According to an infographic from WebDam, over 65 per cent of audiences are visual learners—meaning they absorb information better visually than by text. Visual data is processed 60,000 times faster by the brain than by text data. Knowing this, and using it as an advantage can help a company connect with potential clients faster. It simply means developing a brand strategy and implementing it everywhere through consistent brand messaging.
Logo design
Branding starts with one main tenet: people must be able to quickly and easily identify a company by how it presents itself to the world. This can range from the design and colour scheme chosen for the logo, to the type of wording used on social media and outdoor signage.
There is an entire psychology behind colour and branding, including how certain colours are meant to convey messages about a company in a subconscious way. For example, according to HubSpot, a logo containing green indicates that a company is in tune with nature and makes people feel calm and relaxed. The colour blue in a logo associates the company with depth and stability, and makes people feel comforted.
Once the colour palette and logo are locked down, that combination needs to be an integral part of branding efforts. Remember that a logo and its colours are just the starting point. Now it needs to be rolled out into a larger brand identity.
Website enhancements
When a complete overhaul isn’t in the cards, simply updating a website’s landing page could make a big difference. A banner designed using the company’s chosen colours and logo should be prominently displayed, as should a selection of high-quality photos.
According to WebDam, videos posted to landing pages help increase conversions by up to 86 per cent—meaning users will click through to watch the video and spend more time engaging with the content featured on the websites. Another option is to add testimonials to the landing page, which are known to have an 89 percent effectiveness rate for generating new leads.
Finally, consider adding a blog feature to the website. Even if only updated once a month, company websites that offer blogs generate 67 percent more leads than websites that don’t. Blogging offers a great vehicle for addressing the types of things that are important to a company, whether it’s a dedication to preserving the environment or corporate charitable endeavours.
“We like to ensure we are blogging at least once every two weeks, sometimes more if we can,” says Trish Macpherson, VP Sales and Marketing at CAPREIT. “It’s given us the opportunity to show who we are, and that is a company who cares about the comfort of our tenants while helping them to live their best life. We write about money saving tips, do-it-yourself decor and anything else that would be interesting to the type of tenants we look to retain and attract.”
Community-building
Ultimately the goal of branding—particularly for those companies with a large number of properties across the province or country—is to develop customer loyalty. A tenant who has had to move to another city will find comfort and familiarity in a property that is owned by the same company they were with previously.
“You want a client to see your logo in another city and immediately feel a connection,” says Jessica Green, founder of Cursive, a Toronto-based communications consulting firm. “You’ll make them feel like they are already home. Not many brands get to have such a privilege.”
Interestingly, a brand is not necessarily always what you make it. As with any branding efforts, customers will help to define it. Allow it to grow and evolve naturally over time. By giving tenants the opportunity to interact with a brand, particularly on social media, they’ll help to define what that brand is really about. Listen to what tenants/potential customers have to say and don’t be afraid to incorporate their input into your branding (and marketing) efforts. Doing so will build the community that will carry your brand well into the future.
Chaim Rivlin is the founder and CEO of RentSeeker.
