It’s all about you.
“Do I really sound like that?” That’s usually what pops into someone’s head when they hear themselves played back on an audio recording for the first time.
In the same way that you may not recognize your voice when hearing yourself on a recording for the first time, you may not be aware of what you “sound” like to the public. That is why branding is so important. Your brand is who you are and what you stand for, and it is a vital aspect an organization’s identity. Organizations devote considerable time and effort ensuring that their branding stays front and center, especially when interacting with the public.
There is no shortage of information about the various branding and messaging strategies used by organizations around the world – large and small alike. Seriously, do a quick search online…then make yourself a cup of coffee and grab a seat because you’ll be there a while. It seems everyone has suggestions on how to market your brand the “right” way or in a way that uses what they consider best practices.
Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all organizations as it relates to how best to market your brand, and for many organizations simply having the awareness that your public-facing actions affect your brand equity (the value of your brand) is a good starting point in developing a branding strategy that makes sense for them. That said, you may wish to consider the following when initiating your branding efforts:
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It’s Okay to Show Off - Take that wallet out and show off those pictures! Okay, maybe that reference is dated, but the idea isn’t. Showcasing your branding (logo, catchphrase, etc.) whenever possible is a surefire way of increasing your brand recognition.
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It Pays to Be Consistent - Say the same thing…every time. This doesn’t mean that the language you use should be the same – it simply means that the message should be. You may wish to consider developing branding standards to ensure that what you are communicating is being conveyed in a consistent manner across all marketing channels…all the time.
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Be Opportunistic - Leverage the power of your brand whenever possible. We encourage our clients to promote their own brand instead of ours, and we facilitate this by providing our clients with a branded ticket sales page (Private Label) to use for online ticket sales. Take advantage of these types of opportunities whenever they present themselves.
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Hash It Out - Hashtags (#TixBlog) are an important part of brand promotion and marketing. Using a unique and (ideally) memorable hashtag as part of your all-around branding efforts is a great way of making yourself accessible across all social media platforms, as well as reaching out to people online that may not have found you otherwise.
The reality is that there is no substitute for brand visibility or presence. However, how you present your brand does not have to be over-the-top in order to be successful. For those organizations with even a limited amount of resources, there are always opportunities to promote your brand. As long as your efforts are focused and in line with your organization’s brand identity, even subtle efforts like using your organization’s logo whenever possible should yield positive results.
You’ve worked hard to establish your brand, now let your brand establish you.
