If you’ve been around the online business world for 2.5 seconds, you’ve heard someone say you’ve got to brand your business. Right after niche, branding is probably the most thrown around words in Facebook business groups today.
But what is branding really? Your logo? Colors? (Hint: nope!) And how do you choose your branding anyway?
In this post, you’ll learn:
- The lies you’ve been told about branding and how it’s hurting your online business
- What branding really is
- How to choose your branding the easy way
The Biggest Lies about Branding
Want to know what really gets under my skin?
What gets me all hot and bothered… steam coming out of my ears?
My kids not listening…
AND these “branding experts” who go around in FB groups spreading LIES that are HURTING your business mama!
Here’s the top 3 branding lies I see all the time:
- You need a logo to start a business… and you should pay a lot for it!
- Choose brand colors that you like… or that 583 of your closest FB group friends like.
- Get a brand board and your branding is done!
Here’s the truth: your brand is sooo much more than just visuals!
When you spend your time choosing your branding based on just visuals, you’re missing a HUGE piece of the equation – who you want to work with!
And as a result, your ideal clients are getting away!
If you want to get serious about booking more clients and building your business, then you’ve got to get serious about creating a brand that ATTRACTS those clients.
But how do you do that? So glad you asked…
Before I get into how to choose your branding the easy way, let’s do a quick review of what branding ACTUALLY is.
The Basics of Branding
Let’s start at the very beginning. What is a brand anyway?
“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers” (American Marketing Association)
Did you catch the most important part of that? “identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers“
If you’re falling for the lie that branding is all about fonts and colors, then you’re missing the entire point of branding.
Anyone can choose turquoise or pale pink for their brand colors.
But an entrepreneur that is smart about their branding knows WHY they are choosing those colors.
Because they know WHAT makes them different from their competition.
“[Branding] is a strategy designed by companies to help people to quickly identify their products and organization, and give them a reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by clarifying what this particular brand is and is not.” (The Branding Journal)
Every single interaction someone has with your business is a part of your branding. From your posts on social media to your email marketing to your website, it is all about branding!
So is branding more important than choosing a logo or colors you like? ABSOLUTELY!
Those are like the icing on the cake. If the cake is burnt or undercooked, the best icing in the world isn’t going to fix it!
The Elements of Branding
Branding is really composed of at least 5 basic elements.
- Brand attributes
- Brand differentials
- Brand story
- Brand visuals
- Brand experience
Brand Attributes
Brand attributes are basically the characteristics or personality of your brand. If your business was a person, how would someone describe her?
Brand Differentials
What sets you a part as a brand? Brand differentials are the things that make your business different from your competitors.
Brand Story
Stories are a great way to communicate your branding! If you haven’t read Donald Miller’s Building a Storybrand book, stop what you’re doing and go buy it right now!
Brand Visuals
Now this is what most people think of when someone says branding. Your brand visuals include your logo, color palette, fonts (typography), and images. If you’re doing branding right, your brand visuals will connect emotionally with your ideal clients and display your attributes!
Brand Experience
Now don’t stop at what your brand looks like! Develop a brand experience from the moment an ideal client first hears about you through when you’ve finished working together that shows your branding!
Choose Your Branding the Easy Way
Branding can seem so overwhelming, can’t it? But if you want to start an online business that actually makes you money, it is so important!
So how can we make branding easier?
Start at the very beginning!
Since branding is all about what makes you different than your competition, you’ve got to spend some serious time deciding what your brand stands for!
Once you’ve come up with your brand differentials, decide on your brand attributes (or personality).
But before you jump in and choose your visual branding, take a minute and look into the psychology of colors. Find the color that BEST aligns with the personality of your brand.
You also want to consider your target audience when choosing your visual branding. Men and women have different colors that appeal to them.
Just keep working through the elements of branding and you’ll build a beautiful brand piece by piece!
Branding does not have to be overwhelming.
Take your branding one step at a time, and before you know it, you’ll have a brand that will attract clients AND grow your business!
Need some help with your branding?Let’s talk! I create custom websites and beautiful brands for busy moms strategically designed to help them book more clients. After we work together…
- You’ll look like someone worth investing in, with a gorgeous AND strategic design that establishes a relationship between you and your ideal client
- Your new website will work while you sleep or play with your kid, answering questions, growing your email list, and booking discovery calls.
- All of your tech (like email lists and call scheduling) will be integrated seamlessly so you’ll save loads of time and have fewer headaches.
Ready to get started? Check out Websites in a Box today!
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