Skipping over these basics will have you running in circles.
Over the last year I’ve been restructuring my business to include coaching, teaching and consulting. I’ve invested tons of money, time and research into my brand and know first-hand how frustrating it can be to know exactly what you need to do and in what order it would be best to start.
I knew what would have been helpful to me would be to have a list that prioritizes the basics of branding and not have to weed through the internet to find it all. So I decided to create the list myself for other coaches and creative entrepreneurs.
The first thing I did was to create a brand basics checklist for graphic design that would include all the visuals you need in the beginning phases of building and growing your brand. Then I met Robin Catalano at Altitude Summit in Palm Springs, CA this year at her roundtable on vision and mission statements and that changed everything. We connected and have since worked with each other on a few projects.
It’s hard to believe I was a journalism major. Writing is still something I enjoy but it takes too much time because I haven’t been writing enough. I know it’s a skill that becomes easier the more you do it. So when I saw Robin’s roundtable I decided to sit in which was probably worth the cost of the entire summit. I realized that I had been focusing so much on the visuals (of course that’s what I do) and not enough on my voice that I decided to ask Robin to fill in the voice branding elements to this checklist.
Here are the brand basics you shouldn't skip to get the most out of your business.
Voice Branding Basics
Vision and Mission Statements / Developing a memorable vision & mission statement that inspires employees and customers, and aligns your purpose with your business decisions.
Written Style Guide / Your style is one of the most important ways you present yourself. Develop a guidebook for your business’s written communication across platforms that speak to the customer.
Tagline / Taglines aren’t just for big brands; they’re for any business that wants to make an instant impression while summarizing what you do—and why you’re memorable.
Brand & Elevator Messaging / How can you inspire customers and motivate them to choose your product or service? Effective messaging is your entry point.
What you offer (Services & Products) / Remember, the easier you make it for customers to buy your services, the faster you’ll close deals--and the more money you’ll see hit your bottom line.
Website Content / Your website is often your first impression—and we don’t get do-overs on those. Make sure yours is compelling, SEO-friendly, and tells your story.
SEO Basics / SEO is both an art and science. Take some of the guesswork out of how to use keywords, and learn the “hidden gem” spots for text-based SEO on your website.
Social Media Content / What works—and what doesn’t—on social media? You’ll learn how to craft content that builds community and positions you as an authority.
Visual Branding Basics
Brand Discovery / Discover what you really want from your marketing efforts. During the discovery phase you will uncover your needs, challenges, and desired results, which you’ll use to create an insightful, goal-oriented marketing plan.
Inspiration Board / Create an inspiration board to hone in on the images, mood and colors that attract you. This process gets you closer to designing a brand that reflects how you want to be perceived.
Learn Graphic Design Basics / Graphic design is the combination of fonts, photography and illustrations. Using them correctly adds a tremendous amount of value to your design. Better design. Better communication.
Your Logo / You can DIY your graphics and get away with it but investing in a well-designed logo is a must. Check out my Design a Brand course to learn how you can have your logo designed as part of this course.
Produce a Visual Style Guide / This step is crucial to a cohesive brand. It is a guide that keeps all your visuals consistent across all platforms.
Create Templates for your Graphics / Create templates for your digital media as well as your printed materials to make designing a whole lot easier. Keeping templates the same for a year helps make your brand more memorable and more easily identifiable.
Use the Style Editor on your Website / Use your style guide to create a website that is consistent with your brand including photography.
Design your own Website / Design a website that helps your users know who you are, what you do and how you can help. Build a website to convert users to customers. Know how to design and edit yourself for the best results.
Download the checklist and get started building your brand the right way. HERE >>>>>