The Power of a Killer Brand
If I Were Starting Over Again, here are my top tips! After 20+ years in the industry, I’ve learned a thing or 2 and I want to share with you why your brand matters
There is power in a brand.
And why it’s important to get it right early on.
Strong brands enable consumers to distinguish your products and services from that of your competitors. Brands cultivate affinity, trust, and customer loyalty. Brands allow your business to charge a premium for its products. And brands play a key role in making products and services stand out in an increasingly competitive online marketplace.
I am often asked, If you were starting your business again in 2021, what would you focus on? Easy!
It’s ALL about the branding!!
In fact, It’s why my self-proclaimed title recently changed from Owner and CEO to Brand Strategist, Photographer, AND Creative Director.
So, let’s start with that, shall we?
Making Branding a Priority
I know most small business owners when I talk about branding it’s one thing, “Oh yay, pretty colors, photos, logos, I love being creative, YES I need a better brand!” BUT… once we dive a little deeper, it becomes a little bit more involved (we could relate to this therapy in some ways) stay with me…what’s on the outside is pretty and put together but what’s behind the curtain” can get a little messy BUT it’s important to address allll the things so you can truly stand out and show the world how YOU and your brand is unlike the rest!
Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to be excited about when we talk about colors and Instagram palettes. Those are fun and easy to get excited about.
But, that’s not all there is to branding and marketing.
When I talk branding, I’m talking the nitty gritty, day-in and day-out strategy your small business HAS to have in place, what it sounds like (aka words, how you dress, how you show up, do you know what your client’s issues are, do you even know WHO they are and what they need from you, are you sharing quality photos that attract?)
Why?
Because in today’s day and age, you’re not just running a small business, you’re building a brand with a story that needs to be shared and heard!
Your brand doesn’t need to be as large as Peloton or Starbucks to be considered a brand. It doesn’t have to be massive, it just needs to be concise, honest, and truthful to who you are.
Perhaps I can put it this way as well - if people see a post online of someone or an Instagram story as they’re mindlessly scrolling, or even if they see a flyer on a random wall, they should be able to immediately tell who the information is coming from or what business they represent.
That’s what good branding gives you - instant recognition.
So, keeping all that in mind, I would rewrite my title on LinkedIn and every business card I ever gave out in my early days of growing my online business.
This stuff is important!
People Buy Solutions to Problems
The next step in your branding journey will be to make sure your brand story and the brand deck is completely on point. (what’s a brand deck, Janel?) Essentially it’s the guide to your business, your rule book! A brand deck is how to communicate your brand. They lay out all the visual details, as well as important notes about the company's voice, tone, and messaging.
Remember, you don’t have to wait until you make money to create your brand guide.
In fact, by creating your brand deck before anything else, you’ll save tons of time and money because your contractors will have a clear vision of what they need to work off of while building out your business.
So, here’s everything you’d need to detail in the all-important brand deck (get your notebooks out y’all!):
3 promises that your product or service guarantees
Who is your target audience?
What are your target audience’s aspirations and what do they loathe?
Fonts
Color schemes (think of colors that make you feel good and your potential audience will respond to! If you want to go deeper into color, check out THIS POST on How to Select your Brand Colors.
Determine your Niche!
What problems do you solve? and How does your brand solve problems?
What are your beliefs and benefits and why did you create this brand?
Words are powerful! What to use and never use (remember, your brand should attract and repel)
Your brand story
When I created my brand deck back in 2018, I used it as a jumping-off point for everything - my social media strategy, my website, my branding photos, all of it!
And the effort paid off. Now, people are telling me, “I thought that looked like you” and recognize my brand, and (most importantly), they already have strong feelings about me and whether or not they want to work with Janel Gion Creative Studios!
That type of instant connection is important, and the biggest gift you can give to your business.
So, how does this apply to your business?
And more importantly, how can you make sure that your branding gets the facelift it needs?
Well, let’s break it down!
Where Should I Start First?
1 | Build or Upgrade Your Website
After you have a solid brand deck, make sure to upgrade and update your website to fit it! I’m a huge fan of Squarespace - software that is inexpensive and easy to update. I also design custom templates for Squarespace that you can make your own too in my Shop if you want to check them!
Your website is your virtual business card! Without one, you can’t be taken seriously, it gives people a way to pay you money and collect their information to later find out more info from! (HINT: grow your email list!)
2 | Schedule your Branding Photoshoot or at the Very Least, Enlist Friends/Spouses to snap some Quality Photos or you Doing your Thang!
Ensure that your website and virtual feeds are in line with you and how you want your brand to be seen! If not, bust out those cans of virtual paint, hire yourself a photographer and book your session! Quality photos will make or break someone’s trust in your space!
Now, I wouldn’t recommend going ahead and spending a fortune if this is your first shoot but ask around, find out if they do a mini session or quarterly session you can keep fresh images on hand at all times.
I sincerely believe major branding investments should take place only after you’ve DIY’d it yourself to know that hiring the professionals is the next best step!
if you’re going to do a massive overhaul of your brand, I’d ensure that you have an open conversation with your brand specialist, designer, and photographer to support it.
See my Branding work in Action >>
3 | Create an exceptional Content Calendar
I’ll admit it - finding a routine to keep my own Content Calendar up to date is TOUGH sometimes but it can be your number 1 go-to to organize all the things!
Want a PEEK at how my Studio Members inside The Creative Branding Studio are able to use our Content Calendar and create a Lead Generation Strategy to simplify their business and bring more business?? Grab your FREE sneak peek HERE!
We use it to map out and track everything, including:
Email
Blog Posts
Instagram
Facebook
To make sure I stay organized, I map all these out 30-90 days in advance. It gives my a visual representation of everything content-related that leaves my desktop/laptop and phone. (HINT: and makes it easier to outsource to other when you’re ready too!) That way, we leave no room for confusion.
Of course, as I mentioned, I am still a work in progress and a prerequisite to this is actually working FOR YOU is making sure you’re putting effort into creating the content itself. However, I know that designing and copywriting may not be your strong suit, and you simply may not have the funds to hire a full time agency!
In that case, The Creative Branding Studio is the answer to your prayers!
With plug-and-play emails and social media prompts, stock photography, Canva graphic templates, and monthly training, it’s a no-brainer for those of you who are tired of staring at black page.
Now, when it comes to your socials, please remember that numbers do not equal success. It’s much better to have 100 engaged followers as opposed to 10,000 people who barely connect to your posts at all!
To outsource or not to outsource?
As a business owner, you don’t need to be an expert in every facet of marketing. I personally think that most small business owners need to get their hands dirty and do the work themselves FIRST to understand who and what and how to make your first hire for outsourcing their marketing and branding. Start small and scale the level of your outsourcing as your business grows. Identify what you love, hate, and tolerate! (HINT: make a list of 3 columns just like this and do that work to see what you're dealing with)
And that’s it!! This is my under-the-hood approach to your branding and marketing if you were starting over today.
If you do apply these tips in your own business, find me at @janelgion and tell me how they helped!
