4 Ways to Improve Your Company's Branding in 2021
Katie Batchelor
Needless to say, a lot has happened in the past year. The digital world has been skyrocketed by the pandemic with e-commerce, online streaming and social media seeing a surge. (Read more about the changing consumer trends here).
A new year with new trends requires new marketing tactics.
Don’t let your brand be left in the dust this year as businesses around you find new and innovative ways to reach their customers as the pandemic continues.
January is a great time to review and consider the image that your company is presenting.
Is your logo or design sending the right message to your customers and are your social media accounts representing your business accurately?
We have put together four simple tips to help you reinvent your business image and get the right concept across to your potential customers.
1. Take a look at your logo
You may have mixed feelings about getting a new logo. Some businesses feel that their existing customers won’t recognise their new logo and therefore will distrust say, an email with it on the header. Others think that old fashioned logos say to customers that the business is long-standing and therefore trustworthy.
So, why is a logo update important?
A modern logo tells people that you are current, that you are up to date with your business and that you take your business seriously. This implies that whatever services or products you provide will also be contemporary and cutting edge.
The basic key aspects to consider when designing a logo are:
• The colour: Does the colour reflect the field of business you work in? Does it evoke emotion and if so, is it the right emotion?
• The text: Does your logo have too much text or use an old-fashioned font?
• The imagery: Are there any symbols or pictures in the logo and are they presenting the right image for your company?
Remember, your logo is one of the first things potential customers see, so you want to make a good impression. Take some time to consider if your logo is portraying your brand in line with the current market.
2. Revamp your website
Along the same lines, you might want to consider that your website might not reflect the current function of your business. If the pandemic has meant you have to change your means of operation, or the services you can offer, then your website should reflect that.
With so many platforms to keep track of it can be easy for one of them to slip through the cracks. For example, you might remember to keep your social media up to date to keep customers informed of how your trading is changing but forget to update the website, or vice versa.
We advise that you take some time this month to make sure all online platforms that promote your business are on brand, consistent and up to date to present your company in its current circumstances.
There’s no point advertising your opening hours if your business premises have been forced to shut due to the pandemic. You need to make sure you are clearly communicating how you are functioning now so your customers can access your services appropriately.
3. Social media
Following on from keeping your website updated with current business news, it’s a great idea to get some new content for your social media. Whether you have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or a business blog, it’s the perfect time to write or commission some relevant fresh content to entertain people during the lockdown and promote your company.
Our advice on posting content to your business platforms is as follows:
- Keep it relevant: is what you are posting related to your field of business
- Keep it positive: Ensure that what you are sharing has a positive message. There is quite enough doom and gloom circling around the internet now without adding to it.
- Keep it on brand: don’t be tempted into sharing political or opinionated posts which could upset people. Keep that sort of content for your personal social media. If your business is you, for example is you are a solo performer and therefore your social media profile is your business one then just steer clear of content that could make you less appealing. If it doesn’t present you or your business in the way it should, don’t post it. Crowdspring recommends that you make “deliberate choices” where your branding is concerned, so make sure you’re choosing content that is in line with your brand identity.
- Keep it current: where possible, try to make sure your content is fresh and up to date. Unless you run a historical society in which case knock yourselves out talking about the past.
4. Rebrand
If you want to make a bigger change to your business identity, then a full rebrand is what you’re after. Rebranding has many benefits including that it gives your company a fresh look and makes it seem up to date with the modern world. It can also show changes to your company’s values or services. For example, if a dry cleaner expands their business to include alterations and garment repairs, then the title of just “dry cleaners” needs to change because it is now too limited and no longer communicates your function to prospective customers. That’s the start of a total rebrand. Or as Crowdspring puts it, “companies evolve, and often, to stay competitive, they must evolve their brand and branding”. So, if you want your brand identity to say something else about your business than it currently does, then a rebrand is in order.
A rebrand can involve starting over with your marketing and brand identity or adapting what you already have. Marketing nerd suggests that “as a general rule, companies rebrand in order to shed out their negatives and come up with a fresh new face of their company”, but you don’t always have to start from scratch. You might feel that you want to keep your logo but not the design of your brochures. That’s fine. It’s also fine if you want a completely new name to renew your brand identity entirely. We don’t generally recommend that businesses change their name though, unless there is something wrong with it for example, if it does not describe the company or is misleading in some way. Otherwise, keeping the name and changing the logo, changing the content and design of your website and modernising other design aspects of your business can do wonders for your business image.
So, this January, think about the aesthetics of your brand identity and consider how potential customers will see you compared to your competitors. At Deearo Marketing, we are always happy to help you discover new levels to your company image and elevate your brand. If you think your business needs a boost for 2021 then let’s chat and we’ll work together to get your business on brand and in shape.
