In my DMs this week, someone had watched my 12 Steps to Brand Success Masterclass (shout if you want the link) and said that she needed to work on how she presents her brand – so that she’d know how to speak about herself and have confidence in her brand.
This is EXACTLY what working in your brand does for you.
It gives you clarity so you know what to say and confidence so you feel brave enough to say it!
A brand is the things that other people say, think, feel and remember about your business.
Working on your brand enables you to gain clarity over what you want those things to be, and empowers you to do something about it!
Simple yes?
It’s tricky sometimes figuring out the clarity. I know you want to do allofthethings and speak to allofthepeople and be everythingtoeveryone – and that means you need to make decisions to gain clarity doesn’t it?
So it’s about making decisions. Solid responses.
- What are your values?
- What do you stand for?
- What are your goals?
- What’s your position?
- Who is buying from you?
Make decisions. Stick to them. And that clarity and confidence will enable you to present your brand in the best possible way.
Not always perfect.. but always in the best way you can in that moment.
We can all do the best we can with what we have right now.
Perfect is overrated.
Instagram grids once expected to be a place of perfect squares working to make your own grid an aspirational zone with high standards…now there’s a shift away from that. Perhaps keeping up the facade became too much?
Spending three hours on Canva to make one image.
You have a business to run. Know your brand and get it out there already.
Imperfection isn’t just about your brand visuals.
For example, you don’t have to BE 100% sustainable to have sustainability as a brand value. If it is a value, you do need to be working towards making it happen. If you wait until you ARE sustainable, then you’ve lost all of that time to build on the story, to bring people along with you, to show your struggles and gain feedback.. you don’t need to BE perfect, just aspire to be however sustainable you want to be (and be honest about that.)
Your brand isn’t going to stand still. It moves. Your business moves and it moves along with it. It grows. It starts somewhere, somewhere imperfect, and that imperfection is honed and practiced until it’s as perfect as it can be in that moment.
Practice makes perfect. You have to make the first steps.
I don’t think you need to aim for perfection. Aim for the best you can do, the closest you can get – but if you keep striving for perfection you may never actually get the thing out there!
Post that post. Publish that blog. Upload that graphic. Film that video. Download that PDF.
The important thing which I’m finally getting to, is that if you have your brand roots down – you know what you’re all about, what you stand for, what really matters and who you are speaking to – then that’s the stuff that matters most. And when it comes to visuals that’s all about making decisions too.
Make the decisions.
Those decisions will save you time and enable you to create something which is better than you could achieve without making them. Something that will actually help you to strengthen your brand. Those decisions will make getting your brand out there EASY. Those decisions will make getting your brand out there DOABLE.
Stop phaffing and get branding!
Amy Purdie, The Brand Explorer takes you on an Adventure to discover what your brand is all about, helping you with your brand strategy, brand visuals and content ideas. You can join Amy’s Brand Success Club or join her in your very own Private Brand Adventure.
Amy has been enjoying designing logos, brand identities, illustration, print work and websites – since 2007 fuelled mainly by tea and chocolate.