Branding is everywhere it is as important as the persons identity– it is a businesses idenitity!
Think about it – a company brand is how you recognize the company or product.
Examples to think about
- Taco bell has the iconic bell as their logo and through the years they have made modifications but the bell has remained
- Nike has the swoosh and it doesnt matter where the swoosh is everyone knows it is Nike
- McDonalds has the golden arches which is recognizable worldwide
- Chanel has the double C’s
The list could go on and on but I think you get the idea
Personal Branding
Most may not even think about their personal brand, may not think it is important. It is very important here are a few reasons personal branding is important especially when involved with a direct sales or small business.
- It sets you a part from other direct sellers and the company that you are representing
- Gives you your own identity online
- If your company would unexpectedly close or you decide you no longer want to be with the company or you want to switch companies you will not skip a beat and can continue on because you have branded yourself not relying on your company to brand you!
What goes into a Brand
- Values
- Mission
- Goals
- Vision
- Colors
Steps to build your brand
- Bea AUTHENTIC- Your brand should showcase you authentically to your followers, your customers, your clients! A Personal brand should be a true reflection of your values, passions, beliefs and skills
- BRAINSTORM SESSION
- CORE VALUES-
- what are your core values?
- What do you believe in?
- What do you stnad for?
- What do you stand against?
- PASSIONS-
- What topics are you most interested in?
- What are you passionate about?
- What can you not stop thinking about?
- SKILLS-
- What are your skills?
- What trainings have you had?
- What is your experience?
- CORE VALUES-
- BRAINSTORM SESSION
Key Elements of a Personal Brand
- Vision- What do you want to be known for?
- Mission- What is the purpose of your brand? What do you hope to accomplish? Who are you influencing?
- Message- What is the message of your brand?
- Personality- What is your personality? How do you want your brand perceived?
What is your niche?
Niche is important when trying to figure out your brand! Defined by Websters Niche is a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted or a specialized market
Do you know your Niche? If not that is okay I am going to help you !
- Who is your ideal audience?
- Who is your perfect customer your dream customer?
- Who are you trying to attract with your brand?
- Who are you speaking to?
Keep in mind that your brand won’t be for everyone and that is okay!!!
Colors
Choosing colors that align with your brand is important- colors are easily recognizable especially in the digital world we are living in today!
Color initiates emotion, choosing the wrong color could be detrimental to your brand
steps to incorporating color into your brand
- Identify your color- check out the following color qualities(if your color isn’t below simply google the color qualities of____)
- Red- power, desire, love, energy, determination, action, passion, courage
- Blue- intelligence, trust, loyalty, peace, authority, truth, wisdom
- Yellow- optimism, positivity, light, energy, happiness, vision
- green- growth, rebirth, spring, peace, luck, healing, relaxation
- Orange- energy, Productivity, competition
- Pink- Feminine, fun, sweet, playful
- Purple- dignity, wealth, luxury, spirituality, royalty, mystery
- Apply color to digital world
- all marketing images and graphic designs should reflect your color choices well
- Website should feature your brand colors
- Social media platforms should reflect your brand colors
- Apply color to physical world
- wardrobe- choose pieces that reflect your brand colors
- tools- office tools like pens, pencils, organizational tools
- Office- paint color, furniture, wall art, rugs and accent peices like curtains and throw pillows
- Home- mugs, dinnerwear, accent pieces, rugs and more
Logo
I am not good with graphics….can I buy one? Absolutely you can choose to hire someone for every aspect of your branding process there are people out there who are “Brand Experts” These individuals can help you with every step of building your brand
***WORD OF CAUTION*** Just because you hire it done, make sure you are involved in every step and you are the one who makes the final decision on colors, logo design, values, mission, goals(you are the only one who knows the right one, you may need some advice and that is okay but you need to make the final decision because this is YOUR brand!) If designing a digital element like a website you need to have the final say on the look and feel of everything. Your brand should last a lifetime so you want to make sure everything that is done you are 100% happy with!
Brand Experts
Brand experts may very well be experts in the field of branding but do they know what your values are, your belief system, your goals, your mission, your vision. Are they aligning with you or are they contradicting you?
What can happen
If the experts vision, mission, goals don’t line up with yours 100%?
You will end up with a “brand” that you absolutely love but only short-term as you will find after a time you will have desire to begin tweaking small things about your color selection, your logo, your mission, your values. You will find that you are constantly changing things with your brand.
When everything is right
You will know when your brand is in alignment, when you see it everywhere, it makes you happy. You don’t feel the need to constantly tweak and change it. Your brand conveys your mission, your values and your colors attract your niche!
My Personal Story
I have worked on my brand for years, 8 to be exact and I finally have the brand I have always dreamed about!!!
When I started this blog I had no idea what my brand was! I was with a direct sales company and my mentor told me I needed to begin working on my personal brand outside of the company. One day while I was at a trunk show I said I am helping you redefine your closet and that stuck so I started my blog and from there my brand exploded over the past 8 years!
Understand that my brand wasn’t born in one day it has taken years for me to tweak it change it grow it to where I am today! It grew from a simple blog to promote my direct sales business to a business of its own, I couldn’t be happier!
Whether you decide to take on creating your brand from scratch or hire it done it is important that you have one and that you know all the pieces, parts, and components of a brand!