Your Ultimate Brand Checklist: 11 Tried & Tested Strategies from Brand Experts’ Playbook
Why would you need a brand checklist? Well, a strong brand takes time, patience and consistent work (we too struggle with the patience part!). It just feels like you take your eyes off the ball for a second and your pool of future clients soon forgets you. And let’s be honest it’s not like you don’t already have 1000+1 things to do as an entrepreneur. Keeping on top of your brand fundamentals, it’s just one more thing that’s piling up! Plus, it all sounds so confusing you don’t even know where to start with it… So to help make things a bit easier, we came up with a pretty complete brand checklist. In fact this is exactly the strategy that your branding agency or marketing department would take care of! But until either agency or team comes to happen, here is a manageable, bite-sized strategy that you can definitely implement! We wanted to make this post as interactive as possible, like a mini-workbook that will truly help you! So here are some questions we will answer together in this post. Keep reading to find questions, insights, templates and activities that you should add to your to-do list to boost your brand up! 1. The brand identity that represents you ? YES -> Great news! Just check it again every 6 months ? NO -> Try answering these questions: ? TRY THIS: Now take a step back, are all these answers reflected in your business identity? If not think about your brand mission, values or tagline. Are they reflected on your website? Do they speak to your identity. Are they they telling the world how much you love what you’re doing and why is the work you do important to you? If not, we can help! 2. Do you know your ideal clients? ? YES -> Perfect, just review it once a month! Your ideal client is quite likely to change often. Especially for a business right at the start. ? NO -> Check out these prompts: ? TRY THIS: Pick one competitor you admire. Check them out on IG or LinkedIn, or wherever they have a built a significant following. Look at their last 3 -5 posts, check out the people commenting. Most likely, this is where you’ll find your ideal clients. 3. Is your positioning strong enough? ? YES -> Great news! Make a note to check it again in 6 months’ time. ? NO -> If you never thought about positioning, try these: a) Who is your brand for? My brand is for ________ (insert ideal client) b) What do your ideal clients need? My clients need ________ (insert the change or benefit your service brings to your clients) c) How is your brand different from your competitors? Unlike others out there, I am the only one offering ________ (insert what’s unique about your brand) ? TRY THIS: Piece all these answers together and you will have your positioning statement. So whenever someone asks “what’s special about you”, you’ll have your answer ready! 4. Does your offer suite support your goals? ? YES -> Keep it up! Nothing to do for the next 3 – 6 months. ? NO -> Not sure? Take a look at the following statements. True or false? a) I have no idea how many clients I need to have to make a comfortable income b) I have lots of offers so that there’s something for everyone c) I have lots of clients, but I have no time to breathe anymore d I can’t take anymore clients, but if I don’t I can’t grow anymore – I’m in a catch 22 e) I have some offers but literally every client wants something different If you answered mostly TRUE there is a chance you may not have the right offer suite. If you answered a mix of TRUE & FALSE, chances are something about your offers is right (selling like hot dogs, one best-seller etc.) but it doesn’t bring you any closer to making your business goals come true. In this case, it could be your pricing is too low. ? TRY THIS: To make sure your offer suite supports you and your goals for the business, work in reverse. Go from What’s you no. 1 wish from your business? to thinking what’s the biggest obstacle stopping you from achieving it. E.g. I wish my business could make me more money -> Troubleshooting: could it be that your prices are too low?E.g. I wish I could have more time -> Troubleshooting: you may need to reconsider your 1:1 workE.g. I wish I could scale my business -> Troubleshooting: you may need to look at heavy-lifting funnels or create passive income offers 5. Does your website communicate the right message? ? YES -> Great news! Just check it every 3 months. ? NO -> Not sure? If you think your website is lovely but you’re not sure if it says the right thing, in the right way… take the friend test! Load up the website on your mobile and pass it over to a friend: a) Within 5 seconds your friend should know what this website is about b) Within 10 seconds your friend should be able to navigate from your homepage to find more information about a particular topic (your services, your special offers, or your story) c) Within 20 seconds they should be able to find a button with a clear CTA that helps them navigate your site ? TRY THIS: Use a tool like Hotjar (the freemium version is still pretty amazing) to track visitors on your website! 6. Does your social media bio communicate the right message? ? YES -> Great news! Just check it every 3 months to make sure it’s still relevant! ? NO -> Not sure? Answer this: a) Is your name clear (if you’re a personal brand)? b) Is your business category clear? c) Do you state who you help and how? d) Do you have an
#BreakTheBias Starts With Owning Your Success And Speaking Out Against Toxicity 🙅
… But first you have to learn it! As women we’re taught not to celebrate our achievements. If we do we’re arrogant, show-off idiots. We’re also taught not to speak out about injustices, toxicity, bullying or harassment. If we do “we’re not cut for it!“, “we don’t have what it takes to make it”. Invisible keeps you safe As Romanian women we are also brought up to care deeply about what others think of us. Image, status and how others perceive you is very important to a country that is barely 3 decades out of communism. Memories of Securitate and its octopus-like infiltrators that tainted families, neighbours and communities are still raw. Too many innocents were thrown into prison branded as traitors. Your family could be next. Your next door neighbours could have been a collaborator and the tiniest comment against the system, the smallest sign of revolt could have earned you a place under surveillance. You trusted no one. Your image was staunchly preserved as neutral. Inconspicuous. Invisible was good. It kept you safe. That’s why becoming a female entrepreneur in a secular society, where females are empowered to want more, to achieve more and to shout it from the rooftops… Well, that’s something we’re still learning. It doesn’t come easy. How the bias keeps you stuck I realised this when we had to come up with our very own content strategy on LinkedIn. We had to go through the content coaching session that we use on our clients. Not because we didn’t have the expertise to create content. But because sitting down to create this content, we each started off with “I have nothing interesting to talk about”, “what could I possibly say? My life is so boring”, “surely this topic is exhausted”. Our limiting beliefs spurred from a narrative of “never draw attention to yourself” were holding us back. “What will others think?” “Am I professional enough?” “Am I making the RIGHT impression?” Being stuck in this mindset does not bring you any closer to breaking any bias. I’m being pretty honest when I say that if every female entrepreneur would have thought this way, the world would have no female role models whatsoever. Oh and we were on track to being invisible! We left school. Went to university. Achieved degrees. Started off on the career ladder and honestly, we were so deep in it we couldn’t see that every step of the ladder was filled with sexism, bullying, a toxic workplace and complete disregard for any mental health, personal development or work-life balance. We did what we knew best. Kept going. Marching on. We had to prove we were cut for it. And never too divergent. Don’t make too much of a fuss. Never tread too far out of line. What would others’ say? I speak for all of us at The Orange Notebook when I say that throughout our journey on the career ladder we experienced panic attacks. We’ve experienced physical sickness out of fear and anxiety. We have been bullied, discriminated against for being Romanians and disregarded for being women. We discarded it as normal, kept quiet and kept going. Part and parcel of what having a career means. We couldn’t disappoint family. And we couldn’t risk the security of an income. Until we quit. The day we decided to quit and start The Orange Notebook, was the day we went against everything we ever knew. Quick facts:✅ No one in our families is or has ever been an entrepreneur.✅ Our parents’ generation holds tight the belief that “you hold on to your job for dear life”.✅ There has never been a safety net for any of us. No investors, no funding, no plan B. The bills always had to be paid.✅ We started this business by putting down a symbolic £30 each. The fact we managed to hit £10k months and pay a wage every month is probably the biggest achievement of my life. Our loved ones were trying to convince us to stick it out. Just as Covid-19 was taking shape and hitting West, the context was the most insecure we’ve ever lived through. Leaving a safe job seemed madness. “What would people think?” Taking a stand may well be the most difficult thing I ever did The day I drafted my leaving email I felt happy. I called out the toxic bullshit I put up with. I thanked mentors and those who taught me something. I also called out the behaviour of those that put me down. And I walked. Into a world of uncertainty, sleepless nights, stress, frustration and the greatest emotional rollercoaster of my life. Two years later I can proudly say that… 💞 We took a stand for our values 💞 We created a freedom lifestyle 💞 We beat down toxicity by taking control and saying NO to misogyny, disrespect, or discrimination from any potential or current clients 💞 We were able to work remotely and spend more time with loved ones more than ever before 💞 We were able to prioritise our mental health, self-awareness, learn and grow like never before And today we cheer for our fellow women entrepreneurs! Because maybe they don’t want to cheer themselves. We know what it’s like. We applaud every single brave woman that’s a full time business owner, or has a side-hustle, working out of your homes, or nomading in a country far away… with kids, with pets, with husbands, or wives or without any of it. KEEP GOING! Oh and we couldn’t tell you what others said or thought. We were too busy building our future…
3 Reasons Why You Should Work On Your Brand Identity
Your brand identity is the key that unlocks the success to your business. We will discuss the reasons why working on your brand identity will help your business grow and also what happens when it’s not done right. But first… Have you ever felt more confident with a cool coat, or a pair of sunglasses on? You’d put it on and be ready to conquer the world? You like the image and you enjoy the status it brings. But you wouldn’t wear a coat that doesn’t represent you, right? Nice as it may be, the Burberry style doesn’t work for every identity, for example. Similarly, in branding, we are constantly making efforts to build an image that is aligned with our identity. Still, most of our clients ask the following questions: Do I really need a brand identity? The answer is always: yes, you need to. Yes, it is important. And if you too have doubts about the importance of your brand identity, here’s a little story… Recently, we had a client with a strong business, but struggling to convert really hot leads. Amy was in the finance sector and her leads were always qualified with a call. Her discovery calls were great she said, but after that, she would either get rejected or worse, ghosted. The first thing to do was to look at her online presence. We spotted 3 problems: The verdict was clear: her clients were confused and couldn’t connect with what she was offering. The cause of this problem: lack of brand identity. You can think a brand doesn’t really bring you money. But not having one can actually lose you money. Your brand identity influences every decision you make in your business and every action you take. If Amy’s story didn’t convince you enough, here are 3 reasons why working on your brand identity will help your business grow. Getting clear on who you are helps you keep up your motivation The entrepreneurial journey is a long one, full of ups and downs. There are moments when you feel pumped and moments when you feel disheartened. You need to stay consistent despite the ups and downs. What will help you stay consistent is knowing and following your mission, values, vision, goals, etc. If you don’t have those figured out, you will be running your business day by day without a goal in sight. It will be easier to then fall into the trap of procrastination, of giving up or going back to your 9-5. You will also rob yourself of the satisfaction of achieving things. If there are no goals in place, how will you know you are on the right track? Your brand identity will help you fight the shiny object syndrome You don’t have to say yes to every client/project cause not everything is right for you. Knowing who you are and what you are trying to achieve will help you stay away from the wrong opportunities, it will help you craft your message to attract the right people and it will help you say no to clients who are not ready to pay for your service, who are too demanding or who you don’t feel good chemistry with. It’s important to understand: A clear mission helps you set financial goals and keep you accountable Your financial goals could be very personal like travelling or buying a house or maybe they relate to your mission and vision such as more freedom to volunteer, which is why it’s important to have those figured out. If you are an entrepreneur passionate about education and you want to build a school in Madagascar, you need to account for that expense. By having a clearly defined mission you are so passionate about, you can then set a financial goal and start saving every month or find investors to support you. These are only 3 of the reasons to start working on your brand identity today. And if you’re wondering what happened to our client, after we defined her brand identity and clarified her brand message to align with her clients’ needs, she got 2 new clients in only 1 week.
Why Brand Purpose is Crucial to Your Business’ Survival
Brand purpose is essential to your business survival. But when you start your own business, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘how’ of it all: how to turn your business plan into a reality or how to balance your finances. Plus, there’s clients to think of, as well as the daily humdrum of running a business. By focusing on HOW to achieve, you can lose sight of WHAT you wanted to achieve, and WHY. Once your business is properly established, and you dedicate all your time and energy to keeping things afloat, it’s even easier to forget about the ‘why’ — the reason you started your business in the first place. You may be thinking: the reason it all began is simply a motive, a catalyst that stays in the past, so it doesn’t actually matter in the long run, right? But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The ‘why’ is intrinsic to any successful business. It’s the driving force behind the scenes, the very reason you get up in the morning and invest so much effort into what you do; it’s your brand purpose. And it’s key to your business’ survival. What is brand purpose? Brand purpose is the reason why your business exists, beyond making money. After all, financial success is pretty much a given purpose for the majority of businesses. Brand purpose, therefore, looks at the wider picture. It’s the motivation to offer something to the world, to make a difference. As such, your brand purpose is often something selfless, something that resonates with people and makes them feel something on an emotional level. It’s your business’ identity; it’s unique to you and is what sets you apart from other businesses in the eyes of your audience. Take Georganics, a sustainable oral care company, for example. Of course, like many businesses, they manufacture products to sell, but this isn’t what their brand is built on. Their brand purpose is to help people access quality dental products that are good for them and the planet. They use business as a ‘force for good’, to help make the world a greener, more eco-friendly place; their products are simply a means to an end when it comes to helping them achieve that purpose. And it is this purpose that drives the sales of their products and their success as a business in turn. Georganic’s customers don’t buy from them just because they sell quality products: they buy from them because they know that, by switching their plastic toothbrushes with a Georganic’s bamboo one, they’re doing their bit to live more sustainably and protect the environment. Without such a compelling brand purpose, there would be nothing to distinguish the brand from others and, therefore, no reason for consumers to choose Georganics over any other dental hygiene brand, which brings us nicely to our next point… Why is brand purpose important? Running a business without a clear brand purpose is like driving a car on a near-empty tank of gas — it can only take you so far before you’ll grind to a halt. Not having your brand purpose nailed down can make or break the future of your business. That’s because if you don’t care about what makes your business tick, or why it’s important, then your customers or clients won’t either. They will have no reason to buy from you or interact with your brand. Those that do will likely do so on a fluke, which is no way to go if you’re looking to build a strong brand or a loyal customer base. But it’s not just your potential customers that will give up, you will too. Studies have found that over half of new businesses fail in their first 6 months through lack of brand identity and drive, amongst other reasons. Like with anything in life, if there’s nothing to motivate you to do something, you simply won’t bother doing it or, if you do, you’ll invest less into it, leading to far from desirable results. Therefore, if you care about making your business a success, you must care about brand purpose. Finding your brand purpose Pinning down your brand’s purpose may seem daunting, but have no fear. All you need to do, to quote Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, is begin at the beginning. Think back to the time before your business was even an idea. What was happening at the time? What sparked your business concept? Did you start your business to make a difference in the world? To help you out, try answering these 3 questions: This could be anything from becoming a household name to creating a local hub for your community or supporting those less fortunate. What you want your brand to achieve is what you want your brand legacy to be. Perhaps you want to help people lead healthier lives or support young entrepreneurs so that they can find their feet? This question gets right to the heart of what brand purpose is all about: the selfless ‘why’ that drives everything you do. Consider yourself not as an individual, but as part of humanity as a whole. Do you want to expand your horizons and turn your business into a global enterprise? Or maybe you want to become an established organisation in your local area? Whatever you’ve got your sights on, having a clear idea of how you want your brand to grow allows you to turn your vision into reality. Once you’ve found your answers, write them down and use them as a reminder of your true WHY. You can then focus your energy into building a stronger business, with a clear and compelling brand purpose and identity.
How Dracula Became a Romanian Brand that Romania Didn’t Want
Should Romania be haunted by the world’s most beloved vampire, or put Dracula to work for its national brand and help promote tourism? What we know Dracula is an international brand. A fictional vampire created by Bram Stoker in 1897. Vlad Tepes is a Romanian historical figure. He ruled cc. 1448, roughly 400 years before Dracula’s creation. A ruthless but fair (and beloved) voivode known for impaling his enemies on stakes. What’s the connection between the 2? Transylvania, Bran Castle (roughly 200 miles away from where we were born). While the brand remains international, in the public’s perception the association with a real land places Dracula squarely in Romania. Roll back to present day and most people will know that: Dracula was real and lived in Romania Vlad Tepes was a vampire that sometimes went by the name of Dracula. Transylvania is a spooky land and Bran Castle is a haunted castle. (read til the end to separate fiction from reality) What we realised Where things get interesting is that Romania has mixed feelings about the Dracula brand. So much so, that the real owner of “Dracula’s Castle” tried his earnest to disassociate the castle from the haunting myth. To understand why, you need to understand a few things about Romanian culture: Romanians don’t believe in vampires, but in evil spirits called “strigoi” Vlad Tepes was an important, real figure in Romania’s history The brand puts a sinister spin on a real, beautiful location full of history and sightseeing But Romania also knows the Dracula brand brings tourism – In 2016, Airbnb ran a contest for an overnight stay in Dracula’s castle. It received 88 000 entries – whereas real history does not. Since the 70s, tourists came searching for Dracula and left disappointed that the tourist spots have nothing to do with the gloom and doom of the myth they expected. Romania was too undecided over the world’s favourite vampire. Neither embracing, nor denying, Dracula was oddly attached to Romanian culture, but not claimed. It wasn’t until the early 2000s, that the Romanian government took an official position to embrace Dracula’s legend and use it as an opportunity for branding. How we can help We found this phenomena happen not only with the world’s most famous vampire, but with a few of our clients too. When you are “lumped” with a brand you can’t identify with (i.e you hate the colours, the message isn’t right, the logo is ridiculous, you want to hide your website from the word etc.) you are locked in a losing battle. The only way up is by sitting down with an expert, talking through what you hate, what you love and building a brand that truly represents you. Romania is still a bit undecided, and in the process it’s losing money. The question is, are you? We helped our clients with this exact problem in the past. Our coaching packages are designed to “diagnose” your pain and help you get the crystal clear X-ray of your brand, through a tried-and-tested framework. So that when we build it, we build the brand you can be proud of. We shape your brand so that you can shape the future! P.S. Know a bit more than others. Here are the truths about Dracula: Dracula was a fictional character in Bram Stoker’s book. He was fictionally placed in Romania. Vlad Tepes was a real ruler known for how ruthless he fought enemies. His noble family name included the word “Dracul”. While Transylania was Dracula’s location according to Stoker’s novel, it wasn’t the real location of the ruler. Bran Castle has nothing to do with either figure. It was actually a strategic choice for Romanian authorities. Bran Castle was easy to access and could accommodate tourists. In fact, Vlad Tepes ruled Wallachia from a little-known city called Targoviste. Local legends also place him at Poienari Castle, a strategic fortress perched on a mountain top, 400m above sea level.
7 Branding myths that put people off
Are you falling for any of these branding myths? People fall for misconceptions all the time. And branding is one of the most misunderstood concepts of the marketing world. In this post we’ll explore the most common myths we’ve heard in our careers and from our clients: Branding is difficult Branding is pointless Branding is just a logo Branding doesn’t bring ROI Branding is expensive Branding is not necessary Branding is not for SMEs or sole-traders Brands are like people. Some have money they can spend lavishly – De Beers casually dropped £138 mil on marketing last year. Others are on a budget – Ryanair, stay cheap. We love you for it. They have a voice – BrewDog certainly has a voice and is not afraid to use it. Some are funny – Netflix really does sound like your best friend on WhatsApp. Or have bad grammar – in 2011 this was a thing. In 2013 this was a thing. In 2017, yep still there. Bet it’s still a thing in 2020? Some use too many exclamation marks – Look Boohoo, “£1.99 delivery!” does not warrant an exclamation mark. You’re not bringing Lassie home. And some are exquisitely pretty, snobbish, or just really annoying – The Kardashians bring it home on all accounts! But what they all have in common is that they want to be liked. To understand the power of the brand and what it means for the price tag, let’s take 2 super-luxurious, power-crazy cars. Identical. The same specs, the same power, the exact same design. Except one single detail. One bears the Dacia logo, while the other one is made by the Lamborghini brand. Which one would you be more inclined to pay £360,000 (current UK price for the Aventador SVJ) for? (If you said Dacia, please scroll to the bottom of this post, you special lil’ cookie!) But for now, let’s dive into those myths: 1. Branding is difficult Sure the process is a bit painful, but as with most things in life there is a roadmap to it. Most people think it’s overwhelming because they either don’t know where to start, or they try to start with everything. But here’s the thing, no expert, agency, or self-professed guru would start without a roadmap and a strategy. That every business needs to sell to be successful, is no secret. The “painful” part clients typically struggle with is establishing the context around it; what are you selling, why are you selling, what’s different about you? If you download our branding kit, you will find a clear strategy and step-by-step instructions to define things like mission statement, values, or your brand story with prompts and clear examples. You don’t need a brand expert, just the right guidance. 2. Branding is pointless To outsiders, branding is one of those concepts that can be described as “vague”. This, to a business that’s in the business of making money, renders it a pointless exercise. Sadly, the biggest offenders for reinforcing this myth are exactly the people that should dispel it. Most branding experts choose to promote branding with vague questions that only serve to confuse people even more. When you break it down, there’s actually nothing vague about it. 3. Branding is just a logo No, branding is never just a logo. But opinions vary, depending on who you ask. If you’re asking a £9.99 logo-peddler on race-to-the-bottom marketplaces, then yes “a beautiful logo is all you need for a big brand”. Branding is achieved by using a number of tools such as mission statement, positioning, design, customer experience. Market segmentation and even the pricing strategy can be a part of branding. How it all comes together to deliver a unique offer, an interesting story and a meaningful connection is your exclusive business blueprint. The logo is just one part of it. 4. Branding doesn’t bring ROI Unlike other marketing activities, such as social advertising that bring immediate results, branding does not show instantly on a balance sheet. That is because the value of branding is accrued over time. A bit like a good friendship that takes time to settle, branding is nonetheless a business tool that drives commercial value. Just ask Google. 5. Branding is expensive … but so are your clothes, the car you drive, the places you like to visit, or the films you want to watch. Everything that defines you is a conscious investment that you make because it is part of your identity. Branding is the process of defining your business’ identity. It will take time before you find something that fits. More so, to find the common ground between your business and your ideal customer base. Luckily, we’ve done all the work behind the scenes and created a very easy roadmap to branding. 6. Branding is not necessary Sure, for short-term goals and quick sales, branding is not necessary. You might think your local butchers or fruit and veg corner shop sells just fine without any branding. But let’s dig a little. Do they really have no branding power? When you want some fresh cherry tomatoes do you just go to any shop? Or do you go to that corner shop that always has the freshest greens and recommends you the strawberries that just came in yesterday? Is the shop-owner friendly? Do you like how they treat you? Is the quality always top-notch? That is the power of branding. You got there because it’s that shop. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s about why you choose it instead of others. 7. Branding is not for SMEs or sole-traders Of course branding for an SME or a sole-trader has nothing to do with the branding of big companies like Nike or Apple. But as the example above illustrates, it doesn’t need to. Branding does not look the same for any two companies, nor it should. It doesn’t cost the same, it doesn’t look the same, and no two purposes are the