Posted by Carrie Keplinger
Branding can be a scary topic for a lot of small biz owners. It requires you to do some hard-core thinking about you, your business, and what it's all about.
But let's do that. Let's answer those questions right now. It won't hurt too much, I promise.
I recently read a great post over at Inkling Media that asked the question, "Who are you and what do you do?" Their focus was on social media pet peeves and how you need to state clearly who you are and what your business is all about, but the same questions should be asked for every aspect of your branding.
Let's think about this in relation to your business name and tagline.
The Name: Who Are You?
Your business name is the first thing that identifies you. It's a pretty big deal and needs to sum up the following questions: Who are YOU? What's your background? What qualifies you to do what you do? What's your philosophy or attitude? Are you serious or whimsical?
Yeah, that's a lot to sum up! Take some time to answer these questions, then step back and think about what name best personifies you and your biz. Sometimes your own name is the best choice, sometimes you'll want to get creative.
As an example, I'll share my own creative biz name: LikeClochework. I decided to go the creative route by using a play on words that subtly speaks to my literary background and also infuses my ironic, slightly corny sense of humor.
After you have a name, you can take your answers and turn them into your About or FAQ page.
The Tagline: What Do you Do?
The tagline comes after the business name and specifies what this biz is all about.
List all the things your business offers. Categorize them if needed. Then think of a few adjectives that describe those things. If you make jewelry, what kind of jewelry? What style or aesthetic? Who would wear it?
Take your list of offerings and adjectives and play around with them to create a tagline.
For mine, I wrote down that I made hats, scarves, gloves, and cowls. They were inspired by vintage patterns from the 1920s-40s. They would probably appeal to women who enjoyed collecting vintage pieces and incorporating them into everyday wear. My final tagline: "Vintage-inspired hats & accessories for discriminating women."
Dig Deeper
Now that you have a name and tagline, it's time to dig deeper by creating your logo and business cards. Below are some links and how-tos to boost you along.
Elements of Branding by Polly Danger
Develop a Brand Identity by Alysse Dalessandro
How to Create a Logo by Alysse Dalessandro
Designing Business Cards by Meg Favreau
How To: Sweet Beveled Business Cards by Polly Danger
