What’s Your Branding Objective?

Entrepreneur

Apr 22

FOCUS ON THE END RESULT - NOT JUST THE END PRODUCT.

Whether you are in your first year or fifth year as a business owner, working on your brand can actually lead to specific, measurable results for your business. Unfortunately, the idea of “branding” can be a bit overwhelming when you already have a long to-do list and it’s hard to know exactly where to start.

So I’ve decided to talk a bit more about the first (and commonly overlooked) step to consider - prior to starting any branding project.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Communicate the specific outcomes you are hoping to achieve as a result of the project.

The first step when preparing for any type of branding project is to get super specific about why you want to start the project in the first place. It may sound simple enough, but I have found that the majority of entrepreneurs overlook this step because they generally fall into either of the two categories:

1. They are under the impression that they need a logo to start a business and this is just the next step in their entrepreneurial journey.

2. They have specific business goals but aren’t quite sure how their goals connect with elements of branding.

To get a better sense of the impact that my clients are looking to make as a result of our project - I like to start off with a few key questions to get them to think big. Questions like:

What does success look like for you?

Where do you see yourselves in 1, 3, 5 years with your business?

The answers to these questions help me understand the overall scale and impact my clients intend to make. Whether we are just working on logo development or creating collateral for a new product launch - this phase really sets the stage for the rest of our work.

While I absolutely love hearing about the overall dreams and vision of my clients - it’s just as crucial that I understand what stage they are currently in and what their expectations are for this particular project. To help get a bit more granular, I will ask questions like:

How will we measure the impact of this project?

What specific results do you want to get out of our project and time together?

This is where things tend to get a little fuzzy. Most of the small business owners I speak with don’t understand the correlation between specific branding objectives and their business goals. Beyond the actual deliverables (like a logo, service guide, or social media templates), branding can really move the needle in your business and do a lot of heavy lifting for you.

To get you started in the right direction - I’ve listed out just a few examples for you below.

Build brand awareness and greater reach

Build authority around you/your business
Attract a specific audience
Have a greater impact in your community
Increase sales by X amount

Create a memorable experience
Build trust with your audience, community, and/or potential collaborators
Encourage referrals and repeat business
Add value to your business

Once you’ve established some specific objectives around your branding project - you can actually tie them to key metrics and track how well your branding project is working! Yes - there is a way to track your branding efforts!

KEY TAKE AWAY

The more specific you can be with your project goals - the greater the impact you will have as a result.

Whether you are just getting started or are thinking that it might be time to rebrand, it’s always a good idea to be crystal clear on what final outcomes you are looking for. If you are thinking about hiring a designer, make sure to find a partner that is as committed to your goals as you are.

If you feel like you have more questions or are interested in learning more about what visual branding can do for your business, click here to continue the conversation.

To Your Success,