3 Tips to Improve Brand Consistency

You probably know by now how important it is for your brand to be consistent — in it’s messaging, visuals, and tone. (If not, we suggest reading our post about the importance of brand consistency before finishing this one.)

But knowing something is important is not the same as knowing how to make it a reality.

Luckily, there are 3 tips you can implement that will instantly improve your brand’s consistency.

#1. Use a brand guide

One of the best ways to ensure consistency is to document how you want the visuals of your brand to be used. This information is usually put into a document called a Brand Guide or Style Guide.

Because your brand guide documents the elements of your brand and the rules a designer must follow, it helps ensure all designs have a similar look and feel (regardless of the designer).

However, if you want to make sure you get the full benefits of a brand guide you need to make sure the document is easily accessible and everyone knows where it is located.

NOTE: Our post about the importance of having a brand guide will walk you through making your own guide (along with a free template you can use).

Create a Brand Guide with this template

You don’t need fancy software to create an effective Brand Guide. This Google Doc template is easy to use, and takes only minutes for you to fill out. You can have your brand documented in under 15 minutes.

Free template! No email signup required. Simply click the button to start using the template.

#2. Review social media platforms

Social media platforms are the biggest culprits when it comes to brand inconsistencies. Many non-profits open up a bunch of social media accounts when they start their organization.

But, these accounts are often abandoned or rarely updated. Because of that you’ll often find old logos, imagery, colors, etc being used on the account.

We recommend taking a few minutes to review all of your social media platforms (after you’ve got your brand guide in hand). Look for visual inconsistencies and note them down. Then set a schedule to go through each account and make sure everything is updated to meet the standards of your brand guide.

Finally, set yourself a reminder to review your social media accounts every 3 – 6 months. This will ensure your accounts are never too out of date.

#3. Review website home page

This is similar to reviewing your social media accounts, but you would be surprised how many non-profits forget to update their website. The home page of your website is often one of the most trafficked pages on the site (if not the most trafficked).

Because of this, it’s important to make sure the home page meets all of your brand guide’s standards.

Another thing you want to review on your website is the messaging of the website. If you’re struggling with your brand’s messaging make sure to read our post about creating your brand message.

Conclusion

There you have it — 3 ways to improve your brand’s consistency. Once you’ve finished those 3 steps make sure to set a reminder to review everything at least twice a year.

If you ever find yourself struggling to keep your brand consistent you can reach out to us to setup a free consultation. We’d love to hear about your non-profit and how we may be able to help you.

Justin Lynch

Justin is a Brand Strategist at Avlier, a brand consulting company.