If not, why not?

A big part of branding is recognition. Having a “look” that you use across all of your marketing materials makes it easy for your customers and potential customers to recognize that a message is from your company. So what are the elements of this “look”?

The Four Important Elements of Your Brand’s Visual Image

1. Your logo symbolizes your company. Make sure it is easily recognizable and works well in a wide range of advertising media. Overly creative logos can sometimes harm you rather than help you — make sure you pick something that can be remembered for it’s elegance and simplicity, not forgotten because it’s too complex.
2. Your color scheme should be uniform throughout all of your materials, and appropriate for your goals. Some color combinations are relaxing and soothing, others suggest excitement and enthusiasm, while others project a very “corporate” image.
3. Your overall “look” (including colors, fonts, pictures, layout, etc.) needs to visually reinforce the feeling that you want your product or service to convey. For example, a company marketing “mom’s apple pie” to senior citizens will have a much different look than one selling the latest electronic gadgets to teenage boys.
4. Your printed materials need to reflect important elements of the “look and feel” of your website (or vice versa). There’s nothing worse than having printed materials that don’t look like the website — your prospective clients will usually refer to printed materials first on their desk.

Remember, it often takes multiple exposures to an advertising/marketing message before a consumer will decide to make a purchase or inquiry. If your materials are a mismatched hodge-podge of colors, designs and messages, it will be very difficult for you to build a recognizable presence in the market place.

What is a “call to action”?

A call to action is a phrase or paragraph that asks for the sale or requests that the reader do something. It’s the part of the marketing piece that tells the reader what to do next – call now to place an order, click here to get a free report, email for more information, enter a survey to win a prize, subscribe to an online newsletter, etc.

Never assume that your potential customers will know why they should act, what they should do, or when they should do it!

Tell them exactly what to do

Each of your marketing pieces should include a call to action (which may be mentioned multiple times, not just at the end) that ties in with the piece’s overall goals. If your goal is to sell, don’t ask readers to call for more information – ask them to purchase your product today. And always keep your instructions simple and clear to make it easy for the reader to respond. Should they call, fax, or email? Do they need to click through to something, fill out a short form, or take some other action? What exactly should the reader do?

Of course, it’s not enough to tell the reader what they should do – you also need to tell them why they should do it, and why they should do it now. But the bottom line is, if you’re not asking for the sale, don’t expect to get it!

Features vs. benefits

Many business people make the mistake of focusing on their product’s features instead of its benefits. What’s the difference? A feature is a fact about the product, while a benefit explains or demonstrates how the product will benefit the customer. For example, “made of heavy-duty plastic” is a feature; “guaranteed unbreakable” is a benefit.

Put your benefits front and center

Every time I visit a website or pick up a flier whose headline reads “Welcome to XYZ Company” I cringe (well, actually, being a marketing copywriter, I see a sales opportunity). Why? Because “Welcome to XYZ Company” doesn’t tell me anything about the company, what they’re offering or why I might want to buy. Your company’s benefits (or implied benefits) should be blaring from the headlines and subheads of all your marketing materials.

So take a good look at your marketing materials. If you’re focusing on features instead of benefits, it might be time for an overhaul!

However, even happy customers can use reminders that they ought to “tell a friend.” How can you encourage customers to do so? Here are some ideas:

• Create a formal “tell a friend” program whereby you reward your customers for spreading the word.
  Include a flier about your business and the products and services you offer with each purchase; encourage customers to pass this flier on to a friend.
• If you have a “bricks and mortar” office or store, place an attractive sign in a visible place encouraging clients to tell their friends about your business.
• If you send out regular emails to your customers, add a P.S. suggesting that they forward the email on to others who may be interested.
• Order a roll of pre-printed “We love referrals” or “I’m never too busy for your referrals” stickers, and place these on your letters, envelopes, brochures, invoices and other printed materials.
• Ask! A great time to bring up the subject is just after your customer has expressed their satisfaction with your product or service. “I’m so glad you’re happy,” you could say. “Do you know of anyone else that could benefit from our service? I would certainly appreciate the referral!”

A positive testimonial about your company – delivered directly from your satisfied customer to a potential customer – is one of the most powerful forms of advertising there is. It pays to encourage your customers to tell their friends about your business.

• Give Talks. Speak at meetings of community groups, trade associations and any other organization whose members would be interested in your area of expertise.
• Publish Articles. Write a regular column or series of articles for your local newspaper or for magazines or websites that are read by your target audience.
• Join Online Discussion Groups. Become a regular participant on the most popular discussion boards for your target audience. Be sure your signature line identifies who you are and includes a link to your firm’s website.
• Write a Newsletter. An informative newsletter can help establish you as a knowledgeable expert.
• Write a Book or E-Book. If you’ve been writing articles, turn a collection of them into a book. Even if you publish it yourself, this will make you a “published author” in your field.

Although becoming known as an expert requires an on-going effort, the benefits – increased exposure, leads and sales for your business – can make it all worthwhile.

Before you can create a successful ad, website, brochure, direct mail letter or other marketing piece, you must first ask an important question: Exactly who is the target audience? After all, your business most likely has a number of different target audiences, each of which has their own particular hot buttons, needs and wants. The most successful marketing campaigns are those that target the specific needs and wants of a particular market segment.

Identify All of Your Target Audiences

For example, say you manufacture a product that is sold both to retail stores and direct to consumers through a website. Your list of target audiences might include:

• Potential, current and past customers; people who inquired about your product in the past but did not make a purchase at the time
• Potential, current, past and inquiring retail stores and distributors
• Influencers (people in positions of authority who could recommend your product to consumers)
• Media (trade and consumer publications, newsletters, e-zines, radio, TV, etc.)
• And more

Tailor Your Message

Rank your list in order of importance, and then decide which group or groups you will focus on with this marketing piece. Think about the specific benefits that your product or service brings to these groups and tailor your message accordingly. For example, while retail stores might want to know about your product’s compact and attractive packaging, consumers are probably much more interested in your product’s durability.

Finally, make sure that everything about your marketing piece – words, colors, overall layout, photos used, etc. – speaks directly to your chosen audience.