When you hear the word “branding”, you might think of logos, fonts and colors… But that’s just a small part of what truly makes up your brand. In this episode we’re talking about all things branding. We dive into what makes up a brand, why you should consider building your personal brand, and when it might be time to consider a rebrand for your business.
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Episode Highlights
- (0:49) What is branding? What makes up a brand?
- (2:33) The 3 main things you should focus on for branding
- (2:38) Logos and purchasing decisions
- (3:51) Steps to take to establish your brand
- (4:43) The importance of building your personal brand
- (6:52) What to do if you’ve outgrown your brand and signs that it’s time for a rebrand in your business
- (10:12) Why you shouldn’t rebrand your business
- (11:45) An example of a really strong brand
- (12:04) The importance of consistency in the pictures you share for your brand
If a logo isn’t a brand, what makes up your branding?
Branding is what gets your ideal client to pay attention to you? It’s what allows you to stand out from a crowd. Branding is really just how someone experiences you and your business as a whole. There’s a lot of planning, strategizing, and consistency that goes into creating a strong brand. But your brand is what tells your dream clients that you have the perfect solution for them. Branding is what allows you to attract and repel people, which is honestly a good thing. You want to attract your dream clients and those people that you want to work with that can afford you. And you want to repel the people that are not your ideal clients that are not the right fit. Popular elements that make up a brand are the logo, the name that you choose, your colors and your fonts… But branding actually includes so much more than that.
Branding really encompasses everything. It’s your voice and messaging. Your branding includes your pictures and the imagery that you use on your website and your social media platforms. It’s your online presence and your mission and core values. It’s your client experience and the gifts that you give them. Your branding is the way that someone experiences you! And it’s the way that you take your core message and values and share them with your target audience.
Branding Mistakes New Business Owners Make
New business owners often make a mistake when it comes to branding and they don’t consider their brand as a whole. When they think about branding, all they think of is a logo. And what tends to happen, is that people spend a large amount of money upfront on getting a logo and a color palette and fonts, but they don’t take into consideration the fact that they might need to work with a copywriter or a photographer, or even a web designer. While they end up with a strong element of a logo and that part of their brand, they are lacking all the other foundations of their branding.
A lot goes into your brand. If you’re newer to business, I think there are three main things that you should focus on. Your voice, your imagery and your website. (You can read more about these 3 pillars of branding here!) I want to challenge you to think about the last time that you made a purchase decision based off of a logo. Unless you’re buying from a place like Louis Vuitton, the logo probably isn’t making or breaking your decision. You buy from companies because of their whole brand, because of the way that you felt when you read their messaging. And when you went on their website and what you experienced and also their packaging… All of that goes into purchasing decisions.
Another thing to consider if you’re a new business, is that you learn your brand as you work with your ideal client. My brand has evolved so much in the last few years and I’ve actually gone through four different logos in my business. So while you do need a logo, you also want to focus on the foundations of your brand as a whole. You want to think about your pictures and your messaging, and think about the other factors that aren’t just your logo.
How to establish your brand
If you’re not sure how to establish a brand, or you’re not sure where to start when it comes to your branding, here are a few steps for you. First of all, you can start with a SWOT analysis to figure out your unique value proposition. When it comes to branding, you really want to show what makes you unique and you want to stand out. A SWOT analysis will ask you what your strengths and weaknesses are and what the opportunities and threats are in the market. The second thing you should do is create your client avatar. I actually have a whole episode on the importance of creating a client avatar and you can find that here, but you need to know who you’re talking to and who your ideal client is so that you know how to approach them through your branding. The third thing you can do to learn more about your brand, is do some market research or client surveys to keep learning about your clients.
The Importance of Building a Personal Brand
I’m a personal brand photographer, so I’m obviously going to be biased when it comes to this topic. I believe it’s important for every business to build a personal brand. Even if you are a company that isn’t run by just one person. I think that there’s power in having that company still have a persona or have someone that can be the personal brand. When you build a personal brand, you’re really allowing there to be a human connection. People work with those that they know, like and trust. And it’s easier to attract someone to work with you when you’re your personal brand, because you’re making a connection with them and they are establishing trust with you.
Signs it’s time to rebrand your business
What should you do if you’ve outgrown your brand? And what are the signs that it’s time for a rebrand in your business? One of the biggest signs that it might be time for a rebrand is when you start targeting a new audience or demographic. Another sign is if there’s a disconnect in your visual brand when it comes to the feelings that you’re trying to evoke. I’m not a brand designer, but I do know that different colors and fonts can evoke different feelings. Some fonts and colors can communicate a high-end experience and a luxury feel, while others might give off a more playful or bold vibe. You need to think through who are you trying to attract and how is your brand speaking to them when it comes to the colors and visual elements you’re using.
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