MARKETING
TERI LITTLE
Account Manager
Empire Creative Marketing
Don’t Go Breakin’ my Heart
Branding and Marketing Rules to Live By
One of the biggest things our clients
depend on us for is advice and guidance
on their branding and marketing
strategies. So, we’ve worked up a list of
our top 5 Branding and Marketing Rules
to Live By to help you when preparing your marketing
strategy!
It’s not me - it’s you. Your logo and brand are your
face to the world. While it’s important that you like your
image and that it
reflects who you
are, your biggest
concern should
be impressing
your audience.
Always keep
your audience
in mind when
designing your
logo, branding,
and marketing
collateral. If you
aren’t sure ‘who’
your audience
is, branding
exercises can
help you identify
your audience
and understand
what appeals to
them.
Whet their
appetite. You have a lot to say. You love what you do,
and you want everyone else to want what you have to
offer. The thought that you might forget that one thing
they’d need to know is almost too much to bear. Resist,
my friend. If a prospect can read everything they might
possibly need to know in your brochure, why would
they need to talk to you?
The content your prospects first get introduced to
should be an appetizer. It should assure them that you
are the right person for the job - and then invites them
to speak to a salesperson, visit your site, or make an
appointment. That’s when you get to shine - and impress
them more than even the best brochure!
Less is more. This is almost an extension of #2,
but it is so important, it deserves its own number.
Your logo should be clean, simple, and to the point.
It doesn’t need to depict everything you are. That’s
what the elements of your branding and collateral are
for. Keeping a simple logo allows for versatility and
longevity in branding.
Money can’t buy
you happiness...
But it can buy you a
good website! Your
website is often the
first impression you
make on potential
clients. It’s also a
place to offer your
current clients a
useful, functional,
and easy experience.
A good design is
more than a pretty
site with content, it
builds your brand
and provides a
User Experience
(UX) that engages
your audience and
entices them to stick
around.
If your business
depends on your website for leads, investing in a wellbuilt
website is as important as oxygen. While looks are
great, the real opportunity for a lead-generating site
is search engine optimization (SEO). This is where the
magic happens. Don’t skimp here. It matters.
You can’t see the forest for the trees. Cool design
elements...we all love them. But be careful! That neat
icon you spent so much time having developed, that
special color, or that nice texture...use them sparingly.
The more often they are repeated in design, the less
they are noticed. So, frame them, spotlight them, and
make them feel special - because they are!
22 MOMENTUM