You’ve asked your mom, your bestie, your networking group, and your favorite Facebook thread. You’ve even asked that random stranger on the bus. You’ve asked them all if your brand is good, if it tells the right story.
They gave feedback—some good, some bad. But afterwards, you’re still left stumped, and frankly, overwhelmed.
The problem with asking all these people about your brand is that they don’t really understand your business like you do. It’s your business, after all. The story that your brand tells isn’t something that other people can write for you.
And why is it so important to get that story right?
Your brand is what people are saying about you behind your back. It’s the silent ambassador of your company. It’s the one thing that you have that nobody else has. It’s your voice, your mind, your story, your vision—and no one else can recreate it.
When people hear about your business, wouldn’t you like to hear reactions that are more along the lines of “Holy cow, that’s amazing!” rather than “Oh, that’s what you do?” If you want to tell a monumental story with your brand, make sure you ask yourself the following three questions:
Is your brand CLEAR?
Not long ago, I found my grandma’s old wedding journal. In it, she had written down the story of how she met my grandpa. As incredible as this discovery was, I was discouraged by how incredibly hard it was to read her handwriting and follow her story. It was the most important story—the backbone of their relationship—but unfortunately it was so unclear, scattered and hard to understand that the message got lost.
Make sure your brand’s story is communicated in a way that is clear and easy to understand.
Is your brand WORTHY?
Have you ever paid a high price for a well-branded company’s product, and been disappointed with its quality? Did you feel like you were paying for the brand name, rather than the product itself? Or what about the opposite—have you ever purchased a poorly branded product but been pleasantly surprised with its great quality?
Make sure your brand represents your product or service’s quality and is worthy of what you are selling.
Is your brand PROFESSIONAL?
Unprofessional brands make potential customers think that they’re dealing with unprofessional businesses. And you, my friend, are anything BUT unprofessional. Treating your brand as an asset worth investing in can be the first step to your professionalism and can help your business move to the next level.
Make sure your brand portrays that you are a professional to reckon with.
