Having clarity in your brand so you can confidently communicate what your brand is all about is incredibly valuable for just about every important aspect of your business.
With brand clarity you can:
- develop a compelling message to use in all your marketing
- solidify your position so you know how to differentiate yourself from competitors
- identify what makes your business attractive to your ideal client
BUT it can be difficult to put into words exactly what makes your brand different or special. If you’re having trouble with gaining brand clarity, I’ve put this post together just for you!
These 12 simple but powerful questions are designed to help you dive into what your brand means to you so you know how to then express that meaning to the world.
Do you have an answer for all of these?
(By the way, if you’re getting started with your branding, you might like my free step-by-step guide to branding. Get it here.)
1. Why did you start this business?
What’s your origin story? This could even be the basis of your brand story and be something relatable to share with your audience. You don’t need some groundbreaking reason — just some honest insight into what brought you to where you are now.
2. What do you love about what you do?
You’re passionate about what you do, right? Well, I hope so anyway! Explain why your business is important to you. What makes you excited about what you do. Is it the difference you make for your clients? The freedom that your business affords you?
3. What do you stand for?
Think about the philosophy or beliefs that drive your brand. What kind of values do you look for when you select clients to work with? What is most important to you and the way you want to run your business. Is there something you want to change in the way your industry works?
4. What kind of content do you share?
Blog posts and articles, quotes and ideas, images and videos… What does the content you share with your audience look like? What’s the common theme that ties everything together? What kind of tone does it have?
5. What kind of voice do you use when your business “speaks”?
How does your brand sound? Think of the kind of language it uses. Is it formal or more friendly? What kind of adjectives would you use to describe your voice.
6. What problem do you solve?
When you answer thins, don’t get caught up explaining your process or how you get to the solution. Instead, really focus on the problem and explaining exactly why it’s a problem worth solving.
7. What kind of people are your clients?
Who are they? Think about what their lives look like. The interests they have, what they do with their spare time, books they read, values they hold.
8. How do you want your clients to feel while they use your service?
Branding is so based in emotion, and the way your clients feel while they work with you is going to be a major factor in how they remember the experience. Having enlisted your services, where do you want their state of mind to be? Excited? Inspired? Grateful?
9. How are your clients lives improved by your services?
What does life look like after they’ve worked with you? What aspects are better?
10. How do you create that before/after transformation for your clients?
Is there a signature program or special process that allows you to get the kind of results you promise your clients? What’s special about the way you approach the problem you solve for your clients?
11. Why should they come to you and not a competitor?
From the perspective of your clients: what makes your business a better option than the other options out there? What’s your most positive point of difference?
12. What would your clients say if they recommended you to a friend?
Even better if you’ve actually asked this question to clients! What is it about the experience you provide that would get your clients raving about you? Is there something unexpected that consistently delights your clients?
Last thoughts
So, there you have it! I hope that by working through these 12 questions you’ll get some more clarity on your brand’s position. Aim to really dive deep into what the questions are asking and provide more than superficial answers.
You can even let the questions direct you to the kind of brand you want to build and highlight the things you could do differently to achieve that.
If you’re getting started with building your brand, then my Core Brand Pillars Workbook is a great (free!) resource to get you on track to a well-rounded foundation. Download it for free here.
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