This is the year to step up your game and create an impactful brand that is meant to change lives.  Isn’t that what you’re here for? This is why I became an entrepreneur and I’m pretty sure it’s why you did, too.

But here’s the thing, people get really confused about what it means to have a brand when they start their business.  

The dictionary defines a business as the practice of making one’s living by engaging in commerce.  A brand is defined by Wikepedia as the features that identifies one sellers goods or services as distinct from other sellers.

And just to be clear, a “feature” is not just a logo, colors or fonts.  A feature is also personality, values, messaging and beliefs. It encompasses everything your business does, what you specialize in, who you serve and how you interact with your audience.  These are the kind of features that make a brand stand out and make an impact.

Basically, it is important to build and manage your business, but what’s going to keep you in business is the creation of a strong brand strategy.

Without a brand your business will lack connection to your audience.  The connection to your audience is what brings people back over and over again.  It’s what makes people feel seen, heard and understood. This is how you build loyalty and trust within your community.  

So, are you in?   Let’s make your brand amazing!

Step 1. Your brand is more than just a pretty logo

Before you go looking for a graphic designer there are a few areas of your brand that need to take precedence.  

You’ve got to find the answers to a few key questions before you even think about doing any kind of design work.  A great place to start is knowing what makes you unique and sets you apart from other businesses. 

• What kinds of things do you bring to the table that you absolutely love doing?
• What are the results that you get for you clients?
• What are the things that you’re uniquely qualified to do?  Think of your life experiences and all the things you’ve picked up along the way (*hint:  this skill may not have anything to do with your industry) 

Get ready for some major a-ha moments.  You may discover that you’re doing things in your business that drain and zap you of all of your energy.  Or maybe you’ll find that you should be spending more time doing something that could really help your clients, something that you really love doing that only you know how to do.

This, my friend, is where the magic really starts to happen and you start to become a really effective brand that changes lives.

You need to dig deep within yourself.  Be unapologetic about what lights you up and what makes you uniquely you.  

When you are focusing on you and your uniqueness, you’ll never have to worry about the competition or be bothered by what everyone else is doing.  

Focus on you and I promise, you’re immediately starting your business from a more powerful place. 

Step 2. Focus on your audience

The big mistake that most new entrepreneurs make is deciding who they are going to work with before doing any of the inner work listed above.  They start their business trying to serve everyone under the sun and quickly realize that either they are not getting results for those people or they start to feel drained and uninspired.  

When you say yes to everyone and every project you only end up over extending yourself and hating your job.  Not quite what you signed up for, am I right?

If you really want to step up your brand without burning out then you’ve got to get really clear on who it is you’re serving and how you serve them.

Instead of arbitrarily choosing an audience out of a hat, ask yourself these questions –

• Who do I get the best results for?
• Who do I love working with?
• What kinds of things are they dealing with on a daily basis?
• How can you help make their life easier?

With the answers to these questions you can identify what it is that you are qualified to help them with and then you can start developing your offerings.

Connecting the dots

When you start your business with this simple two step brand strategy you will feel more deeply rooted in your work and therefore more authentic without even trying.

Remember, if your offering and design are disconnected your audience will feel that.  Go deep, do this work and strengthen your brand and the connection you have with your people.  

This is when brands really shine.  There’s no question when an audience feels aligned with how a message is being delivered, they’ll just think, “Oh!  This brand is perfect for me.”

Think about it, when you find a brand that you really fall in love with doesn’t it feel good?  You’ll choose them over any other brand even if it’s the most expensive option. 

Here’s the crazy thing, not everyone aligns with the brands that I love and sometimes people even hate them.  But you have to be a bit polarized when doing this work. If you try to appeal to too many people you can’t connect with the right people because your brand will be too generic.

Most entrepreneurs struggle to identify who their ideal customers are because they worry about losing people that could be potential customers.  They worry that they’re going to make things too hard for themselves if they become too focused. But the reality is that developing your brand strategy will make your life so much easier.

Not only will you know exactly who you’re speaking to, but you’ll also know what to say and what they want to see from you.  

Once you’ve completed your strategy you’re ready to move onto designing the look of your brand.  You can start working on your logo, your brand colors, your fonts, etc. You can identify what is going to appeal to them and how you will present yourself as a brand.

You’ll also be able to set the tone of your brand and how you will speak to your audience.  Are you going to talk to them like a best girlfriend or a wise old mentor? Will you be the one who will supply them with a kick in the pants they need or will you be the calming presence in their lives?  

Starting with a clear brand strategy will make all the designing and marketing you need fall into place and be so much more easier to achieve.

Trust me, this strategy will make a powerful difference to your business.  

What is your brand strategy for the year?  Have you already tried some of these steps?  Tell me about it in the comments below.