Today we’re are talking about branded collateral. Great! But what the heck is that?
Today we’re are talking about branded collateral. Great! But what the heck is that?
Branded collateral is any visual, media, or any other touchpoint you use to promote your brand. Things like your logo, fonts, colors, website, business cards, social media images…all of those things that speak to your brand and what you do. And the aforementioned are just some of the examples.
When you’re first starting out, it can be challenging to know what you need first, and what can potentially wait. Because, let’s face it, as much as we want to, we rarely can do all the things. So let’s start with the “big ones:” your logo, fonts, colors, values, and social media. Those are all huge, even the social media jazz. What I hope you know and have accepted is that, as a business, you can’t reach your full potential in success and growth without that social media presence. You just can’t. So go ‘head and hop on board that train, cause it’s leaving whether you’re on it or not.
Quick side note: please, please, please, for my sake and for the sake of all of your future customers, have the correct size/dimension for each of your images. Each platform is different, so your Instagram profile photo is not going to be the same size/pixels as your Facebook cover page. Side note to the side note: pixels are the little dots or squares that create our images. Google is your friend here, so just search for “social media image sizes,” and grab the latest/most recent result. This will help avoid the infamous “cut off” images that don’t quite fit as well as the teeny images smack dab in the middle of a much larger area with unnecessary white space far as the eye can see.
Back to branded collateral. Once you’ve got the major pieces, there are secondary collateral items to consider. Think: email signatures, invoices, proposals, websites, thank you cards, etc. The idea is to keep your messaging consistent and cohesive. You want each step in your customer’s journey to be branded, so when it comes to deciding what collateral to pursue next, that’s where you start.
Think about the life cycle of your customers. I would encourage you to jot this down as you consider every step they take, starting with them not even knowing you exist to learning about you and what you do, engaging with you, making the sale, customer service, offboarding, all of it. Every single one of those stages has a crucial touchpoint for you to brand. THAT’S where you want to start and focus your efforts (once you’ve got the “big ones”).
Digging a little deeper, there could be a ton of different ways that a potential client might discover you. It could be through social media, arriving at your website via a google search, trade shows, or networking events. Each of those has a touchpoint you can (and should) brand. Social media graphics/posts, a cohesive and dope website, leave-behinds or one-pagers for audience members to take with them, or business cards. More than likely, there will be at least two ways that they can find you. Think about the top two and make them priority one for your secondary collateral. For example, if you’re not going to a ton of networking or one-on-one events, then you probably don’t need business cards right off the bat.
Next…they’ve found you, and they know who you are. How do they learn about what you do and how you can solve their problem? Is it through information on your website? Instagram stories? Blogs? Emails/newsletters? YouTube? Whatever it is that’s getting you the maximum engagement with your audience and future customers, that’s what you look at next. And friends? Your branding doesn’t have to be super complex. For example, I’m working on “branding” my Instagram feed a bit better. Am I using the same filter on each photo and the same colors everywhere? Nope. But…I am creating a consistent look for each quote, tips, puns, etc. Nothing crazy or too time consuming, but something to tie everything together and make it look like it’s all from the brain of my brand. A solid color background that’s in one of my branded colors, my branded fonts, my mark, etc. That’s it. Simple and easy, but it shows the consistency and cohesion we’re looking for.
From there, it’s a rinse and repeat with each step of the customer experience. Where are they interacting with your brand, and how can you make that an awesome and memorable experience, unique to you? Is there a product they can video unboxing? Maybe go with some colored tissue paper that’s in your palette (ps, you can also get custom tissue paper with your brand), or a way you package. If you’re a service-based business, think about proposals and invoices and emails (CRMs are your best friend because you can set that up alllll in the beginning). Oh, and remember when I mentioned thank you cards? Y’all…those are KILLER. So simple, so easy, but SO impactful. Think about how often you get a handwritten thank you note thanking you for buying something. Not the canned ones everybody gets, but something personalized and tailored to YOU? Mmm-hmm. Ya feel me? Whatever you do, don’t let the purchase or completion of the product end the customer life cycle for your peeps. Maintain that contact, send a thank you card or referral discount card. Check in with them a month or three down the road. The key is: stay. top of. mind. They might not ever need your product/service again, but you want them to always think of you when they talk to someone who DOES.
So there’s a quick and dirty rundown of branded collateral for you. And listen, services and sites like Canva and Vistaprint can be your greatest friends, ESPECIALLY when you’re just starting out. I’ve got a ton of other free resources I’ve put together for you. It’s actually a little bonus guide paired with my handy-dandy “Billion dollar brands: 5 takeaways you can start implementing NOW.” And double bonus: you get “The top 5 brand failures and how NOT to make that list.”
How do you get your hands on them? I’ll tell you, but it’s tough, kids. Ready? Go to my website (https://morepowelltoya.com), scroll to the bottom of any page, enter your email address, and hit submit.
You’re welcome. Now go forth and commence with the magic-making badassery you were born to make.
