In every industry or type of business, if you’re online (which you should be) you should have a business or personal branding strategy. Branding is how consumers come to recognize your business and build an opinion of it, and how you stand out from the rest of the crowd in your field.
But branding and all its associated lingo isn’t always quite straightforward. Personal branding, business branding, and all the crossovers in between can make it hard for emerging businesses to decide what works—but that’s why we’re here! As your branding experts, we can help you create a brand for your business or yourself (or both) that always stands out. Here are some things to note:
What is Business Branding?
Simply put, business branding is the identity that is created for your business. This encompasses everything one might associate with your organization, including your logo, color scheme, font choices, and more. Branding creates a cohesive image for your business, so no matter if customers stumble across you on social media, in an article, or IRL, they will know exactly what the business is and what it does.
What is Personal Branding?
Personal branding is similar to business branding, with one caveat—it has the same design qualities as above, but it pertains to a person instead of a business. It has always been quite common with bloggers or “solo-preneurs,” but lately, we’ve seen personal brands emerge in a big way. For thought leaders who double as CEOs or VC investors who also found companies, having a personal brand distinguishes the person in question just a little bit more from the business itself.
How to Decide What Type of Branding You Need
While both of these options have pros and cons associated with them, deciding what type works best for your situation is very specific to what your needs are. Working with a business brand creates a static image of what the business is—it is more specific to the industry, less flexible to change, and not at all associated with one single person. Personal branding is more dynamic, as it tends to change depending on where the person is at in their career—but it can also create confusion surrounding what the brand actually is.
To determine exactly what you’re needing (or if you should pursue both), it is important to consider how you’re looking to grow your business and your career. If you’re a blogger, solo founder, freelancer, or if you’d like to become a thought leader in your industry separate from your business brand, it might make sense to pursue a personal branding project to help your name stand out. If, however, you are a founder of a business and you are hoping to focus your efforts on growing the business entity as a whole, business branding is likely for you.
…But what if both of these things sound appealing? Then do both! The great thing about great branding is that it doesn’t have to be black and white, and your business and personal brand can even work together to create a complete system people will want to engage with. Both business branding and personal branding should be authentic above all else, so finding exactly what works for your situation is key.
If you need help with business branding, personal branding, or both, we’re the team to call! Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services.
