Sometimes branding can feel overwhelming. It can feel like a daunting task to brand your business and make it just right. Business owners often assume that branding is more than it has to be, but creating an intentional brand is all about keeping it simple.
Doing too much and going over the top with your brand can actually hurt you in the long run. Branding doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple. To help you keep it simple and straightforward, I am breaking down branding into a simplified definition of what it is and how to do it for your business.
What’s in a brand
Your brand is who you are and what your business stands for, but that doesn’t have to be complicated. Your brand is your logo, website, and products, but it is also your mission, intention, ideal client, message, and your personality. Your brand is your identity as a business. It’s as simple as that.
As a brand designer, I am always saying that your brand is more than your logo. Part of the reason that I have such an in-depth branding process for my own clients is that I don’t think I can effectively design a strong brand without knowing the foundation of the business.
A brand isn’t just made up of visual elements and pretty things. Your brand is every piece that represents your business from your mission and message to your logo and website. In order to create a cohesive and intentional brand, you have to bring it all together.
How to pull it together
Each detail tells a part of your story. Each part communicates something to your audience. Building a brand based on your story will help you to connect with your audience on a personal level. It will always be representative of you, and you will have a solid foundation for your business to grow.
A strong and intentional brand is made up of several elements. Below is a checklist of the essential elements of a strong brand. Do an evaluation of your current brand. Do you have all of these elements in place?
- Clean and professional look
- Visually communicate your mission and message
- Reaches your target market
- Clear and consistent style
- Logo variations
- Brand standards that include set fonts, colors, patterns, and other elements and how to use them
- Branded collateral items
Recap
The next time you think about your brand and are scared of what that entails, just remember that it is simpler than it seems. While creating an intentional brand takes a lot of time and thought and shouldn’t be thrown together, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and daunting either.
Next Steps
Working with a brand designer will help to make this process easier and more enjoyable for you too. If you’ve been thinking about upping your brand game but are afraid to take the leap and don’t know where to start, let me know. I’d love to talk with you more about how I can help you jump in and create a more intentional brand today.
