Branding
How to Get Clear on Your Brand Identity
Are you having a brand identity crisis? A lot of people, whether just starting out or not, reach a place where they question their brand identity. They aren’t sure what their message is, or they feel “all over the place.” Here is a quick exercise to help you get clear on your brand message and identity.
5 Steps to Get Clear on Your Brand Identity
It’s not always easy to see the big picture, and not everyone has the tools necessary to create the brand they envision in their head. Many times they are so busy building their products or service that they neglect the other aspects of their brand. Or, maybe they just aren’t sure how to get there. So how do you get crystal clear on your brand?
When working with clients, there are multiple stages we go through, but the FIVE main questions I always recommend asking yourself are this:
1. What is the overall message you want your brand to convey? In other words, how would you like your audience or the general public to perceive you upon first impression and as a continued experience?
2. List 3 attributes you’d like associated with your brand. For example, youthful, hipster, cutting edge, educational, fun, informative, entertaining, laid back, Southern charm, clean, simple, etc. Only list 3, any more than that and your brand message may get garbled or confusing.
3. What need are you filling in the market, or your market segment? Be clear and very specific on what you’re bringing to the table. What solutions, skills or service do you offer? What value are you giving to them?
4. Who is your #1 ideal customer? Think about who your ideal customer is and make sure your brand identity and voice is speaking to them, specifically.
5. Where do you want to go? In other words, get a mental picture of where you see your brand in 1-3 years. This will help you narrow down and focus your branded content. It will also help you to build a more solid roadmap and marketing plan.
I personally struggled with brand identity when I first started off as a consultant and freelancer. Even with a strong brand building and design background, I was struggling to see and manage my own brand. Crazy, right? Not really.
Branding is built the same way across any widget, person, product line or service. Once I made that connection and translated what I knew about building apparel brands into my own brand, it got a lot clearer.
One client I worked with struggled with branching out beyond her yoga class business. She wanted to embody a full mind, body, spirit and wellness brand and position herself as an influencer of such. Once we knew where she wanted to go, we were able to tailor her content, posts and even website to point toward that message and goal. By creating a professional brand identity package and doing the work associated with her end goal, we were able to position her brand seamlessly.
The five questions exercise above is part of my branding methodology and will definitely help you get really clear on your brand message and goals. It will also help you to create a consistent brand message across your social platforms, and create your value proposition in the market.
Getting clear with your brand will also help you to achieve consistent and cohesive messages with your social media posts and ad creatives. Once you know what content consistently lives on your platforms and within your brand house, you won’t stray from it, and your audience won’t be confused and “tune out.”
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