04 Communication Mediums
Now your focus becomes communicating your brand story through applicable mediums. Whichever medium you communicate through - website, social media, or print materials - your brand story shares your Primary Strength™. Regardless of the medium used, your defined audience should receive the same understanding of what benefit your service provides.
- Communicate your brand story across applicable mediums.
91% of users following your brand on social media will visit your website or app.4
4 Steps in Creating A Consistent Brand Story Warm Up
Each medium allows you to tell your brand story in a unique way. For example your brand story will be told via text/video/photo on Instagram, via video on Youtube, and via audio on podcasts. Another consideration is that your defined audience has a preference in the way they obtain information. Knowing your brand story, you can now focus on communicating through each applicable medium.
4 Steps in Creating A Consistent Brand Story
01 Demonstrate perceived value through production.
Invest in a level of production through which your prospective client will have an increased perceived value of the brand. Prospective clients are constantly making judgements of which brands will provide them value.
02 Create your brand story on your website.
The foundation of every brand is a website. Even when someone follows you on social media, majority of them are heading back to your website to get a better understanding of your brand.
03 Build awareness on social media.
Communication through social media is digested by small bits of story. This leads the prospective client to understand your brand through following you over time. Most importantly, social media keeps your brand in front of your prospective clients eyes for when they are in need of your service.
04 Create an internal communication plan.
Your team will always be in situations where they will talk about your brand to prospective clients and media outlets. It’s crucial to your brands success that the story your team shares is indeed your brands story, based on your Primary Strength™.
Takeaway
It’s your responsibility to know which medium your defined audience obtains information from. Your challenge now becomes executing your brand story consistently across applicable mediums to reach your defined audience.
Communicate Your Primary Strength™ Deep Dive
Some people view photos on social media, some look at past work on websites, and some like listening to in-depth podcasts. Whichever the case, your brand should serve your defined audiences communication preference and deliver a consistent brand story.
The Problem
A father is looking for an Orthodontist to provide braces for his daughter. Getting referrals from his friends, he starts doing research to determine which service provider to go with.
Some people view photos on social media, some look at past work on websites, and some like listening to in-depth podcasts. Whichever the case, your brand should serve your defined audiences communication preference and deliver a consistent brand story.
The Problem
A father is looking for an Orthodontist to provide braces for his daughter. Getting referrals from his friends, he starts doing research to determine which service provider to go with.
The Solution
Step 1: Demonstrate perceived value through production.
It takes less than half a second for prospective clients to form an opinion about your brand. By investing in the production value of your communication, you will ensure prospective clients will take the time to explore your brand.
How this could go wrong
By having low production quality, for example poor photography and font choices, the brand comes across as out-dated. You could be providing exactly what the prospective client needs, but the production quality could stop them from learning more.
How to get it right
With a high production quality, the prospective client will be enticed to learn about your brand values and the strengths you have to offer. This will also create a high regard for your service and expertise.
Step 2: Create your brand story on your website.
Majority of prospective clients research your brand through your website. You want to make sure your website has clearly articulated your brand story so your prospective client can make an informed buying decision.
How this could go wrong
Your website is not up to date and has non-essential content. This reduces the focus of your brand, resulting in a negative experience.
How to get it right
Your website is up-to-date with an excellent mobile experience. Your content focuses on your brand story and demonstrates how you have solved your clients needs practically.
Step 3: Build awareness on social media.
Your prospective client sees your brand story unfold by following you on social media. When communicating through this medium, it’s important to understand that your brand is creating a relationship over time.
How this could go wrong
Following the general notion of “always be posting”, you post anything related to your business. Your content loses sight of your brand story, thus losing focus of your defined audience.
How to get it right
Tell stories that are rooted in your brand story and are relevant to your defined audience. When inspired to post something, relate it back to your Primary Strength™ and speak directly to your defined audience.
Step 4: Create an internal communication plan.
There will always be a situation in which your team will talk about your brand to clients or media outlets. It’s crucial to your brands success that the story your team shares is indeed your brand story.
How this could go wrong
The internal communication plan is not created and your team is left to talk about your brand based off their own interpretation. This often results in the recipient not understanding the uniqueness of your brand and who you serve.
How to get it right
By documenting your market position, defined audience, Primary Strength™, brand story and sharing it with your entire team, everyone will feel committed to growing your brand. Your team will communicate your brand story to whoever they come across, leaving their recipient with a clear understanding of what your service is, and who it is for.
Conclusion
Your website, social media, and all other mediums are your communication tools. Through production quality and sticking to your brand story, you can communicate your brand to your defined audience. Turn to the Communication Mediums template to answer questions that will help you implement your brand story across applicable mediums.
Put what you’ve learned into practice Templates
The Process of Communication Seedling Summary
In the Seedling process you created a specific market position and differentiated yourself from the competition. You identified three main audience segments critical to communicate with. The integration of your market position and defined audience created your Primary Strength™. Combining your Primary Strength™ with the four story objectives, your brand story was created. Then you made sure your brand story was communicated through your applicable mediums.
As you learn more about your market position and defined audience, your Primary Strength™ and brand story will improve over time. Congratulations, now the hard work begins.
How Will You Communicate? The Road Ahead
Communication is a 578 billion dollar market that’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Brands will always need to sell something. Communication is hard to execute but simple in premise. Seedling is our approach.
If you wish to implement your communication based on the Seedling process, great. Let us have the privilege of answering your questions. If you want us to implement communication to grow your business, email fruitful@makerbros.co