What's Your Brand?

Someone once said that the key to setting yourself apart from your competition is to look at what they are doing and then do the opposite. I don’t think that person meant that we should reinvent the wheel or anything, but if you have a business - even if it’s just you - and you want to stand out, you have to create a brand.

So what is a brand? Whether you are an experienced professional or just starting out, you have to take a good hard look at what you want people to think of when they hear your name. Your name (or your company’s name) should convey one salient idea about everyone involved in that particular company. One idea. Period.

You already know about brands from commercials on TV and radio. Coke’s brand says you will “open happiness” when you open their bottle. Pepsi now “refreshes the world.” Dr. Pepper still wants you to “be a Pepper.” Do you want happiness, global refreshment, or the feeling of belonging when you have a soft drink? They’re each hoping their brand will inspire you to break out the cash and buy their products.

Brands are about consistent messages. What do you want people to think when they hear your name? What’s the one thing that you want people to remember about you and your business? What simple message can you present over and over again to build brand equity and establish your image in the eyes of potential customers, clients, and creditors?

Whatever that message is, think it through and keep it simple. You can try to be clever as you like with company names and slogans and taglines, but maybe clever isn’t the image you want your brand to convey. If you have a cute business, have a cute brand message. If you have a business that relies on trust for success, create a brand around honesty and trustworthiness. If your business is in a market that values upper-class standards, use a message that exudes luxury.

Here is what’s wrong with an overly clever or long messages. People get confused. A clever brand message can put a goofy disguise on what your business is really about. A brand message with more than one phrase or sentence is often hard to remember; and people who hear multiple messages are still left wondering what your focus is. Make it easy for them to remember you. Keep it simple, and keep it strong.

If you are a sole proprietor or a mom-and-pop operation, focus your brand on the credibility associated with your name. If you are involved in a larger operation, your brand extends beyond just your name to the entire entity that you represent. In both cases, you need to be concerned with brand equity, or how you build positive associations with your brand name. Build positive, consistent messages. Remember that when you design certain things about your business.

1) Written materials
How do you present your business in writing? Your brand needs to be consistent throughout your letterhead, your business cards, your advertising, your marketing materials, and anything else that people see from you. Your brand is part of what identifies you as a professional when you can’t be there yourself. The more professional you are in writing, the more trust you will garner and the more credibility you will achieve.

2) Knowledge
How solid is your base of knowledge about your industry and what do you offer in the way of information that your competition doesn’t? Your brand has a lot to do with your reputation for specialized knowledge and experience in using that knowledge to accomplish your goals. If you don’t have experience, get some. Learn everything you can and be ready for those opportunities to back up your brand with some solid, unique know-how.

3) Associations
Real estate investing is a great example of an industry built on networking and developing positive associations. How can you structure and automate your business to establish brand equity in your business relationships? How do you present yourself as a person and as a representative of your brand? Do you personally cultivate the kind of associations that will promote your brand and generate referrals? Build your own brand before someone else gets the wrong idea and does it for you. Your brand equity is your reputation.

Positive. Simple. Consistent. Use those ideas to create the right message for your brand, and introduce yourself to the world.