The best branding advice I’ve ever received was from Ellen Ercolini during office hours for a course I was in. I asked her about how I should go about figuring out my branding (this was a few years ago), and this is what she told me:
“In order to get clear on your brand, get clear on YOU.”
It sounds so simple, but it can be super helpful if your business or brand is closely tied to your own personal identity. If you’re a coach or designer or copywriter, for instance, then it helps to have a brand that’s infused with your personality. And if you’re struggling with how you want to brand yourself, it’s possible that it’s time to do a little soul-searching! 🙂
What makes you tick? What are you passionate about? What do you love doing, and not love? All these questions can help you get to the bottom of your own personality, which will help you in branding your business. (Of course if your goal is to be a boring corporation then this probably won’t help, but this is for the solopreneurs or entrepreneurs with businesses close to their heart).
If you started your business because it’s something you’re passionate about, great! It will be that much easier to figure out your brand. In that case, just write from the heart and choose design elements or photos that reflect YOU.
Your brand is the personality of your business, and in some cases may also reflect your own personality.
If you’re trying to figure out a color scheme for your business, what colors would you decorate your room? Or maybe you already have a few favorite colors? Go on a site like Colour Lovers and look up palettes that include some of your favorite colors. Then for fonts, go for one strong or fun font that reflects your personality, and one plainer font for the body text.
If you’re having photos done, just be yourself! How do you act around friends or when you’re watching your favorite TV show? If you’re writing copy, record yourself talking about something so you can get a feel for your voice and the little quirks and colloquialisms you use. Don’t try to “be” a certain brand – just be you. 🙂
>> If you’d like to dive deeper into branding your business, click here to learn about Brandsaurus, our video course on creating a unique brand for your online business. <<
