The brand of your digital product stands out immediately when a user looks at your App Store page. Just as we do with people, we tend to judge digital products quickly and based on our first impressions. Those first moments are crucial if you want to grab the users’ attention. So, how can you do that through branding for your digital product?
What Is Branding?
Branding is a very broad term. Some people think it refers just to the logo and visual identification of your digital product but branding is much more than that. How you communicate on social media, your tone of voice, your customer service as well as the design of your website, your logo and other visual aspects of your brand. Even things like the fonts affect how people perceive your brand. It’s the overall image of who you are as a company, the way you make people feel when they interact with your brand online and what they experience when they use your product. You can see how some brands and companies are perceived as more serious and sophisticated while others are fun and playful. This feeling that you get when you look at a Wendy’s logo versus an IBM logo is exactly what branding aims to control. Notice how brands shift the way they’re seen by the public using their digital marketing. Wendy’s is a great example here. Through their presence on Twitter they have created an image customers relate to and it draws them to make a purchase. How can you achieve that? Here’s some things to focus on:
First, Know Your Brand
Before you can go outside to the world to spread your message, you need to have a deep understanding of what your message actually is. If you try to brand your product but don’t know much about what the brand stands for, you and your team will make poor marketing and product decisions. Identify the key values your brand needs to represent. Ask yourself and your team why do you do this? Then, ask how you want to do it. This will provide you with insights on how to design your product and how to better your customer service so that it suits your branding. Customers need to identify with the brand in order to become true supporters of your business. Otherwise, your retention will be low. But the right branding can turn customers into loyal followers who share your business with their friends and family.
Research Your Competitors & Your Audience
The next thing you need to do if you’re building a brand for your product is to research the competitors and your target audience. If you want to stand out, you need to be aware of what you’re up against. It will also give you a good understanding of how other brands communicate with their audiences. What do their visuals look like? How do they approach their digital marketing? What’s their content like? Even if you’re not sure about what your brand should be, researching other businesses will give you a sense of direction and knowing which directions are better for you. Based on this research you will be able to create a strategy for your marketing and for the overall experience you want the users to have with your product.
Creating A Visual Identification
Things like your logo, colors and typography are all a part of your visual identity. So use them wisely. The design is what people see first when they find your digital product online. All your marketing creatives and other content need to be cohesive with your brand in order for users to recognize them as yours. One of the most important things about your visual identification is that it should not come first. Many people start their business out by designing a logo, but that’s not how you should do it. First, set values and goals for your brand. Create a strategy and then focus on your visual image. The design should reflect the things you value as a company and evoke the right feelings in each user. This is not easy to achieve, but if you team up with a great User Experience Design Agency they will help you to create great visual identity. You can also create a Brandbook that will be a guideline for all your future creatives and content.
Social Media, Marketing & Content
One of the things many brands don’t take into account is what role does their marketing strategy play in their branding. Sometimes people think that branding is only for their product. But everything your brand does (marketing, email communication, posts another forms of content) is branding because it can have an impact on the customer experience. That’s why you need to plan your strategy around your brand’s values. It’s the best way to create a cohesive online presence and the key to building meaningful relationships with your customers.
The Brand Inside The Product
Digital products not only have a visual identity but they also represent your brand with their usability and flow. The way you design your digital product says a lot about your identity as a company. User Experience is one of the most important things, because even if the app looks the best but is not usable… Well, it’s not going to be a success. That’s why it’s so important to make conscious effort while creating your digital product to think about what the customers need, how your digital product can help them, what they’re looking to find when using your services. Even if you already have a digital product or a product design that’s good, you need to keep improving it, adding new features, gathering feedback and making it a continuous process of improvement.
Creating Your Digital Brand
There isn’t one single best way to create the perfect digital brand. Just as there’s no one way to build digital products. Just as there is no best approach to manufacturing digital products, there is no best way to build the ideal digital brand. Yet, if you want to have a strong online presence and a brand identity that your clients will like, keep these in mind. For instance, think about using QR codes in your marketing strategies to improve customer engagement and experience. However, these are some things you should keep in mind if you’re looking to build a strong online presence and a brand identity that your customers will like. If you need any help with creating your website, your visual identification or building your digital products – get in touch with our team and get this process started!
