How To Be On-Brand

"Let's make sure that every social media post that we put out has our logo on it, so it's on brand." - One of my previous clients

This still makes me cringe. I'd always have to explain that the brand's logo is already in about 4 other places already on the social media channel itself. But, my frustration with the above request goes way deeper than that. Branding is NOT just about your logo. Throwing that bad boy all over the interwebs isn't going to endear anyone to your "brand".

Branding is about a relationship. A relationship between the world and your company. It's about feelings, it's about humanity, it's about emotions and how your organization makes others feel when they interact with it. Branding is about building trust, and that trust is earned by being authentic. Many companies are trying to be "someone" they aren't, consumers see right through that BS.

Sure, using the same marks, the same color scheme, and the same fonts all help to eventually build some recognition, but what really helps a company connect is its ability to connect with consumers through a human voice. Corporate gobbledygook nonsense speak has never caused a consumer to fall in love with a brand, never caused them to talk about that brand, and never caused them to stay loyal to that brand.

So, how can you start to earn and build trust? Look at your words. The words on your website, your social media channels, your ads, and your other touch points need to be HUMAN. The personality of your brand should shine through each and every touch point, it should evoke an emotion, whether its fun, loving, joy-filled, or snarky, it should always stay on-voice. One of my pro-tips is to always make your target consumer the hero of your story and content. One last tip: never start a piece of content with the word WE. Put your consumer first, talk to them like a human, be consistent, and feed them what they are hungry for.