Everything is bigger in Texas! This includes the opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to network and learn from each other. One of these opportunities – the Governor’s Small Business Women’s Forum – was recently held locally in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners, Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.
There, as part of a digital marketing panel alongside other local business owners (including Kalyn Asher, president of our fabulous client Asher Media, Inc.), I had the honor of presenting tips from the Porch on integrating your digital marketing with your brand strategy. Now, I get to share them with you rockin’ readers, too!
Brand Identity
1. First, build a strong brand identity. The foundation of your brand strategy is your brand architecture.
Brand architecture is built on the following pillars:
- Vision – Determine who you are and who/what you aspire to be as a company.
- Personality – The human personality traits that describe how you want to be known.
- Positioning – The place your brand occupies in the mind of your target audience.
- Affiliation – What you want other people to think of and associate with your company.
Strong brands have three main attributes. We like to call them “The Three C’s”:
- Connection – Brands that cultivate loyalty connect with their target audiences. Consumers care about what your brand stands for.
- Conviction – Everyone in the company needs to believe that the brand is important. They need to know that the company brand stands for a specific and important promise. Company leaders need to understand the brand, articulate it clearly and champion it internally.
- Consistency – Brand consistency equals earning consistency. Be consistent with your look and message. Deliver on your brand promise at every touch point.
Content is Key
2. Create quality, engaging digital content. The foundation of your digital marketing strategy is having content you can utilize consistently as part of your overall brand strategy.
Another key thing to remember are the three “C’s” of content. Your digital marketing content should be:
- Customized. According to The Content Council, 61% of consumers say they feel better about a company that delivers custom online content. Also, they are more likely to buy from companies that deliver customized content. Nielsen’s 2018 Total Audience Report shows American adults spend nearly half of their day online looking at content. Most consumers liked custom content for brand engagement. Know your audience. Use the power of personalization to your advantage.
- Creative. Create customized content. Keep your content consistent in your brand guidelines but try to push the boundaries of your brand and voice.
- Cohesive. The customized content you create should be repurposed across platforms and networks. But remember, repurposed does not mean identical. Your content should not look the same or say the same thing across different channels.
Don’t Forget Email Marketing
3. Finally, do not underestimate the power of email marketing. It is cost-effective and allows you to easily create different journeys for different groups content-wise.
Customize your email content so that it is personal. This goes beyond simply including users’ names.
Make your marketing emails skim-friendly. Emails should have a clear call to action and purpose. The less effort and time required for interaction, the better.
In conclusion, if you want to rock a bigger, better brand, start with a strong foundation. Integrate your customized, creative and cohesive digital marketing to connect with your audience. Remember: Consistency is key.