Do you know the difference between a business, a brand and a brand?
If you clicked on this post, you probably aren’t sure… so let’s clear it up! 
What is a Business?
Your business is yours foundation.
It is the organization that produces your products and services.
It’s what you do + what you offer.
It’s your business model + your structure.
It’s your systems and processes.
Spiritually, it is masculine energy – the vessel that holds the creative flow!
Without a business, there is nothing to brand, which is Why you should have a good understanding of the kinds of products and/or services your business offers before starting the branding process (more on that later).
Primary objective of a business: to provide a product or service in exchange for money – it is transactional.
What is a Brand?
Contrary to popular belief, your brand isn’t your logo, color palette, and website.
Your brand is actually one intangible thing, meaning it cannot be seen or touched.
Your brand name is a perception that exists in the minds of your audience and consumers. It’s yours reputation and how people think and feel about you after they interact with you and your brand on social media, read about you on your website, talk to you in person or on the phone, use one of your products or experience one of your services (these are called “brand touchpoints.”)
While you have no real control over how people perceive you, you can influence people’s perceptions of you, which is through your brand (again, more on this later…)
Your brand is essentially the heart, soul and personality of your business – the human side! It’s the part that feels, has compassion and can emotionally connect with others, which is SUPER important as people are more likely to invest (and stay invested in) a brand that they have a positive emotional connection with.
Your brand is the part that makes your business unique and helps you stand out… because it offers something extremely special – people can’t get anywhere else – You! You will be able to connect with people better and make a difference in their lives by embracing what makes you unique and sharing your gifts, skills, perspectives, ideas, energy and stories with others!
Spiritually, your brand is feminine energy. The creative flow that occurs within the enterprise container/structure.
Building a brand usually means serving a greater purpose beyond your products and services and just doing things to make money. It’s about creation real change and positive impact on the world! This deeper purpose is what gives your business a heart and a reason for people to care about what you do. Plus, people are more likely to support businesses that represent something bigger than themselves!
Having a clear purpose for your brand and business can help you differentiate yourself in a crowded market, engage the right audience, create products and services that truly serve them, foster deeper connections, and build brand loyalty .
All that being said, it is important to build a brand alongside your business as it is what sets you up for longevity and sustainability!
Primary focus of a brand: to connect with people – it’s emotional.
What is Branding:
Branding is HOW you connect with your audience.
It’s the work you do to educate, build brand awareness, and build a positive brand reputation. It’s an expression of who you are and what your brand stands for. It’s not just your logo, color palette and website, it’s EVERYTHING get out into the world, from your messages, to your graphics, to your energy and more! It’s the experience you create and how you want people to do it TOUCH when they deal with you, your business and your brand.
Branding is about communication, cultivating relationships and shaping people’s perceptions of your brand. The goal of branding is to create a consistent experience across all brand touchpoints (website, social media, phone calls, in-person events, etc.) This is what helps you build recognition and trust, which can lead to greater brand loyalty and referrals (which ultimately means less marketing work for you!)
Branding is not something you do once. It’s something you do consistently and continue to develop over time as you, your business, and your brand evolve.
THE BRANDING PROCESS
The branding process is a strategic and creative journey designed to empower you and your business. This process can ultimately help you create the kinds of products + services that your customers really want and need, and the kind of messaging and graphics that clearly and effectively communicate the value of what you do, so it’s easier for them to potential customers to understand why they should choose you!
The goal of branding is to build an entire “brand ecosystem” that not only looks professional, cohesive and unique to you and your brand, but speaks directly to your target audience. Your messaging and visuals should feel aligned with the essence of your brand, the types of customers you want to attract, and the experience you want to create for them!
Below is a general overview of my current branding process:
PHASE 1:
BAND Foundations
1. BRAND STRATEGY
This step will help you clarify your goals, your purpose, your mission, your message, and all the important fundamentals that make up a strong brand foundation. It’s the part that helps you get your messaging across, and the messaging is what drives the visuals.
Brand strategy is where most business owners skip and it’s usually the reason Why they struggle to connect with people and grow their business, so this part of the process is SUPER important (and will now be the main focus of my business as I’ve learned this is what my clients need the most help with!) Building a strong foundation first is what helps you grow your business faster! Plus, it gives us a clear direction to go when it comes to creating your graphics!
2. BRAND IDENTITY DESIGN
Once you understand your fundamentals, we’ll use that information to create a cohesive, professional-looking brand identity. Your brand identity is the visual representation of your brand and will be unique to you and your brand. This can help you stand out, improve brand recognition, and attract the types of people you want to do business with.
This includes things like:
- Mood board + color palette
- Logos
- Fonts
- Photo style
- Custom icons/images
- Brand board
3. DESIGN OF SPECIFIC
Once we’ve established your brand identity, we can create some branded marketing collateral to help promote your business!
These will include things like:
- Business cards
- brochures
- Brochures
- Social Media Branding
- Newsletter graphics
PHASE 2:
ONLINE PRESENCE
1. WEBSITE STRATEGY
This will help us define your site goals and describe your pages so we know what it is we’re trying to create and what we’re trying to get your site to do for you. Once we have all of this established, it will be easier to gather and create the content for your website!
2. WEBSITE DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT
Once I have all the content I need for your website, I can start the design process!
This process includes things like:
- It helps you set up your domain and hosting
- Connecting your domain and hosting on WordPress
- It helps you set up and keep calendars, contact forms, and other tech-related stuff
- Create a custom website that matches your brand identity
- SEO application
3. ONLINE MARKETING
In addition to all of this, I can help you with internet marketing strategy, design and technology setup! This might be the last item on the list, but I can help you with these types of things after your brand identity is designed and before we build your website!
This will include things like:
- Social media marketing strategy
- Email marketing strategy
- Setup + brand your newsletter
- Set up + brand your social media accounts
- And more!
TO SUM UP THINGS:
- Your business is about transactions.
- Your brand is about connections and reputation.
- Branding is what you put out into the world to create deeper connections, positive reputation and more business.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Do you have a better understanding of the difference between a business, a brand and a brand? Do you have additional questions? Feel free to comment below!
