January 17, 2018

Branding – It’s All About You

When it comes to branding most entrepreneurs get it all wrong…

They think a brand is a fancy logo, website name or a color scheme.

This is not true and the sad part is that entrepreneurs are getting sucked into spending lots of money on these things every year.

So let’s chat about what a brand is if it is not your logo and color schemes.

Your brand is the heart and soul of your business…it’s your clients total experience when they use your product or services.

When people hear your name do you pop into their heads. When they think of someone in that business do they always think of you?

You are probably asking “How do I build my brand in a genuine way so that people will be attracted to me and do business with me?”

Here are three important steps to take before building that ever important brand

Your brand is YOU! It is something that no one can ever take from you. How do you stand out in a room? How are you unique? Years ago people got into a room and decided what a brand would look like. Then they would spend thousands of dollars on creating that brand. Think of the huge corporations- Coca Cola, The Home Depot, Starbucks… When I first launched SEVEN Networking 8 years ago I decided that I wanted it to be different from other networking organizations. I wanted it to be fun, warm, educational and a very supportive environment. This is who I am and my businesses will always reflect that.
You have to know who your niche is before you you build your brand. Most people do this backwards! You have to know who you will serve so that you can build your brand to attract those people. With SEVEN Networking as well as Socially Boomin’ my target market is entrepreneurs who are heart based and it their 40’s, 50’s and 60s. Does that mean that I won’t work with a millennial? Absolutely not, but usually people who are baby boomers are looking for a different experience when they network and we also learn social media differently as we were not born with a phone in our hands! Hence, they relate well to me and likewise.
Your brand is going to follow you everywhere. Since your brand is the soul or the culture of your business you need to be yourself wherever you go. If you are at a meeting, on the phone or even in the supermarket there is no hiding who you are! Being a native New Yorker growing up I thought everyone was like me- bold and blunt. I couldn’t hide my brand if I tried! And you don’t want to hide your true self. It is YOU and it is your brand. Make sure to be consistent and reliable. People crave consistency and it helps to build trust.

Know your core values, who you will serve, be consistent and everything else will fall into place.

Karen Joseph