Maintaining a positive brand reputation

No matter how beautiful your logo looks, it is not the be all and end all. A logo is just the start of the branding process. Many companies feel that if they spend time creating a website and social media pages with their new luxury logo, they will have created a brand that looks good and entices new customers. But what about your reputation?

You also need to make sure you’re responding to messages quickly, providing your customers with engaging content, making sure orders go through seamlessly and giving them reasons to leave positive reviews. Word of mouth is always going to be huge in terms of attracting new business, so you have to do all you can to create a positive brand reputation. You may not have full control over this, but you should at least make sure the majority of your customers have good experiences and you should go out of your way to make that happen. This is much more important than a fancy website or logo!

Branded stationary for your clients: More than a nice gesture

The key to creating strong brand awareness is repeated exposure of your brand to your target audience.

This ‘repeated exposure’ can come in a range of forms, from your logo on your packaging to your letterhead, social media page, phone case, carrier bag, website or van. Many companies spend a considerable amount of their marketing budget on branded stationary so that they can give these items out to their existing and potential customers, and you may be surprised to know just how much effect a pencil, pen, keyring, mousemat or ruler can have!

Stationary is important in most workplaces. A branded pen could stay with your client for 2 weeks, a month or even a year, so by giving your branded stationary out to perspective clients as a gift or nice gesture, you’re able to keep your business in their mind. We’re not saying a customer will choose you just because of your sparkly new pen, we’re just saying that if you’re able to get your branding in their workplace, around them, near them or on their desk, you could be making your brand more recognisable, so this little touch can actually go a long way.

This form of branding also shows that your message is worth more than just an email, social post or letter. You’re making your brand look more professional and unique, which is always a positive in the eyes of a potential client. Many people confuse branding with logo design, but your brand is everything about your business. It’s how customers see your business. So make sure you’re keeping a positive reputation in the industry by outperforming your competitors, whilst never taking your foot of the gas in terms of building brand awareness and improving recognition. Every new client or customer is unique, and while some will be more likely to act on an email or social media post, others may prefer a phone call or face to face visit, so make sure you deliver valuable content for all types of individuals.