Nike “Just do it” ya that is what we try to attain. A strong brand that will convey who we are and what we do. Branding is a topic that every entrepreneur has to grapple with at some point in time. The shear amount of people who devote their time and effort into teach us what it is and what it isn’t is staggering. Currently, I am on this path where it goes will be interesting to say the least. What I offer next is my musings on my path so far.
I started to tinker with branding once my first website was let’s say going to die. I quickly scrambled to get a wix site up and running. It was plain and it worked and I created it. I wasn’t happy. I then connected with some marketing and business improvement people / businesses in my area. While happy I was uncertain. My website petesvoice had died and that is a whole other story which I will not get into. I had been burned and had not dealt with it as a business I dealt with it as a hurt human.
The internet is full of people who are ‘experts’ in building websites and taking your money. I continued my search to find someone to help while beginning to listen to me and learning from my past experience.
Branding is about you and you alone. You need to soul search and answer basic questions that you mostly likely have pushed to the side and shouldn’t have. It is not about a logo or colour scheme. Yes these matter to one degree or another but really ‘It is about you’.
I asked a person to meet with me for a coffee at a local coffee shop. This person was late and I mean not by a little. To know me is to know that I get it. I am a pretty relaxed person. We all have lives. When we met she was apologetic which is good but being late to a meeting where you are meeting a potential client doesn’t look good. I tend to look at things a little differently always have. To me this was unique and offered an opening that wouldn’t have been there if the meeting was on time. This actually started our business partnership if you will on the right path.
My current website is a direct result. Yet I am still not quite there with it. It has elements of me for sure but not all of me. Now I have read on the subject of branding and I am currently in a couple of groups who meet to help each other through the branding maze. One thing that keep resonating with me is be true to you. As result I am about to embark on something that my website currently lacks. It lacks more of me and what I offer to my clients and potential clients. That’s really what matters. A brand is built out of you and your offerings. Who is your target audience and what do you solve for them. Once that is established the brand will reveal itself. Also keep it simple
If you are so inclined after reading this; I ask you to interact with me. Who am I to you? How do you see me? What do you hear when you listen to me?
I have my own answers to these questions but it is always revealing what others think. It is to aid me on my path. Follow me on FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
As I said in the beginning this is my musing and I am about to begin creating content to be put on youtube and or vimeo and linked on my site. I am excited about this as it will offer more of me and my offerings to you. Stay tuned the content will be arriving soon.
