Whether we’re talking about mashed potatoes, baked goods or branding, consistency matters. All jokes aside, the business world is more competitive than ever with several markets beginning to feel over saturated so when you’re looking to stand out, creating a consistent brand can do the trick! 

Building the “like, know, and trust” factor by showing up consistently as a brand is the secret sauce for success. When people feel like they know what to expect from your business they believe in the value you provide. This month, I’m sharing three strategies to create a consistent brand experience and foster connection that converts!

#1 Define Your Brand Personality & Values

This is the foundation on which your brand will stand. Think about the relationships in your life and how important personality and values are to those being successful. Since business – good business – is rooted in relationships, this is no different. Get past the surface stuff and carve out what you truly value most as a business to standout from the competition. 

Ask yourself these questions to help you get clear! 

• What is the mission and vision of my small business?
• What values are close to my heart as a business owner? 
• Who is my target audience, and what do they value in a brand?
• How do I want customers to feel when they interact with my brand? 

Your answers should not only define your brand personality and values, but how you commit to showing up in your business across all interactions, both in person and online. When your messaging, visuals, and actions consistently reflect these core elements, it becomes easier for customers to recognize, understand, and resonate with your brand. 

#2 Cultivate a Memorable & Authentic Brand Voice

Nailing your brand’s visual identity tends to be at the forefront of branding when in reality,  cultivating a memorable and authentic brand voice is essential for small businesses. From simple things like knowing which salutations and sign offs to use in email, to having a go-to tone for social media content vs. customer service issues, strategic brand voice is key. You want your personality to shine through and help your leads and customers feel like they know your business. 

Here are a few important customer interaction areas to maintain an authentic brand voice across:

• Content Creation – Think short form and long form content like newsletters, podcasts, blog posts, videos and more. Everything you write or record can have the vibe your brand wants established. 
• Social Media – Every platform your brand occupies gives the opportunity to choose which lens you want your audience to see you through; friendly, professional, laid-back, etc. posts as well as comments and messages should be replied to in ways that feel natural to your brand.
• Email – Keep a consistent tone, style, and messaging in all of your email marketing and regular correspondence. 
• Consultations – The very first touchpoint has power to convey who you are and set the tone for what that relationship with your brand looks like. Ensure these interactions showcase your brand’s personality, values and voice. 
• Marketing Collateral – Physical marketing should leave an impact and infuse your brand voice into simple brochures or even packaging.

#3 Deliver a Specific Customer Journey

Cultivating an authentic brand voice is essential, but that’s only when it complements your customer experience. If you want to build trust and loyalty, the communication and quality of each interaction throughout your customer’s journey working with you matters.

Here are a few key phases of your customer journey to focus on:

• Lead Building – When your customer is first becoming aware of your brand and considering your offers, how do you speak to them and create interest and decision? 
• Ready to Buy – How does your brand energy or voice change when your lead moves to the consideration and decision stage as a buyer? 
• Customer Experience – Which of your brand values shines through once they’ve purchased? Where is there opportunity to align your messaging to carry them through? 
• Loyalty Building – Create brand advocates through your customers by keeping them engaged and informed while reinforcing your brand’s reliability.

When customers come to know what to expect from your brand, not just in terms of product or service quality, but also in the way you communicate and engage with them, that is where magic happens.

Hustle & Heart Challenge

This month, create a brand language guide to use as a reference point as you create new offers, build content, interact with clients and allow it to be the north star of your brand. This guide can outline your brand’s visual guidelines, tone of voice, messaging guidelines and client experience steps to help you stay consistent.