Branding Your Business | Winston Salem Photographer Jasper & Fern
Branding photography done for Social Media Manager, Just Sayin' Social | Winston Salem Professional Brand Photographer | Business Photographer | Corporate Photography | Small Business Branding | Branding Strategy | Brand Identity
Branding, it’s what makes a business. It’s the foundation from which every step forward is made. When it comes to branding your business, there are a few key components to remember.
The biggest grey area I hear my brand photography clients talk about is what branding actually is - and, specifically, the difference between branding and marketing. It’s truly quite the squiggly line because they go so hand in hand. The bottom line, however, is that branding is NOT marketing.
The best definition for branding I’ve ever seen is :
”a mix of elements, both tangible and intangible, that can be managed to create value for organizations and the people interacting with them.”
Perhaps the best way to explain this difference is to explain what branding is and how to create a brand that works.
In short, your brand is comprised of your
Values & Voice
Messaging & Personality
Aesthetic
Offerings
Branding portraits done for financial blogger, Robyn of Dollar Dreams. | Winston Salem Professional Brand Photographer | Business Photographer | Corporate Photography | Small Business Branding | Branding Strategy
Your Values & Voice are WHY you do what you do. To help you determine your values and voice ask yourself - why do you love this idea/product/service? What is your story? What need are you meeting? Why does this matter to you? These questions will help you hone in on your story - which is what your clients will connect with.
Branding photography done for healing touch therapist at Balance Energize Thrive, LLC | Winston Salem Professional Brand Photographer | Business Photographer | Corporate Photography | Small Business Branding | Branding Strategy | Brand Identity
Your Messaging & Personality are HOW you take your values and voice and say what you do. Are you kind and spunky or calm and caring? How about bold and fearless? Are you brash and natural? Part of your messaging and personality is also paying attention to what words and phrases you frequently use to describe what you do. This is key to recognizing your voice and continuing forward with it.
Aesthetics. The aesthetics of your brand are how you DEPICT what you do. This includes the most popular check list for branding - colors, logo, imagery, textures, style and design. This is part of where we come in as your brand photographer. One of our biggest jobs as branding photographers is to help you establish a connection with your potential clients through imagery. Your potential client needs to be drawn in to your personality, your experience - they need to know they can trust you. We can take your voice, personality, colors, textures, style - and even offerings if it’s appropriate for the content - and create captivating visuals that tell your story.
Your brand would not be complete without an understanding and foundation for your offerings. This is WHAT you do - your products, services; the tangibles and intangibles. What you offer comes from your why. It is comprised of your personality and in it, your messaging, voice and your aesthetic components are all wrapped up into one entity.
So when you go to make your brand, whether it’s for a one person micro business, a 15 person small business or a 1,000+ person corporation, keep these components in mind. Once you have all of these components solidified into your brand foundation, you will have the essential grounding point from which to navigate your business. This foundation is important because if you don’t have a clear understanding or direction of your own brand, no one else will understand it either - including your clients.
Branding Your Business | Winston Salem Photographer Jasper & Fern