One of the key ways to build your brand is making it unique to you. I’ve said this before a few times already, there might be millions and millions of people in this world, but there’s only ONE you. SO you want to use that and your own personal story to your advantage in order to build your brand in order to truly stand out from the rest. It doesn’t really matter if your brand is a business you own or an actual personal brand, in the end, it is yours. It’s about this idea you had, and a set of actions that you put forward in order to build your business. Branding isn’t only about your logo and the look + feel of your brand, it’s also about the core essence of your business, and that’s what I want to focus on today. As consumers, we want to be presented with something that is the real deal. Something that feels genuine and authentic. This is because we are able to connect with something that is real a lot more than with a faceless company we don’t know anything about. In the end, in order to build a brand that can be differentiated, that builds trust and respect, that is admired and people are loyal to; you need to be relatable, to stand for something and to bring as much personality to it as you can. So, here are 5 steps in order to differentiate a brand by being your own unique self!

1. CREATE YOUR BRAND STORY
You want to think about the driving force that brought you to where you are today. What is unique about your story and why does it matter? Great stories are capable of building meaning to brands, and making you completely different from anyone else around you. Developing a real story is a way to build trust; a way to build a bond with your audience. It’s what will set your brand apart from any other one out there because your story and the steps you have gone through to build your business are unique only to you.
2. DETERMINE YOUR BRAND’S PURPOSE
Defining your brand’s purpose is all about why it is that it exists. It’s about understanding what it is your brand stands for. In this case, you want to include part of your own personal values as well as determining the “why” behind your business. When your brand stands for something, you will have an advantage over others because your brand then starts to have a voice. In order to define your brand’s purpose, think about those different characteristics you own, that set apart and find a common point with what the needs of your consumers are. When your brand has a purpose, it stands for something more than simply selling. It’s about delivering extra value. It is the actionable impact your brand can make on the lives of your consumers. Your purpose is a force that can motivate your customers and your employees to be part of your bigger story.
3. DEFINE YOUR BRAND’S PERSONALITY
Determining a brand personality is important whether your brand is a personal brand or not. It’s about how your brand behaves, speaks, and engages with the world. This is key to helping you connect with your audience in a more emotional and real way, but it’s also a way for you to distinguish yourself from others. You want your brand to have an authentic personality. If your brand is a personal brand, think about the traits that define you that can be used for your business and communication. Which ones capture the essence of who you are? An effective brand is capable of leveraging a set of traits that their consumer sympathizes with in order to build their equity.
4. DEVELOP A POWERFUL BRAND STRATEGY
Ultimately, everything you do and say will influence how people will perceive your brand. So, you want to think about how, what, where, when and to whom you are going to be communicating and delivering your brand messages. Once you’re clear of how your uniqueness and personal story set you apart from every other brand out there, you want to be clever about how you present your brand. The way you communicate this visually and verbally are all part of your brand strategy. When developing a strategy it is fundamental to take into consideration who your target market is and their needs. It’s also about your long-term plan in order to develop your brand is a successful way and that achieves goals.
5. DESIGN YOUR BRAND
Having understood and developed your brand, its story, personality and determining your uniqueness, its time to create a look and feel capable of reflecting that image. So, when you design the logo, you have take into consideration all of these things. Don’t forget that it’s not ONLY about the logo. It’s about creating a cohesive look and feel that transcends into every opportunity your audience comes into contact with your brand. Think color palette, typography, textures, patterns, icons, illustrations, photos and more. These will all visually reinforce your uniqueness and your YOU, across all touch points. The more cohesive and clear you are about your brand, the more effective and stronger it will be.