As an entrepreneur, you know how essential a solid brand identity is. It sets the tone for your business and conveys your values and mission to your customers. But creating a brand that stands out can be challenging, especially when you're competing with established businesses in your industry. Fear not, developing a unique brand identity that reflects who you really are and why you are different is possible.

Developing a unique brand identity takes a very thoughtful effort and approach. We always say that everything begins with a market problem – your solution/service, who your ideal customer is, your why, and more importantly, the customer’s why. Knowing the competitive landscape will help you pinpoint your market differentiators. Thoroughly understanding this will help guide product/service decision-making, customer service/support, and differentiated messaging.

Here are some tips to create a brand that shines brighter than the North Star.

1. Know Thyself: The MOST common pitfall and often the WORST approach companies take

You already know why you do what you do, but you have to tell the world why – in a way that speaks to them. The biggest common pitfall here is that businesses will keep the conversation oriented toward themselves – a lot of we, me, I, etc., and not enough from the customer perspective. You must tell customers why you exist in terms of how you can change their lives.

It is very similar to a job interview – the “Tell me about yourself” question we all would rather avoid. What they are really asking is, “Tell me about the skills, knowledge and talent you have and how those will help me/us accomplish our goal.” Even that question – asking about you – is really about them. Make sure you frame up all of your about us information to reflect the perspectives of your buyers.

For example, note the difference:

We have 50 employees. We are big and successful. Look at us being big and successful. We can be your superhero.

We have 50 employees, 20 of which are focused on customer experience, from product development to customer support to help ensure you have success with our products. We make sure you shine as the superhero.

These are the primary questions you must answer with your ideal customer in mind:

·       Why do you exist – Your mission statement

·       What do you wish to become – Your vision statement

·       What are your values – and why they are important to you and your customer

·       What is your brand personality/archetype

·       What are your content pillars – what are the top 3 or 4 things you always want to convey

·       What is your background story – the human side of why you started your business

·       How do you speak to the world – your brand voice

·       What do you present to the world – imagery, colors, messaging

·       What is the problem you solve for your customers

·       What is the REAL reason they buy

2. Know Your Ideal Customer

Successful brands know their ideal customer inside out. To develop a brand that resonates with your target market, you need to understand their pain points, desires, and preferences. This includes their “vernacular,” or the way they speak. The better you know your ideal customer, the easier it will be to create a brand that speaks to them.

Start by creating a buyer persona that outlines your ideal customer's age, gender, income, interests, and challenges. You can take it a step further by detailing their pain points and how those affect their lives at work, at home, in relationships, and even as deeply as their own self-worth. People buy based on emotion (the REAL reason they buy) and justify the purchase afterward. Tap into that. It is as good as gold.

An example: Easy-to-use accounting software for a busy entrepreneur that isn’t an accountant, and can’t afford to hire one. The software has tips and also provides notifications when it detects potential errors. The reason they buy is to manage their finances. The REAL reason they buy is so they don’t fail financially suffering the embarrassment of failure.

Another example: A woman buys an anti-aging cream for her skin because she wants to maintain her youthful look. Even though she is a strong, independent and assured woman, she struggles with the fear of looking old. The REAL reason: The older she gets, the more “invisible” she feels, and fears spending her life alone. She wants to feel seen, confident, beautiful, and attractive as she grows older.

When you “speak their language,” they are more likely to:

·       Engage with what you say – really “hear” you

·       Relate to you as a brand because it resonates with them

·       Trust you as an expert to deliver what they need

·       Better understand their problem and how you solve it

3. Create a Strong Visual Identity

Your brand's visual identity is crucial. It's their first impression. Your logo, color palette, typography, and imagery should all work together to convey your brand's message. Make sure your brand's visuals are consistent across all platforms – website, landing pages, social media pages, business cards, and email signatures. Professional graphic designers can help you create a cohesive brand identity.

These decisions should align with your brand personality. If you have a nice, relaxing medspa, bright red probably won’t be your go-to color for your brand, but relaxing greens, beiges, earthtones, pale pastels might be more appropriate for your brand.

Imagery can help your customers imagine themselves benefitting from your products or services. Stock imagery of people climbing up cliffs would be confusing, but someone relaxing in a bath or on a massage table would align with your brand. In this case, relaxing on massage table may help them picture being on that table – the imagery helps them move one step closer to being “there,” buying your services – growing your revenue.

4. Develop a Compelling Brand Story

Your brand story can help you grow your business by showing your ideal customers why you exist. It's an opportunity to let people know what your brand stands for. Your brand story should be authentic, engaging, and relatable. It should express your brand's core values, mission, and vision. Write your brand's story in a way that captivates your audience and gives them a reason to care. Keep it concise and easy to understand. Keep it human. Avoid corporate speak.

5. Live Your Brand Values and Deliver on Your Brand Promise

Authenticity is key to developing a strong brand identity. Your actions should match your brand's values and promises. It's not enough to have a brand story that resonates with your audience. To create trust and loyalty, you must fulfill what you promised. Stay true to your brand's mission and values. Always keep the bigger picture in mind.

6. Deliver an Exceptional Customer Experience

Your brand doesn't just exist on your website or social media pages. It lives in your customer's experience. Provide exceptional service to your customers, and go above and beyond to delight them. Your customer experience should reinforce your brand's values and promises. It's an opportunity to create brand advocates who will spread the word about your business to their friends and family, and sometimes – and hopefully, positive online reviews that generate social proof. This results in customer retention, referrals and ultimately revenue.

Creating a brand that stands out requires thought, effort, and consistency. Understand your ideal customer, create a strong visual identity, and develop a compelling brand story that's authentic and relatable. Live your brand's values, and always deliver an exceptional customer experience. With these tips, you will develop a brand that stands out and resonates with your audience. Don't underestimate the power of a strong brand identity – it can make all the difference in the success of your business.

Your brand identity is more than just a logo and some fancy colors. It's the essence of who you are and what you stand for. Develop a consistent and captivating brand identity that resonates with your audience and makes them fall head over heels for you. You have more power over perception than you think. Good or bad, you give a first impression when people see your brand anywhere - web, socials, in person. Beyond first impression, you tell them who you are and what you do, why you do it and how you help. Extending beyond first impressions, the customer experience you deliver is also a representation of your brand. From outside the funnel, through the funnel and down the other end, you generate awareness, deliver on their interest, convert to customer, and create brand advocates.

Your brand should be carefully thought through. It sets an expectation based on what you say, how you look, graphics, logos, colors, values, mission, vision, brand voice, who is your ideal customer, what are their pain points, how you solve their problems, your competition, how you position yourself against them.

All of this encompasses your brand identity. A person is more than their clothes, make-up, hair, shoes, and accessories, they are their personality, their word, trustworthiness, etc. Your company’s brand identity is similar and needs more than just a logo, colors, and fancy imagery.

With more than 20 years of brand-building experience, we would love to help you clearly articulate your company’s brand – and your unique superpower – so you can attract and convert more customers and grow your business. Book your free strategy call with us today.