If someone gave you the task of developing a brand from the ground up, where would you start? It can be fun to think about colors and fonts. Catchy slogans. Signage. It'd be tempting to start there. But those are not brand fundamentals.
Like most things in life, though, you must first begin with values and mindset! What's important to your organization – and even more importantly – what's important to your desired customer?
Once you’ve figured out the very heartbeat of your customer, your capabilities as a business, and what value you can offer customers, your brand will naturally begin to emerge.
To really nail this development process, we recommend building target personas that you write out, visualize, and even print out and hang up in your office if you want. Gather all the information you can about your target customer. Dig deep into their daily life. Find our how their timeline intersects with yours. This puts you in a great spot to map out your buyer’s journey and position yourself so that your brand's language, themes, and visuals express exactly that.
The reason we recommend this process is because of a major shift that happened not that long ago (in light of the history of time)
"The internet flipped the script!" –Zach Nelson
The digital age turned sales and marketing on its head. It was no longer as effective for a company to buy airtime that forced consumers to receive information about that brand. It became more important to entice consumers to actively subscribe to the branded content you offered them.
We believe this shift was a positive one. It means smaller businesses could actually get in the game. While they couldn't afford a Super Bowl commercial, they could build a community on Facebook or find new leads by earning trust through valuable email content or blog content. Today, the buyer controls marketing. They should determine what we, as business leaders, do with our sales and marketing.
So, whether you're branding a new business or figuring out you need to rebrand, this SquadTalks episode gets down to the brand fundamentals.
Also, our special guest, Zach eats, sleeps, and breaths marketing. We were honored to have him and believe his thoughts are worth your time. Let us know what you think of the episode. And if you have questions about branding, you can send them to us here.
Watch the full episode below.
As we know from the previous episode in our branding series, logos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a business' brand. We believe every business should invest time in brand messaging. That’s what Kevin and Alea discuss in their episode of SquadTalks over Coffee.
Simply put, brand messaging is what you say and how you say it. When done well, it should fill in the natural story structure in people’s mind, where they are the hero of their own story. Your message should resonate with who they are. They don’t want to waste their time, so it’s got to be clear that what you offer is meant for them. You understand them and can solve a core problem they have. That’s what brand messaging accomplishes.
If you think about it, brands that execute on this well can be identified by a single phrase. Think:
There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.
This kind of identification can happen because of “catchiness” but more so it’s because of its clarity. The message informs and speaks to an experience many people understand.
It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words, but that is also the problem. Associating just one word with a picture can give clarity and evoke the proper emotion. Words are powerful and context is everything.
As we alluded, the foundation of business storytelling is identifying your audience, who they are, and what they need. more than demographics, your target audience is likely unified by common problems, and therefore, compelled by what can you offer to resolve this problem. Develop an understanding of your audience’s desires and plan to offer a solution. This is foundational to brand messaging.
Your audience probably has has common traits and preferences. Another aspect of brand messaging is tone of voice. Be intentional and clear with this. Figure out what makes sense for your business and be consistent with it that way it’s easily recognizable. Lack of caring about tone of voice can run the risk of alienating potential customers. It can also turn you into “just another business.”
If you haven’t given enough attention to brand messaging in your business, Kevin and Alea work alongside business leaders all the time to achieve this. Brand messaging can help your business sustain as a brand for many years to come. If this is something your business needs help with, let us know here.
Watch the full discussion between Kevin and Alea below to hear more advice on how to refine your brand messaging and better reach your audience.
Sit down and sip with the New SquadTalks Series! We recently kicked off a new series of SquadTalks over Coffee discussing brand guidelines.
If you haven’t watched the first episode, take a coffee break now with Chief Storyteller, Bryce Raley; and Media Designer, Taylor Bieschke, as they discuss branding being foundational to your marketing and the longevity of your business.
We also take you through a walk through our own branding history. Before we became The Marketing Squad, we were known as The Content Squad.
In order to expand our reach and the services we were known for, we decided to rebrand which included a new name in 2016.
Over the years, we’ve also defined and refined the look and feel of the brand with color, typography, imagery, and key messages. Feeling stronger than ever about a brand, we recently created a Brand Guidebook (or brand bible, if you will) It’s extremely useful for aligning all our team members and that we do with our brand guidelines. We’d love to share more about this asset with you.
Bryce and Taylor cover ways to honor your brand and how to use brand standards to grow your business by defining and amplifying it to your audience. Take note of a few points in the idle of the video:
Brand guidelines are extremely helpful to any brand, whether it be a start-up or an established company. The key to a strong brand is consistency.
Remember, every individual of a company is a representation of your brand. Also remember that every time someone visits your website, meets a team member, or sees a post or email from your company, they’re having an experience with your business. How do you want them to feel? What will they remember about you? The more intentionally you answer these questions the more likely your brand will stick with people for years to come.
Be sure to watch the video for the full discussion on this important topic!
Our Digital Strategist plays a key role in helping our clients meet their goals. He's recently celebrated 6 months on our team. We wanted him to share more about himself with you below.
Little high, little low, little hey, little ho! I was asked my favorite greeting and that is it. I am our Digital Strategist at The Marketing Squad. Here's a little more about me.
Firstly, I majored in Graphic Design in high school. Yes, a major in high school. That’s what got me started in the digital realm.
From there, I attended JCC and IUS for graphic design. At the same time, I was getting more experience in the workplace than what I was paying for it in school. For this reason I dropped out early and started interning at a local digital agency. The owner had "taken me under his wing," per say, and I learned ALL things digital marketing through that experience.
I then used my skills and sharpened them in the non-profit realm for a few years, while still doing internships at other small agencies. Lastly, I went from the non-profit sector back into the "business world" for another agency. I was there for a few years and then got recruited to be a part of The Squad!
To sum it up, I've always been a multitasker with many passions, especially in the digital space, which makes me well-suited for my role at The Squad. Some of my team members have even referred to me as a Swiss Army Knife.
I’m the creepy guy in the dark room who follows everything you do online. Or like when you Google something, or talk near your mobile devices, and then it serves you all the ads about what you just talked about. That was me! (insert evil, maniacal laugh) Just kidding...
I am a Digital Strategist, so when a business owner wants to meet certain goals, I research the tools and techniques needed to do that, such as using Google Search ads. Then, I execute on that. The role involves many things, just like your goals often do, and I will just leave it at that!
My favorite thing about being at The Squad would probably be the people I work with. It’s easy to work when you have a good support system with easy collaboration. In addition, the core values of the company, as a whole, cultivates a breeding ground for creativity, productivity, and just plain heart. (That was deep… you want me to say that louder for the people in the back?)
My favorite food would be either breakfast food or chicken n’ dumplings. My favorite person is my wife, Jessica! We have been married for over 4 years and still going strong. There’s so much more for me to say about her that this blog would become quite extraordinarily long, so I will keep it at a minimum. She is amazing. We have 3 dogs – Dobby, Peaches, and Stormy.
**insert drumroll** and last but not least... we have a BABY ON THE WAY! #August4
In summary, I'm thankful for a lot of things. I like being creative as well as thinking technically. I have a pretty good combo of left and right brain. I'd love to talk with you if you have any questions about The Squad or how we can collaborate together to grow your business.
We have the honor of introducing a team member to you. If you work with us, it's likely Josh will help you at some point, behind the scenes or otherwise. It's genuinely his nature and also a big part of his role. He shares about himself below.
What’s up?! I'm Josh. I've been connected with The Marketing Squad for a while but just recently came on staff.
I grew up in good ol’ Northern Kentucky (Florence Y’all!), and went to the University of Kentucky. There, I studied Psychology and graduated in 2017.
Since then I’ve lived in California for a summer working as a white water rafting guide, while continuing to learn html and code on the side. I enrolled in The Software Guild, a 10 month course to CSS, HTMl, and full-stack development in C#.
While I was building my software skill sets, I was also working at Iron Bell Ministries and learning what a great city Louisville is! At that point, I was fortunate enough to start contracting with The Marketing Squad and am now a member of the team!
I'm thankful for the path I've been on. It's led to great adventures including one of my favorite trips to China. I got to lead some camps there and visit the Great Wall. You can see a glimpse of that below.
I mainly serve our Strategic Partner – Plan Advisors – by helping their brokers adopt various technology to increase or streamline their business. We use the word MarTech to describe my role.
I’ll also assist with their digital marketing. This could include newsletters, blogs, SEO, and website content. I aim to help meet basically any digital needs they may have.
While I’m not wearing my Plan Advisors hat, I also help build out other websites we're doing at the Squad, optimize them, and jump in wherever I might be able to help!
Besides the free snacks, I’d say the culture is my favorite part about the Squad. We know how to get things done, but also have a good time while doing so!
Last year, we had a Halloween party with a chili cook-off, costume contest, and low-key dance party, which I've learned is an annual tradition. I dressed as Prison Mike. That day was a great example of our team dynamic. We still had a few meetings with clients mixed in throughout the day, but we also celebrated big time together!
I hope to get to know more of our clients and the people in The Squad's network over time. With that in mind, here are a few other facts about me. I have a yellow lab named Lily who is 9 years old! She’s super sweet, loves hot dogs and people. Chicken Alfredo is my favorite food, hands down. I have a twin brother. We have a go-to karaoke song we sing together. You can find out what that is by clicking below. I'm sure the suspense is killing you!
If you're like us and you transitioned most (or all) of your business to working remotely at home for several months in 2020, we can relate to your unique experiences!
Like you, some of our team has had to feed the kids or hold a baby on their knee while answering emails. We've tried to minimize the sound of barking dogs. We've tried the kitchen table, the couch, the back porch, or rearranging our "at-home" desks, all in the attempt to be as productive as we can in spite of upheaval.
We also can't fail to mention the opportunities a pandemic has offered us personally and as a business. If you've followed us on social media, you may have seen our content about turning #obstaclesintoopportunities or our photos of different remote work scenarios.
Also, because we've been through a pandemic and went months without sitting inside a restaurant, we all need to have a little fun! Whether we like it or not, remote work may become a regular option for some businesses for the foreseeable future, especially in certain parts of the world.
So, why don't we make the best of it? For your viewing pleasure, we've shared 5 unique ways we've worked remotely and advanced in our work. We hope you can benefit from these examples!
Whether you've missed the opportunity to host sales discussions over a fresh cup of coffee from your favorite coffee hub, or you're a service business that's had to temporarily halt some of your services, you might find yourself with more free time than ever before. That's why working remotely is the perfect time to hone your skills through personal development - whether that's via reading, webinars, or online courses.
And, while we couldn't travel to a tropical resort, we could at least make our home a little more relaxing with a nice dinner on the back patio and even an inflatable hot tub. Our VP of Marketing, Alea, snapped a photo of the marketing training she did from her hot tub!
It doesn't matter if you're dodging the pandemic from home or tackling it head-on, your goal is still the same before, during, and after this global issue. You have a business you're passionate about and you need that business to survive and remain strong and relevant to your target customers. We can confidently say that you can still grow your business and connect with customers during a pandemic...and you can do all this from a comfy chair with a sweet dog beside you!
Right now, you must be relevant, genuine, and clearly offering a solution to a specific problem. We believe you can do this, even with limitations such as social distancing. You're an entrepreneur, after all.
One of the best things many of our team members have done during this time is set aside windows of time for meetings, trainings, and "heads-down" work on special projects, as well as time AWAY from the screen. It's never been more important to keep a healthy routine – which includes making time for mental breaks and getting active. If you're like Lauren, our Director of Partner Marketing, you didn't let a closed gym keep you from exercise. In fact, unless your office has a large gym with a shower, working remotely means not being afraid to sweat mid-day for fear of stinking up the office! We believe it can make you more productive and creative if you take this time!
Working from home means multi-tasking more than usual, but here are a few tips on that:
1. Set aside time for checking emails so you're not a slave to your inbox.
2. If you have to manage pets or children while you work, try to batch meal times or other things they need with activities you can do at that same time. This might mean listening to videos or messages while the children are eating. Or, you could get physical exercise during the kids' outdoor playtime which also offers you fresh air and sunshine. Two birds, one stone!
3. Most people can multi-task, but not for long periods of time until it wears on you. So, this is where the mental breaks and quieter moments will help renew your mind so you can get back to the grind once again.
We also align ourselves with a lot of the ideas created by Hubspot. Here are several free resources on the topic of working remotely.
This pandemic is also about grace and understanding. If the dog barks or the toddler makes an appearance in the Zoom call, it's not the end of the world. You're doing the best you can! Hopefully, this pandemic reminds you that some of those meetings are far less important and the health of your family – and time spent with them – is a gift.
Let's appreciate our ability to work from a patio or a barn! Twenty years ago that would not have been the case for many businesses. It's the best of both worlds. We can make sales calls while appreciating a nice view. That's not something to dread – embrace it!
Use the tools you have around you (iPhones can do a lot!) to have a face and heart behind your business. Be active on LinkedIn, Facebook, and email as well as other channels, because you have to stay connected with your target audience. There are so many ways to expand the reach of your business – even now. That could be through video chat or sending one of your prospects a lunch delivery or something in the mail!
Improve how you write and speak about your product or service offerings. Dust off your email communication if you've not used it effectively for sales and marketing. Try video, if you haven't before!
Telling a story through video can be unbelievably powerful. Does it have to be perfect? Absolutely not, but it needs to be clear and genuine. When someone watches you talk about what you do and your "why," it demonstrates empathy and authority. It can show your customer that you relate with their problem and that you have a solution for it.
Our hope is to help you bootstrap your business this season, finding ways to turn obstacles into opportunities. From using video for business, educating yourself about sales and marketing, or strengthening your presence online, we can help. What's holding you back?!
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