#BizGold Linkup Vol. 1 - 4 Keys to Brand Success

 I'm so excited to launch my first linkup today! If any of you have a business-related blog post you would like to share, feel free to link up by following the instructions at the end of this post. BizGold takes place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. Next up is March 24th!

Your brand is the defining, aesthetic voice of your business and finding the right one is a big deal. The dictionary definition of "rebrand" is to "change or update the image of (an organization or a product)." It would be awesome if we could slap an "image" on an organization or product and it be good enough for all eternity, or if we could find the perfect branding for our product and/or services right from the outset. But, I've come to realize that it usually takes quite a while to nail down just the right look to represent your business. Today, I'm talking about the four things I've found to be vital in a brand. If you're missing one, it might be time to rebrand like me. :)

1. Personal Significance: 

When I initially chose the name Banana Grove Designs, it had personal significance but wasn't really at the core of who I am. I think it's important for the name and voice of what you're doing to really have weight. It should "have legs", be build-able and really resonate with you. That's not self-indulgent, it's just a guarantor that you're going to want to get out of bed in the morning. (I'm gonna geek out for a moment, and tell you that I compare this to a patronus (Harry Potter reference, sorry). It has to be powered by a strong memory to have the desired effect.)

2. Strong Purpose: 
In addition to having personal significance, it's also important to have a definable purpose. Much like a mission statement, can you put into words why you're doing what you're doing? Granted, almost all of us are in business to make some money, but if you want your business to be meaningful to people...it needs meaning! :) There should always be a purpose for what you're pursuing in your life. Make sure you infuse your career with it.

3. A Cohesive Aesthetic: 

You have a pretty product, yes? What kind of pretty? Are your color choices, logo design, fonts, and name the same kind of pretty? For me, I feel like the tropical name Banana Grove Designs captures a few aspects of the jewelry I sell, but it doesn't quite fit everything I'm going for. It doesn't capture the elegance and simplicity of what I'm trying to make. It's important to me that everything make sense to my customers. I want them to "get" what I'm trying to say through the few visual messages I'm allowed.

4. Buzz Worthiness:

Is your brand dynamic? Can you get people excited about it? Does it have possibilities and opportunities attached to it? Any and all buzz is good, y'all. You don't have to feel "un-buzzworthy" because people don't talk about you as frequently as they talk about Coca-Cola (dare to dream, though if that's what you're shooting for) but the customers you do have should want to tell their friends about you. Try to get people excited about you as a brand, not just as a product.

If you're missing one of these keys, it doesn't mean you need to scrap everything  and start over, it's possible some mere tweaking would do the trick. Or, you might find that your current brand is all wrong and you need to do a complete overhaul. There's no recipe. But, I do feel like these are important if you're going to continue moving forward. Show up in the comments if you have branding experience or an idea you'd like to share! :)

An InLinkz Link-up