When it comes to online branding, everyone seems to have an opinion. And when you are starting a business, it is easy to fall into the trap of asking everyone around you for their advice.
“Does this make sense?” “Would you buy this?” “What do you think my slogan should be?”
It is a very vulnerable time where you really need support. However, asking everyone for their opinions will leave you with my questions than answers. Its counterproductive. Because, yes, branding is part common-sense. But it is also largely a game of skill.
Speaking online and being heard is a specific skill that I have great practice in. By combining my skill for growing a presence online and your natural gift to help people, your brand voice will become louder than ever! Here are a few myths you might have heard that I would like to bust.
4 myths about online branding
Myth: I have to have a business to have a brand.
I’m just going to dive right in and start here. I can’t say this enough. WE ARE ALL A BRAND. If you are living today, and have any sort of relationship with the online world, YOU are a brand. You sign on to social media and you post certain pieces of your life and certain facets of your personality. You know it’s not the whole package, because there’s not enough space online to offer your complete package. So you choose how to present yourself. Knowingly or unknowingly, you have already crafted a brand around yourself. The trick now is to be thoughtful about it. Back your brand with intention. Whether or not you already have an online business, whether or not you want one. This is a good practice to have. Post with intention. Have a clear message. Share things on purpose.
Myth: My brand is my logo
Having a solid logo is important when building your brand. But your logo is just a tiny piece of your brand that adds to its presence. Your brand is made up of lots of pieces like this, including: your slogan, your color palate, your buzzwords, your package titles, your website theme, etc. All of these pieces are important and should have thought put into them. However, they are all the sum parts of your brand.
Myth: Branding is all about telling people who you are
Yes, it is important to be able to articulate who you are and what you do. But branding is more about showing people. Show them through the content you post. Show them by positioning yourself as an expert. Show them by staying consistent and offering value. This practice is what gives your brand credibility. It gets your audience to trust what your brand has to say. Then, when they do reach out to work with you, you can tell them all about yourself.
Myth: You have to show up on each platform to take advantage of the online landscape
This is where branding overwhelm happens. There are way too many platforms online to be showing up on all of them all the time. You’re doing your brand a disservice by stretching it that thin. It doesn’t help to show up everywhere if the way you’re showing up is rushed, sloppy or missing the mark. It is important to be thoughtful about where you are showing up online .Make sure it makes sense for your brand. Here are a couple of posts I wrote about how to make social media work for your brand.
If you are having trouble telling the difference between fact and fiction when it comes to online branding, we should talk! You can schedule a free call with me to work through where you’re stuck and I can offer some actionable solutions to help you break through those blocks.