- Feb 22

How to Create a Brand Strategy in 4 Simple Steps

Branding. Brand Identity. Brand Strategy. Web Design. Strategic Marketing. The list can go on and on.

If you're anything like 99% of the world, you've probably seen one or all of these terms and thought, "What the heck does it all mean - and why do I care? I just need a logo."

While some people - even some designers - would argue they mean the same thing, they are NOT the same but all work cohesively to create a brand strategy.

Let's break down the difference between these terms:

Branding is a general, overarching term for all things related to a brand. It encompasses the overall design, promotion and strategy of a specific company, product or service.
Brand identity is the visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers' minds.
Brand strategy is the why - the substance behind your brand. It encompasses several different brand elements, like voice, storytelling, brand identity, brand values, and overall vibe.
Web Design is your virtual address on the internet. Like a business card, storefront, learning hub and best sales person, your website is the digital executive assistant pulling it's weight for you 24/7/365.
Strategic marketing is how a business differentiates itself from the competition but focusing on their ideal audience, strengths and tailoring their services to get in front of the right audience and provide better value to their customers.

Building a brand happens in stages. There are specific solutions for each stage of brand building that make the biggest impact. Understanding where you are in business, what you should be focusing on to get the biggest results is key to building a strategic brand. If you invest in the right solution at the right time, you'll not only see the impact and results in your business, but you also feel empowered to take things to the next level.

Stage One: The Startup

If you’re in this stage you are in the beginning stages of building your business and you want to start off on the right foot. You’re ready to establish the foundation and groundwork for your business, you're full of ideas and passion - and you probably feel a little unsure of where to start.

It's easy to get shiny object syndrome in this stage. You can see all of the possibilities - the future seems bright. It's important to stay focused on building a successful and intentional brand. This stage can seem overwhelming at times. While you most likely have enough experience and data to know your idea will work, you most likely don't have the knowledge behind building a strategic brand. You've probably spent hours absorbing as much free content on Pinterest, Instagram and Pinterest - which might even be adding to the overwhelm and confusion. There is a A LOT of information out there, and unfortunately not all of it is good.

What you need in this stage: brand clarity. You need to focus on a CLEAR foundation so that you can easily GROW from here.

You need guidance and direction to make sure you're staying focused and building an intentional brand. This is the time to focus on clarity. You want to clearly define your brand foundation because everything else is built from this. Without a strong foundation, the rest of your brand will be shaky at best.

Here are 3 ways to get clarity:

One of the most valuable things you can have in your business is clarity. If you are unclear about your own brand and business, your audience will be too. If you’re lacking a clearly defined foundation for your brand, you’ll end up coming off as cluttered and confusing, which will result in fewer sales and less brand loyalty.

But if you flip it around and approach your brand with the utmost clarity you can have, you’ll be able to CONFIDENTLY put your brand out there in the right way. Customers and clients will flock to you because they clearly understand what you have and why they need it. In order to find that clarity for yourself, you need to answer these 3 questions:

What do I do and who do I serve?
How am I positioned in the market?
What am I trying to say and how do I say it?

I’ve revisited these questions for my own brand time and time again as things shift and change to make sure everything is aligned and clarified. And every. single. time. I am refueled with the most clarity and confidence to move forward with power.

Let’s break down what exactly you need to answer these questions.

Q: WHAT DO I DO AND WHO DO I SERVE?

The Answer: Build Your Audience Persona & Offer Suite

To answer the questions of what you do and who you serve, you need a clearly defined audience persona and offering suite. These are crucial elements of a brand strategy, and they serve different purposes in helping you understand and connect with your target audience.

An audience persona is a detailed description of your ideal customer based on market research and data analysis. By creating an audience persona, you can understand your target audience’s needs, desires, pain points, behaviors, and preferences, which helps you develop products or services that meet their needs and create marketing messages that resonate with them. Without a clear understanding of your audience persona, it can be challenging to create a brand strategy that effectively targets and communicates with your ideal customer.

An offer suite is a range of products or services that you offer to your target audience. By developing an offer suite, you can create a range of products or services that cater to different customer needs and preferences, which increases your chances of attracting and retaining customers. An offering suite can also help you differentiate your brand from competitors and position yourself as a leader in your industry.

By focusing on clarifying your audience persona and offering suite, you can develop a brand strategy that creates long-term relationships with your target audience and drives business growth.

Developing an audience persona and offering suite involves several steps, including market research, data analysis, and customer feedback. Here’s a brief overview of the process:

Conduct Market Research: The first step in developing an audience persona and offering suite is to conduct market research to gather data on your target audience’s needs, preferences, behaviors, and pain points. You can gather this data through online surveys, focus groups, interviews, and social media analytics.
Analyze Data: Once you have collected data, you need to analyze it to identify patterns, trends, and insights that can help you develop an audience persona and offering suite. You can use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or data visualization software to analyze and visualize your data.
Develop Audience Persona: Based on your data analysis, you can create an audience persona that describes your ideal customer. Your audience persona should include demographic information, such as age, gender, income, and education, as well as psychographic information, such as values, interests, and behaviors.
Identify Customer Needs: Using your audience persona, you can identify your target audience’s needs and pain points. You can use this information to develop a range of products or services that cater to different customer needs and preferences.
Develop Offering Suite: Once you have identified customer needs, you can develop an offering suite that includes a range of products or services that meet those needs. Your offering suite should be tailored to your target audience’s needs and preferences, and it should be priced competitively.
Gather Customer Feedback: To refine your audience persona and offering suite, you need to gather feedback from your customers. You can do this through surveys, feedback forms, or customer interviews. Use this feedback to refine your audience persona and offering suite and improve your brand strategy.

Q: HOW AM I POSITIONED IN THE MARKET?

The Answer: Brand Positioning.

The second thing you need to develop is your brand positioning, which refers to how you want your brand to be perceived by your target audience relative to your competitors. You need to identify your brand’s unique selling proposition (USP) and determine how you want to differentiate your brand from others in the market.

Brand positioning is an essential component of a brand strategy because it helps you differentiate yourself from your competitors and create a unique identity that resonates with your target audience. Your brand positioning should communicate your unique value proposition, which is what sets you apart from your competitors. By communicating your value proposition effectively, you can attract customers who are looking for the solutions and benefits that you offer.

Your brand positioning should be based on your target audience’s needs, desires, and pain points, and it should be communicated through your marketing messages and brand experiences. A clear and consistent brand positioning helps ensure that all of your marketing messages, visuals, and experiences align with your brand’s values, mission, and vision. This consistency helps build trust with your target audience and creates a strong brand identity.

Developing a brand positioning involves several steps, including market research, competitive analysis, and identifying your unique value proposition. Here’s a brief overview of the process:

Conduct Market Research: The first step in developing a brand positioning is to conduct market research to understand your target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. You can gather this information through online surveys, focus groups, interviews, and social media analytics.
Analyze Competitors: Once you have gathered data on your target audience, you need to analyze your competitors to identify gaps in the marketplace and opportunities for differentiation. Analyze their brand messaging, products, and marketing strategies to understand how you can position your brand uniquely.
Identify Your Unique Value Proposition: Based on your market research and competitive analysis, identify your unique value proposition. Your value proposition should be a statement that communicates the unique benefits and solutions your brand offers to your target audience.
Develop Your Brand Positioning Statement: Your brand positioning statement should be a concise statement that communicates your brand’s unique value proposition and how it differs from competitors. It should be memorable and communicate the essence of your brand.
Test Your Brand Positioning: Once you have developed your brand positioning statement, test it with your target audience to ensure that it resonates with them. You can do this through surveys, focus groups, or interviews.
Refine Your Brand Positioning: Based on feedback from your target audience, refine your brand positioning statement to ensure that it communicates your unique value proposition and resonates with your target audience.

Q: WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY AND HOW DO I SAY IT?

The Answer: Brand Voice & Messaging.

The third thing you need to develop is your brand voice and messaging, which refers to the tone, language, and style of your brand communication. You need to create a consistent and authentic brand voice that aligns with your brand identity and resonates with your target audience. Your messaging should be clear, concise, and compelling, and it should communicate your brand’s values, benefits, and solutions to your target audience’s needs.

A clear brand voice and messaging are critical for businesses because they help establish a consistent and compelling brand identity that resonates with their target audience. By developing a unique and consistent voice and messaging, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors, build brand consistency and recognition, and attract customers who are looking for the solutions and benefits that they offer.

Developing a clear brand voice and messaging involves several steps, including understanding your target audience, identifying your brand personality and tone of voice, and creating messaging that resonates with your audience. Here’s a brief overview of the process:

Define Your Brand Personality: Start by defining your brand personality, which is the human characteristics that your brand embodies. This can be done by identifying your brand values, vision, and mission, and then translating them into personality traits. For example, your brand might be bold, friendly, or trustworthy.
Determine Your Tone of Voice: Once you have defined your brand personality, determine your tone of voice, which is the way your brand communicates with your audience. Your tone of voice should reflect your brand personality and be tailored to your target audience’s needs and preferences. For example, your tone of voice might be conversational, authoritative, or empathetic.
Identify Your Key Messaging: Your key messaging should communicate your brand’s unique value proposition, benefits, and solutions. This messaging should be tailored to your target audience’s needs, desires, and pain points. Your key messaging should also be concise, clear, and memorable.
Create Messaging Guidelines: Once you have identified your brand personality, tone of voice, and key messaging, create messaging guidelines to ensure that all of your messaging is consistent and effective. These guidelines should include messaging frameworks, key phrases, and tone of voice examples.
Test and Refine: Test your brand voice and messaging with your target audience to ensure that they resonate with them. Use feedback to refine your messaging and ensure that it is clear, consistent, and effective.

Clarity is one of the most important things for your brand and business. Answering these three questions will give you clarity for your brand.

By starting out the right way, you’ll be able to build a brand that will harness more growth and impact every step of the way. Getting clear on your strategy first will instill so much confidence and clarity in you that you’ll be ready to hit the ground running and tell everyone about what you have to offer.

The excitement you have for your business will be channeled into the right place and you’ll be able to build a brand with focus and direction.

Stage 2: Growing Your Brand

If you are in the growing stage you are actively trying to make this work every day but need some help executing things well. You have a good foundation for your brand and are ready to spread your message loud and clear but need help putting it out there in the best way possible.

You lean on the people you trust for advice and guidance in growing your brand and want to soak in all the knowledge you can to get to the next level. You are dedicated and determined to grow a brand that not only makes money but also has a huge impact on others and will do anything you can to make that happen.

You feel like there are too many things to do and not enough time and value quick and easy solutions for building your brand that actually works. You are willing to invest time and money into something that you know will help you establish and elevate your brand.

What you need in this stage: brand identity. You need a cohesive and well-defined brand identity that visually represents your brand WELL.

DIY branding has served you well until now, but at this point you need something more in order to get to the next level of building your brand. You need to better define your brand visuals for an elevated and consistent look. At this level you need someone who can walk alongside you to create an elevated solution that will represent your brand well.

At this stage, I usually suggest a semi-custom brand identity to help you get the look and feel of a premium brand without the big $$ to get there. You may even invest in a VIP Day or Week to partner with a designer to build a cohesive brand and website.

Once you’ve established the foundation of your brand and have systems in place to sell your offers effectively, you can really hit the ground running to amplify your brand. Even though you are dying to get to that next level now, taking your time to do the hard work the right way will benefit you in the long run.

It might not feel like it now, but pretty soon you will see all your hard work pay off and your brand break through that barrier to major growth and impact.

Stage 3: Amplifying Your Brand

By this stage, you’ve built the foundation for your brand and have a vision for growth. You know where you want to take your brand and website, and how to get there, but you’re knee-deep in trying to implement the right processes to get there.

You’re ready for the next level, to get support to grow your brand beyond what you can do on your own. You’ve been in business long enough for it to have changed and evolved and are known as an expert in your field, but it’s time to make some changes and take things to the next level.

You are dedicated and determined to grow a brand that not only makes money but also has a huge impact on others and will do anything you can to make that happen. You feel like there are too many things to do and not enough time, and value quick and easy solutions for building your brand that actually work.

Your branding & website has served you well until this point, but you’ve pieced it together over the years and are ready to refine it into a cohesive, consistent brand that matches the level of your business and can take you to new heights. You are willing to invest time and money into something that you know will help you establish and elevate your brand.

What you need in this stage: an custom brand & website. You need a CLEAR and POLISHED brand & website to position yourself as the go-to expert in your industry.

Now that you are super clear about who you are talking to and how you want to serve them, you're ready to dig in and evaluate your current position in the market and develop a strategy to move your business forward that meets your exclusive needs for your brand, website, workflows & integrations, marketing and more. You need customized solutions that will help you expand your reach and help you generate consistent revenue.

This is when you’ll hone in on your genius zone and refine your brand as a whole for a new level of online presence. You’ve gone through all the steps to build a powerful brand and now you can add fuel to the fire to really capitalize on all the hard work you’ve done to get your brand to where it is today. and have killer brand visuals to match, your website is the last piece of the puzzle to help you fully amplify your brand. Now you need to strategize a workflow on your website and be more intentional with your online presence to shift your brand to a higher level and pull it all together.

Soon you’ll be taking your brand to new heights and you’ll need support to grow your brand beyond what you can do on your own. You’ve been in business long enough for it to have changed and evolved and are known as an expert in your field, but it’s time to streamline and align all the pieces of your brand for even more impact. With a strategically designed brand & website, you’ll reach a new level of business that requires more attention to detail, refined solutions, and top-level support to execute your vision.

Stage 4: Refining Your Brand

At this stage of building your brand, you’ve established the foundation of your brand and have systems in place to sell your offers effectively. Your strategy is clear, your brand is polished, and your website showcases your brand strategically and consistently for an overall elevated online presence.

What you need in this stage: long-term strategic marketing. You need custom-tailored marketing solutions to set you up for BIG growth.

You are probably crunched for time because you’re knee-deep in running your business, and you’re ready to invest in a long-term, strategic partnership as your brand evolves. You need help evaluating your current position and developing a strategy to move forward that meets your exclusive needs for your brand, website, workflows & integrations, marketing, and more. You need a partner that will help you expand your reach and generate consistently increasing revenue.

This is when you’ll hone in on your genius zone and can start preparing for a new level of online presence. You’ve gone through all the steps to build a powerful brand & website and now you can add fuel to the fire to really capitalize on all the hard work you’ve done to get your brand to where it is today.

On-going Strategy

Once you get to the final stage of long term strategic marketing, you'll be in a different level of business with continual refining as your brand evolves over time. If you’ve gone through each of these stages with intention then you’ll have a stronger brand foundation that will serve you better in the long run as you refine your brand. Instead of starting from scratch and rebranding continuously, you’ll start off with a strong brand that just keeps getting better over time.

To keep the momentum going and to ensure your brand is optimized continuously, snag a copy of my Brand & Website Audit. Use this guide to regularly evaluate your brand as a whole, identifying areas that could use improvement, modification or to be released from your business - and areas that are bringing in the most qualified leads and money-making services and double down on those.