This month, I’m exploring branding basics here on the blog. I created this series to help fellow entrepreneurs who have just started a business or are gearing up to do so. This week, let’s talk about your brand strategy.
Branding Basics is a 4-part series that builds on itself. If you haven’t read the first two installments of this series, catch up and come back!
Branding Basics // Your Brand Story
Branding Basics // Your Brand Identity
Let’s break it down! Brand strategy is all about about goal setting, maintaining momentum, and reflecting & adjusting.
Goal Setting
The foundation in creating your brand strategy is goal setting. Creating clear objectives for your business will help you organize your daily efforts towards growth.
Some days, it can feel like every item on your never-ending to do list feels important! If you have too many targets demanding your immediate attention, you won’t hit any of them. Goal setting makes the important to-dos stand out, giving you distinct targets to dedicate time towards regularly.
What kind of goals fit your brand? They could be related to networking, sales, social media engagement, website traffic, audience growth, or more -its up to you! No matter what aspect of your business your goals involve, be sure to keep goals specific, realistic, and measurable.
Maintaining Momentum
Now comes the important part …consistency! How do you maintain your momentum towards your goals?
The hardest thing about sustaining your drive is keeping morale up, so give yourself milestones. Reaching mini-goals will make you feel accomplished and keep your energy up as you work towards your big goals.
For example, let’s say my goal is to grow my website traffic to 200 visitors a month over 6 months. I can direct people to my blog posts and website through Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. My milestone could be 25, then 50 visitors on a specific blog post. I check my analytics weekly, note how often I am promoting my site on my social platforms, and adapt accordingly.
Observing your own growth and celebrating hitting those mini-goals will help you maintain your momentum by nurturing your morale!
Reflecting & Adjusting
Besides setting milestones, be intentional about gauging your progress by inspecting metrics regularly as you work towards your goals. Numbers don’t lie! The patterns that metrics provide hold valuable insight into how your brand is growing.
Take time to reflect regularly and be honest -is this course of action serving you, or would your energy be better spent in a different way? Be flexible and adjust your methods as necessary to progress towards your goals.
Remember to be gentle with yourself. Being an entrepreneur always involves a lot of trial-and-error! Don’t be afraid to try new things, spend afternoons Googling, and talking to successful people in your industry.
Now that you have a list of goals and have a definitive direction, it should influence your content. When you write blogs, create an Instagram caption, or put together a digital ad, you should have your brand strategy in mind!
Stay inspired. Keep an eye on brands that appeal to you in identity, story, and strategy. Note how they interact and connect with their audiences. Do they share memes? Do they feature BTS videos and photos? Do they speak directly to their audience (if so, what about)?
If you change direction and find that in six months, your goals don’t fit your strategy anymore, that’s ok! You haven’t failed, you’ve just grown. Refresh your goals and adjust your strategy.
To jump into part four of Branding Basics, “Your Brand Investment,” click here!
If you are interested in learning about my personal branding services and how I can help you on your branding journey, click here!
– Elizabeth A.