A personal brand identity establishes your reputation and sets you apart from competitors, bringing focus and purpose to your business.
Running a business – even if it’s just you as a solopreneur – can be challenging if you don’t know where you fit into the market. But once you solidify your brand DNA, you’ll zoom ahead with confidence and clarity.
As marketing expert Seth Godin says:
“People don’t buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”
This blog explains brand DNA and the steps you can follow to create your own brand magic.
What is My Brand DNA?
Your brand DNA is the ESSENCE AND SOUL OF YOUR BRAND. It’s your ethos and story – WHO you are and WHY you matter. In other words, it’s a combination of your core values, beliefs, and principles that guide your business decisions.
How others see you, how well your business does, who you work with, and your influence in the world is affected by your brand DNA. It communicates your value and gives your clients a reason to choose you over your competition.
How to Discover Your Brand DNA
Developing your brand DNA is an exciting and fun process of self-discovery. Working through these five steps will help you define and deliver something special to the world.
- Write Your Story
A powerful story forms meaningful connections with clients. You have a story, and it’s your job to make it a page-turning narrative. Who are you, and where are you from? What motivated you to start your business?
For example, ByFERIAL’s founder, Ferial Youakim, was born in a refugee camp and overcame unimaginable tragedy to create a global company and a life she loves.
Of course, not everyone has the same story, and that’s perfectly okay! Perhaps you sought a more creative life or wanted career independence. Many of your clients can relate to that. Remember, YOUR STORY IS UNIQUE, and it can inspire others.
- Create a Mission Statement
What do you hope to achieve? In what ways do you help your clients? Everyone – including you – has their part to play in the human story. Creating a mission statement enables you to define your purpose and business goals.
Ferial’s mission is to “help people live the life they deserve,” for instance. When you understand your mission, it’s much easier to define your brand DNA based on your goals. Mission statements are comprised of three parts: WHAT YOU DO, HOW YOU DO IT, AND WHY YOU DO IT.
- Define What Makes You, You
What makes you different from other people? Everyone has specific and individual qualities that shape their value. Once you’ve defined your unique position and role compared to other businesses, you can start communicating your difference to the world.
In marketing, this is known as your USP: Unique Selling Proposition
Your USP is is what makes your business stand out from competitors. It’s what makes you and your products and services different, memorable and exceptional.
There are many ways to do this, including building a website, designing brand materials like a logo – even how you dress! THE 4X4 COLOR SYSTEM CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR SIGNATURE AND BUSINESS BRANDING.
It will show you how to tap into your character, passions, and temperament to develop your business image. By defining these visual elements, you craft a one-of-a-kind story that makes you stand out and resonates with your target audience.
- Know Who Your Customers Are
Who is your ideal customer? How would you define your community? While being authentic about who and what you are is essential, like any business, you still need to sell your vision to the outside world.
Understanding your target audience’s needs, wants, and interests allow you to tailor your messages correctly, ensuring you reach the right people. Essentially, it helps if you communicate that what you offer is precisely what they’re looking for, which brings us to the next point.
- Market Your Value
Your clients care about how your services will change their lives. What will they gain from hiring your or buying your products or services? Will it make their lives easier, more enjoyable, or stress-free? What magic does it add to their existence?
Part of developing your brand DNA entails identifying your business’s strong points. For example, image consultants help individuals make the best decisions regarding personal style, interior decor, and product aesthetics.
Ultimately, they’re not selling professional expertise but a service that empowers people to make positive changes that boost their appearance, self-esteem, and businesses. Can you see the difference between selling a service and the value of a service?
Use The 4×4 Color System to Create Your Visual Brand Identity
Having a complete brand DNA that reflects who you are and what you can do greatly supports your business growth.
A company’s success is often no longer determined by the quality of its products or services but by how it markets its brand DNA, of which color plays a massive role.
Fortunately, through the ByFERIAL 4X4 Color System, you have a high quality service you can offer, combined with your USP to create your brand DNA and identity.
Choosing the right brand color is essential for connecting with and influencing consumer decisions. Luckily, you can use your knowledge of the ByFERIAL 4×4 Color System to make your business appear more cohesive and professional to your target audience.
Find out more ByFERIAL Image & Color Institute certified training courses and programs and how our color system can take your brand DNA to the next level!
