"When you brand yourself properly, the competition becomes irrelevant." Dan Schawbel
Too many people approach their brand as simply a logo and a color palette.
They overlook the bigger picture and the humongous impact their brand can have on differentiating themselves and standing out from the crowd.
But a brand is much more than just a logo; it’s the entire experience people have when they interact with your business.
It’s the tone of your marketing content, the icons you use on your website, the names of your products.
Think of Apple.
The minimal design of their products, the terminology they use (iPhone, MacBook, iPad), the apple logo, the sound of their ringtones and notifications...
They’ve put intention into every point of contact with their customers, and the result is a strong, recognizable, familiar brand.
The same should be true for your business!
So for the month of February, I’m inviting you to take part in Elle & Company’s very first 4-Week Brand Challenge.
Here’s how it works.
For the next 4 weeks, I’ll be sharing 20 action steps (5 per week) that will walk you through creating a one-of-a-kind, consistent brand from top to bottom.
These action steps range from the foundational groundwork tasks (like conducting a current brand evaluation and choosing brand keywords) to the final touches that make a brand distinct (like icons, photography, terminology, and patterns).
Each Monday in February, I’ll share a new blog post with five practical action steps for building your brand.
They’re small enough that you can tackle one each weekday, or you can save time on the weekend and knock them out all in one sitting.
I’ll provide all the details and resources you need to complete them, along with an in-depth, free workbook (which is a crazy good resource in and of itself for both for business owners and brand designers!).
You can share your progress and join in the Elle & Company community throughout the challenge by sharing your work and using the hashtag #ellecobrandchallenge on social media (because a little accountability and support can go a long way!).
By the end of February, you’ll be fully equipped to create a one-of-a-kind experience for potential clients and customers through your brand.
Are you up for the challenge?
If so, watch yesterday’s Ellechat webinar! I kicked off the challenge by sharing the exact process I use to create a consistent brand and provided all the details about how to join and make the most out of this challenge.
You can watch the replay by registering through the Crowdcast window below, or keep scrolling and take a look at the webinar slides.
Don’t continue to put your brand on the backburner this year. Start reaping the benefits of a consistent brand by making it a priority and joining me in this challenge!
What is your biggest struggle when it comes to branding? Are you going to participate in my February Brand Challenge?
It’s been a minute since I posted here.
I could tell you that I traveled the world, worked on some big secret project, or had another baby. All sound like exciting, legitimate reasons for disappearing for 5 months.
But the truth is that I needed a break from all the noise.
We live in a world of constant notifications, influx of information, posts, tweets, videos, ads, emails, and texts.
Our lives are spent looking at screens, whether we’re working on a computer, watching TV, or staring at our smartphones for an average of 5.5 hours a day (that’s a true statistic, by the way).
We’re “digitally caffeinated,” wired on the messages, entertainment, and information that are always at our fingertips.
And as a business owner I felt the pressure of not only keeping up with the noise, but contributing to it.
With the increasingly louder “hum” of the digital world building in the background, I was also trying to figure out what life looked like not only as a business owner, but as a new mom and a pastor’s wife.
I needed time to get my priorities in order, find a new rhythm, and gain some clarity about what Elle & Company would look like in this new season.
So I went dark.