Three Shortcuts to Discovering Your Brand
Transcript
Before we dive into the three shortcuts to discovering your brand, I need to address the #1 marketing mistake most make and the difference between branding and marketing. Drum roll, please…the most common marketing mistake according to research is an inconsistent message that creates cognitive dissonance.
Have you ever watched a commercial and you’re like, What the heck was that?! I don’t even know what they’re saying let alone selling! You’re left irritated and confused. In fact, you probably can’t even remember the name of the business because of the immediate confusion. That’s cognitive dissonance. Being cute, clever, and edgy means nothing if people don’t know what you’re saying. Your message needs to be so clear that a two-year-old gets it. Well, maybe not that extreme but pretty darn close.
The Difference Between Branding and Marketing
Now, let’s look at your branding and marketing. First, you need to develop your brand before you even begin marketing. Very simply, your brand is the personality of your business. It’s who you are as a person—core values, personality, and aspirations—that translates over into your business. Your identity is your business’s identity.
For example, your personality will be drawn to certain colors, textures, and even fonts. Some like muted, earthy colors. Others love all the primary colors. More than likely that has translated over into your website. But your brand is more than colors and fonts It’s the feel and the experience people have when with you. That experience and feeling draws in your tribe.
Note: Be careful though. Your website colors need to inspire the action you want people to take. If you want them to stay for a while, you need to use muted colors that are peaceful. If you want them to take action, you need bold colors like yellow, red, and orange. But don’t make your site so boring, people fall asleep and don’t make so colorful that they feel they’re trapped in a crayon box.
Marketing is the vehicle to get your brand and its message out to your tribe, your target market. Your marketing whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, radio or TV needs to ooze your brand. People need to get a taste of your brand that leaves them wanting more.
Three Shortcuts to Discovering Your Brand
Okay, so two of these are free and one is $45 but totally worth it. After your finish this blog, click the announcement bar at the top and take my brand personality quiz. It takes about five minutes, and you’ll learn which of the 12 personalities you are, your goals, philosophy, fears, and what your followers expect from you, which you can use as a filter for all of your content not just marketing content.
Next, go to howyoufascinate.com and take Sally Hogshead’s Fascination Advantage assessment. What I love about this assessment is that it shows how your potential clients see you. For example, I’m a Power and Trust combo meaning that I’m the one that solves my clients problems with authority and expertise. I’m the one that shows up when no one knows what to do and says, “Let’s do this and this and that.” The trust factor means that my clients trust me quickly and know that I’m dependable, reliable, and comfy like a cozy blanket. It also tells me that my clients don’t want surprises. When I conduct business with my combo, I’m in my zone and best received by others.
And, finally, go over to Pinterest where you’ll create a board of the colors, textures, and fonts you like that you’ll then use for your website, Instagram, Facebook, and all other content.
Use the following guidelines:
Keep it within 15-20 images (you might start with a lot more but narrow it down in the end)
Try to pin about 5 pins that fit into these categories: colors, fonts, textures, patterns
Shoot for consistency. Entire board should be a cohesive visual representation of what you thing fits the look and feel of what you want your site to be
By the time you’re done, you should see an overall picture of what you’re drawn to that’s cohesive and has the feel you like. For example, my Pinterest board has a lot of black, white, yellow and teal. Yellow is happy. Teal is a touch of peace, which I love. And black and white is professional and classy. So I’m professional with a lot of joy. You’ll have fun with me.
In Summary
Discovering your brand personality is a lot of fun. I didn’t know how to do any of this when I started my business. It took me a lot longer to figure it out. I don’t want you to struggle like I did. Use these tools, and you’ll save a lot of time, headache, and confusion!
For more information on this process, read “My Exact Branding Research Process.”
