In today’s crowded digital space, a memorable brand stands out through consistency and connection. Most companies understand this and begin with a unified visual identity — consistent logos, fonts, and colors across their website, social media, and email communications. These basic elements help establish instant recognition.
That said, I’ve seen many companies get partway there. They put some brand-building efforts in place, but execution varies. Strategies are inconsistent, and over time, small breakdowns begin to erode the brand. Even when companies are doing things to build their brand, their methods vary — and so do their results.
Where Brands Break Down
Let’s start with the obvious: a focused, consistent, and ongoing brand story is essential to building a business. I’ve never met anyone who would argue against that. But here’s where things start to fall apart — not in the concept, but in the implementation:
• What does branding actually entail?
• How often should I be doing it?
• How do I know if I’m doing it well?
• How can I measure if it’s working?
You could probably ask five million branding questions, all valid, all potentially helpful. But that leads to something else…
⸻
The Specter of Overwhelm
Yes, I know — “specter” is a dramatic word. You’re probably imagining some gothic shadow monster looming over your marketing calendar. But I picked that word on purpose. When you start digging into everything you could do for your brand — strategies, channels, content types, design iterations — you might start spinning. And then you freeze.
You start thinking:
What’s the point? I can’t compete with these massive brands and their limitless creativity.
And suddenly, you stop doing the things that do matter — the small efforts that would have added up over time.
⸻
Missed Opportunities (a.k.a. Low-Hanging Fruit)
Let me ground this in something real. I work in digital marketing every day, in the trenches, with businesses of all sizes — nonprofits, for-profits, startups, and everything in between. And I see missed opportunities constantly. These aren’t just pet peeves or “best practices.” They’re things that:
• Add value to your brand
• Help your customers
• Can directly or indirectly increase sales
They’re simple, and they’re worth doing — especially because many businesses aren’t doing them.
⸻
The Starting List: Digital Must-Dos
Here’s a breakdown of a few practical, low-barrier tactics I recommend to almost every client. None of these are revolutionary, but they work. Think of them as stretching before the workout.
Search Ads
These are your basic text ads on platforms like Google and Bing. They’re not flashy, but they’re cheap, effective, and scalable. Think of them as the lunges and jumping jacks of digital marketing: simple, essential, and often overlooked.
Display Ads
Display ads (images or video banners on websites and platforms like YouTube and Google TV) typically don’t convert at high rates — but they’re inexpensive brand-building tools. For just a few dollars, you can put your visuals in front of thousands of people. Worth testing on a low budget.
Multi-Platform Digital Advertising
This wasn’t possible a few decades ago. Today, you can run coordinated campaigns across search, social, email, YouTube, and more. A well-executed, multi-platform approach builds a consistent, wide-reaching brand presence.
Content Library
“Content is king” has been repeated to death — but there’s truth to it. In today’s AI-driven world, scaling content is easier and more important than ever. A content library is more than blog posts — it’s a searchable, evergreen asset that drives traffic, builds trust, and supports lead generation.
A Full Social Program
Some businesses are all-in on social, others post once every three weeks. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and unpredictable. But social media puts your brand in front of your audience when they’re paying attention — and that’s worth the effort. Even outsourcing or hiring help is worth considering.
Endless Promotion
This isn’t a platform — it’s a mindset. Marketing is constant. If you’re not promoting regularly, you’re falling behind. Not every effort needs to be a home run, but you should always be swinging. Small, frequent touches win over time.
⸻
Marketing as Exercise
Let’s be honest: most people don’t love exercise. But they do it because it works. You don’t expect one gym session to turn you into an Olympian — you do it for the long-term health benefits. Digital marketing is the same. These basic practices may not feel glamorous or exciting, but over time, they move the needle.
And yes, just like that one runner who collapses mid-race, there are always cautionary tales. But don’t let outliers distract you from the bigger truth: consistent, smart marketing helps your business grow.