S2. E5 - The 5 elements you need to build a strong brand

We often think of branding as just the name and logo of our business. In fact, when we're just starting out, they're the two things most business owners start with. But brand strategies run deep. And, in order to have a strong brand that builds brand recognition and fosters a sense of loyalty with your clients you need to embed your brand into everything that you do. 

In this episode, Leeha explores the five key elements of a strong brand covering:

• Visual brand identity
• Your brand's purpose, vision and mission
• Brand messaging and personality
• Your unique selling proposition (USP) and your target audience
• Brand experience that goes beyond the point of sale

Tune in to find out how you can build a brand that helps you achieve your business dreams. 

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Transcript

 We often think of branding as just the name and logo of our business. In fact, when we’re just starting out, they're the two things, most business owners start with. But brand strategies run deep. And in order to have a brand that builds brand recognition and fosters a sense of loyalty with your clients you need to embed your brand in everything that you do. So in today's episode, we're exploring the five key elements of a strong brand. So keep listening to find out what they are and how you can build them for your business. 

Hey there. Welcome to the real talk for women in business podcast. A podcast all about helping women entrepreneurs take off in their business. We share real truths, real insights, and really practical tips when it comes to juggling all things, life and business. My name is Leeha and I'm a coffee-loving brand strategist, copywriter, website, designer, and the founder of Meridian Digital. 

Meridian digital is where I help the owners of growing service-based businesses connect with clients through my all-inclusive digital marketing support packages. And normally, I would be sitting here with my soulful friend and colleague Nicole stock. But from time to time we will be flying solo and this is one of those occasions 

In my intro, I mentioned that the first thing that many business owners start with our logo and a business name. And speaking from experience, when you do get these two things, it's one of the most exciting times you'll experience in your business. For me, it felt like the beginning of something special, a proud moment. 

Like I had something to really stand behind and put my heart into. I had an identity. My business had an identity. It was taking form and the future looked bright. Obviously, at this point in time, I had no idea of the winding journey that I'd travel on with these two brand elements by my side. But my point is when you're starting out, it's perfectly acceptable to start with a name and a logo. 

What's important is that as your business grows, that your brand grows with it, and this means brand strategy. Realistically, it also means investing some of that hard-earned cash into getting professional branding, help. 

But let's get back to the five elements of a brand strategy. And we might as well kick off with where we started your visual brand identity. 

Your brand identity is the look and feel of your brand. It's made up of your logo, your topography or fonts. And your brand palette. Otherwise known as your colors. Think of it like this, your brand identity is what your ideal clients see. And one of the most common things that they'll remember. Now what makes a strong visual brand identity? 

Well, it needs to be a aligned with, your client or customer expectations. And you should ask yourself, does it evoke the right emotions in my target audience? For example, a young hip brand that's targeting 20 to 25 year olds is less likely to have a visual identity that is quite formal or plain. Your brand identity should be distinct and easily recognisable. 

I think about whether or not it stands out from your competitors. Is it memorable? A mistake that some new business owners make when starting out is over-complicating their brand. There's that old saying, and you probably know where I'm going with this. Keep it simple. Silly. Your visual identity should have clarity, not confusion. 

Now the next element of a strong visual brand identity focuses on functionality. So have a think about whether the elements of your brand can be used across different mediums. I'm talking about social media, print media and your website. When it comes to a strong brand. And I'll say this more than once during this episode, consistency is key. For example, not all funds look good in digital form and in print media. 

Or maybe your logo looks great blown up on your website, but it's unrecognisable in your social media posts. Finally, your visual brand identity should stand the test of time. Now, this isn't to say that your branding won't change or adapt with your business. But you want to get the most out of it as you can. 

Now let's cover your brand's purpose, vision and mission.  There's often a fair bit of confusion around these three terms in some business owners use purpose and mission interchangeably or rightly so they can combine them into one statement. 

The key point that I want to make here is that these three elements of your brand need to work together to share your brand story, including who you are. What you stand for? And what you do. 

Your purpose is why you do what you do. Think of it as the reason your business exists and the promise you make to customers and clients. Your vision is the larger goal that you hope to achieve and describes what your organisation will look like in the future. Think of your vision as a guiding beacon that depicts the kind of future your business is striving for. 

Finally, your mission is about what you do and who you do it for. Now, these three statements, they act as your roadmap, they help you and your team stay on track and keep working towards achieving your ultimate goals. I help guide your business decisions. Inspire your employees. And it can help with that. Important customer loyalty. Now I could spend at least 30 minutes diving deeper into each one of these, but I'm not going to do that today. What I will do is give you a real-life example of each of these elements. And I'm going to use Ikea as my example. I mean, who doesn't love. Ikea. So  Ikea has combined their purpose and their vision kind of into one statement, but I've been able to separate it out for you. So the Ikea purpose is to create a better everyday life for the many people. 

Their vision is to have a positive impact on the world. From the communities where we source our raw materials to the way our products help our customers live a more sustainable life at home. And their mission is to make durable, sustainably made furniture and homewares, but at the lowest possible cost. 

Now writing these statements can seem daunting at first. And when I decided to rebrand to Meridian, digital, I kid you not, it took me ages to find the motivation to sit down and knock them out. But the relief when I did was almost overwhelming, I finally felt like I had direction. And I know that you will feel the same. 

Okay, so let's move on to brand messaging and personality. 

We've given your brand a look. We've given her a vision and a roadmap to follow. Now we need to bring her to life. It's time to give your brand a voice and a personality of her own. 

Just like the brand identity, the messaging helps you connect with customers and clients to give them a better experience.  

It's the language that you use on your website, in your social media posts, in your newsletters and in the many, many conversations that you'll have with clients over the years. It's important. That brand messaging is consistent across all touchpoints of your business. And no matter who the client is talking to. If you've got a team, you should train them. And anyone else with a customer-facing role. I do use the same language and tone when they're talking with customers or clients. And this is really where having a written down brand strategy, a brand guide or a brand persona can be really useful. In fact, many business owners think that personas are created only for their ideal clients. When in fact, they're just as useful and insightful. If you create a persona while you're building your brand out. 

Now there's no point giving your brand a voice. If you don't know who you're talking to. And understanding your target audience is critical to every element of your business. Your target audience is your ideal client. They're the personal group of people that you serve and show up for. And one of the best ways to understand who your target audience is, is by starting to know what your unique selling proposition is or your USP. 

It's here that you'll need to think about what sets you apart from your competitors. What makes you different? What do you have to offer that clients won't get anywhere else? I hear people all the time. They don't have a USP. I'm a business coach. What makes me different from all the other business coaches out there? 

Well, the reality is you are different. And that might just be enough. Your way of working your processes, your personality, your experience, all your differentiators. No one. Is like you. So don't always think that you differentiate, it has to be price. Maybe you specialise in a particular type of coaching for businesses. 

Or if you're a copywriter, for example, maybe your differentiator is that you specialise in email sequences for lifestyle e-commerce brands. Once you know what your USP is and what your secret sauce or niche is now, you'll note the types of clients you need to target. 

Finally the last point that I want to bring up with you is about brand experience.  And I believe that this is one of the most important aspects that can be overlooked by business owners. The brand experience is the way your clients will connect or interact with your business, it's products, services, team, and other connection points along the way, much like how they'll interact with your social media. 

It's every little interaction a client has from the moment they engage with your brand. Perhaps they do that through your website. Perhaps they pick up the phone and have a chat with you. So it's from that moment. To when they use your product or your service and beyond. Brand experience should never end the moment you gain a sale. 

Because continuing to build your brand post-sale or after your clients have used your service. Uh, by delivering an above and beyond experience can create longterm connections with clients who will buy again. And again, and again. 

Even better. If they've had a great experience with your brand, they'll spread the word. They'll tell their friends, their family, the person that they sit beside at work. And your ideal clients and now growing your customer base for you. 

So they have it today. We've covered the five elements of your brand. We've chatted about how branding isn't just a logo and a name we've covered. The visual aspects of your brand created a roadmap to guide our brand through purpose, vision, and mission. We've given your brand a voice and personality. 

Identified what sets you apart from competitors by working out how you're unique. And finally, we know that a brand that goes the distance is a brand that places emphasis on client experience. Even after the sale is made. 

I really hope you've enjoyed today's podcast episode. And I  look forward to jumping back on with Nick shortly so we can talk more real talk for women in business. Thanks for listening. 📍  

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