I know, I know. I promised to help you come up with a visual direction for your brand this week.
But before we get into inspiration boards and logo designs, remember that your brand isn’t simply a logo and a color palette; it’s an experience.
There are two key components to a brand: tangibles and intangibles.
We often think about the tangible components, like logos, color palettes, and fonts.
But intangible components, like the words you use in your social media captions and the names of your products, can have a big impact on how your brand is perceived.
This post is part of Elle & Company’s 4-week Brand Challenge. Click here to see more details, sign up, and access the free workbook.
DAY 6 ACTION STEP
Develop your tone and terminology
Consider the tone of the Nike brand.
Their tagline is Just Do It, and they carry that straight-to-the-point, do-work attitude throughout their marketing materials, the names of their products, and their social media accounts.
Contrast their driven tone with the tone of the Anthropologie brand.
Upon landing on their website, you’ll find headers that read “a laid back lightness and plenty of sunshine,” “soft texture and neutral hues,” and “set a striking table for friends and family.”
Even apart from the visuals on the site, you get a sense of Anthro’s casual, feminine, slightly artsy vibe through the tone and terminology they use throughout their brand.
Right down to that #wanderlust hashtag:
You can create beautiful visuals for your brand all day long, but if the tone of your social media captions and website copy doesn’t match, your brand won’t feel consistent and cohesive.
So take some time to describe the tone of your brand.
Refer back to those 5 adjectives you listed during Day 5 and consider what type of tone would appeal to your audience.
Decide if your tone should be short and witty, casual and inviting, or slightly sarcastic. Details like this can go a long way in differentiating your brand and business from those around you.
I left space for you to describe your brand’s tone and make a list of more keywords and terms that you can consistently use for social media, blog post copy, etc. on page 9 of the Brand Challenge workbook.
You might also find it helpful to recruit the help of a creative friend who’s good with words to help you flesh this out more, and you’ll probably continue to add to this list over time.
When you’re done determining your tone and terminology, share it with me in the Elle & Company Facebook Group! I’ve loved keeping up with your progress.
Don’t overlook the large impact non-visuals can have on creating a professional, memorable brand. I’m excited to hear what you come up with!
