The Power of a Killer Brand UPDATED -- 2022 Version!
In my 13 years in business for myself, and 20+ years working in the creative marketing and branding industries, I’ve learned a thing of two! And if I were starting over again in business and building my brand, there are a few things I’d do a little bit different!
Here are my top tips 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 2022, what would you focus on? Easy!
It’s ALL about the BRANDING AND STRATEGY!!!
In fact, It’s why my business title recently changed from Owner and CEO to Brand Coach, Photographer, AND Creative Director and I’ve grown my team to include members who support the big picture, from strategy to design and copy to long term growth and planning! We offer a one-stop-shop to your creative marketing needs building your brand around YOU and YOUR dreams, not what everyone else is doind.
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 with a plan in place to make you money?)
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 or elevator pitch 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 (or style guide) is how to communicate your brand. A brand style guide lays out all the visual details, as well as important notes about the company's voice, tone, and messaging PLUS visual photography and aesthetics.
Remember, you don’t have to wait until you make money to create your brand guide.
In fact, by creating your brand style guide 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 style (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
Brand Photography - what is the feeling and emotion you want the photography in your business to portray?
When I re-branded my brand style 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 | Know your Numbers and Build a Winning Strategy!!
Yes! Even before a logo, or colors or even a website. Know where you are starting from before you know where you’re going! With a strategy and plan behind what you want, how you want to spend your time and how you’re going to get to where you’re going, you can save yourself SO much time AND money!!
By knowing your numbers, this allows you to intentionally set aside resources and create offers that are aligned with YOU and you financial goals too! It’s not enough to say, “I want to charge X amount of money cause it’s what others are doing” or “it just sounds good.” We have to start with what we know, and then make a plan for long term success!
This is exactly what you get when you work with my team and I, let’s start off on the right foot first and if you want some extra eyeballs on what you have already, book a brand audit to today and let us take a deep dive into your brand and business and offer suggestions to take it to the next level!
2 | Build or Upgrade Your Website (yup! bumped to #2 from the previous post)
After you have a solid brand style guide, 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. And with the new Fluid Engine drag and drop software, it’s so easy to customize your desktop from mobile and make it just right! 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! (PRO TIP: grow your email list too!)
3 | 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 System
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!
When I work with my clients, keeping content creation and execution consistent is like magic when we make it work FOR us and simplify the process. Repurposing content to work for us over and over again is the winning solution to managing your marketing without the overwhelm!
We use this content creation system it to map out and track everything, including:
Email
Blog Posts
Instagram & Facebook
Pinterest!
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 others 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, my Creative Studio might just be just the answer to your prayers!
We are your one-stop-shop to clearly defining your brand, mission and goals with the creative execution and support you need to feel confident in all the ways you show up for your business!
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 creative marketing if you were starting over today.
If you do apply these tips in your own business, find me on Instagram at @janelgion and tell me how they helped!
