by Jocelyn Davis, The Virtual Effect
It took courage didn’t it? You needed to be courageous enough to believe in your business idea and maybe even more challenging was to find the courage to believe in yourself. To believe that you are more than capable of making this happen. To believe that you are enough to make your dream a reality. It isn’t always going to be pretty and glamorous like many social media feeds lead us to believe it is, but when you are doing what lights you up it will absolutely be worth it.
Now that you have made the decision to go for it your to do list grows exponentially and the overwhelm sets in. With all that you need to do why is branding so important and why does it deserve your resources?
You know who you are, you know what your business is about, what you stand for, and the impact you want to make on your clients, but the question is, do you know how to effectively and consistently communicate this? You may fear choosing the path and focus that is authentically you as it might drive people away and you’re right, it will. But this is nothing to fear, this is what you need to embrace as it will draw in the right clients and elevate the overall experience.
Branding is the foundation from which this authentic communication of what you do, who you are, and what you stand for is built. Branding is far more than just a logo, it includes other elements such as:
Logo
Fonts
Colours
Graphic elements
Brand Believer (my coined term for
your ideal client)
Brand voice
Social media handles
Website address
Email address
Customer experience map
Imagery style guide
Vision statement
Mission statement
Some of the above are considered tangible branding elements, some are intangible. The biggest intangible, and the indication of branding success, is how a client’s interaction with you made them feel. You want their experience with you to elicit all of the words you associate with your brand and in order to achieve this you need to do all of the above and more on brand. When you are consistent it builds trust and people will begin to believe what you say and feel like they are getting to know you. And we all know that people do business with people they know, like, and trust.
Here is a quick checklist you can use to assess where you are at in your branding
journey and what might need your attention:
Answer Yes or No to the Following Questions
Do you have a vision and mission statement?
Have you detailed out your ideal client?
Do you have brand colours you consistently use?
Have you identified your brand voice?
If you have answered yes to the above take it to the next level and evaluate your website and social media with the above details in mind. Be objective and don’t be afraid to ask others for their opinion.
If you answered no to most of the above set aside some time to go through the branding process, either on your own or with a professional. By establishing this foundation your communication and decisions become a lot easier.
Happy branding!
About the Author
Jocelyn Davison is the founder of The Virtual Effect. The Virtual Effect provides event
planning and branding services to startups, small, and medium sized businesses.
Impact and experience is at her core as she makes the connection between vision and
image for business owners.
