The Top 10 Things That Are Scary About Your Brand

I used to love being scared.

Haunted houses, horror movies, scary hay rides, terrifying Stephen King books (I have found that there is no scarier place on earth than my imagination; pretty sure I was traumatized by The Shining for at least a decade)…several years ago this was my favorite time of year and I couldn’t get enough of that stuff.

While I still love this time of year, but I find that there are a lot more real scary things in the world than anything you could see on a movie screen (although I am a sucker for The Walking Dead, even after last week’s episode). I can still scare myself quite easily without having to resort to paying money for the privilege anymore thankyouverymuch.

In my business, one of the things that truly frightens me is how much misinformation there is out there about the concept of branding and the price that well-meaning coaches and transformational leaders end up paying because of the misinformation.

And I don’t just mean the monetary expense (although that can be quite significant), but also the energetic and time expense as well. Trial and error can be incredibly costly in so many ways when it comes to having a Personal Brand that impacts, influences, and inspires.

Why is this so scary?

Because not understanding the power of your Brand will make or break your business.

It will kill the dreams you have of a sustainable business and income that allows you to do work you love and have the lifestyle you desire.

So, with further ado…

here are the Top 10 Things That Are Scary About Your Brand

 

10. You haven’t defined the Core Values of your Brand. This is the essence of your Brand.  Knowing your Core Values will drive every marketing and business decision you will make. Yes, they are that important.

9. There isn’t a clear Brand Message. This doesn’t have to be complicated. The more concise the better. One sentence on what is the most important thing you want people to know about your work and what you believe.

8. Inconsistency. Your Brand is all over the place and it isn’t clear on exactly what it is you do and who you can help.

7. You haven’t gotten clarity around exactly who your Right People are. Dream Clients, Ideal Clients, Right People, your Tribe…whatever you want to call them, it doesn’t matter because you haven’t figured out who they are.

6. Your Brand Voice sounds like everyone else out there. When you try to communicate your content, it doesn’t really sound like you…at all.

5. There is no clear Vision for your Brand. How will the world be different as a result of your work? Start where you are, brand for where you want to go. The Vision starts you on that path.

4. You are afraid to be visible because you’ll be judged and found lacking. No one is going to give you permission to own your expertise, but a clear Brand goes a long way in establishing credibility, not to mention the confidence that comes with that clarity.

3. The connection piece is missing in your Brand. At the end of the day, no matter what you are branding, people connect with and do business with people.

2. Brand Equity has not been built. This is what establishes you as the expert in your niche and positions you as the only choice for your Right People. Decide what your Brand Promise is and deliver on that over and over again.

And drumroll please…

1.  Mistaking a Brand and branding for the same thing; they are not. You need to build the Brand first and then consider the branding. Your Brand Identity is not a color palette, tagline, or logo. If you haven’t considered how you want people to feel and associate those feelings with the branding, then you’ll end up in a cycle of constantly rebranding…further confusing people and hurting your credibility.

 

Recognize any of these in your Brand?

We can fix that. I invite you to join The Brand of You Facebook Community and continue the conversation on having a Brand that is genuine and impacts, influences, and inspires. I’d love to see you there.