Branding Your Business Through Your Personality
For small business owners, finding an authentic and creative way to brand your self is so incredibly important. Not only is this business your livelihood, but it should be a reflection of YOU! From the colors you adore, to the unique little sayings that you’re famous for, to the issues to which you devote your blog, everything about your brand should give potential clients a little bit of information about who you really are—as an individual and as a business owner. In the spirit of this helpful business tidbit, I’d like to share with you my best tips and tricks for incorporating YOUR personal style into your brand!
BE GENUINE.
You can’t fake who you really are…well, not for long anyway (But more on that later….)! Before you go any further with creating your brand, take a moment to stop and think. What motivates you to create? What’s your vision and mission for your business? What makes you happy? Now, take all of these things, and merge them into a series of images in your mind. What’s your favorite color? In your mind’s eye, shade these images in that color. If you’re being true to yourself, this should give you a better idea of what your brand should LOOK like. For me, I’m a girly-girl who loves pink, glitter, fashion, and educating and helping fellow creative boss ladies. Therefore, on my website and social media pages, you’ll find tons of pretty little doses of inspiration, stylish and feminine design, and frequent updates on workshops and conferences for creative business owners! And, while I understand how scary it can be to put yourself out there, give people the benefit of the doubt—and a chance to know the REAL you. Think of it this way…if you’re genuine, the very things that make you unique as an individual will slowly infuse into your business; and, those things will be EXACTLY what differentiate you from the competition!
SHOWCASE YOUR PERSONALITY.
This is your chance, sweet friends…let that fabulous personality shine through! Being a small business owner is rough enough, you don’t need the added stress of trying to be something that you’re not! Don’t try to brand your business as Barbie-chic if, at heart, you’re a Bohemian queen! Likewise, use language and euphemisms that are familiar to you. For instance, I’m a bit of a southern belle, so I call all my followers “Dolls”, my employees are “POSH Dolls”, and I even carried this over to Instagram—where I created the hashtag #dollspartypretty! Now, every time I see that someone has used my special hashtag, I get this incredible feeling of achievement! To take this idea a step further, you should consider incorporating a few of your favorite “things” into your brand. I’ve always loved the sound of a champagne cork popping…it was the sound of happiness and celebration. So, I went through the process of trademarking the phrase, “Champagne Is Always The Answer®” (Eek…. I love that little symbol!). Everyone that saw my new little slogan absolutely adored it! Before I knew it, I was getting it printed on everything from napkins to fabulous tee shirts! All of this is to say…take a chance and show the world the real you. At the very least, you’ll have a fabulously unique and creative brand, and, if you’re lucky, it can even provide your business with exciting new opportunities for growth!
LIVE YOUR BRAND!
Now that your brand is a direct reflection of YOU, live it out loud! As I mentioned before, you can’t fake who you really are for very long. When I first started POSH PR®, I wasn’t incorporating myself into my business at all! I thought it was too risky to let people see the REAL me, so I created myself (and my brand) to reflect who I thought people wanted me to be. Let me tell you, not being yourself is exhausting, not to mention unfulfilling. Then, I had an “aha!” moment…putting the real me out there couldn’t possibly feel as bad as “faking it”. And that, sweet friends, is the story behind my very first “Tutu Tuesday”. Currently a POSH PR® staple, the introduction of “Tutu Tuesday” was the first real initiation of my (now authentic) brand! Now, I live my brand all day everyday—and quite vividly, I might add! Much to our delight, the “Tutu Tuesday” craze really caught-on; somehow, a veritable tutu-loving culture has been created. When I show-up to a Tuesday meeting, clients and brides EXPECT to see me in my tutu! Some of them have even surprised me by showing up to meetings sporting tutus, themselves! Not only am I delighted to have inspired them to flaunt their girliness, but, by emulating my style, they’re spreading word of my business and brand! By living my fashion-infused brand, I’m selling the POSH PR® lifestyle. Who better for a walking, talking advertisement of your brand than your stylish, boss lady self?!
BE INSPIRED BY YOUR SURROUNDINGS!
Some of the most creative people in the world are the ones with the most unique office situations…or so I like to think! One of the many ways that clients learn more about both you and your business is through your office space. Taking this literally, my website, blog, and social media pages are absolutely FILLED with carefully styled images of my office—which conveniently also doubles as the first floor of my four story townhome! Regardless, this space is sacred for me. I keep my office neat and organized at all times, which, in turn, seems to help me keep my mind that way, too! Moreover, I’ve filled my office with fashion-infused artwork, chic and comfy furnishings, and photos of my sweetheart and me; because, for me, this gives comfort, and motivates me to be productive. Make your office a source of inspiration in and of itself! This space, above all others, should provide a safe and inspiring place to create, meet clients, and even do mundane paperwork; it should allow you to be your most productive, boss lady self at all times. So…what inspires and motivates you? If you need a serious room that’s free of distractions, design your space in a way that allows for this. Or, if you need a pretty aesthetic and your favorite motivational quotes in gilded frames, go for it! Changing it up with a fun and inspiring office space could give you just the creative BOOST that you’ve needed.
No matter how you choose to do it, incorporating your personal style into your brand is a necessary step in growing your creative business. To attract your ideal clientele and have a truly fulfilling career, an authentic brand is necessary! And, as I said before, what better way to give you an extra edge over the competition than by allowing the fabulous traits and preferences that make YOU unique as a person, also make your business just as amazing and unique?!
Most importantly be yourself! Create a business based on who you are. By being true to yourself you will be true to your clients. Your work will be influenced by your passion to be authentic! This will show in your business and how you present yourself.
So dolls, when you're working on branding your business be sure to keep your personality at the forefront of your decisions!