Your brand is not your logo. Your brand is the message you send about your business. It is the way you communicate that message to your clients.
Not sure if your brand is sending a clear message? The right message? A consistent message? Do you need to do some rebranding?
Ask yourself the following questions…
1. Do you know what message you are sending out with your brand? Have you kept your brand message in mind with every step you have taken to build your business?
2. Does your brand message match your products? Have your products and services changed over time? Would you like to add new products and services?
3. Does your brand message match your niche and your ideal clients? Is it going to be clear to those folks that they are in the right place?
4. Does your brand message match your pricing? Do you demonstrate your value and expertise by the way your price your products and packages?
5. Does your brand message match your marketing plans and sales practices? Are you promoting yourself in a way that is a good reflection on your business?
6. Does your brand message match you: your personality, your passion, your service, your level of expertise? Or have these things changed over time?
7. Does your brand message match the copy on your website, product descriptions, marketing materials? Do you use your copy to stand out with your business?
8. Do all of these parts of your business match each other?
9. Does it look like you just got started with your business? Does your logo or image appear homemade?
10. Are you slightly embarrassed to say your business name? Hand out your business card? Send someone to visit your website? Have someone read your brochure?
11. Are you trying to make the jump from a hobby to a business? Do you need to establish that you are indeed a professional, competitive business in your niche?
12. Do you need your business to stand out better amongst the competition? Does your brand show the true benefits of your products and differentiate you from everyone else?
13. Do you need to inject some excitement, energy or interest into your business? Do you need to remind yourself why you love what you do or remind others about why your business is awesome?
A brand is not just a logo. It is so much more than that. A brand is made up of your logo + business name + taglines & slogans + colours + fonts + designs & icons + photos & images + the written copy on your site + the way you interact with people + your marketing materials + your products & prices + how you package your product + your promoting & marketing practices + every single thing every single person sees/hears/reads every time they have an interaction with you and your business in any location. Whew. That’s a lot, right? Makes me tired just writing it all down.
So have a look at those questions again…
Is it time to revamp your brand? To strengthen or clarify your message?
Sometimes a rebrand is a small tweak of your image, perhaps freshening up your logo or rewriting your copy match the rest of your image, and sometimes a rebrand can be a complete overhaul of your business. No matter the action you take with rebranding your business, your purpose is simple: you need to have a clear message and you need to send it consistently in every aspect of your business.
Karen Gunton from build a little biz is a blogger, teacher, and creative designer. Her passions are helping women in business get unstuck and brainstorming awesome ideas for little businesses. Karen also teaches product marketing and customer engagement through DIY visual branding techniques.