Take charge of your brand!

If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.

- Yogi Berra

So here you are. You've started a small business, or you are thinking about it. Maybe you have a great product you want to share with the world. Perhaps, you are perfecting a service you provide. Either way, as you formalize your hustle into an LLC (or your choice of legally recognized business), you realize you need a name. Then it occurs to you, "I probably need a logo to go along with this name."

BOOM! Before you know it, you have a brand on your hands.

Wait, aren't these big decisions? Yes, they are. But they don't have to be scary, intimidating, or random.

What if I told you, there is a tool that can help you make these decisions even when you are first starting? And would you believe that it doesn't take long to create? There's no catch.

The magical tool is a brand positioning statement. It's a foundational element of your branding toolkit that, with a little bit of focus and energy, will become the North Star for your branding decisions.

A strong brand positioning statement includes your brand promise, what you deliver to customers, and how you do things differently than your competitors. It should be general enough that you can add new and related offerings to your business over time, but specific enough to help you say no when an opportunity (branding, product, or otherwise) won't support the goals of your brand.

WHOA! That sounds like a lot. That is why your brand positioning statement is so powerful! It literally defines how you want customers to see your brand positioned in the marketplace.

A framework to create a basic brand positioning statement is answering the following questions. Write a sentence for each answer, and combine them into one paragraph. PRESTO! You have a simple brand positioning statement to start your brand.

Speaking in general terms, what are you selling? or What service are you providing?

What is your unique perspective?

This is your brand promise.

Who is your customer?

Include descriptors that apply like generation, age-range, gender, lifestyle, interests, activity level, geography, challenges, needs, wants, hopes, and dreams.

How much do you charge?

Describe this generally, such as low-cost, competitive, value-based, high-end, luxury. This might be part of your unique perspective or what you are selling.

What problem do you solve for your customer?

Does your business provide convenience, value, education, status or some other emotional, financial, or physical benefit to your customer?

There are so many directions to choose from for your brand story. A brand positioning statement acts as the North Star for your brand when you're not sure which path to choose.

Do you need help with your brand positioning statement? Let me know; I'm happy to be your guide.