A few days ago at the mall my friend was handed a flyer by this lady who sold real estate. My friend doesn't have plans of buying a house, but she read the flyer anyway and checked out the company's website. The houses looked nice and the prices were reasonable but being a marketer herself, she was turned off by the typographical errors she spotted on the flyer and wondered why the color schemes in the flyer and the site were different. In marketing, image is everything.

This is why having consistent marketing pieces is essential. You may have a clear mission, vision and values when you started your business. You know your objectives, and you're thrilled to execute your marketing strategies. You know you need to build your communications based on your value propositions, so you look at some of the most commonly used marketing materials and decide which ones you'll create for your company such as brochures, newsletters, product sheets, and business cards. With a good copywriter and a creative graphic designer, it should be a piece of cake right?

So why do we still see some inconsistent marketing messages in some marketing pieces?

The importance of a consistent look and feel

Just how important is producing quality, consistent marketing materials? These pieces are the "face" of the company, so it's essential that they not only look great and have flawless content - they also need to sends out consistent messages in order to be effective. We wouldn't want to mislead prospects, customer and clients with inconsistent messages, slogans and even company colors, would we?

I've enumerated some tips for creating consistent marketing pieces. These may be very easy and basic for any marketer, but still, I believe it bears repeating. Eventually, marketing materials speak volumes about your brand, company and credibility. Might as well make it perfect.

Colors and Images.

Materials should be created from a consistent palate of colors and images. You don't want to create confusion. You would want to make certain that you are conveying a clear, consistent and compelling message, from your website, brochure and email newsletters to your print and billboard ads.

Correct grammar, proper terminology.

What would you think of a company if you notice bad grammar after visiting their site or reading their brochure? Care about the words you use. Consistent marketing collaterals require the use of consistent terms so that your customers are clear on what you are explaining. Content is king in your marketing pieces, and this shows a lot about the professionalism of your company.

Update, update, update.

After spending the time and money on your marketing collateral, perhaps, you don't want to do it again. Nevertheless, it's important to keep them current. Make it a practice to check and review your pieces often to be certain that your messages are still consistent. Perhaps, you could even adjust the content and improve the design. Never forget to keep your materials recent no matter how busy business gets.

With consistent marketing pieces, you not only make an excellent impression - you also establish your brand and attract potential customers in!