As an online business owner, defining your brand identity is one of the most important factors in growing your audience and your business. Many of us have thought about our branding but we haven’t gone deep enough in defining exactly what our brand identity is.
IE 219: Defining your Brand Identity with Lisa M. Noble
Today’s guest on the podcast is here to help us do just that.
Lisa Noble is the founder and owner of Vivid Visual Solutions, and she and her team help busy female entrepreneurs leave the stress behind when it comes to branding and marketing. They do this by assisting with website creation, brand design, and social media management.
How to Develop Your Brand Identity
When you think of your brand identity, what comes to mind? Do you picture a woman, wearing a superhero cape, who is ready to take on the world of online business? Is that what it means to define your brand identity?
Lisa says that your brand identity is the sum of all the elements in your business that tell others what it is you do in your business and what you offer.
Your brand identity includes things like logos, business cards, and the banners your need for your Zoom calls. But if you’re a boutique business and you need to attend trade shows, you also need things like tablecloths and banners, so that you stand out in the crowded space.
Are you a service provider? Then you need a branded website, business cards, and tools of the trade, (things like branded PostIt notes, pens, etc.)
What Is the Voice of Your Brand?
While it’s great to know what colors you want to use for your brand and what you want your website to look like, a lot of us forget about the most important piece of our brand identity: the voice.
The voice of your brand is what tells others what they can expect from you. It starts with your description on your website, your pitch, your social media channels, and the way you come across on live video or reels.
Are you more of a serious type, or do you use a lot of humor in your business? That comes across in your social media captions, your videos, and your copy.
Another part of the voice of your brand identity is knowing how your target audience speaks so that you speak their language to them to draw them in. I have found them even in my own business; I say the word “webinar,” and people yawn. But when I use the word “workshop,” they get all excited and can’t wait to come learn.
Why Does Brand Identity Matter?
You may be asking, “But why does it matter, Jenny? Can’t I just put my stuff out there and trust that my people will find me?”
That would be a hard “no.”
Having a defined brand identity is what differentiates you from all the other businesses that are doing the same thing you’re doing. There are plenty of social media managers and copywriters who do great work; what sets you apart?
Your brand identity shows who you are and what you value, which helps your target customer to know that you are the one they want to work with. It helps them to identify with you and builds trust between you.
Defining Your Brand Identity on Social Media
Social media is a beast these days. There are so many more people using it than ever before and it can be hard to figure out how to stand out from the crowd.
The first step toward building your brand identity on social media is to identify your perfect customer-
- Are they on TikTok? Are they on Snapchat?
- What age group are they in?
- Where do they hang out online?
The second step is making sure you are consistently publishing content on your website so that you have content to push to social media. The purpose of social media is to drive your potential customer to your website so that they can see who you are, what you do, and if you’re a good fit for them.
You also need goals for your social media channels. You never want to waste time posting to Instagram if you don’t have a reason behind the post. Everything you do on social media should be another step toward reaching your goals.
Lastly, pay attention to who’s engaging with your social media content. Is your ideal customer commenting on and sharing your content? Or is your content attracting an entirely different audience than who you want to reach?
Developing Your Brand Strategy
We can’t choose 3-5 pretty colors, create a website, make some videos, and expect to have a successful business. It might have worked that way back in 2012 but it is no longer 2012. In 2021, you need a definite strategy for moving forward.
Before you even start your website, you should have some idea of what your focus is. What service will you offer? What types of content will you create? What products will you sell and to whom? Who is your target customer?
Once your asset strategy is created, you can move into a brand marketing strategy.
Unfortunately, too many online business owners get this backward. They figure, “If I build it, they will come.” And it simply doesn’t work that way anymore. You have to have a strategy for getting your content out there.
So, you begin by creating your product or service, you figure out who your customer is, and then and only then do you move into marketing yourself and your product.
I strongly encourage you to listen to this entire episode, as Lisa shared some very specific ways to market your brand identity on social media. She goes into how to use Reels on Instagram, IG stories, and how to do these things even if you don’t know how to do the silly TikTok dances.
Lisa also has a very special offer for my listeners. Her brand audit grades your brand identity by looking at your social media, website, reviews from customers, listings… and shows you ways to improve your conversion rate.
Use the code VIVIDBRAND50 for $50 off of a Vivid Brand Audit.
This audit gives you a call with Lisa where you will receive all the information you need to give to your website designer, or your social media manager, or use the info as you work on your own content.
Action Steps:
- If you liked this episode of Influencer Entrepreneurs, please subscribe and leave a fabulous review!
- Join the conversation on Instagram by tagging Jenny when you’re listening to the podcast. She’ll send you a personal message whenever you tag her.
