Be Authentic and Consistent to build your brand

When it comes to branding, there are many things you can do. However, it’s my humble opinion that it’s best to focus on being yourself and being consistent. This will help you build trust with current and potential customers. In this post, I’ll cover three simple ways that can help improve your brand:

• Focus on your expertise and value

• Be authentic. Be genuine. Be yourself

• Be consistent

Focus on your expertise and value

You can't be everything to everyone. You can't be flashy, trendy, and everything the next big thing will be. You have to focus on your core expertise and value and then find ways of communicating that clearly in your brand identity.

If you’re an accountant and your goal is to build a brand that communicates “I am an expert,” then you need a much different approach than if you wanted to brand yourself as an industry's rock star. Always focus on what makes sense for who you are today; you can’t fake being a rockstar, so don’t try.

Be authentic. Be genuine. Be yourself

Be yourself because if you're not, the world will know it. We all know that people are drawn to honest and genuine individuals. It’s easy to spot someone trying to be someone they aren't—look at how many of us get swept up in fads and trends that we later regret following (I'm looking at you, tight-rolled jeans).

Your brand should convey to customers and prospects what type of people they are dealing with when they contact your company or receive one of your products or services. There must be clarity about what kind of experience they can expect from doing business with you. It can be as simple as how you end your email or the colors, fonts, and images you use; it doesn’t matter what branding style you choose so long as it is authentic and genuinely you.

Be consistent

Be consistent with your brand, message, and voice. When marketing and branding yourself, customers must know they can trust you and know the quality of work to expect. When customers spend their hard-earned money, they need to know that the value they will get matches up with what they expect; this must be conveyed through your brand.  

Consistency will help reinforce the authenticity of your brand because people want to feel like they're getting reliable information from someone they trust (and not being tricked by anyone). When the expectation of the interaction matches the reality, you have found your brand.

Don’t forget—your brand is you. Focus on your expertise and value. Be consistent and authentic, and don’t be afraid to be yourself.

Next week we will cover goals; without them, how do you know where you're going with your branding efforts?

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