One of the best ways to learn is to look at the examples of others. In the case of building a brand, we’ve analyzed Marie Forleo and her show Marie.TV- she is a great example!Looking at her brand, we found that there are three elements, or pillars, she used to successfully build her brand: video, design, and copy. Together, these elements made her brand hers and can make your brand yours.
When Marie first started with video, she made sure to stick to a posting schedule. Whether you choose to upload a video daily, weekly, or monthly, make sure that you follow her example and adhere to a consistent posting schedule. Consistency is key, as you’ll learn in this article!But back to the beginnings: do you know what the hardest part about video is? Starting! You don’t need to have professional gear in order to start filming (while it’s a nice addition, it’s not required). As long as you have a phone, webcam, camera, or other filming device, you’re good to go! Just relax and focus on starting.Another huge lesson to learn from Marie is to focus on your audience. Marie takes the time to answer questions asked by her audience, making them feel included. While you may choose to find content elsewhere, keep your focus on your audience. Once you’ve finished the video, take time to edit. Marie’s videos are edited to be clean and professional, matching the rest of her brand. Editing is necessary for most videos, with exceptions (such as Facebook Live- obviously you can’t edit it). Yes, editing takes a lot of time and skill, but it’s a worthwhile investment!Lastly, the audio. Badly done audio (echoing voices, noise in the background, music that doesn’t match the tone, etc.) is distracting and one of the quickest ways to get viewers to stop watching. Think about Disney’s movie UP. Do you remember the 5 minute piece in the beginning that shows the couple growing old together? It showed their hardships and love, ending with his wife passing away and Carl having to adjust to life without her. This piece was beautiful, emotional, and often brings viewers to tears. But why is it so powerful? Disney chose to convey these feelings through music, and music only. There was not a single word said during that piece. In this case, audio through music was the best choice.
As a business, you’re going to create video, social media, and a website. It’s not much of a ‘if’, but more of a ‘when’. Each element needs to look the same, from posts to profile images, to show viewers that it all comes from a single business. Do not ignore design!Why? Because design is what ties everything together! The easiest way to make your design is consistent across every platform is to create a style guide. Choose a specific color palette, fonts, and the tone of your brand. Then write it down. Make the style yours and use that guide when creating… anything!Having this consistency helps viewers look at your content and immediately think “Oh, that’s (your business)” without looking at the logo.And more than instant recognition, having consistency in your design helps customers see your brand as professional, instead of a brand hastily thrown together.
Copy is more important than you may realize. Think about how often you write something: video descriptions, email newsletters, social media posts, articles, comments, and on and on! The copy's voice needs to be consistent across every platform.The consistency in your copy goes along with the consistency in your videos and design- it shows users that all content ties back to your business. Marie’s voice is upbeat and conversational, making it a great tool to brand herself and appeal to her audience. These three pillars are just the foundation. Once you understand and implement these aspects, continue to build on it! There are plenty of methods to successfully build your brand and increase brand recognition. If you have any questions or would like to recommend another method, feel free to leave us a comment!
