Last updated on April 3rd, 2019
A guest post by Karen Gunton:
One of the things i LOVE talking to business owners about is their brand. Mostly because this is something that is hugely important, but something we don’t actually spend a lot of time thinking about once our business is off and running.
Sure we think about our brand at the beginning – when we first work on our business name, our logo, and the look of our website. But it is often something that business owners don’t revisit again and again. And this is why i love chatting about it.
No matter what type of business you have, no matter what stage your business is at, doing a bit of work on your brand can be a great way reignite your excitement, to build some buzz and interest, to increase your confidence, even to have some fun with your marketing.
Working on your brand can mean refreshing things a little with a few updates and tweaks. It can mean revamping things a lot, making some big changes or even rebranding entirely. Or it can mean taking what you have already started, what you already love, and making it EVEN BETTER.
Try asking yourself the following questions…
- Are you unsure about the message you need to send out with your brand? Are you wondering what it is you would like to be known for? Are you wondering if that message would even stand out?
- Have your products or services changed over time? Would you like to add new products or services? are you trying to grow your business?
- Would you like to attract more of your ideal customers? Would you like them to know that they are in the right place as soon as they come across your biz?
- Are you struggling with your pricing? Do you need to make a change to your offerings? Are you worried that you aren’t going to be able to raise your prices or adjust your packages?
- Do you struggle with your marketing plans & sales practices? Do you feel like every strategy you try falls flat? Or that you are just saying the same things over and over?
- Do you need to inject more YOU into your brand? Do you feel a disconnect between yourself and the brand you have created?
- Do you feel like you need to find your “brand voice”? To inject more personality in your written copy? To sound different from all the other bizzes in your niche?
- Are you slightly uncomfortable to say your biz name? Hand out your biz card? Send someone to visit your website? Have someone read your brochure or blog post or newsletter?
- Are you trying to make the jump from a hobby to a business? Do you need to establish that you are indeed a professional, competitive business in your niche?
- Are you trying to make the jump from an old niche or ideal customer to a new one? Do you need to send a new message about where your business is heading now?
- Do you need your biz to stand out better amongst the competition? Does your brand show the true benefits of your products and differentiate you from everyone else?
- Do any of your business activities feel a little bland? Do you feel like your newsletter or your facebook page or your blog (or whatever) are just falling flat? Not getting the kind of attention or engagement you had hoped? Just simply not that much fun to do?
- Do you need to inject some excitement, energy, or buzz into your biz? Do you need to remind yourself why you love what you do or remind others about why your biz is awesome?
- Are you feeling a little lost about what to do next for your biz? Do you feel like you are just going through your to do list, following everyone’s advice, but nothing is really working that well?
- Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Go from part time to full time? Raise your income level? Raise your online profile?
- Would you like to take what you have started and make it even better? Even stronger & more powerful? To extend your brand beyond your logo & website into everything you do?
What do you think?
If you said YES to any of these questions then NOW is a very good time to get some clarity about your brand, to make sure that you are indeed sending the message you wish to send, and then amplifying that message loud & clear… spreading that message far & wide.
Spend a little time working on your brand. You won’t be sorry! Need help with branding for small business? Be a part of the amplify your brand workshop with Karen Gunton, a blogger, teacher, and creative designer. her passions are helping women in biz get unstuck and brainstorming awesome ideas for little businesses.
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Karen,
Some good branding thoughts. Thank you. It’s always a good time to be thinking about your brand.
I think our brands grow and evolve as we do. It’s an ongoing process.
Karen, Great advice on branding. I wish I was more surprised about how so many people don’t update their own websites, especially when the website is the major source of their brand. I have been “ready to buy” and then gone to the website and noticed the site hasn’t been updated in months or even a year or more. They just lost a customer.
Karen,
You really gave me a lot to think about with all your questions! Thanks for this great post!
Glad to see you mention keeping your brand up to date. It’s not just something you can set and forget, thanks for sharing!