Branding and marketing are often used as interchangeable terms. Yes, they are similar, but there are differences between them. Branding is the act of defining who you are as a business. While marketing refers to the tactics you take to bring exposure to your business. Where it gets confusing is that you may use a…
When you are establishing the visual identity of your brand, it’s worth considering how your colors will play online. Here are five things to think about when evaluating colors for an online medium. Metals don’t shine Let’s say that your research into colors showed you that silver has a feminine energy, which you think is…
There’s a reason why asking someone about their favorite color is a way to get to know them. People have vastly different preferences around color and it impacts how they see the world. Here’s an example: my junior high, high school, and college colors were green and gold. While I have very fond memories of…
“Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose and of action over a long period of time.” – Bruce Springsteen When promoting your brand, it’s important to always present your brand in the same way, using the same logo, font and colors. Why is this…
It may seem like the way to market your business changes every day. Whether a new social media channel is on the rise, or Google changed their algorithm, it’s hard to keep up with different marketing channels. The good news is that there are some rules that don’t change. Ever. In this episode of 5…
I realize that I’m a little biased because I work in digital marketing, but here’s one of my truths: I am unlikely to buy from someone that is using a Gmail account as their main business email. I’m not talking about running your account through Gmail or using Google Business Apps. I’m talking about when…
We all know that going through a websites redesign is a major process that takes both time and money. If you’re not ready to make that investment, but you’re sick of seeing your homepage – and more importantly you think your customers are too – you can make some quick and easy changes to freshen…
This past weekend my father-in-law was in town, and while it’s always an adventure to have family visit, what I did not expect was a lesson in customer expectations. Do You Know What Your Customer Expectations Are? As business owners, most of us think our job is to provide a good service or quality product,…
Every brand has a voice, what’s yours? Whether or not your realize it, your brand has a voice. Even if you haven’t intentionally created a voice for your brand, anytime you post on social media, publish a blog, or even put a page on your website you are building your brand voice. The words you…
If I asked you to tell me about the characteristics of your brand, what would you say? It’s a simple question, but nailing down exactly what you want your brand to represent is challenging for many businesses. If you’re struggling to define your brand, a brand persona exercise can come in handy. If your brand…
Want to sell more products? Use puppies and babies! Think I’m kidding? Yes and no. The joke that puppies and babies will sell more products has been around for a while, but it taps into the idea of emotional marketing. What is emotional marketing? Emotional marketing takes advantage of the idea that consumers make purchasing…
When you’re establishing your brand or company one of the most important steps is to build brand recognition. You want people to know who you are and what you do simply by seeing your logo. Think Nike. The swoosh has become iconic and Nike’s consistent use of their visual branding is an example for us…