What's In A Brand?
(By Elizabeth Tuico) Your new venture is up and running. The client work begins, and you start establishing your business brand.
Just because you created a logo, doesn’t mean you have a brand. More than a name, term, design or symbol, a brand is the recognizable feeling a product or business evokes. (Remember: solopreneurs should cultivate a brand; it’s not just for big organizations.)
If you haven’t thought about building a brand, how do you get started? Try this simple exercise:
Write down five words to describe your business.
Write down five words to describe your target client.
Write down five words to describe your aesthetic.
Most likely, your brand will evolve over time. Consider the following:
Incorporate Your Values
Determine your values and how should they be reflected in your business. How do you want others to perceive your brand? This step is particularly important if you hire employees. Make sure your staff understands these core values.
Identify Strengths
What differentiates you from the competition? Why do clients want to work with your business? Identifying strengths is critical to growing the business and should be your north star. They not only dictate your brand, but become the roadmap for business development.
Define the Target Audience
Start building your tribe by envisioning the ideal client. Keep a list of potential clients, and use your network to encourage connections. Eventually, you can develop an email list and reach out to targets regularly.
Determine Your Look
Visual design elements distinguish your brand. Take the time to work out your logo, color, typography, images, tagline and packaging (if you sell products). Consider assembling a basic corporate style guide to keep this data handy in one document.
Find Your Voice
You can’t be all things to all people. Authenticity is key. Brene Brown defines this concept as the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be, and instead embracing who we really are. Once you find your voice, your credibility is amplified, and the work rolls in.
Be Consistent
Make sure that your visual design elements are consistent throughout your website, marketing collateral and social media accounts. Time went into to developing your brand. Don’t dilute it by using an old logo and random fonts in collateral.
After a few years in business, your brand may recalibrate to align with what your clients want. (We’re seeing more of these adjustments from the trickle down effects of COVID.)
Recently, I changed my logo and streamlined my services to focus on marketing and content writing. These offerings play to my strengths and the needs of my target audience. As I revamped Rebel Road Creative, it was critical to go back and review my brand strategy.
Clients in the A/E/C (architecture/engineering/construction) and tech industries turn to Rebel Road Creative for marketing ideas, training and content creation. Looking for a spark to light up your business? Get in touch.
