This is the first article in a series of discovering your brand for the solo entrepreneur. As a solo entrepreneur, you often identify with your business as an extension of you.
If this is an area in which you’ve struggled for awhile, you’re in for a refreshing treat. I’ll be revealing some unconventional ideas and concepts to help get you started in your journey. So sit back, relax, take a few deep breaths and let’s get started….
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If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve likely heard you should be “branding” yourself. The term is perhaps a bit overused and convoluted with definitions galore. Do you really know what it means to be “branded?” And do you know how to do it effectively?
The truth of the matter is, even if you don’t know what it is, you have a brand or “style.” Knowing your brand will allow you to communicate confidently, clearly, uniquely and effectively. And it’s not as elusive to define or discover as you may think. You just need the right tools that work for you.
If you’ve struggled in this area for awhile, I would like to plant the seed for thought that the tools that seem to work for everyone else may not be the same ones that work for you. But first, we need to define what a brand is – and what it is not.
This may come as a bit of a shock, but your brand may not be the things you visualize it to be.
Your Brand IS NOT…
Your logo. Your logo is a powerful visual representation of your brand, but it is not your brand.
Your marketing materials. They are great branding vehicles. But, by themselves, your marketing materials are not your brand.
Your look and feel. Your look and feel is part of how you show off your brand, but in and of itself, your look and feel is not your brand.
Your catchy tagline. Your tagline or slogan is not your brand. Like the other elements mentioned above, it supports your branding message, but it is not your brand.
The words you use. Your branding message is wrapped in the “sacred words” you use over and over (think Starbucks “Tall, Grande and Venti”). But these words are not your brand.
Confining or constraining. Your brand is living and breathing. Once you understand it, your brand does not have to be confining or constraining in any way.
A quick fix or overnight process. The process of branding takes time. How long it takes depends on a variety of factors including how “ready” you are and how much time you have to focus in a given time period.
Your Brand IS…
The heart and soul of you and how you operate in the world. If you dig deep beneath the layers, it’s that thing that makes you tick. That lights your fire. That wakes you up every morning excited to do your thing in the world. It’s in the center of your marketing message, marketing plan and the visual experience you create.
It’s the experience you give your customers. Is yours fun? High-end? Inviting? Calming? Effortless? Savvy? Sexy? Do you give them a “taste test” of what it’s like to work with you? Do you give them “unexpected surprises” that keep them coming back? How do people feel about working with you? How do you want them to feel about working with you?
It’s uniquely, authentically you. Your brand cannot be duplicated, replicated or reverse engineered. There is not another you. Therefore, there is no brand like yours. Make no mistake. Others will try to replicate a good brand, but only you can “do you.”
It’s how you naturally show up in the world. Are you an encourager? A motivator? A muse? A lover? A creator? A warrior? What one or two words sum you up best?
It’s your unique message to the world. It’s your story. It’s that thing you know for sure – about the world, about your work, about others. It’s the culmination of your experiences, gifts and talents. It inspires, motivates and moves. Just like you, it’s not to be underestimated.
The process of discovering your brand is a very powerful self-development tool. You are a force to be reckoned with when you show up as your best version of “you “with your own unique message and way of communicating with your audience. You’re worth the investment of time and resources to take this journey. Believe it. Then do it.
No that you have more clarity of what your brand is and what it isn’t, stay tuned next week where we’ll tackle the “how to’s” of discovering your own unique brand. Until next time…
