As the decade comes to an end, establishing a brand for yourself is arguably one of the most valuable lessons we've learned. If you're a little behind, fear not. I'm going to share a complete branding guide to start and grow your brand in the new year. Keep reading.
OVERVIEW & PURPOSE
First of all, what's a brand and why is it important to find and build one?
Branding is crucial for your business because it tells a story. Every piece of content that you curate will convey the overall look and feel of your brand. It's not just a logo—it's who you are, what you feel like, how you connect, promote and live your business. If the words that you said floated out of your mouth, what would that text look like? What would the color be? How would it feel? These are all things that are pieces of you and this guide will determine the details of your brand. Grab a paper and pen, take some notes and let's find your brand!
We are going to dive into:
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The Brand Development Kit
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Figuring out who your customer is
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How to find your niche
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Finding your branding style
BRAND DEVELOPMENT KIT
A brand development kit is where all of your key elements live in one place. Decide on a font, heading font, subheading font and body font—make sure they all go together.
Next, figure out your branding colors. After completing the "bonus exercise" below, choose the branding colors that will be revealed to you. You'll want five total: three bold and two soft. This ensures that no matter what you're creating or writing, you have a branded color to use.
Lastly, develop a logo. Creating a logo is very important because it makes everything look cohesive and allows you be recognized by just a symbol or creative text.
WHO IS YOUR IDEAL AUDIENCE?
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What do they look like?
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What do they do for a living?
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What Instagram accounts do they follow?
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What are the struggles within their business?
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What type of content can you provide that could help them?
FINDING YOUR NICHE A niche is a subset for a larger market. It's something that's a little bit more targeted towards a specific need or category. This can be something that sets you apart from the vastly large industry that we are in. Answer the following questions to find your niche. Your niche will be What you will be specifically known for.
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What gets you excited in your business?
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What do you get compliments on in your business?
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What do you see, think or do that is different from others?
Once you find your niche, create content that surrounds your niche. This will help you to stand out.
PINTEREST BRANDING REVEAL
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Go to Pinterest, create a new board and call it "My Brand."
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Next, scroll through Pinterest and and pin anything that makes you happy to your new board. Pin anything that looks pretty or interesting. These items don't have to have anything in common aside form things that make you happy. Do as many pins as you can—I would say 25-50 is perfect. This should only take you about 10 minutes.
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Once completed, go to that board and scroll slowly. What are the three bold colors that you notice first? What about two softer colors that you notice? Are there any patterns or materials that you notice? Are there any fonts that are in there that are repeated?This will give you a good idea of what your brand will look like because this is what you look like on paper—a board of things you love. Use this as a guide to create your personalized brand and now you can complete your branding kit.
RESOURCES I recommend using the app Canva for all your branding and logo needs. It's a simple-to-use tool that will help you create beautiful branded content! It's a GAME CHANGER for any business owner. Now that you have the tools to create your brand, it's time to level up your business in 2020! Cassandra Erickson **For more social tips you can find me @BlondeByNoon on Instagram.