I get a lot of questions about branding, some of these questions include: What color should my logo be? Do my employees need to have social media accounts? Should we be blogging? Do we revamp our website to represent our new pillars? My business isn’t the same as when I started it so what should I do?  While all of these are great questions when it comes to branding, I believe that everything you do NEEDS to be able to tell a story.  WHY? In this connected generation that is how we connect online with other people.

Each business, brand, entrepreneur has a story, THAT story should be shared with the world. It should explain WHY you are motivated to be in business for yourself. HOW your brand impacts the world and renders clients better off and WHAT differentiates you from the competition. Sounds easy, right? Think again being consistent and cohesive in your branding is one of the hardest battles any business owner can fight. It is incredibly difficult for business owners, employees, contractors, and sales people to be pure in the delivery of the message of your brand.

1. Your logo should be a talking point for your brand: Any one inside of your business should be able to tell the story of your business by using your logo as the prompt. It should represent the complexities of your business and the archetype that is the facia of your business should be clear in this image. The logo should spark a dialogue to the people who see it. It should be dynamic. It should prompt questions.

2.  Connect the WHY in your bio: Many business owners, sales people or employees hide their why they got into the business they are in. I content this is very important not only does this unveil more of the story this give people insight as to who you are as a person. As a society we spend so much time behind screens we have forgotten how to connect. By sharing your journey it helps you begin to create that relationship with the person on the other side of the screen.

3. Be consistent: This should be the easiest of the three tips to follow but it is typically the MOST difficult. How many times have you seen multiple iterations of someone’s logo? One on Facebook, another on their website, another on twitter, and an entirely different one on their business cards. This sends mixed messages to your prospects, business partners, colleagues and more. It says, “I don’t know who I am in business.” or “I am having an identity crisis.” Many entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize how confusing this is for people, especially prospects. If they can’t immediately identify that it is YOUR brand when they go on your website or social media then you need to consider if you are sending mixed messaging to your audience.