The 4 Laws of Branding

Branding, in our estimation, is the first and foremost consideration when desiring to build an influence platform from scratch.

Yes, the type of content you're going to produce albeit a book, blog, video, or podcast is vital; however, without branding everything you put out on the internet LACKS your personal identity. 

So, before you go any further in building your influence platform, carefully consider the following 4 Laws of Branding. 

1. Never brand your identity or product according to your favorite colors.

So, you love the color red but you are promoting essential oils. Does the color red represent the essence of calm, healing, and regeneration? Absolutely not. 

As much as branding is about you, it is even more about "how your target audience" connects with you and your product!  

Instead of focusing on what you like, focus on this question: "What type of image, emotion, or relationship are you trying to masterfully create through color, pattern, and texture?" 

Did you know that human beings are programmed to recognize patterns? For this reason, a consistent brand is a strong brand. When your brand consistently delivers the same experience in the same tone of voice and through the same color palette, logo, and imagery you earn the trust of your audience.  

Also, people see brands as human 💃.  Many also see their pets as humans too 🙃!  Yes, it's funny but also very telling of how we humans are hard-wired.  We rarely see things as they are, but how we identify with the "XYZ's" in our lives.  

Branding provides consumers with a way to express their identity and personality as they would ideally like it. It also allows individuals to reduce a possible conflict between their actual and ideal selves. Branding is strategic and the more you know or rely on those who do, the more successful your brand is! 

2.  Decide the image and personality you want to project.

Whether you are building your personal brand or company brand, personality plays a huge role in messaging.  How do you want your audience to visualize you?  Creative, Cool, Fun, Fashionable, Free Spirit, Global, Intellectual, Intuitive, Professional, Solution-based, Story Teller, Travel Savvy, Trendy, Trustworthy. 

After you decide on your personality, check to see what colors coincide with the personality your want to project!  

3. Define your target audience.

This step is easier said than done.  The world is your oyster, right? And I am sure you don't want to leave anyone out.  Even the three-year-old who's learning to talk and walk will be a future buyer of your "made for dummies" digital course! As hopeful as that sounds, it's still a few years away from who you need to reach today!

So here are a few tips to narrow down your audience. 

• Write down who is NOT the person you want to reach (for example I do not need to market to Polo players if I am selling a Hebrew course.)
• Write down the age group most likely to connect with your message and product. (if you have a conservative message, it's unlikely teenagers and adults will connect. On the other hand, if you want to share your tips on gaming, hair, or makeup then a young crowd is a great audience)
• Write down the groups of people who you think will resonate with your story: Professionals, travelers, faith-based, weight-loss, health, political, etc. (For example, if you have a story of how you overcame cancer, your first audience is to connect with others going through cancer or afraid they might get cancer.)
• Lastly, consider the social media circles these groups and ages frequent.  Google your idea, name, course, topic, or product.  See what appears and whose following.  This tells you volumes.  You can even google a #hashtag name and see what the results are.  What colors are the influencers and businesses using to connect with their audiences? What is their key message/slogan? Check out how many people follow them.  How often their articles are read?

Once you gathered information and narrowed down your audience. Check the colors commonly used with the age group, content, and message. Compare it to your personality colors.  Then choose about 4-5 colors and their hex code (#54615C).  Choose two primaries, a couple for accent, and then a complementary color for the font type! A great resource for picking colors can be found here.

4. Choose your logo and slogan.

Branding is not just about color, patterns, and texture. It's also about messaging. Once you have an idea of your personality, target audience, and the story you're going to promote, then design your logo and pick a slogan that fits your personality and resonates with your audience. 

A slogan should be 3-4 words and catchy.  Brandon Burchard's is "Live. Love. Matter."  Another is "Believe. Perceive. Become." For health, you might have, "Start today for a healthier tomorrow."  

Your slogan is your message in one second. It reveals your values as well as your intentions.  

Coming up with the right slogan may take some brainstorming with friends and family.  Don't hesitate to ask others to brainstorm with you--the more involved your friends and family are, the more exciting the whole process become! 

Well, it's a wrap for the 4 Laws of Branding. Make sure to comment and contact us if you have any questions! 

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