We’ve all heard the phrase, “less is more” but did you know that adopting a minimalist approach can help with your business branding?
As an entrepreneur, you have to make dozens (possibly hundreds, or what feels like thousands) of decisions regarding your business every day. Keeping your branding in check can sometimes feel overwhelming because as a business owner, you have so many options to consider.
Here are some ways to get clear on your business brand by adopting some minimalist philosophies:
Stop and focus
Too often, when business owners are deciding on logos, website design, marketing copy, or anything else tied to their branding, they try to do too much. As a result, their overall message isn’t obvious. And when their message is muddied, they don’t attract their desired audience.
This is how branding goes bad.
It is important to be purposeful with your brand. Take a deep breath. Pause. Focus on what’s important about your business. Then forget the rest.
Decide what your brand is all about. What sets your business apart and makes it unique? Who do you want to attract as desired customers? Not, who can you attract, but who do you want to attract? You must be deliberate about what you want for your business.
Focus on getting the perfect client, and forget the rest. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Be ruthless with your focus.
Don’t get sentimental
It’s hard not to take your business personally. After all, you’ve put so much of your blood, sweat and tears into it, so how can you NOT take your business personally? When you think of all the sacrifices and sleepless nights being an entrepreneur, you might even feel that owning a business is a bit like having a child.
Nevertheless, as your business (child) grows up, you will need to learn to let go! There comes a point when your brand becomes less about you and more about them – that is, the target audience.
So you can’t get over-sentimental. Your company name might not make sense anymore. Your website copy might have to change its tone. Your logo might lose relevance. Let these things go and evolve.
No matter how cute, cool, or funny an element of your branding is, always be asking, “Does this serve a purpose?” or more importantly, “Does this serve THE purpose?” Because if something no longer speaks to your target market, it needs to go.
Don’t keep your branding stagnant out of sentiment. This can be difficult to do. But this is business. It’s like keeping a pair of jeans that don’t fit anymore. Ditch the branding that no longer works for you to make room for something that does.
Keep focused and let your branding do its job.
Be present
Once you’ve cut out the extraneous and focused on the important, it’s important to be present for what’s left of your branding.
Don’t leave any aspect of your branding unattended. Always be watching for what works and what doesn’t work. Are you getting the desired reactions from the desired target audience? Don’t leave your branding on auto-pilot. Treat it like an organic, living, breathing creature that is constantly evolving and adapting to the ecosystem that is your business world.
Need a hand with your business brand? Contact Kim Speed at Purple Moon Creative today!
