Brush up on Branding Basics

What is a brand? Your “brand” is the overall image of your company. Your brand is made up of everything your company portrays to the public, and it goes beyond your logo. Everything that represents your company is part of your brand: logo, web site, letterhead, the way you dress and the way you answer your phone. Things that may seem small, such as typos in your e-mails to customers, can have a negative impact on your company's image. All businesses, especially small businesses, rely on a strong, recognizable brand to grow their customer base and attract word-of-mouth marketing. In the generic consumer world, it takes up to seven exposures to a brand to make a brand memorable and evoke a response. Ideally, you want your future customers to know who you are before they have to use you.

Why should I keep my colors, logos, etc. the same? When you are consistent, it creates something called brand recognition. Brand recognition is the reason you can identify the Coca Cola brand even when the style of the can or the advertisement changes. The company consistently uses the same shade of red, and the same font to spell out its Coca Cola logo, despite the change of design in its advertisements. Make sure to use logos, slogans, colors and fonts consistently so potential customers can properly identify your company regardless of the medium you use to market it. For example, one day you give your card to someone you meet. The next day that person is driving down the road and sees a sign for your bail business with the same logo on it and makes the connection. After some time, that same person may misplace your business card, and resort to looking through the phone book for your company. Upon seeing your logo in a phone book advertisement he makes the connection and recognizes it once again. When you are consistently branding your company you will begin to build brand recognition. What easy steps can I take to improve my branding? Think about how your logo represents your company. Does it accurately portray your company’s level of professionalism? Have a professional logo designed and make sure to use it on all of your marketing materials (letterhead, invoices, business cards, online advertisements, etc.) to build your brand. Consider how cartoon characters and inappropriate photos look to perspective clients. Do you have personal or irrelevant content on your company's web site? Take simple steps to remove these items. Some computers are not equipped to handle Flash, music or animation. Make your website as simple as possible to navigate by removing these items. On your web page, be sure to build a professional site. Make sure you have useful content and keep it current. Have your phone number on every page. Sell yourself by placing your business in the best possible light. Small businesses often gain business through referrals, which means that conducting yourself professionally is part of your branding. If your slogan is, “All Day and All Night – We’re the Best in the West” and a customer can’t reach you when he needs a bond at 4 a.m. it will reflect poorly on what appears to be one of your core principles. That person’s perception is now the reality of your business, regardless of your signage and slogans. Remember that the little things count to customers. Answering your phone saying, “Bail Bonds!!!” gives off a much different impression than, “Bill’s Bail Bonds, how can I help you?” These business practices build your brand just as much as having a professional web site or logo. Correctly building your brand, results in a brand that portrays trust, confidence and professionalism to the public.

About AboutBail.com
Since 2001 AboutBail.com has been a resource for locating bail bond agents, criminal lawyers and bail recovery agents anywhere in the United States. The goal of AboutBail.com is to help our users and their loved ones in their time of need.

Need to get a loved one out of jail? Visit us online at http://www.aboutbail.com or call (866) 411-2245.

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