A while back, I wrote about how one of my pet peeves is having to do the same thing over and over again (repetition) or having to repeat things because they didn’t get done right the first time. But, repetition doesn’t have to be a bad or annoying thing–when it comes to branding and marketing and cultivating clients and customers–repetition can actually be your friend…
Repetition in business can be a good thing–I am not talking about having to do a menial task over and over again or getting stuck in a rut–but sending a strong message or conveying your mission, tag line, logo, etc. on a regular and continuous basis are necessary in order to build up a strong reputation and a strong “brand.” I know that you might think that your business is so small and seemingly insignificant as to not really need to think about “branding”–but that is not the case. You still need to send a consistent message and make things clear and accessible. Repetition is the best way to do that.
The key to productive repetition is consistency. Make sure you are sending the same message(s) about your business and not sending convoluted or confusing ones. While paradox and ambiguity may be a fact of life for most of us and quite human–when it comes to business marketing and branding, this isn’t really the best way to go. People won’t know what your business is about or what you are trying to accomplish. If you have a great logo (“We solve your problems” for example) be sure to use it on everything–you can even include it on your voice mail or how you answer the phone. If you send billing statements or invoices, send them on the same date every month and make sure they look the same. Consistency is key. Look for things that you are doing in your business that you can make consistent and repetitive–particularly when it comes to marketing and customer interaction. By sending the same, positive, consistent message over and over again–you can build customer loyalty and people will know what to expect from your business.