We talk a lot about online marketing around here, especially websites and social media. However, even in this new digital era, it is still important to have traditional, printed marketing tools in your collateral strategy. In order to stay competitive in today’s market, companies – small and large – need collateral strategies that tell their stories to all online and offline potential customers, investors, employees and the media. You should have both a print and digital version of all the items below.
- Brand Standards Guide: Before you embark on a collateral strategy, you need to create a brand standards guide, which is a set of instructions that let others know how to use your brand identity, and, thus, create consistency with how your brand is viewed by others. The guide will provide instructions on how to use your logo, colors, layouts, images and typography in a variety of media, such as package design, stationery, social media, website, email, banners etc.
- Business Cards: This should be a given, but a growing number of people are forgoing traditional printed business cards for digital ones. In reality, most people in the business world currently don’t use digital business cards and there will be occasions where you will still need to hand out an old-fashioned card that succinctly describes you and your business. Don’t forget to put your website or QR code on the card so others can access your online presence.
- Company Fact Sheet: This should give all the important facts about your business, including the mission statement, a brief company history, names of founders and senior management and contact information. A separate fact sheet could be created just for biographies of key staff and/or board members that includes relevant experience and accomplishments.
- Services or Products Fact Sheet: This is a great sales technique to set yourself apart from your competitors. It should show prices or value of your services and/or products as compared to your competition.
- Testimonials: It is always a good idea to get insightful testimonials from your past and current clients, representing a wide spectrum of your company’s services and/or products. Testimonials add trust and confidence in your company’s abilities.
- Client List: Also listing some of your clients, especially well-known ones, can also add credibility in your work to other potential clients or investors.
- Media Kit: Make it easier for the media to report on your company by having a kit prepared with basically all the above items, in addition to a press release and clippings from previous media coverage.
In addition, all of these materials should be reviewed and updated when needed. If you need help with creating your own collateral strategy, contact us!
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