When I hear a business owner say that they don’t think it’s important for them to brand
themselves or their business, it makes me want to find a corner, get into a fetal position and
start rocking. Okay, that was a bit dramatic, but it does concern me!
Most people don’t realize that branding goes beyond just having a website or posting catchy
content on social media. Don’t get me wrong, that stuff is important too. Nevertheless, your
business’ brand is a personality you create. This personality is what clients and potential clients
become friends with. And just like any friendship, branding digs into the character of your
business, communication, and the overall experience that a customer receives while being in a
relationship with you.
If that last sentence is news to you, then you’re in the right place. As a branding partner for
Transform U and someone who helps others create their own personal brand, I am going to
walk you through my own “branding basics” process. This class is called: “So You Want to
Brand Your Business?”
Now, grab your notebooks and a pen because it’s about to get real informational up in here ;)
Let’s get into it...
Your brand establishes your business’ personality.
Before you design a logo, create a website, or decide on a color scheme, it is important that you
establish your business’ personality.
What is your business name?
How are you going to conduct business?
Will you have an assistant?
How will you take payments?
Do you need clients to sign contracts?
Will you be hands-on with every client?
Is your business fun and youthful or serious and more mature?
That’s a lot to think about, right? I know, and that’s not even the entire branding elephant! That’s
just taking it one bite at a time.
While it’s a lot to think about, these are the steps that we so often miss. This is the foundation of
creating a brand for yourself and for your business. It’s just like building a house. You have to
lay a solid foundation before you can begin decorating. Therefore, your business needs an
ironed-out personality prior to the incorporation of other creative elements.
A dynamic logo makes your brand easily recognizable.
For those who may be unaware, a logo is a consistent, distinguishing factor that brings
recognition and identification to an organization. Your logo is important because it often serves
as a silent representation of your brand.
Let’s talk about a few well-known logos that have become greater than the brand’s actual name.
Can you guess what these logos are without seeing the name?
Did you get them correct? Here, double-check yourself. Going from left to right, we have
Starbucks, Nike, Mercedes, PlayStation, McDonald’s and Target. You were likely able to identify
these brands simply by looking at their logo and never seeing the business or brand name. And
after you identified them, you instantly knew who they were and the services they offer.
If having an easily identifiable logo has worked well for these major corporations, how well do
you think it would work for you?
Colors & Fonts Galore.
Okay, so you have a concept for a logo, and you’re ready to start designing, but you still haven’t
figured out what colors look best. Choosing a great color scheme is more important than you
probably even realize. Did you know that different colors have the ability to present different
moods and emotions? Crazy, right? “Color is consistently used in an attempt to make people
Let’s take a look at the colors used by Transform U. The color blue gives off feelings of
calmness, serenity, loyalty and truth. The color purple gives off feelings of wisdom, prosperity
and respect. Think about the mission behind Transform U and the services it offers. Transform
U serves to help take people from surviving to thriving, explore vulnerable topics, and plan for a
better future. Therefore, the logo needs to embody a loyal, calm, trustworthy and wise persona.
These are all characteristics of the blue and purple colors used in their branding. By choosing
these colors, Transform U establishes its business personality, demonstrates what clients can
expect, and sets the foundation for a great friendship.
Your branding can take on this same approach.
What’s the hold up on getting your website created?
Now, I need everyone to take a deep breath here and repeat after me. “My business or brand
must have a website.” *class repeats together* My business or brand must have a website.
*wipes forehead* Whew, I’m glad we’re all on the same page now.
When it comes to branding, you can forget everything we’ve previously discussed if getting a
website created is not in your game plan. What is the purpose of having the best brand
personality, a tailor-made color scheme, and the most unique logo that has ever graced the face
of the Earth if you don’t have somewhere for potential clients to find more information? There is
none. Having a website not only shows that you are serious about your brand but also provides
a common place for anyone who wants to find out about your products, services and history.
Okay, let’s swap our branding hats for our marketing hats for just a second. Lyfe Marketing
couldn’t have put it into better words: “If you want your company to be successful in the modern
We all know that we live in a world of technology. So even if your main form of marketing is word of mouth, people who hear of you are still going to look you up online with the hopes of finding more information. And what better platform to present information than a website that not only showcases your skills but also fits into your branding plan.
Think of it this way: your website is the final step that brings all of your branding efforts home.
Don’t we all want to go home after a long day of putting in overtime in branding? I sure do!
So, you want to be Instagram famous?
It’s no secret that social media plays a huge role in our society today, and almost every person
is trying to go viral for something... hence the term: “Instagram famous.” While fame may not be
the best guiding force for your business being on social media, it is important that your business
is present on social media.
The main question I get here is, “what social media platforms should my business be on?” My
answer to that is simple. Your business should be present on whichever platforms fit your brand.
Don’t get me wrong, every social media platform is great, but they each have a specific thing
they focus on. For example, I believe that every photographer needs to be on Instagram. Why?
Because Instagram is heavily visual-based. And what type of element are pictures? You hit the
nail on the head... visual. However, when it comes to Twitter, the focus is placed more on what
you can say in a 280-character tweet. I know they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” so
even three tweets wouldn’t have the capacity to show the greatness of one picture.
I said all of that to say, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to be present on every social media
platform ever created. Figure out which ones work best for the representation of your brand and
run with those.
However, if I had to establish a success plan for any business to use, it would look a little
something like this.
1. Create a Facebook page
2. Create an Instagram page
3. Establish a posting plan (what you want to post and when you want to post it)
4. Use your branding colors in graphics
5. Create quality content (clear images and videos)
6. Be consistent, be interactive, be you!
AND ANOTHER THING … just kidding. That’s all I have for you. This class was just supposed
to be the basics, remember? All jokes aside, solidifying a brand personality that not only you but
your clients love is an imperative step when creating a business. There is not one direction on
the road to successful branding, but instead a variety of crossroads with different ideas for you
to implement. And no matter which direction you turn, always stay true to your own unique
brand personality and watch as success begins to bloom.
Were the branding basics not enough for you? Ready to start your branding journey? Let’s go
for it! DeFlora Media Group is ready to be your personal tour guide on this crazy road that we
like to call branding.
So, let’s connect. Email me at info@defloramediagroup.com or check out my website *wink
wink* DeFloraMediaGroup.com!