Branding yourself can be a difficult process. As of late, it has become a nearly essential thing in order to be recognized in the workforce, or, indeed, anywhere at all. Unifying a theme to represent you can be harrowing, especially if you don’t exactly know what it Is you want to be known for, or even more confusingly still, where to begin with a logo or color scheme that encompasses who you are. It can be even more of a difficult process to become recognized by consumers and to have your brand instantly click so that they know you as if they’ve just read your very own guidebook.
So, to help with this process, here are a few helpful tips.
- Always remember to keep it logical. Whatever you decide your brand is (for instance, say you are an entrepreneur and your invention is a set of dancing unicorn and frog drink cozies, and these cozies are your product, your life, and your brand. You would therefore want to be recognized by these dancing unicorn and frog cozies.). Your brand, then, should represent that idea. It shouldn’t, for instance, be sleek and modern, nor should it lack imagery. A logo should be fun and unicorn-filled, and keep with the colors utilized in the product. Letterheads, stationery, and website and social media imagery should use those ideas.
- Remember to keep your deliverables consistent. You are again the aforementioned unicorn cozy entrepreneur. You have to keep your brand consistent (as in, make all the items you produce –those letterheads, business cards, ads, website, etc., have your logo in the same place, incorporate the same text, imagery, fonts, and so forth.) otherwise, your consumers might find it difficult to recognize you as a cohesive brand at all, or worse, think that there are not one but several dancing unicorn and frog drink cozy salesmen.
- Research your market. No matter if you are a graphic designer, a computer programmer, a lawyer, an accountant, or an entrepreneur, research what people in your field are doing, and take note of what works and what doesn’t. Decide if you would buy their product based on how they market themselves, and analyze why their branding is persuasive (or why it isn’t.)
- Recognize why you need a brand, or if you require one at all. A freelance artist, for instance, would definitely want a brand so that she could be recognized by potential clients, and gain work. Previous clients could recommend her, and the brand would be recognizable as a cohesive unit. As the artist becomes more established, the brand serves as material for merchandise and an instant symbol of recognition. Alternatively, however, a person straight out of school who decides to work for an already recognized company might not need a brand. He would not want to confuse people with a brand if his company already has one, unless his personal business differs from his 9 to 5. Being cognizant of the reason you are employing a brand can be incredibly useful.
A cohesive and uniform brand can make all the difference when it comes to being hired. By taking time to think the process through, you have the opportunity to become wildly successful.