What is your brand?
When it comes to creating a brand, many businesses are not sure where to begin. Ultimately, your brand is a combination of what people think of when they envision your business and the message that you want to convey.
This has been one of the biggest challenges for me in my own business because I was for so long, trying to please every freakin’ body. See, that should never be your ultimate goal. We want people to like us for who we truly are. Why? Well, because it lets us be authentic both online or off. Plus, it attracts the type of people that will want to work and associate with you The Real You. Not a character that you made up to make everyone adore you. That my friend, is a phony and honey, people sense that a million miles away.
It took a long time for me to say f**k it.. I am who I am and I tell ya, it is a pretty cool feeling. I even started busting out some pretty silly videos of me dancing and well, being just who I am.I got tired of acting. Are you? If I saw you in the grocery store, would I know it was you? I think of that frequently.
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”-Jeff Bezos
There are two basic questions that you can ask yourself to begin to determine your brand. The answers aren’t always easy to find; however, the questions will give you a starting point and that’s often the hardest part.
Question #1 – What do people say about your business?
Or what would they say about your business if you asked them? What are the benefits and advantages to using your business? What adjectives would they use to describe your business?
For example, are you savvy or fun?
Are you authoritative or reliable or unpredictable?
Make a list of benefits and adjectives that you hear from your customers and prospects. Keep in mind that your associates may think different things about your business than prospects, and prospects may think differently than customers. It’s important that your brand image is unified between all groups.
Question #2 – What do you want people to say about your business?
What do you want them to think when they hear your name?
The brand image that you have and the one that you want may be different. This is why itís important to understand your current reality clearly and also to identify your goals. You can then create a solid brand and begin taking steps to change your image in the minds of your prospects and customers.
List the words that you want people to think about your business. Begin aligning those words with your perceived advantages and benefits. This step leads to your definition of the position you want to have in your prospect’s mind.
You’ll begin to see that you have a desired brand image. Compare your two lists. Is your brand image what you want it to be? If not, it’s time to start making some changes.
Tell us, what is one thing about you and your brand that makes you stand out?
Here’s to keepin it real-yo.
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