Want the latest hottest trends?? 🚨

Did that just grab your attention?

Why? Did you think knowing the latest hottest trends would unlock the keys to brand growth?

Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but real long-term growth and establish a strong brand identity, doesn't come from chasing trends, or trying to create similar content to what all the other successful people around you are creating.

YOU NEED TO SHOW UP WITH A CONSTANT BRAND STYLE AND VOICE

I don’t know about you, but I get a bit tired of seeing the same reel trends over and over and over.
But when I see someone doing something creative and new I want to check out their brand.

When I scroll through Pinterest and everything looks the same, it begins to get boring. But when I see something different it grabs my attention.

There is nothing wrong with using trends here and there, but if all you ever do is copy trends, for inconsistent big pushes to try and get attention, it might work at first but it does nothing to build up a strong brand identity that lasts.

You need to be bringing your own creativity, brand voice, and style, to build up a recognizable stand-out brand.

I was reading ‘The Brand Mapping Strategy' by Karen Tiber Leland and she talks about how important it is for brands to be consistently showing up, sharing their expertise, and building a brand rather than relying on big pushes, like a viral piece of content or a media mention. Because while those things can give your brand a boost, if you don’t keep showing up after the fact and consistently bring value and keep building your brand, it won’t last.

So rather than focusing on trying to chase the trends and virality. Chase consistency and brand building.

Throw in some potentially viral content, but make your focus on consistent small efforts. And consider ways you can always add your own creative twist on things to carve out your unique brand style.

Of course it’s one thing to say you need to make steady consistent efforts in your brand, but what does that actually look like?

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Keep Your Brand Identity Consistent

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You need to keep your brand identity consistent. It keeps you memorable and recognizable. You shouldn't be constantly changing up your branding. Get clear on the look of your brand, create documentation on your brand including the fonts, colours, logo, graphic elements, icons, tone of voice, style, photography etc so that whenever you create anything for your brand you are able to refer to this and continually create a consistency in your brand's identity.

It's important to create your brand identity purposefully as well, so that you will ant to stick with it long term and won't be tempted to constantly change things up.

ALSO READ: 5 Reasons your Brand Identity needs to be Consistent

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Have a Clear Consistent Voice and Message

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You need a clear consistent voice and message. Know what your brand has to say and how you say it and keep communicating that. This includes your brand story, the messages you want to be telling your audience, the dream your are selling them, how you empower and encourage them. Know who you are talking to and what you have to say to them and the language you use. If your message and voice chops and changes all the time it confuses people.

Voice also includes music as well, so when choosing music to use in your video content, be sure to have a consistent audio style as well. This means considering the style of music as well as the lyrics. This is a mistake I see a lot of people make, using audio that is jarringly different from the tone of their brand. So next time you pick some audio stop and consider if that audio really refelcts the tone of your brand.

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Have Consistent Values

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You need to know exactly what your brand believes in and what you don’t believe in and be consistent in your values. If you easily chop and change to please others, it confuses people and waters down your brand. A strong brand has strong values that attract the right people. It is ok that you are not for everyone. Some people won't agree with you but if you are clear on your stand, and stay consistent with it, it builds trust and loyalty and brings more of the right people to you.

ALSO READ: How Brand Values can set Your Brand Apart

Don't Chase things only for Growth Sake

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You can’t be chasing things just for growth, people-pleasing, virality, virtue signalling or to fit in. It is so important to be yourself and stay true to your brand. If you jump on a trend in hope of gong viral but it doens't align with your brand, you will attract the wrong people, lose trust and respect from your existing audience and damage your brand image.

If an idea fits your brand or you can find a way to adapt it to your brand then go for it. But be careful of chasing things for growth and allow your brand image to be water down in the process. It will not lead to healthy brand growth but messy inconsistent growth and likely ruin your engagement with the people you want to attract.

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Show up Consistently

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You need to be showing up and sharing content in a consistent manner. Not disappearing for weeks then coming back super strong expecting results from that. There will be times when you need to take breaks, but communicate this with your audience. And when you are available to show up, do it in a consistent reliable manner. Find a way that is sustainable for you and won't lead to creative burn out, so that you won't end up unintentionally dropping off because you went to hard and then couldn't keep it up. Slow and steady. Find a rhythm and stick with it.

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Share your Unique Creativity

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Be creative, try things that you want to create. Yes sometimes it will flop but it will strengthen your brand voice and make you memorable. Sharing unique content will make your brand stand out and it makes you far more memorable and recognisable. You also establish yourself as an expert in your field as you are not just sharing the same things as everyone else but have your own thoughts and ways of doing things.

This in turn helps you attract the right people to your brand.
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Now none of us are perfect in this, but it’s something to work towards if you want to strengthen your brand and have long-term stable growth.

I know I have times I get stressed, and emotions and life overtake and my consistency drops off.

Be aware of where you might be falling off and work on ways to improve that.

💁Which one is your biggest struggle?