Refine Your Brand
Planning for the new year and doing your goal setting is a great time to think about how you can refine your brand.
Our brands and businesses are constantly changing, growing and evolving, with each new client we work with, each new idea we try, each new product we launch, and each new goal we seek to achieve.
Making sure our brand stays relevant and representative of us is incredibly important. It's vital to keep your brand on track and get clear on the core elements that underpin what you do as this will inform how you choose to communicate your products or services, through words and, most important to me, visuals and images!
Here are a few areas to consider:
1. Vision & Goals
What is the big vision for your business? Dream big, write it down and get clear on what it is that drives you forward. Then work out the steps you need to take to get there. Think about the different time frames – one year, five years etc.
2. Values
Do you know what your brand values are? Getting clear on what you and your brand stands for is key to communicating from the heart what you are all about and what type of client / customer you want to attract. It will inform any projects and opportunities you decide to give your energy, and will influence the way you market your products or services. Your values will ultimately define how you will be perceived as a brand and business person.
3. Mission
Are you clear on exactly what it is you do? You have a matter of seconds to grab your audiences attention when they land on your website or social media feed. If they can’t figure out what you do within the first 3-5 seconds, they’ll be off, so make the time to put what you do into words and be as descriptive, but brief, as possible. A beautifully written Instagram bio is no good, if the reader is left still trying to work out what you do or how you can help them.
4. Communication
What is your message and how to you want to deliver it? Spend time thinking about the way you want to come across to your ideal clients – what tone of voice will you use? Fun? Serious? Encouraging? How do you want people to feel when they interact with your online space? Our buying decisions are based on how much we know, like and trust a brand so your messaging needs to be authentic; if you’re naturally a serious person, don’t try and to be anything else – it will come across as false. The message needs to be consistent across your website, your email newsletters, and your social platforms. Your brand images can play a really important role in this - it tends to be the image that will catch someone's attention, so discussing all these aspects with your photographer can be hugely helpful.
5. Ideal clients
Think about your favourite clients…they may will be your ideal clients….What do they have in common? What are their interests? What are their struggles? What is it that made them an absolute dream to work with? Were they eager to learn from you and take your advice and expertise on board? Were you able to serve them from deep within your purpose? What did you have in common with them? Get clear on the key things that made them ‘ideal’ – when you are clear on who it is you want to work with and who you want to speak to, that changes everything, and you will get to do more of the work that truly lights you up.
6. Offers
What is your core offering? A clear offer is the best kind of offer – when you’re concise about what it is you can do for your customer, you avoid customer confusion. A confused client is likely to say no. But if you’re super clear on what you can do for your customer and exactly what that looks like in practice, you will be able to attract your ideal clients (and repel the clients who aren’t right for you). Remember - this is your business, so you can say "no" if a project doesn't feel right to you.
This work may take some time - don't rush it - spending time now will save you so much time next year!
SHARE YOUR STORY
Do you have a story to share? By partnering together, I hope to share a variety of stories, which help and inspire other women in business, both personally and professionally - plus it’s a great way to gain visibility for your business!
