How to Give Your Business Its Own Personality
One of the most important marketing elements you could choose to focus on for your business is your brand.
It is by far the most important tool in your toolbox.
Your brand is the personality by which your business runs, your customers know you as and what you ultimately present to the world.
Every brand has its own personality but crafting that image can sometimes be difficult to wrap your mind around.
Here are sixteen questions for you to consider as you build or re-evaluate your brand identity.
Your Business - Visually
1. What is your visual vibe? Are you elegant, modern, clean, grunge, industrial?
2. What do your logo and slogan bring to the table? Do they showcase your vibe,
personality, expertise?
3. What are your colors? Are they rich, dark, bright, vibrant? Are they indicative of your
vibe and personality?
Your Business - Personality
4. What is your product or service and what sets you apart? Why pick you over
your competition? Is it your quality, customer service, expertise, method? Figuring this
out will make it clear what to highlight in your marketing.
5. What kind of personality do you and your team have? Consumers connect more
with brands that feel real. If your team is funny, add humor. If your team is dedicated,
showcase that passion. Create content that is authentic to you and it won’t feel like a
chore for you and fake to your audience.
6. Write 5 Words that Describe Your Business’s Personality. Is your business fun,
family-oriented, outdoorsy, comedic, adrenaline-junky?
7. What does your voice sound like? Are you sarcastic, knowledgeable, casual,
formal, technical? If you have a plan for your desired voice it becomes easy for others
to communicate your brand as well.
Your Competition
8. Who is your competition and what personality do their brands have? Once
you research some of your competitor’s branding you will be able to figure out whether
or not your voice is similar or different. You can also come up with ways to improve
your presence.
9. What brands do you admire? These don’t have to be in your industry but if you like
their brand presence and content, it will be easy to draw off of them for content and
interaction ideas. For example, we love Taco Bell’s sense of humor. We don’t sell tacos
(yet), but we often draw off of them for voice ideas.
Simplify, take what you’ve already done and streamline it so you don’t get stuck in the complexity of your brand’s personality.
Your Customer
10. Who is your ideal customer? Does it vary from the customers you have now? The
first step is identifying who you’re trying to reach and what is important to them.
11. When people think about your brand, what do you want them to think of?
They could look to you for business or personal advice, expertise in a specific subject
matter or possibly a leader in the community.
12. How do you want your clients to feel when they hear from you? Maybe they
walk away uplifted and motivated or informed and well-read. Will they feel happy or
pensive or supported?
13. What is your audience’s language? If your target customer is in the tech industry,
it’s probably a safe bet you can reference more complex technology ideas. Pinpoint
the language your ideal audience speaks and you’ll know the best way to interact.
14. How do you interact with customers and clients? If someone were to comment
on a post or blog, how would you respond? Like a friend, a mentor, a parental figure, a
coach, etc. Another thing to think about is if someone comments negatively, how will
you combat that in a constructive way that may save you a customer?
Your Value
15. What problems can you solve for your audience? People follow and stay up to
date on brands because of the value it adds to their lives. Whether it be travel tips, DIY
projects, community outreach and events or maybe even marketing advice.
16. Why should your clients trust you over everyone else? You know why you’re
different, but how do your customers know? What can you do to gain their trust?
Whether it be your credentials, your consistency or your advice your audience needs
to trust you and your content.
This is an exercise you should do whenever you feel as if you’re losing site of your brand. You can always evaluate and tweak as you go!
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