In a variety of industries, but especially in content creation, managing and growing your brand is an essential part of running your company. Figuring out exactly how to do that in an organic way can be challenging, especially for smaller creators or first-time business owners.
A brand encompasses a variety of things, from graphic design to tone of voice to the type of content that you post and share, and maintaining yours involves being consistent in how you present yourself and your work. Since brand-building is a newer tool for entrepreneurs and creators, it can be difficult to educate yourself on the best methods and practices. If you’re in need of help, read on to learn a little more about the five basic ways you can improve your brand.
1. Create a visual identity.
If you use social media, it can be worth it to invest in art for your presence on all web platforms. You can find a channel art creator online, and commission work that you can use for all of your media pages, including making YouTube banners and other types of channel art. It’s a smart idea to hire someone who understands how branding works and what designs function best on the most popular platforms that you use.
Take a look at some of your favorite content creators and look at their Twitch or YouTube channel art, it’s an area where most creators care to invest money, and for good reason. Those images are usually the first thing people see when they view your channel, so it’s important to get that initial impression right.
2. Post content consistently across platforms.
People want to see regular updates and since not everyone uses every platform, it’s necessary to cross-post as much as you can. It’s also an advantage if your content is available for sharing on a variety of media platforms.
Not every social media website has the same audience, and the demographic of people who are going to share your video on Facebook isn’t the same as the demographic that makes up your subscription base on a media platform like YouTube. Learn the differences and make sure you’re curating your content appropriately.
3. Focus on developing a unique tone.
The way you speak and write is also a part of your brand and it’s essential that you understand how your content is coming across. If you write or film a lot of tutorials, learning how to write in an accessible and informative way is beneficial for your audience. If you review products, being able to convey excitement well is a necessity. The idea is to find the most effective way to deliver your message and to make sure it sounds like you.
4. Make sure your brand is present when you appear at events.
Any time you go to an event that’s related to the industry you’re in or have the opportunity to provide promotional material, take advantage of it. You can use photo printing to ensure you have physical prints of your logo and any other branding material you need. You can even have your logo or your branded images printed on merchandise like t-shirts, coffee mugs, and stickers.
It’s worth spending the money on high-quality prints, you don’t want your images to be pixelated or blurry. If you want to do something more complicated than just printing a photo, talk to a graphic designer about your needs.
5. Protect the integrity of your brand.
It’s important to be cautious of what companies and personalities you associate with, especially if being family-friendly is a priority for you or your business. Your brand is one of your most valuable assets and you should be careful to ensure that it’s only associated with projects that you’re proud to work on. You can’t put a price tag on the value of having a well-maintained and attractive brand.
Defining and promoting your brand and integral parts of running a business in 2021, whether you run a retail store or you’re a content creator on YouTube. That means investing resources into creating a visual and tonal identity for yourself or your company, one that communicates exactly who you are and what your business is about. After that, it’s on you to ensure that your branding is consistent across platforms and visible at any events you attend or on any products you give out.
It’s also of the utmost importance that you protect your brand from being associated with anything unsavory or that could tarnish the image you’re presenting. It can take time to see results, but it’s worth putting in the effort to improve the strength of your brand both on and offline.
