Why you need brand clarity before you start

Did you read our previous article about whether it’s time for a new website? If so, then you may be feeling ready to take the plunge and start thinking about design, layout, and generally how gorgeous everything’s going to look!  

That’s excellent news and we’re super excited for you! However, before you get too carried away and spend your precious time and energy on your marketing efforts, you need to make sure that you know your business inside and out. You need to be clear on your values, your aim and your mission. You need to know who you are and where you want to be. You need to have brand clarity!

So, what exactly is brand clarity?

When most people think of branding, they primarily think of their logo, followed by the colour scheme and fonts that they use. However, your brand is so much more than that!

Your branding defines the entire identity and personality of your business. It’s everything that represents you, whether it’s the tangible elements, such as your logo and website, or the intangible, like your mission, your values, and your ‘Why’.

Your brand is in every discussion you have, every piece of content you write, and every image you upload to your social media accounts.

Regardless of the size of your business, brand clarity is vital, and without it, it’s nigh on impossible to run your business effectively.

How do I achieve brand clarity?

If you’re struggling with where to start to achieve brand clarity, here are a few talking points to help you on your way. Grab a pen and paper, and let’s delve in!

Who is your ideal customer?

Try your best to be really specific here. You can’t aim your marketing efforts at everyone; otherwise your message becomes diluted and a little vanilla! By really drilling down, you can make sure that your marketing efforts are tailored toward your target audience and that all the content you create is speaking to them.

How are you different from the competition? 

Sure, there are plenty of other people out there doing the same things that you do, but they don’t do it how you do it, and that is your superpower! Ask yourself what makes you stand out from the crowd? It could be an area of expertise, the way you do things, or your sparkling personality! 

What’s your ‘Why?’

When we’re so busy running a business and taking care of all that life continues to throw at us, we can lose sight of our ‘Why’. Take some time to reflect. Think about what makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning? What are you passionate about? Why did you start your business in the first place? What is it that you’re trying to achieve? 

What’s your mission statement?

This one’s closely linked with your ‘Why’. Think about the journey you want to take your customers on and how you want your brand to make them feel. Do you want to help women to feel happier and more confident? Do you want to raise awareness of environmental issues? Do you want to help parents to feel more empowered when it comes to supporting their children academically? Keep your mission statement clear, concise, and easy to understand. You can do it!

Having a good idea of who you are as a business can really help nail down some of answers that you’ll need to make marketing choices and decisions in the future. Your website should be built to represent you as a business, so always keep these tips in mind.

One of the projects that we take on with clients is getting to the bottom of who they are, who they want to sell to and what their business should look like in the future. If you’d like a helping hand with something like this, we’d be more than happy to discuss your options. Reach out to us at hello@avidmode.com for more info!