or Austin, Texas. Buying coffee from a shop, a grocery store, or online. Drinking out of a paper cup or ceramic mug. In every situation, you will find the same, recognizable Starbucks. Same logo, same colors, same name.
When it comes to building brand awareness, consistency is everything.
The reason I raise this example is because far too often I see up-and-coming brands making the mistake of not delivering a consistent experience. And, they don’t see how much it is hurting their business.
Does it take more effort? Yes. Is it worth it? YES!
Which is why today, we’re going to talk about 4 strategies for delivering a consistent brand experience. It’s also why I created this free downloadable checklistof places you need to make sure are consistently branded.
Let’s get to it.
Strategy 1: Design an adaptable logo
You want to use your logo everywhere your brand shows up. But that doesn’t mean that every situation is going to be the same. Sometimes you’ll be presented with challenges like limited space or opposing background colors. For this reason, you want to have adaptations of your logo that can suit these different scenarios.
Let’s take a look at Dropbox:
Dropbox’s primary logo uses the brand name and mark in blue against a white backdrop. However, they allow for the colors to be reversed when the logo is placed on a darker background. They also have variations that can be used when space is tight.
With your brand logo, it’s advisable to follow Dropbox’s lead. Make sure you have versions that can work for all scenarios so that you don’t find yourself hacking together a solution on the fly.
Strategy 2: Snag your social handles
To the absolute best of your ability you want to have the same handle across all social media sites where your brand has a presence. To go a step further, ideally, that handle matches your brand name and your website URL exactly. If you can nail this, it will make it so much easier for your customers to find you and alleviate any confusion about whether or not it’s the *real you*.
See how Stitch Fix has done it:
Everywhere the brand shows up it goes by the Stitch Fix name. So no matter if you are searching on Google or on social media, the likelihood of finding them is high.
If you haven’t yet named your brand my recommendation is to search Google and all social media sites to see if any names you’re considering are open. Once you’ve decided, snag the handles so that you have them when you’re ready.
If you already have a brand name and the matching social media handle is available you have a couple of options. First, you can reach out to the person who has it. If they don’t use it much they might be willing to turn it over. Alternatively, you can choose a variation that closely resembles your brand name (for instance adding “the” to the beginning or a descriptor word to the end). Then use that handle across all social platforms.
Strategy 3: Write a snappy pitch
When someone searches for and ultimately finds your brand, they want verification that they’ve ended up in the right place. You can give them that assurance by writing a short introduction that explains who your brand is and what it does. Once you’ve written your line, use it wherever you have the opportunity to create a bio for your brand.
Lola does a great job of this:
See how they use the same line as the description that shows up in search as well as the line across all of their social media bios?
Strategy 4: Create a brand book
A brand book is a tool that documents the essential elements of your brand. It’s where you communicate your brand colors, fonts, and visual identity. It’s also a place you can note your brand tone of voice and personality.
Take a look at these pages from Barre & Soul’s brand book:
By documenting these choices you create a guide that everyone who touches your brand can work from. It will ensure that everyone from your team, to external hires, to partners knows how to bring your brand to life in a consistent manner.
In my opinion, it is very hard to grow and scale a brand without having created your brand book. If you need help getting started, I’d highly recommend checking out the Jammin’ Brand Book.
To Wrap it up…
We started this post by talking about Starbucks and the fact that Instagram has over 10,000 images with their logo. Now imagine if Starbucks had decided that delivering the same experience each and every time wasn’t such a big deal? What if their logo sometimes used a mermaid but other times a coffee cup? If they sometimes called themselves Starbucks and other times The Howard Schultz company?
Those 10,000 Instagram images wouldn’t be nearly as powerful. Starbucks would fail to deliver the consistent experience their customers expect. Even more so, they wouldn’t benefit from the repetition that earns customers’ trust.
Luckily for them, this isn’t the case. Actually, let’s take luck out of the mix. This isn’t about luck. It’s about putting in the work.
So yes, creating a consistent brand experience may take a bit more effort… a bit more due diligence… a bit more commitment … but it’s all worth it. And, dare I say, it’s the most important thing you can do to build brand awareness right now.
What part of growing your brand awareness is the most challenging for you? What questions haven’t I answered? Let me know!
How do I find my brand voice? Am I just being a copycat of other people’s styles I admire?
Who has ever found themselves asking these questions?
I can fess up to saying that I have. In fact, I can remember one particular instance when these questions were screaming inside my head. So, before we go any further, I’d like to share a quick story.
Marie Forleo is one of the women I most admire. I love watching her videos on Marie TV and tune into any podcast interview where she’s the guest. All of that to say, Marie’s voice is in my head… a lot.
When I first started the Toast Meets Jam Youtube channel, I created a series of videos tackling the most popular questions I was hearing from this community. I titled of the videos “How to Create a Business & a Life that You Love”. It wasn’t long before someone called me out for copying Marie. “Create a Business & a Life that You Love” is her signature saying.
Ugh. Are you SERIOUS?? I had borrowed her brand voice without even realizing it.
Imitation might be the highest form of flattery but it wasn’t what I’d wanted to do in this case. I was trying to find my own voice, not copy someone else.
Now here’s the thing, finding the Toast Meets Jam voice wasn’t something that happened overnight. In fact, it’s still something I am working on. But through this process I have figured out a few tips that have made the process easier. Today I want to share three of those with you:
Tip 1: Think of your brand as a person
Every brand has a personality and that personality influences how your brand communicates. So, try thinking of your brand has a person. If you knew her what would she be like? What words would you use to describe her? Is she curious? Does she have a certain Southern charm or New York confidence? Remember those Mac vs. PC commercials? They are a prime example of differing brand personalities at play.
Next, think about what kind of relationship you want your brand to have with your customers and followers. Do you want them to see your brand as a friend? The kind who makes them laugh? Fills them with inspiration? Always tells them the hard truth? Or do you want your customers to see your brand more as a mentor or teacher?
(Tip: If you haven’t yet read this post, now would be a good time)
The answers to these questions will help you figure out the best tone to use when writing for your brand. If you want to be a friend, your tone will be more conversational. Likewise, if you want to establish yourself as the expert change your tone would be more formal.
As you’re going through this process, I want you to go ahead and write down all the words that come to mind. Once you have them all on paper, go back through and pick out the 5 words that best describe your brand’s personality. These will serve as the pillar words which will guide your brand voice. For instance your words might be something like: fun, friendly, charming, curious, and good natured.
I’ve also found that it can be helpful to create a “this, not that” list. For instance, my brand voice is fun but not immature. Make sense?
Tip 2: Read your writing out loud
This is a simple but effective trick. After you’ve written copy for your brand, read it out loud. How does it sound? Natural or forced?
When you’re writing for your brand, it should sound in line with how you would talk to your followers and customers if you met them at a party.
If you want a great example to reference, pop on over to Melyssa Griffin’s blog. I love her writing style. When you read her writing, you actually feel like she’s having a conversation with you. Just take a look at this example will ya?
Now take a look at your writing. Would you really use all of those big fancy words? Or, do you need to think about putting away the Thesaurus and getting more human!
Tip 3:Coin signature words or sayings
Girlboss wasn’t a word we used until Sophia Amorusa made it so. “Badass” wasn’t being thrown around until Jen Sincero came along. And, “As if” will always remind us of Cher from Clueless.
Each of these is an example of a signature word. They become associated with a brand and embody its personality. The Girlboss brand voice for instance is strong, feminist, and unabashed. When you hear the word, these are the traits that come to mind.
As you’re writing for your brand, think about what words or sayings you can own. These can truly be a powerful way to bring your brand voice to life.
Over to you…
Alrighty, those are my 3 top tips for finding your authentic brand voice. What tips do you have to share?
This post will give you a framework for building a brand you AND your customers love.
The other night I was watching a stand up special on Netflix featuring comedian Ali Wong. Have you seen it? If you have, you’ll remember that Ali keeps coming back to this punchline – I don’t want to work anymore.
I relate to Ali. This is how I feel about most things in life. I don’t want to have to think about one more thing, make one more decision, or add one more line to my to-do list.
My gut says it’s safe to assume that you can relate. We all have enough on our plates as it is.
Which, is why I want you to consider this:
Yes, That’s right. Your customers want you to be their favorite. They want you to make their lives easier by giving them one less decision to make. When they love your brand they don’t have to think about who they are going to buy from. They already know the answer.
Take these examples
When I buy groceries I already know what brand of coffee is going in my cart. When I need a card I know exactly which shop I’m heading to. And, when Mother’s Day rolled around last week there was no question who I was buying my flowers from. I have the brands that I know and love for these things. And you know what, I love them for being that for me.
So what is it that makes us love one brand over another? Take the example of my favorite coffee. Yes, I enjoy the flavor but its more than that. The real reason I love the brand is that its fair trade, local, and cool without being presumptuous. The brand’s equity (aka what it stands for) resonates with me. In turn, they’ve found a fan in me.
Last week we talked about how to really get to know your customers. Here’s where that becomes important. When you know who your customers are, what they want, and what they need you’re primed to succeed.
Now let’s talk about the 5 steps you’re going to take to make sure your brand is one that your customers can fall in love with. To help illustrate each step, I’ll provide an example for a service business – in this case, blogging. As well as an example of a product business – in this case, subscription boxes. (Don’t worry I got you ; )
Step 1: Decide & deliver on your brand fundamentals
By fundamentals, I mean the actual products/services your brand creates or provides. At the ground level, your customers should know exactly what they can expect from you. You are their favorite brand for X.
If you’re a blogger: I want to know exactly what kinds of posts I can expect to find on your site and social media feeds. I want to know if you’re going to be my source of inspiration, advice, or education.
For example, you might decide that: My blog shares weekly recipe posts that teach you how to make easy vegan meals on a budget.
If you sell subscription boxes: I want to know what kinds of products the boxes include. Where can I buy them and how much do they cost? Do they cater to a certain type of person or occasion?
For example, you might decide that: My brand ships monthly boxes with 3 – 4 beauty products selected from organic, woman-owned brands. The cost is $50/ month.
Step 2: Do things different… and better
What can you do to make your brand better than the others for your customers? How can you intersect their needs and interests? Clarify the reasons your customers should choose you over another brand. You are the only brand that does what for them?
If you’re a blogger: Is your content more in-depth? Does it come with free downloads? Do you provide exclusive interviews? It is full of beautiful imagery? Is it guaranteed to make me laugh? What is is that makes your blog better than every other I could read?
For example your point of difference might be that: Every recipe post includes a grocery shopping list, video tutorial, and budget breakdown. So that, cooking and eating vegan has never been easier.
If you sell subscription boxes: Do you use special ingredients or source from local vendors? Do you support a charitable cause? Can I customize my order? Does it ship for free? Why should I choose your product over any other?
For example, your point of difference might be that: Every subscription box comes with a card that tells the story of the women behind the brands inside. Customers can also visit your Youtube channel to see exclusive interviews with them. Additionally, you donate 10% of sales to a fund that supports women entrepreneurs.
Step 3: Evoke an emotional response
Your customers should leave every interaction with you feeling something. In fact, the way your brand makes people feel is as important as what it does for them. What emotions do you want to stir? You are the brand that makes your customers feel how?
If you’re a blogger: Do people come to you for a dose of tough love or to feel comforted? Are you there to motivate them, be a patient teacher, or fill them with inspiration?
For example, you might determine that: Our recipes will make our readers feel like going vegan is actually easy and affordable. We don’t make them feel bad if they aren’t vegan or weird if they are. We want our readers to feel supported and good about themselves.
If you sell subscription boxes: When someone receives your gift box how should they react? Is it a heartfelt gesture? Does it get them ready to party? Do they feel inspired to DIY or take a moment for self-reflection?
For example you might say: Our boxes make will help our customers feel good about what they’ve spent their money on. They will feel excited to be part of a bigger mission and empowered to champion women. They’ll feel inspired to share their stories while creating their own.
Step 4. Create a human connection
People serve different roles in our lives. We have our best friends, our teachers, our critics. How would your customers describe your brand if she were a person? What role does your brand play in their lives?
If you’re a blogger: Is your blog the life of the party? Always optimistic? Brash? Unabashed? An advocate for others? What are the words you want people to use to describe you and/ or your blog?
For example, you might want your role to be: Our blog is the friend that helps you be more mindful. She has graceful awareness of herself, the planet, and those around her. She’s the one you turn to when you need to feel grounded.
If you sell subscription boxes: Is your brand a perfectionist? Charming? Is she more like your relatable best friend or your mentor? Does she push you to be better or hold your hand and walk you step by step?
For example you might want your role to be: Our brand is the friend you call to talk about the latest product you’re obsessing over. She’s also the one you went to the Women’s March with. She embraces her soft feminine qualities as well as her feminist strength.
Step 5. Deliver a consistent brand experience
Your brand’s equity describes what you want it stands for in the hearts & minds of your customers. It’s created through consistent delivery. Meaning, everything you do should build up the qualities you’ve outlined in Steps 1 -4. This is true whether we’re talking about introducing a new product or an Instagram post. What is the experience and equity you’re delivering to your customers?
If you’re a blogger: Is your tone of voice the same from post to post? Is that Instagram post helpful or braggy? How about that recipe, is it actually easy?
For example, your brand equity might be that: My blog is a safe space for all people to learn about and practice being vegan.
If you sell subscription boxes: Are you selective about the products you include? Do the women behind those brands support your mission? Is the message consistent from month to month?
For example, your brand equity might be that: My subscription boxes empower women to support and empower one another.
So there you have it. Taking these 5 steps will help you build a brand that is just right for your customers. And, when you show up for them, they will show up for you.
Wrapping it up
To help make this process easy as can be, I created this template for you to download and complete for your brand.
The purpose of going through these 5 steps is to help you see how the different parts of your brand come together. This framework should help clarify the kind of brand you want to build. And, it should create a structure that will help you best build it.
Next week we’ll talk about how to use this framework to bring your brand personality to life through design, visuals, and language.
What questions do you have? Leave them in the comments below!
This comprehensive guide is here to teach you everything you need to know about how to build a brand.
Intro
You had an idea and an entrepreneurial itch so you decided to go for it.
Before you knew it your venture was in motion and things started to happen, fast. Strategy and long term planning fell to the wayside as the day to day realities of running your business took center stage.
Now, things are going pretty well but you’re craving more. You look at some of your favorite brands and wonder what it would take to reach their level of success; to grow a following of loyal fans, keep customers coming back for more, and attract the attention of top media.
Trust me, I’ve been there and I get it.
I started Toast Meets Jam 4 years ago as a blog called The Single Diaries. (That’s a story for another time). Once things were going, trying to control them and stick to a plan for more than a few weeks became out of the question. The brand kept changing and things were anything but consistent. I finally decided that if I wanted to turn this blog into more than a passion project that I’d need to make a serious change. In July I committed to turning Toast into a full fledge business with a solid brand behind it. This is me coming out on the other side, ready to share everything I’ve learned.
You’ve probably already read a lot of articles with tips and strategies to grow your brand but always end up feeling overwhelmed. The goal of this post is to take away your doubts. I’ve put in the hard work so you don’t have to.
Because you know what?
Nailing your branding doesn’t have to be intimidating.
With a roadmap and specific actionable advice to follow, building your brand can actually feel totally achievable. And the payoff will absolutely make the effort worthwhile. Investing in your brand is a surefire way to scale your business and create more meaningful and profitable relationships with your customers.
When we’re done you’ll know exactly how toturn your business into a brand that customers crave. Ready? Let’s jam.
How to Build a Brand – 10 Steps to Brand Building Success
1. Really get to know your customers
Building a brand is about creating a community with the people we serve. In order to do that, we need to understand how to relate to them. That means getting to know them as friends, not just as a set of stats about their age, gender, and occupation. What’s the most important thing in their lives? What do they lose sleep over? You want to learn exactly who your customers are, what they like to do, what motivates them, and how they want to engage with brands like yours.
“
57% of small business owners say that having a relationship with their consumers is the primary driver of repeat business. (source)
“
So how do you do get to know your customers?
First, refer to your analytics. Google, Facebook, and Instagram all have amazingly detailed data to share around who is engaging with your brand online. Then,, conduct free market research by using your social media feeds to poll your audience. Ask easy to answer questions like “do you prefer A or B” or “In the comments tell me your favorite thing about X”. It’s real-time feedback at your fingertips. Next, scan the comments in blogs, Amazon books, and social media profiles that you believe share a similar audience. See what questions people ask, what complaints they have about the content, and what things they are blown away by. Lastly, use Quantcast to gather deeper information about these same audiences.
Turn your findings into customer segments.
I like to use a Google spreadsheet to keep track of the data that I collect. My workbook has one tab where I copy and paste direct quotes and comments that I find. A second tab categorizes critical information with rows labeled for age, location, interests, wishes, and frustrations. You’re looking for patterns that start to identify the different kinds of customers you serve. There will likely be more than one but you should try and keep your focus narrowed to no more than 4. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself not able to get specific enough in your communications.
Then turn these into customer personas.
The final step is to take these segments and turn them into customer personas. This is really just a fancy way to talk about writing characters for each of the types of customers you’ve identified. Give each a name and write a bio that describes who they are, what they like, dislike, and hope to achieve.
Storytelling is a part of human nature. We’re curious. We like to know the history and reason for things.
Believe it or not people really do care about the story behind your business. It’s why Netflix just released Girlboss, a new show loosely based on the story behind Sophia Amoruso’s Nasty Gal. It’s also why people can’t get enough of the Kardashian- Jenner clan. We know their story so intimately we feel like we’re a part of it.
When you share your story people are able to develop a trusting relationship with you. Think about it, would you rather buy something from someone you know nothing about or someone you know, trust, and like? I think we’d all vote for the latter.
How to write your brand story:
Writing your brand story doesn’t have to be hard. Tell it like it is and fill in the who, what, how, and why for your audience. Who are you and what’s your background? What was the catalyst for your business? Why did you feel compelled to see it through? How did you do it and what challenges did you overcome along the way? The biggest key to success is just to be honest.
Once you’ve drafted your story there’s three places I want you to start using it. First, add it to an “About” page on your website. Second, include it on a separate sheet in your media or press kit. Third, write it into your brand book. The point is for this to become a tale that is shared and repeated. Your goal is to reach a point that your fans, partners, and press can tell it as well as you can. When that happens you know you’ve got them hooked.
One of the things you’re going to uncover as you’re writing your brand story is your brand “why”. That is, why you do what you do? Why are you building this brand in the first place?
The way the answer to that question often manifests itself is in your mission statement. I like to think about your brand mission as the most important promise you will make to your customers. It is a declaration of what you’re going to do for your customers and how you plan to make it happen.
Your mission reveals your values.
Your mission is also where you begin to introduce your brand values. It’s an important opportunity to reveal what you care about and will deepen the emotional bond you have with your core customers.
Let’s take Brit + Co as an example. Their brand mission is to “ignite the creative spark in women”.
Wow! Right? Doesn’t that make you want to be a part of their community? I mean I for one want my creativity sparked.
Brand mission statement formula:
Ok, now try using this formula to write your own brand mission statement:
When you’ve written yours bring it to life by including it in your website both on your “About” page as well as in your “Hiring” page.
People don’t fall in love with brands because of what they sell. They fall in love with what a brand promises to do for them and how that brand makes them feel. In marketing lingo this is often referred to as a brand’s equity. It’s what a brand stands for in the hearts and minds of consumers.
So how do you begin to stand for more than what you sell? Great question. It’s about delivering on your mission statement through your words and actions. It’s how you talk to your customers, the content you put out in their social media feeds, the bigger impact you have on the world, and ultimately every little interaction someone has with your brand.
As an example let’s look at Jen Gotch’s brand Ban.do:
Their equity is really encapsulated in that last line “We are serious about fun.”. Ban.do sells office supplies and desk accessories that deliver on this promise through quirky patterns and catchy quotes. They also keep the vibe alive with bright colors and graphics in their social posts and a generally playful vibe wherever they pop up.
Okay so let’s get to it.
To figure out what your brand equity is I like to use this 5 step framework:
First, list the tangible products and services your brand creates or provides.
Second, write out your brand’s unique points of difference – the reasons someone would choose you over another brand.
Third, decide how you want your brand to make people feel.
Fourth, describe the traits your brand would have if she were a person.
Fifth, summarize this all in a short statement that describes what your brand stands for.
Going through this process should help you see how the different parts of your brand all come together. You can then use this framework to evaluate whether something like a new product, partnership, or even a social media post helps or hurts the equity you’re working to establish.
Research reveals that we make a subconscious judgment about something within 90 seconds of seeing it (source). Meaning, like it or not, we can’t seem to stick to the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover”. As human beings, we’re prone to make decisions on subliminal cues or “unconscious bias” as the author Malcolm Gladwell puts it. That means we need to make an awesome first impression every time someone encounters our brand. It may be our only chance to establish trust and validate our credibility with potential customers.
An awesome first impression begins with your brand design. It’s the outward expression of your equity that brings to life your brand’s personality. Great design can help create an immediate sense of trust and authority while poor design can detract from even the best brands.
Start with a mood board.
The first step in developing your design theme is to create a mood board which is a simple visual aid for bringing to life the look and feel of your brand. An easy way to build one is with Pinterest. Just create a new board and then begin to pin pictures that you feel reflect your brand personality.
The mood board sets the visual tone for your brand.
Reference it when you’re selecting images for everything from your website to an Instagram post. Your mood board is also where you can draw inspiration for the core elements of your brand design. Choose 4-5 colors that compliment each other. Tip: I like to use Mac’s Digital Color Meter tool to pick out colors directly from the images in my mood board. Then choose 2 – 3 font styles that you see repeated in your pictures. Font Pair is another great tool for picking out fonts that go together.
Once you select your elements stick with them and use them everywhere your brand shows up. To help drive this home I recommend documenting your choices in your brand book.
Of course, visuals are the only way one to communicate with your customers. The other is through your words. It seems pretty straight forward but for a lot of people finding the perfect tone of voice is actually one of the most challenging parts of the brand-building process.
So here’s my easy hack. Imagine how you’d talk to your customers if you met them at a party. Then, read out loud as if you actually are talking to them while you’re writing. I find that doing this really helps your words to come out more naturally.
Coin your signature sayings.
Another trick I like to use is to come up with a handful of signatures words and sayings. Think about how Sophia Amoruso coined GirlBoss and the word caught on like wildfire. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. The reason this trick is so powerful is that a shared language builds community amongst you and your followers. It creates a sense of belonging when someone recognizes and adopts the signature saying you’ve created.
How to develop your voice:
To develop your authentic voice start by brainstorming all of the words that reflect the brand equity and personality you’ve created. Write them down on whatever’s available to you whether that’s a whiteboard, Google doc or a notebook. When you’re done picking out the ones that really jump out. Aim to have a few words, phrases, and hashtags in your mix. I also recommend adding these to your brand book. Sensing a pattern here ; )
Why do I keep harping on documenting things in your brand book? Because the real secret to stand out branding is consistency.
“
90% of consumers expect the customer experience to be consistent across all channels and devices used to interact with brands. (Source)
“
Consistency makes your brand memorable.
It also builds trust. Both are critical when cultivating a loyal audience. Remember, you’re in your brand every moment of every day. Your customers are not. Even though you might be growing tired of how your brand looks, talks, or feels, chances are it’s only the first time someone is coming across these things. When they see you a second time, you want to make sure there’s no confusing who you are.
Your brand book is your best friend.
A brand book is a tool that helps you document and share your brand choices so that everyone who creates something on behalf of your brand does so in the same way.
Conduct a brand audit.
Now would be an excellent time to conduct an audit of how your brand is showing up on and offline. Are you using the same brand name everywhere you show up online? (logo, website URL, social handles, email address)? Have you picked a color palette and are you sticking to it? Have you picked specific fonts and are you using them consistently? Are you using the same or similar explanations for every brand bio?
8. Develop original brand content
First things first, get your house in order. Your goal is to answer “yes” to every one of the questions above. From there you’re ready to take what you’ve learned and apply it to the creation of original content e.g. blog posts, emails, social media posts – anything your brand creates and shares with your customers.
And why is creating original content so important? Because:
“
62% of millennials feel that online content drives their loyalty to a brand (Source) and the more frequent your interactions the more loyalty you gain (Source).
“
Creating original content helps your brand extend beyond the products you sell. It gives you a way to show your customers that you’re not all about business. That you actually care about them and you’re not just in it for the sale.
Create for your customers.
Bearing that in mind, before you get started creating content your first step should be spending time to understand what your customers are interested in. Good news! You should have this in hand from step 1 where you created your customer segments and personas.
From there it’s about picking the right platforms and messages for each. Here’s what I do. First, create a spreadsheet and list all of the places you talk with your customers across the top row. For instance, you might include your blog, Twitter, Facebook, email, and Instagram. Then in each column, list what kinds of content your customers would find helpful to find there. For Toast Meets Jam Instagram is where I’ve chosen to share inspirational quotes, tips, and a look behind the scenes. Twitter, on the other hand, is where I share other experts’ articles that I think my audience would benefit from and Youtube is where I share interviews with female founders.
Get creating!
Once you’ve nailed down what kinds of content you want to fill your channels the next step is to get creating! Canva is an awesome tool for creating beautiful original content. And pro-tip, if you upgrade to the paid version you get access to thousands of stock photos you can use to give your posts even more pizazz.
9. Attract your brand tribe
At this point, you’ve identified your core customers, you’ve got a brand designed to delight them, and content you know they’re going to love. The next step is to find and attract those people to your brand.
Here’s how you’re going to do it.
Your first step is to find out where your customers are already hanging out online. The tool you’re going to use to do this is called BuzzSumo. This site allows you to search for topics and websites. If you search a topic like “women entrepreneurs” it will show you a list of which articles were the most shared across the web on that topic. It will also show you where those articles were shared (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +). This will uncover which websites are attracting readers interested in that topic. It will also show you which social networks conversations around the topic are happening the most frequently.
Step 2
Next, I want you to become an active, helpful, and engaged member of the communities you identify. Regularly read the content that these other sites are posting, leave comments, join their Facebook groups if they have them, and share your favorite posts of theirs.
Step 3
At this point you can begin to introduce their audience to your brand and your content. You want to do this in a way that is helpful and not spammy. That means leaving a thoughtful comment and at the end mentioning that you have a product or a blog post that you think they might be interested in checking out. You’re subtly bringing people over to you.
Step 4
Finally, you’ll want to apply this same approach with your audience once you’ve started to build one. Regularly check your analytics to see which types of content people are loving the most and produce more of it. Engage with your audience around those topics and do what you can to be even more helpful for them in those areas.
Ultimately building a brand is about creating a community around a shared passion. Everything you’re doing now is intended to help foster relationships and create brand love.
10. Grow your brand awareness
One thing I want to clarify about the last step is that it’s not at all meant to be malicious. You are not stealing customers away from your competition. You want to be genuinely helpful and consequently, your engagement should actually benefit them. Sharing their content will help them get in front of a bigger audience. And engaging with their posts will help stir up more positive activity (comments, shares, likes) within their community.
The power of partnerships:
There’s a reason I emphasize this. It’s because I want you to get you to start thinking about how you can grow your brand through partnerships. This is about collaboration over competition. For that reason, I want you to build relationships with the people behind the sites you’ve been supporting. You’re going to do this in order to drum up opportunities for you both to continue to support each other and help one another grow. It’s really a big love fest in the end.
Go ahead and direct message these other brand owners through Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or shoot them an email. Introduce yourself, let them know how much you love their brand, and suggest a partnership. Try and be specific here in order to make it as easy for them to say yes as possible. You could cross-promote each other on social media, host a joint giveaway, create a video together, the ideas are endless. The aim is to do something that each of you and your customers will benefit from.
Partnerships are the not so secret trick of the trade for building a stand out brand. Don’t think that you need or should be on your journey alone. The more people you can involve the faster and bigger you’ll see your brand-building efforts pay off.
When you take time to build your brand you’re making an investment that will take your business to the next level. As a result, you’ll stand out from the crowd. You’ll find and attract your fan club. And you’ll feel completely confident that what you have to offer is awesome.
And while there is a lot packed into that tiny word “brand” learning how to build a brand doesn’t have to be stressful. Most of all it’s all about taking it one step at a time.
