Brand strategy, it’s one of those phrases that sounds important – but also a little unreachable.

Whether you have a whole marketing team or a marketing hat you balance on top of the others as you juggle that solo business dream, ensuring your message is effective depends on so many elements that your brand strategy may be one which you’ve not yet given time to.

I’ve been talking to Shelley Rostlund Brand Strategist, a Your Business Matters member. Shelley helps her clients explore what makes them special and valuable – then utilise those insights to clarify their market position and create a brand that attracts the right clients. Shelley has shared her insights with us, to help you understand the importance of your brand and build a strategy around it.

What is a Brand Strategy?

Your brand strategy is the business-end to your marketing strategy, outlining all your brand-led decisions – the principles which define how you (and your business) will be reach out into the world.

Let’s take a step back first though, because before you have a strategy – you need to be clear on your brand.

Personal Brand or Business Brand?

There was a time when only companies had brand identities (seen clearly in their name and logo), but personal branding (i.e., positioning yourself and your personal name) are increasingly common and something many of us need to consider.

 Personal Brand

Your personal brand is:

• Focused on the human – either at the centre of the business or the face of the business to the public
• A personable character that people will relate to human to human
• Strongly concentrated on your personal core values and how you want to be perceived
• Unique in personal approach, behaviour, and language

Business Brand

Your business or organisational brand is:

• Centred around the business
• Defined by the values and principles of the organisation
• Focused on matching brand expressions with the customer’s emotive needs, wants and desires

 Together

Both your business and personal brand need to:

• Be clear on who you are, what you do and who you do it for
• Be consistent in message, tone and delivering on your promise
• Be genuine in how you present yourself and your business to the world
• Show your purpose, how it serves the world and your audience

Your brand, personal or business, is in its most basic terms your identity – how you will be remembered or easily recalled, by your ideal audiences.

Let’s Look at Your Strategy

Now that we’ve considered how you want your brand to be presented, it’s time to focus on what that identity represents in real terms and how you’ll express your brand in everyday interactions with the outside world. This is where crafting a Brand Strategy comes into play.

Shelley describes the following four “Ps” which will help you explore the positioning of your brand to attract your ideal customers and retain long-term loyalty.

 Purpose

Here you will think about your vision, and the purpose which you – or your brand – serve in achieving that vision. Your purpose drives your decisions and actions giving you a direction beyond the day-to-day running of your business.

So, what is your brand purpose? Why does your business exist?

 Personality

These are the seemingly intangible, personable elements of your brand which ultimately help you make deeper, more meaningful, connections with your audience(s). Establishing your brand personality requires the definition of how you want to be perceived and how you want people to feel when they work with you (this includes looking at your brand experience).

Think about how you want people to relate to your brand and feel about working with you?

 Positioning

Designing products and services aligned with who you say you are and who you serve is essential – if people feel there is a disconnect, they won’t trust you. So, we need to ensure you deliver on your brand promise (the experience and results you are promising to your customers/clients), as well as bring to life or reflect the values you say are important to your brand.

Consider how you have positioned your brand and whether you are showing yourself to be who your clients are looking for.

Presence

The work you have done on identifying your purpose, defining your personality, and positioning your services will come into their own when you market and communicate your brand, as well as in the delivery of your service and offers.

Whichever channels you choose, being visible as your brand will require visual styling, consistent language, and many more intangible and tangible activities.

How will you present your brand and where? Think about where your audience is and what they are looking for – then get out there.

Clarify your brand strategy and position your business for growth

Hopefully this has helped you see how a strong brand sets you apart, draws clients to you and gives you confidence in your position with effective marketing giving better results.

Thanks to Shelley for your insights on this subject. You can learn more from Shelley’s articles or podcast on her website.

Your Business Matters supports businesses in their growth with stronger networks, valuable collaborative partners and ongoing learning. Why don’t you check out our networking groups to find out how we can help you.