In the world of digital business, some of the most talked about topics are the importance of producing valuable content, creating efficient marketing strategies and nurturing your leads. After all, these are some of the fundamental points for building trust among your audience and strengthening your brand.
However, have you ever thought about how a brand manual can also help your business to be recognized and consolidate itself in the market?
Verbal identity, tone of voice and visual identity are some of the components that cannot be missing from a good brand manual, but there are many others besides them.
Want to know what a brand manual is and how to create one that makes your business stand out? Then keep reading this post!
What is a brand manual?
The brand manual is a guide that contains all the guidelines on a brand's image, that is, it brings together the visual and communication elements that differentiate your company or business from others.
When we talk about image, we are not just talking about egypt whatsapp data visual identity — which is one of the basic components of the brand manual. We are talking about the “face” of your business, how it is recognized in the market, what it conveys, how it is remembered by customers and partners.
A brand manual is one of the most effective ways to define how your company wants to communicate with its target audience. This guide will outline some basic principles and standards that will be useful for everyone involved in your business, such as content creators, designers, freelance collaborators, etc., as everyone will have a starting and ending point when they have to represent your brand, whether in writing, visually or even in a simple post on a social network.
Why is a brand manual important?
Much more than guidelines that will give your company an identity, the brand manual communicates the entire culture of your business and how it is reflected in the product or service you offer. In other words, it not only provides a graphic and verbal representation of your company, but also reflects its mission and values.
Think of your brand manual as your company’s personality. It’s how the world recognizes you and what it considers you to create a relationship of trust. If you see someone who constantly changes their appearance, way of speaking and acting, you’ll get the feeling that you don’t know that person and, therefore, they won’t inspire trust in you, right?
This is the same logic that applies to brands: inconsistency and lack of standards can drive away your customers. In other words, a manual is an excellent tool to help your business communicate consistently and generate credibility among your audience.
What is a brand manual for?
As we said before, the brand manual is a fundamental resource if you want to generate the perception of consistency and trust for your business's persona.
But, if you think you still need more reasons to think about creating one of these for your company, we have listed five reasons for you to put this idea aside and create your brand manual right now.
1. Solidifies your brand image
The manual is the centerpiece of your brand’s overall image. Even if you already have a logo or an established tone of voice, if you don’t have a document that brings them together, variations can arise at any time that detract from your brand’s character.
2. Helps your brand be remembered by the public
If you constantly change the image or verbal identity of your business, you will not solidify yourself in your customer's memory and may, therefore, give way to the competition.
On the other hand, if you create a manual that reinforces all the elements, mission and values of your company, your audience will have a real reference for your brand and this will make a difference when deciding to make a purchase, for example.
3. Makes your work process easier
When you put all the guidelines that make up your brand in a manual that is freely accessible to everyone involved in the business, you are avoiding several common dilemmas in the day-to-day running of a company — such as errors that generate costs and rework —, since the entire team will know where to find the information that highlights and gives identity to your brand in the market.