New business owners easily get trapped in this mistake. Branding is more than photos. It’s more than colors. And it certainly is more than a font.
Your business is more than the sum of colors, fonts or even a style. Yes, branding does contain these things. And often when you talk to a designer, they insist that a brand is these things.
The reality however is so much more.
When you send your customers a Christmas card every December, that’s branding. When you comment about topics that are close to your heart on social media – that’s branding too!
Branding can be reflected in the in-your-face attitude of some social posts, and the quiet unspoken words of a farm picture.
For most small business owners, and homestead business owners even more, our brand is an extension of our personality. It shows in the animals we own, how we think and what we do. Our business is not a 9-5 hat that you put on and take off every day. Rather homestead businesses are often a lifestyle business. People connect with you, your personality and your homestead all at the same time.
This can lead to some funny gotchas too, however. Many years ago, we were driving from our house to town and got a business phone call. It happened to be the driver behind us, calling the business to inform us that one of our “fleet vehicles” had a brake light out.
When you are the brand, your life can often feel on display for all the world to criticize.
Yes, branding is important. Color changes the mood, fonts bring a style flair, and photos encourage memory and connection. But your brand is so much more than these basic elements.
Embracing the wider world of branding opens so many doors of connection. Especially on social media.
It’s time you stepped out beyond brand frameworks and into a brand lifestyle.