In the age of content overload, your brand needs this one thing to stand out

No doubt about it, the online marketplace is absolutely packed with millions of businesses – all vying for the same limited number of eyeballs; all valiantly attempting to be the one that gets noticed in the crowd. But Shayne Tilley, Head of Marketing at 99designs by Vista, says there’s really only one thing brands must have to stand out: consistency.

Content overload equals too much information

Think of the internet as an empty car park. Most of us have had the experience of driving in and being overwhelmed with the abundance of spaces, taking a minute to decide just exactly which one to choose. The same can be said for our online experiences.

As soon as we open our phones, tablets or laptops, we are inundated with information and choices. But instead of available car parking spots, it’s news, brands, blogs, social media and adverts rushing our senses.

This is what’s been recently dubbed as ‘content overload’ which, simply put, is the overwhelming of an audience through too much information. Online consumers are constantly faced with more information than they could ever need and it can be hard to ensure that your brand stands out among the digital clutter.

You could make a strong argument for the importance of simplicity in branding as a way to combat the clutter. However, while simplicity is certainly important, the antidote to one thing is not always necessarily the opposite.

In order to make a strong impression in the age of content overload your brand needs one thing above all else: consistency.

Why is brand consistency important?

At 99designs by Vista we see first-hand the impact that great branding has on small businesses every single day. But great branding alone will only get you so far.

You need to ensure that customers can find and then pinpoint your brand through the digital clutter as one they can trust. You not only want your brand to be recognisable, but reliable too.

A brand that is inconsistent with its message, appearing or sounding one way on its website, but then communicating differently via email or on social media, is likely to confuse customers. A trustworthy brand, on the other hand, is one that follows through on its promises.

But ensuring your brand remains trustworthy isn’t just about telling customers they can depend on you. You must show them through a cohesive and consistent brand experience.

3 key steps to achieve consistency with your brand

The good news is that with a little groundwork and attention to detail, consistency can be easily achieved for your brand. And a little goes a long way in the digital sphere.

1. Understand ALL your brand elements

A strong visual brand identity is the key to setting your brand apart from your competitors and cutting through the clutter. Take a look at any successful company’s branding and you’ll notice that anytime you come across them, whether it’s online or in real life, you encounter the same brand experience.

While your logo is the cornerstone of your identity as the brand, it is only one part. To develop a cohesive visual identity for your brand, there are a number of additional elements that are non-negotiable. From your colour palette, fonts and imagery to taglines, tone of voice and brand positioning.

Understanding how all these elements relate to and interact with each other can help you form the complete look, feel and experience of your brand. It’s all about repetition, which is key to imprinting your brand into the mind of your audience.

2. Match your identity to your values, vision and mission

Consistency in your visual assets is essential for presenting a unified brand for your business. But this consistency needs to also go deeper.

It’s all very well that your logo, brand colours and website look cohesive, but if they are not consistent with your aspirations and values as a brand, they will be disjointed and you risk communicating mixed messages to your customers.

Spend time understanding who you are and what you stand for as a business, as this will give you an excellent basis from which to develop all the visual components of your brand. For example, knowing that you are a rugged, outdoorsy brand seeking to inspire the thrill seekers of tomorrow will help you make informed decisions on how you visually present your brand to them.

3. Develop a brand guide

Consistency isn’t just about here and now. Building consistency into your branding is also about planning for the future and creating longevity for your brand.

You’ve spent so much time with your designer refining the look and feel for your digital brand, so in order to make sure all this effort and money does your business justice, the final piece of the branding puzzle you need is a brand style guide.

A brand guide is a set of specific rules and guidelines that tell you when, where and how to use all the elements of your brand – from your mission and values to your brand identity and personality – both now and in the future. It ensures that any new elements can remain consistent, and by creating an easy to share digital brand kit, any team member or contractor has a single source of truth to refer to when creating on-brand work.

Presenting one, unified and streamlined message to your audience through your branding is one of the most effective ways you can leverage design to build long-lasting connections with your audience.

By creating this branding consistency, you can ensure that your brand not only looks great, but stands out among the clutter as one that is reliable, trustworthy and one worth choosing.

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