2018 is upon us and we all know that we need a bit of a reboot if we want the new year to far surpass 2017. But just because we know we need to change, doesn’t mean we know how to, where to, or why we really should be taking action.
Trust me refreshing your brand to increase your influence and income is easier than you think. No matter if you love your current brand approach, are wanting to try something new with your brand, or wondering what in the world you have gotten yourself into with regards to your brand- creating a brand that creates influence is completely doable.
Here is an easy way you can check in with your brand and in the end have a refreshed, rebooted, and influential brand.
Day 1: Tap into you. You are in control of your brand. So consciously build a brand that supports what you want out of life. Take yourself out for coffee and give yourself the space to think about what you really want. Stop all the “can do” in your brand and only do the “love to do.”
Here is what I mean.
Far too often a customer asks “Can you do ___(fill in the blank) for me?” It isn’t what we started out doing, but we say “Yes!” because we can do it and we love our customer. A few years down the way, our brands end up being lots of “can do” tasks and few and far between (if any) “love to do” tasks in our daily work lives.
Here is a good gut check, if you don’t love 90% or more of what you do on a daily basis, then you need to add more of you into your brand.
Day 2: Get into their heads. Statistics don’t tell you who your audience is, it tells you who your audience was. And with our quickly evolving society, who they were doesn’t help you.
Do a bit of social stalking and see what trends they follow. Trends can tell you a lot about what your audience really is needing right now. And if all else fails, do a bit of Netflix binging on the most popular movies and TV shows from when your audience was in their late teens and early twenties. This will show you the social stories and expectations they have about life and your business. Once you know this, you can speak to their expectations creating a connection while opening the door to hear more from your brand.
Day 3: Refresh the offers. It is easy to end up with “Can Do” offerings. Yet these “Can Do” offers make us feel indifferent and dare I say hate our work. Take a long hard look at all that your brand offers, anything that you “Can do,” but don’t love to do on your worst day, no matter what- then don’t do. It is better to have a refined offer list that you are ridiculously excited about, then lots of offers that you could care less about.
Day 4: Update that look. Just like your personal style changes (or at least it should) so should your brand’s. Now there is no need for a complete and total rebrand. Consider updating one area at a time, this could be as simple as updating your site to a cleaner more linear font, fresh new colors, or a less complicated checkout process.
Day 5. Reinspire your relationship. Your brand is all about a relationship between you, your business, and your audience. And just like with any relationship, don’t be afraid to add a bit of excitement. Go old school to find ways to reconnect and reignite your audience’s relationships.
Your brand is personal. And in turn, branding is a deeply personal experience. Give yourself time and space to tap into who you are now and what you really want out of business and life. Once you know you, be that good friend to your brand’s audience and help them get what they want out of life.
It is easy to get sidetracked when you get caught up in the money and daily logistics of your business. But by creating space to care about all that is involved in your brand’s experience you will love your work more and create a win-win situation for all.
