We’ve already extensively discussed the power of style and personal image. When your image accurately represents who you are, your values, and your core messaging, you develop confidence and the ability to connect with and influence others. If you are an entrepreneur or business owner, the next step is taking this image and incorporating it into your professional brand. A brand personality, or a set of human traits attributed to a brand, is responsible for influencing how your core audience feels about your mission, product, or service. It will dictate your brand identity and your marketing. Today I want to give you the top 4 simple steps you can take to establish your brand personality. 

Step 1. What Are Your Core Values

The first step, above all else, is to write down your mission statement. Your mission statement states clearly what matters most to your brand, and of course, to your audience. Your mission statement will end up being referenced time and time again for key business and marketing decisions, so it’s essential. For example, if your mission statement is “To spread the feeling of beauty…” Then your Instagram posts and captions would include pictures and copy that represent things that look and feel positive, charming, alluring, attractive, graceful…etc.

Step 2. Choose Your Brand Personality

Many market research studies suggest that customers are most likely to purchase from a brand when the personality of the brand reflects their own. There are five core brand personality traits: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. Similar to how we establish a signature style, a brand personality will reflect the core values of your brand. 

For example:

• Dove body care is a wonderful example of sincerity. They embrace all types of body shapes, skin colors, ages, and lifestyles. 
• A company like Red Bull is all about excitement. They thrive off of the thrill of the chase and adrenaline.
• Amazon is a great example of a competent brand personality. It exudes dependability, success, and conscientiousness by putting the customer and their needs first.
• Chanel and Rolex would be great examples of sophistication. They represent elegance, class, simplicity, and timelessness. 
• Last but not least, companies like REI or Patagonia represent ruggedness keeping their image outdoorsy, reliable, sturdy, and tough. 

THINK: Which of the 5 brand personalities does your brand fall into?

Step 3. Develop An Audience Persona

I can’t stress how important it is. More than likely, you already have an idea of the type of ideal customer you’re serving. It’s very common that your ideal customer is someone similar to you! If not, consider who it is that you want to serve. A brand personality will not be effective if it does not connect to a target market audience that can relate to it. Once you’re armed with an audience persona, you will be able to guide your business decisions based on your audience’s preferences, behaviors, problems, and expectations.

ASK:

• Does my audience like status or simplicity?
• Do they make emotional decisions or are they more rational?
• What is most important to my audience when they make a purchase? 
• What does my audience care about more than anything?
• How does my audience spend their free time?

PRO TIP:

I like to come up with a list of books, T.V shows, and magazines my audience consumes. This helps me pin down the vibe of the people I will be speaking to. 

STEP 4. Develop A Brand Style Guide

Without strong guidelines to navigate the growth and evolution of your business, compromise, confusion, changes, and other obstacles may cause you to deviate from your power source. Creating an outline for your brand style ensures that no matter what happens, your brand retains continuity and stays true to itself. A brand style guide is a reference sheet for any and all sales and marketing materials. It includes rules for colors, tone, visuals, font, photography, and other key elements. 

FREE GIFT: Check out this free resource from HubSpot. DOWNLOAD NOW !

This guide will walk you through each step to creating the perfect style guide for your brand. 

Let’s Grow Your Business…Together!

Our goal here at ByFerial is to give you the skills and training to become an expert in your field. What makes us unique is that we also offer premier access to an entrepreneurial community that will help you grow your business and make a huge impact with it. If you want to be certified in the highest level standards of the image styling industry, and you want to learn how to make a successful business with your newly acquired skills JOIN THE ByFerial Empower Group ——> CLICK HERE!