How to Convey Your Personality Through Your Branding
When you think of “branding”, what comes to mind first? We’d venture to guess a popular logo popped up in your head, or a specific color palette. In all actuality, branding is much more than just the visuals that represent a company. It’s also the voice, personality, mission, and tone that make up a brand.
Even if the brand is run by multiple individuals, the brand as a whole should have its own personality that, well, personifies it! It should coax certain feelings from an audience and specifically target a certain group of people.
It all seems very confusing, but by following just a few steps, you’ll be able to intertwine your personality into elements of your branding and successfully convey that to your audience, whether you’re just starting out or in the midst of a rebrand!
Evaluate Where You Are
The first step is finding out where you are right now. Take a break and stand back, evaluating what you have with an honest and critical eye. Ask yourself a few poignant questions:
ARE YOU BEING REPRESENTED?
When you look at your business, do you see yourself there? Or do you see the same thing that hundreds of others are doing? Even if your name is in the logo, if the colors aren’t from you or the voice isn’t yours, then you aren’t being represented. This is a big deal because at the end of the day you aren’t just selling a product or service. You’re selling a product or service provided by the human being that is you, and that is what makes it special.
DO YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT IT?
We could be pretty well represented by just a houseplant, but it wouldn’t be a great brand decision. Evaluate your current personal brand with your creative intuition. Is it attractive? Do you, as a creative professional, like it? Chances are your gut will tell you if something isn’t up to par.
IS YOUR AUDIENCE RESPONDING?
Does your current look and feel support you in getting new clients or sales? Do you feel like you’re successful in spite of it or because of it? Like how a houseplant won’t entice a new customer, a personal brand that doesn’t key into the overlap of what you want and what your audience wants might fall flat.
Evaluate Who You Are
If your current setup passed the evaluation, then you are probably in a pretty great place. If it didn’t, then chances are you need an update. Possibly the most important element of a personal brand is the personal part. To strengthen any weak spots you might have on that front, you’ll have to look inward.
WHY ARE YOU IN THIS BUSINESS?
The surface level answer would likely be the income to pay your bills, but look deeper than that. Why this business, instead of countless others? Understanding what roots you to your business will not only be good for your branding, but for so many other aspects of your business as well.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
Find the thing that builds your own excitement, and then hold on to that. In a lot of cases this can be the cornerstone of a personal brand. Love talking to new clients? Then ideas like “handshake, open, welcoming, smile” could be a springboard for your brand update. Love putting pen to paper? Then you might try “ink, tactile, black and white, paper texture, traditional” as a place to start.
Embrace Your Personality
In a solo business, the connection with your customer can be so immediate. That one-on-one relationship makes it not only possible, but beneficial to show a little bit of the real you. There’s an added bonus too — adding a bit of your own flair is one of the easiest ways to update your personal brand.
Giving your audience a glimpse into your way of life isn’t a science, but there are some guardrails. Start small, and with your natural way of speaking. Instead of tweeting a proper Oxford style sentence, consider using a bit of your own slang, or a favorite catchphrase.
In a similar way, you can use informal platforms like Instagram to branch out even further. Show yourself with bare feet, or covered in paint creating a new product. Let people see the human side of your business, but it should be calculated.
You get to choose how your brand will show up as a personality. You get to set boundaries with what you share, or you can embrace vulnerability as well. The amount of ways for you to portray the personable side of your business is totally up to you.
Love the Look
What about the graphics? After all, a visual identity is the first thing your audience sees about you. In many cases, they make dozens of assumptions in the first seconds of landing on your website or other brand material, so it has got to be great.
In The Creative Template Shop, we’ve created a Branding Kit that includes a logo, typography, color palette, and pattern. All you have to do is one-click add it to your Canva account and customize!
Above is the template in our bright collection, but it also comes in two other designs and color-ways for you to choose from– neutral and soft! If you want to check out all three, we’d recommend becoming a member for only $47/month.
Overall, with a little soul searching, a little DIY spirit, and a good foundation, branding can become an integral part of any creative person’s skillset! As you can see, it isn’t too hard to convey your personality through your branding, and the feeling and results are well worth it!