Brand Guidelines help keep your brand on track. I think we can all agree that your brand is your most important asset. Some people may think your logo is the sum of your brand identity, but it’s more than that. It’s the personality of your brand. You’ve spent countless hours, not to mention your blood, sweat and tears making your brand come to life. And you want to protect your brand identity through consistent marketing and messaging across all your channels. To do this, you need to develop brand guidelines.
What Are Brand Guidelines?
By definition, brand guidelines are clearly defined rules and standards that communicate how your brand should be represented to the world. We typically think these rules are utilized by designers, but they should be adhered to by anyone who interacts with your brand whether inside or outside of your organization.
The components included in brand guidelines vary from company to company, and they can range in size from a few to many pages. Typically, at a minimum, brand guidelines will include logo usage guidelines, color palettes, typography and brand voice.
Why Are Guidelines Important?
It can be tricky to keep your brand identity consistent. As your brand grows, you may also grow your team and start to use external resources. When you have clear and consistent guidelines in place, you protect how your brand is portrayed both visually and in writing no matter who is developing the communications and no matter if the audience is internal or external.
Ensure Consistency — From your website to your social media posts and print materials, your communications should be cohesive. Part of a family. It makes your brand reliable and shows you take pride in your brand.
Create Recognition — Your audience should be able to easily recognize your brand. They help you stand out in a competitive market.
Set Standards and Rules — These rules make certain everyone is using the brand visual elements correctly. This can range from logo placement to color palettes and fonts. These are not meant to stifle creativity, but rather safeguard that everything appears correctly.
Build Value — They create compliance inside and outside of your organization. When guidelines are adhered to, it creates and maintains a strong brand presence in the market.
When you have brand guidelines in place, you have the foundation to create a consistent and successful brand identity now and in the future.
Have you created a unified brand voice for your company? If so, kudos to you. Have you done an audit to make sure you are communicating it consistently across all internal and external channels? Your brand voice matters. In your business category, and to your customers and future customers, brand voice sits at the core of your relationships. It fosters connection, community and confidence in a brand.
What Is Your Company’s Brand Voice?
Your brand voice is the tone in which your business speaks to its audience. It’s the unique personality behind a business. Have you defined that for your company? You can get started on that process by asking yourself a few questions.
What are the four or five adjectives that are unique to your company’s voice?
What human traits set your brand apart?
What other brands inside and outside your industry do you admire?
Why did your clients and customers choose your services or products over others?
How to bring a brand voice to life and maintain it across all channels
Strong brands use their voice wisely. They include these elements in their branding and marketing toolbox when they are maintaining their brand voice across all their marketing channels.
Brand Vision: A clear and concise articulation of the brand’s purpose, mission and values. A strong brand vision can guide a brand in everything they do, and customers recognize this. It helps guide a brands activities, messaging, associations, partnerships and all marketing efforts.
Target Audience: A detailed understanding your target audience, including your demographics, interests and pain points can really help a brand focus their efforts efficiently and effectively to grow a brand with people who are active, engaged and already predisposed to your brand’s message.
A Message Map: The core messages that the brand wants to convey to its audience. For the most effective branding and marketing, brands use a message map to make sure they are hitting all the most effective benefit points that their business is trying to convey.
Tone Of Voice: This is consistent and appropriate tone of voice that aligns with the brand’s personality. The tone can be like a parent, a trusted friend, or even a peer. Maintaining consistency here means customers can recognize your brand even without your logo or name just by how the brand talks.
Messaging Guidelines: Specific guidance on how to express the brand’s messages in a consistent and engaging manner, whether that’s in ads, social media, print materials, broadcast, or editorial.
Strong Brands Build Business
Front Porch Marketing specialized in helping brands and companies create and maintain strong brand voice to build business and ultimately, the bottom line. Let us know if we can help your business grow with clear, concise brand voice.
Our wish is that everyone’s marketing initiatives are rockin’ in 2024. As we step into the new year, the marketing landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with businesses across industries embracing innovative strategies to drive growth and engagement. Right now we are seeing marketing initiatives already producing tangible results for our clients in 2024.
From leveraging emerging technologies to refining content strategies, these initiatives underscore the importance of staying agile and adaptable in today’s dynamic market. Consistently re-evaluating and evolving your marketing approach is paramount for staying ahead of the curve and maximizing long-term success in an ever-changing business environment.
Strategies that are shaping success as marketing initiatives this year
Back to Brand Basics — Brand strategies remain paramount. And getting back to those brand strategies resonates with clients and consumers. Stay true to your brand!
Team Members as Brand Influencers — This marketing initiative is marketing from the inside out. Again, tried and true brand strategies like this work. Team members share real stories, and this gains client and consumer trust.
Working the Marketing Plan — Focus on consistency with your marketing plan. Staying on budget is a huge plus. Overall, being proactive versus reactive wins. These are a few of the benefits our clients have shared. Recently, one client said our marketing plan not only helped with these things but helped them stay away from new opportunities that would drain resources — namely time and money.
LinkedIn Organic Reach Rules — With consistent posting frequency, engaging content and strong creative graphics, our clients’ LinkedIn organic reach is increasing in 2024. This contradicts overall trends found in marketing benchmark surveys.
Retention Rate vs. Engagement — With so many shiny objects, social media engagement is waning. So if you are retaining followers, you are winning with this marketing initiative.
Blogging — Our clients benefit in search by utilizing consistent blog posting. This is a bonus for B2B, as clients and consumers are also engaged. Conversion rates continue to increase as well with consistent blogging.
Video — Whether short-form or long-form, our clients are partnering with us to create video content. These videos result in deeper client and consumer connections. Time spent on websites has increased. And signups for newsletters and blogs have increased.
Paid Digital — Strategic paid social and Google search and display ads rock our clients’ topline. Equally important, a minimum three-month campaign is needed to build momentum and demonstrate consistency of message.
Adapting and Being Consistent: The Key to Successful Marketing
Overall, we’ve witnessed different initiatives our clients are implementing with success so far in 2024. Strategies like working the marketing plan, harnessing LinkedIn organic reach, investing in strategic blogging, and leveraging paid digital channels all work. In this ever-evolving landscape of marketing, one thing remains constant though: the need for businesses to stay agile yet consistent in their approach.
Adaptability is key to staying ahead of the curve. However, this adaptability must be balanced with consistency, as maintaining a cohesive brand presence across various channels is essential for building trust and credibility with your audience. By consistently re-evaluating and evolving your marketing strategies but staying true to your brand, you can not only capitalize on emerging trends and technologies but also ensure that your efforts remain aligned with your overarching business goals.
As we continue to navigate the complexities of the marketing landscape this year, we remember that success lies in our ability to innovate, iterate, and adapt to the ever-changing needs and preferences of our clients’ audiences. Let’s rock 2024 together!
In the competitive landscape of B2B industries, the ability to effectively showcase your B2B business can make all the difference in attracting potential clients. Thus the way you present your products and services reflects your brand’s identity and influences decision-makers. Showcasing is one of the tools you might consider including in your marketing strategy for 2024. You want to help your small business stand out? Find ways to showcase your B2B products and services. And leave a lasting impression on your target audience.
Elevating Your B2B Showcase Game
When it comes to B2B success, it’s not just about having excellent products or services; it’s also about how you present them. The ability to showcase your B2B business effectively can be a game-changer. Ultimately, you can influence purchasing decisions. You can set yourself apart from the competition. So here are five innovative strategies that can help you elevate your showcase game and leave a lasting impact on potential clients.
Immersive Virtual Product Demos: Step into the Future
With the rise of virtual technology, immersive virtual product demonstrations are a cutting-edge way to showcase your B2B products. In fact, utilizing virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) provides potential clients with a hands-on experience. Further, it allows them to interact with your offerings in a simulated environment. This not only adds a wow factor but also enhances understanding, making it a memorable experience for your audience.
Interactive Webinars: Engage and Educate
Hosting interactive webinars is a dynamic way to showcase your B2B products or services. Create engaging presentations that allow participants to ask questions, provide real-time feedback, and see your offerings in action. First, use this platform to highlight key features. Next, share success stories, and address pain points your target audience may be facing. Overall, webinars not only showcase your expertise but also build a personal connection with potential clients. We work with Integrated Advisors Network who hosts webinars on topics relevant and helpful for their B2B clients.
3D Product Animations: Transform the Viewing Experience
Incorporate 3D product animations into your showcase strategy to provide a visually stunning and detailed view of your B2B products. These animations can be embedded on your website, shared on social media, or included in presentations. This approach allows potential clients to explore every angle and functionality of your offerings. This helps foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for your products or services.
Collaborative Online Workshops: Hands-On Learning
Offering collaborative online workshops is an excellent way to showcase your B2B products — while providing valuable insights to your audience. Further, these workshops can include interactive sessions. Here, clients can test your products in a controlled environment, ask questions, and receive immediate feedback. So this hands-on approach not only showcases your offerings but also positions your business as a knowledgeable and supportive partner.
Lastly, consider creating personalized product showcases tailored to the specific needs and preferences of your clients. Use data and insights to curate a showcase that highlights the features relevant to each potential client. This personalized touch demonstrates a commitment to understanding your client’s business and provides a bespoke experience that resonates with decision-makers.
Unleash the Power of Innovatively Showcasing Your B2B Business
Overall, finding innovative ways to showcase your B2B products is essential for staying ahead. Whether you opt for one of these ideas, or other innovative marketing methods, the key is to create memorable experiences. The goal? Resonate with your target audience. Embrace a showcasing strategy, and elevate your B2B brand. Leave a lasting impact and setting the stage for long-term success.
You’ve likely heard the term “content marketing” with increasing frequency, though you may or may not understand exactly what it means. We’re here to uncover exactly what it is. Why it has the potential to be a highly valuable part of your small business’s overall marketing strategy. And finally, what practical tips you should keep in mind as you begin to test the content waters. After all, content marketing builds trust with your consumers, and that leads to sales and growth.
What Exactly Is Content Marketing?
Joe Pulizzi, one of the godfathers of this modern marketing practice, offers this formal definition in his book Epic Content Marketing:
“The marketing and business process for creating and distributing valuable and compelling content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience — with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
~Joe Pulizzi
The main takeaway here should be the term valuable. Doing marketing this way is all about focusing less on communicating information about your business. It is more about the informational needs of your target audience — like solving their problems. It is also concerned with the means by which you share that information using tactics such as blogs, newsletters and social media.
Where traditional market relies on “renting” media — think print or digital ads — content marketing aims to own media, like newsletters and blogs. We have previously detailed the steps you can take to start content marketing next year, to build your business. Front Porch executes monthly newsletters, blogs and other content marketing tactics for several of our clients to help them build their customer base and grow their companies.
What Is The Value of This Type of Marketing?
At its core, Pulizzi conceives of this type of marketing as a “strategy focused on the creation of a valuable experience.” In this way it is the future of marketing. Consumers are becoming increasingly disillusioned with transactional interactions. They are instead opting to build relationships with brands they love. From a business perspective, it means attracting and retaining customers by creating a dialogue with your audience. Open up communication with your target audience in this way. Then you can continually refine your approach and product using first-party data.
Practical Tips
As you create a strategy it’s important to invest in writers and strategists. They can produce high-quality content that will resonate with your target audience. If building out a content team inside your company is not currently within your budget, don’t fret. You’ll need to create brand and content guidelines that can be shared with marketing firms like ours, to ensure consistency.
Front Porch acts as a supplement to many of our clients’ in-house marketing teams. Pro-tip: The majority of your website traffic resulting from content marketing like blogs and newsletters is likely to come from a mobile device. So be sure to make mobile your top channel strategy.
If we can help you set-up and maintain content marketing for you, just holler!
On the Porch, we are honored to market brands at different stages, from marketing plan to exit plan. We partner with businesses in start-up, growth, established and exit stages. Our team recently celebrated a business owner whose brand we evolved. This business owner sold the business to a larger company. When this happens, we take great pride in the role we had on the journey. We tangibly helped that owner and business reach their end game.
So how does marketing change at the different stages of a business? Just like a person growing from a baby to an adult, your business has different needs at every age to thrive.
Start-up Stage Marketing
Branding is paramount in this phase. Brand architecture and identity development are critical out of the gate. Once that is complete, the rest flows from there. The foundational collateral, like business cards, letterhead, and the like are developed. After that, website development and digital strategy follow.
Growth Stage Marketing
Businesses in the growth stage come to us as they are looking to target a new demographic or geography. They may expand their product or service offerings. Or the business owner wants to grow existing business. Typically, a new marketing strategy and execution are developed. This involves increasing existing marketing spend. Sometimes, rebranding is needed.
Established Stage Marketing
Your brand is established. But growth is still a desired outcome. How can you market differently at this stage to stay relevant? Updated market research and consistent data analysis are critical. Now may be the time to take risks. What haven’t you done? How can you push the envelope on creative or campaigns? Are your current marketing initiatives consistent? Do you need a brand audit?
Exit Stage Marketing
Ready to position your brand for living on its own, without you at the helm? Although it may seem counterintuitive, now is the time to invest in your brand. First, revamp your marketing strategy. Next, follow industry best practices. It is critical to be the brand authority. Then, increase brand awareness, all the while increase sales. Finally, audit marketing content. How is your website UX/UI? Do you have technical gaps? Make sure sales and marketing are aligned.
What stage is your business in?
Don’t know which one of the different stages your business is in? Let us help. However, if you do know, we can also be your branding and marketing partner. We take pride in our relationships with brands. And we are honored to work with smart, innovative business owners and leaders. So let us help you reach your end game however you define it.
In a world oversaturated with ads, promotional content, and branded messages, consumers are seeking something more than just a product or service. They’re looking for genuine connections and authentic experiences. As marketers, we’ve learned that understanding our audience’s emotions and motivations in order to connect with them, is of greatest importance. This is where the power of empathy in modern marketing comes into play.
What is Empathy in Marketing?
Empathy in marketing is genuinely understanding and addressing the feelings, needs, and concerns of consumers. It’s about stepping into their shoes, seeing the world from their perspective, and tailoring our message to resonate with them emotionally.
Why is Empathy So Important in Marketing?
In today’s world, empathy in marketing is essential. Consumers are increasingly wary of brands that come across as insincere or that seem disengaged from their genuine needs. When a brand employs empathetic marketing, it not only fosters trust but also lays the groundwork for long lasting relationships. This approach emphasizes telling stories that deeply resonate with consumers.
Empathetic marketing has the ability to tug at the heartstrings or address the real world challenges that consumers face. Beyond storytelling, empathy in marketing makes customers feel valued. When a brand consistently recognizes and addresses their emotions and needs, it leads to increased loyalty and advocacy.
How Can Brands Integrate Empathy into Their Marketing Strategies?
For brands aiming to make a genuine connection with their audience, integrating empathy into marketing strategies is pivotal. To start, it’s important to listen to consumers by using tools such as social listening platforms, surveys, and feedback mechanisms. This allows brands to truly understand their audience’s sentiments, pain points, and desires.
In addition to this, brands should address the real issues their audience faces, showcasing how their products or services offer meaningful solutions instead of just highlighting their product features. Finally, humanizing the brand is key. By spotlighting real people, stories, and values behind a brand, businesses can foster a deeper sense of authenticity and relatability.
Real-World Examples of Empathetic Marketing
By focusing on genuine understanding and emotional connection, brands can navigate the saturated market and create lasting relationships with consumers. The fashion and beauty industries have seen numerous campaigns that have employed empathy to resonate with their audiences.
For example, Rihanna’s makeup line, Fenty Beauty, made waves when it launched with a groundbreaking range of 40 foundation shades, catering to a diverse range of skin tones often overlooked in the beauty industry. The brand’s emphasis on inclusivity earned it both acclaim and commercial success.
Another example is Dove’s Project #ShowUs. Dove partnered with Getty Images and Girlgaze to create the project #ShowUs — the world’s largest stock photo library created by women to shatter beauty stereotypes. This initiative was a response to the fact that 70% of women still don’t feel represented in media and advertising. By providing images that genuinely reflected women’s diverse appearances and experiences, Dove took another step in pushing the boundaries of beauty standards in advertising.
These examples highlight the ways in which fashion and beauty brands, through empathetic understanding of their consumers, can create campaigns that resonate on a deeper, more emotional level.
Where Do Marketing Agencies Fit into Your Business?
In today’s competitive business landscape, marketing plays a pivotal role in driving growth and success, and marketing agencies are at the forefront of this work. Good marketing can identify new customers, engage and grow a loyal audience, or launch new products and services. And while some business owners may contemplate handling their marketing efforts in-house, seeking the expertise of an agency can make a significant difference in achieving sustainable results.
Marketing agencies bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and strategic insights that can add substantial value to a client’s business. There are many different ways that agencies can contribute to a client’s success and why opting for professional assistance is essential.
What You Get When You Choose A Marketing Agency Over Doing it Yourself
When you work with a marketing agency instead of trying to do everything yourself, you’ll enjoy many advantages like specialized expertise, a strategic approach, resource optimization, access to cutting-edge tools, and time efficiency.
1. Specialized Expertise
Marketing agencies equip their teams of skilled professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in various marketing disciplines. From SEO and content marketing to social media and paid advertising, agencies can bring a diverse skill set that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
These marketers focus on their disciplines day in and day out, and adding their knowledge base to building your business pays off. Their expertise ensures that marketing efforts are executed effectively, delivering measurable results that align with business goals. More bang for your buck.
2. Strategic Approach
Agencies work closely with clients to develop data-driven strategies that align with their overall business objectives. By conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis, agencies identify opportunities and then craft well-thought-out campaigns to stay ahead of the competition.
A strategic approach not only maximizes marketing ROI but also enables businesses to make informed decisions for future growth. These agencies objective perspectives on growing clients’ businesses means they can make solid, research-backed decisions to build business. And then they can implement these decisions in a streamlined manner.
3. Resource Optimization
Managing marketing efforts in-house can strain resources, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Marketing agencies offer cost-effective solutions that allow clients to focus on core business activities while leaving marketing tasks in expert hands. This resource optimization ensures that businesses get the most out of their marketing budget and manpower.
Our small to medium-sized clients benefit from Front Porch Marketing’s ability to supplement their own efforts. We work hand-in-hand with them to build their business as if it were our own, while lending expertise that clients don’t typically have in-house like website design, social media content marketing, email marketing and large design-focused projects like brochures. This leaves small business owners to focus on what they do best.
4. Access to Cutting-Edge Tools
Marketing agencies invest in state-of-the-art marketing tools and technologies to gain a competitive edge. By leveraging these tools, agencies can track and analyze data effectively, allowing for data-driven decision-making and continuous optimization of marketing campaigns. Such insights are crucial in maintaining a strong market presence and adapting to changing consumer behaviors.
It wouldn’t be cost-effective for small businesses to invest in these tools, so marketing agencies can again supplement the efforts of a business with this access to tools and the expertise to optimize their use for the benefit of a client’s business.
5. Time Efficiency
Implementing a successful marketing strategy requires time, effort, and consistent monitoring. By delegating marketing responsibilities to an agency, clients can focus on core competencies and strategic business growth. This time efficiency enables businesses to operate seamlessly while their marketing needs are efficiently addressed by industry experts.
Taking all these tasks off a small business owner’s plate gives them time to see the big picture. Then they can focus on growing their business. And they won’t get buried in the weeds of all the marketing tasks necessary to get there.
6. Reassess What Your Time is Worth, and Let a Marketing Agency Help Make Your Business Better
In conclusion, marketing agencies bring invaluable expertise and depth of knowledge. This can significantly elevate a client’s business to new heights. From specialized skill sets and strategic insights to resource optimization and access to cutting-edge tools, agencies offer an all-encompassing solution to marketing challenges.
While some clients may consider DIY marketing, it’s crucial to recognize the value that marketing agencies bring to the table. By partnering with a reputable agency, businesses can enjoy efficient and effective marketing efforts that lead to long-term success. Remember, marketing is an investment in the future, and entrusting marketing professionals can lead to remarkable returns.
A press release is an official statement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a “press release,” a “press statement,” a “news release,” or a “media release,” we’re always talking about the same basic thing.
Most are a page long — two pages max. The goal is to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material to craft their own stories about whatever the release is detailing.
Press releases are delivered in a myriad of incarnations, from new restaurant openings to executive promotions, you’re feeding an unpredictable news cycle. PR professionals then make the ordinary extraordinary.
Here are a couple of tips to make your next one stand out.
Create a Simple Headline that Gives an Overview of the Content
Press release headlines frame the ensuring content. They should convey the central message of your story that is easy to understand.
Make Your Email Subject Line POP
News makers barrage new outlets with this type of information overload every hour of every day and in order to lift your clients’ news out of a sea of emails, it’s paramount to write a succinct message with an eye-catching subject line.
Less is More with Press Releases
Consider the last time you scrolled through social media or read the news. Your gaze probably gravitated towards the stories that had sensational headlines or graphics. Journalists are skimmers. It’s an art form for them. They are looking for information that interest them and their audience quickly.
Keeping your information concise is a great strategy to boost its impact. Putting the most important points at the top will give interested journalists an immediate entry way to find everything they need while removing anything that isn’t absolutely necessary to the story that they are developing.
Content Marketing/Content Creating: This is where a company will make content and share it on a social media platform. It can be anything from a podcast, videos, emails, etc. These messages are personal and should help the company achieve its objectives and reach a specific audience.
Advertising/Sponsorship: This is a more formal way of using social media. It is a non-personal message that promotes, or sells a product, service, or concept. You are able to create and place the exact message you want.
Influencer Marketing: This is where a company can use a social media influencer to help promote their product. This influencer is trusted and has a loyal audience, so when they share the product, it raises brand visibility.
Which type of Marketing high schoolers respond to the best
Overall, most high schoolers respond best to Influencer Marketing or Content Creating/Content Marketing, specifically on popular social media apps like TikTok or Instagram. Personally, I find traditional ads are easy to scroll past compared to an interesting video that grabs your attention. With influencer marketing, these content creators already have a following, making it a perfect place to promote. However, it is crucial to find a content creator that aligns with the idea for your product. Many beauty companies will pair up with a content creator that has an entire page on that specific topic, making it relevant on that page.
On the other hand, making original content for a company or a brand can be extremely successful. Many popular companies now have accounts on popular social media platforms and are active in many different ways. Some comment on posts that mention them or will repost videos made about them as well as making their own.
How to stand out
There are many ways to stand out as a company and gain traction through social media. I think one of the best ways are brand trips. Brand trips are when a company takes a group of influencers on an all-expense paid vacation. These trips always get a lot of attention and influencers spend the duration of it promoting the brand and what it sells. These have proven time and time again to be an effective way to bring attention to a company and product.
Another great way to bring attention to your brand is make a TikTok account. On average, high schoolers spend 113 minutes a day just on TikTok, significantly more than any other social media site. It can take a while to gain a following, so patience is important. Once an account reaches a point of success, they typically continue to grow.
