Is it time to brand (or rebrand) your design business?

NEWSFLASH: Communicating with your ideal client starts with your branding – an effective brand that is.

And one misconception we hear ALL the time about brand design is that having a logo is the exact same thing as having a brand identity—which could not be further from the truth.

Don’t get us wrong, your logo is a major player when it comes to your branding… It just isn’t the only one.

At the end of the day, the way you brand your business is a strategy and every asset plays a role.

That strategy consists of all the visual and non-visual elements you use to communicate your brand values, personality, and positioning to the dream clients you’re itching to attract. It’s the “why” behind your business and the reason why your business exists.

Its purpose is to make you memorable, relatable, and helps your dreamiest client recognize that you’re their lobster. A logo alone isn’t capable of doing all the wonderful things your branding does for you each time a new lead stumbles upon something you put online.

Ohh no, your branding has a MUCH larger purpose than marking your business as yours.

But now that we’ve cleared the air, let’s get into the deets. 👇

Why An Effective Brand Matters

Before a future client reads a line of your copy, they are likely to come across your logo, color palette, or font choices first—and let’s not forget the power of making a *killer* first impression.

As trivial as those branding assets may seem, they do SO much for your business from a marketing perspective.

The visual elements of your brand help you build credibility with your audience, deepen the existing relationships you have with your clients, and allow you to build brand awareness over time.

It’s your brand identity and personality that allow your audience to connect with the mission that gets you out of bed each morning.

And it’s your brand identity that determines who you attract at the end of the day.

That’s why nailing down your brand is a non-negotiable and why it’s nearly a guarantee that you’ll see a sizeable ROI when you invest in getting it done professionally…

When you have clarity around your brand identity, there’s no confusion about who you’re marketing to, what you stand for, and all the AHH-mazing things you bring to the table.

Without further ado, here are 3 the key factors to define an intentional brand.

01. Strategy

Let’s take it from the top!

The basics of branding lie in its purpose for your business. Branding serves as a strategy to market your business and a brand identity is there to help you stand out from all the other businesses that are shouting for attention. Your brand identity is also there to help you create a consistent brand experience across all platforms and channels of communication. That way, you feel and sound like the same design bestie (or buttoned up professional, if that’’s more your steelo) wherever your audience interacts with you online.

A clearly defined brand WILL help you bridge the gap between you and the people you’re trying to connect with.

Here’s what you can look forward to when your brand strategy is in tip top shape:

MORE BRAND AWARENESS → Your brand will make you more recognizable and memorable to your audience.

MORE REPEAT CLIENTS → Your brand identity will help you form an emotional connection with your clients so you can cultivate trust and loyalty.

ADDED VALUE → A strong brand will up the perceived value of your business and make it that much more attractive to onlookers.

02. Messaging

Here’s another thing about branding that some people get wrong.

Yes, the design or visual aspects of your brand are suuuuper important. But it’s the messaging they represent that matters the most.

The visual components of your brand should be inspired by what motivates you at the core of your brand, namely your vision, values, and voice.

Here’s what you need to figure out in order to craft the top attention-grabbing, true-to-YOU brand of your dreams

VISION → Your brand vision is where you see your brand heading in the future and the long-term goals that drive your decisions.

VALUES → Brand values are the guiding principles or core values that define your brand’s culture and personality. 

VOICE → Your brand voice is its tone, style of communication, and personality when conveying its message to the people that are paying attention.

VISUALS → Brand visuals are the visual elements that your brand uses to represent itself to the whole wide world.

03. Identity

Now that you know about every itty bitty piece that goes into branding your business, let’s go over how to build the brand identity that’ll help you chase down the goals that keep you up at night.

You should start by answering guiding questions to kickstart the process and keep you consistent from start to finish.

Here’s what to ask yourself *before* you make any branding decisions:

→ “What are my goals for my brand/rebrand? Am I trying to reach a new audience, stand out from my competition, or change how my brand is perceived?”

→ “Who am I speaking to, what do they want, and what do I want them to think of or feel about my brand?”

→ “When I look at my current brand identity, what’s working and what isn’t working? What can be improved about it and what would I prefer to remain the same?”

Your answers to these questions should impact every single choice you make about your brand.

From the colors you choose, to the way you write for social, to how you interact with clients for the first time—your brand identity should dictate what every part of your business should look like, sound like, and feel like.

In short, your brand is MORE than just your logo.

It’s how you speak to the people you’re hoping to partner up with.

It’s how your audience will form an emotional connection with you.

It’s how you present your business to the world.

If design isn’t your thing and you don’t have the time to DIY your way to something presentable, you can count on W&J to be your new branding bestie!

We’ll help you whip up the intentional, laser-focused brand that WILL take your biz to the next level.