Are You Honoring Your Brand Pillars?

A content writing project with a recent client inspired this post. The client’s brand pillars were somewhat unusual for their industry, yet they were well-defined and clearly articulated, and the client’s online presence was evidence that they fully embraced their pillars. 

I work with clients to optimize their online presence. So it’s not surprising that I tend to be critical when perusing websites, social media feeds and marketing outreach. Missed opportunities and broken links, grammar errors and dated practices jump off my screen and  divert my attention from the business’ message. I do my best to take a breath and remind myself that most businesses marketing online are not in fact in the online marketing industry. 

From the ground up: Brand pillars first

More significant than the technical gaffes is the business that doesn’t have clarity around who they are and what they stand for. Faced with the innumerable tasks of birthing a business, it’s understandable for a founder to focus initially on those items that feel more manageable.

But forging ahead without developing your vision, including your principles, core values and brand pillars, is like buying furniture before you build a house. The structure itself – the foundation, frame and supporting beams, for starters – must all be in place before you can set up the sofa.  

So what are brand pillars?

Brand pillars are the values and characteristics that make up your brand. Your brand should be about how you communicate your message to the world. Brand pillars help you do that by defining the fundamental points that set your company apart from your competitors.

HubSpot

Brand pillars are not a competitive secret that’s kept close to the vest. Rather, they should guide your visual presence, marketing outreach and interactions, both online and offline. Your principles, beliefs, strengths, and especially your unique value proposition are integral to your brand pillars. Capitalizing on the values, qualities and actions that differentiate your company helps you define your brand pillars and be true to them.

What does your brand stand for?

When onboarding new clients, I engage in a formal process to gain an understanding of their voice, vision and value proposition. While some clients provide comprehensive (even exhaustive) detail, others are challenged to articulate their responses. I work with these clients to help them uncover their competitive edge, develop their brand voice and articulate their offerings in a way that is both compelling and authentic (more here).

Gaining inspiration from others is part of the creative process, but marketing executions should be consistent with your brand. Inspirational quotes appropriate for a mindfulness and yoga studio aren’t on-brand for a technology company, because the pillars are different. Similarly, while it may feel authentic to you, co-mingling content relating to your personal causes with your business outreach can feel disjointed to your audience, distracting from your marketing effectiveness.

Brand personality is a thing

Have you given thought to your brand personality and voice? Not yours alone, but your company’s. Some companies have established distinctive and recognizable voices that pervade all aspects of their brand. Duluth Trading is one example. Their messaging, imagery, audible voice and phrasing are consistent and on-point. Your company’s personality should be woven through your website and all aspects of your online (and offline!) presence.

Is your brand earnest? Practical? Irreverent? Do you favor your softer side, or are you straight and to the point, like Duluth’s no bull guarantee? Is your brand bold — or collaborative? When developing your brand personality, consider your target customer. To attract and engage likely prospects, your brand’s personality should be relatable and appealing to your audience.

Want to learn more about marketing and content strategy?