What do people feel when they visit your Instagram page? Is it just a collection of random pictures pulled from all corners of the internet? Or is each post intentionally branded and highly curated to send a well-defined message to your audience?

One of the most self-destructive things you can do as an entrepreneur is to leave your audience confused about your business. Therefore, branding is extremely important for any business that is trying to succeed in this crowded entrepreneurial landscape. Branding is the interface between you and your customers. It is what people think about your business. It is how they feel when they consume your content. This includes your imagery, products, and reputation.

Branding must be intentional. You can control the messages your audience is receiving by clearly defining your intent and implementing strategies that work to achieve your goals.

The Pillars of Intentional Branding

Being intentional is about making the right choices for your business that take you closer to your dreams. When you’re clear about your business, you know exactly who you serve and the messages that best capture your value. You would understand the need to create a brand identity that resonates with your audience and reinforces your messaging.

Ask yourself these three questions:

• Who are you?
• Who do customers think you are?
• Where do you want to be?

Are you clear about the answers? If not, you need to do an exercise in intentional branding.

An Exercise in Intentional Branding

You must first do a situational analysis of where you currently stand. What is your purpose? Why do you exist? How do your products or services solve a problem? Knowing what you have to offer is the absolute first step in building a brand. An intentional brand strategy is one that highlights your unique gifts and capitalises on your strengths.

The main purpose of intentional branding is for customers to perceive you in the right light and choose your business over competitors. Therefore, all your brand elements must work together to reinforce your value. Your customers, both prospective and present, must always understand what you bring to the table. They should always feel confident in trusting your business to be the answer to their problems.

Is who you say you are consistent with who your customers think you are? The answer should always be yes. Anything other than yes will be detrimental to your business.

For instance, you may want your customers to think that your business is organised, efficient, and perceptive. However, when customers encounter your business, they perceive it to be quirky, informal, and passive. This shows a disconnect between what you say you are and what your brand elements are communicating. Branding with intent prevents disjointed and undefined messages from being sent to your audience. It also allows you to identify problems and make adjustments when necessary.

Business is dynamic. Entrepreneurs are always learning and growing. Intentional branding keeps one eye focused on the future. You must know what your dream business looks like. You may not have all the resources at your disposal right now, but you certainly can present your business in a manner that reflects the goals you have for it. This creates a standard and influences all decisions as you take your business towards your dreams. It becomes a measure of quality control for your business.

Check Yourself

Are you consistently attracting the wrong clients? This is a sure sign that your branding needs work. Think about it…Are you targeting high-ticket clients but attracting clients who constantly beg for discounts, don’t pay their invoices on time, and don’t value your work? Remember, branding is a long-term strategy. You must consistently reinforce your messaging to position yourself correctly in the minds of your ideal clients.

Do all your brand collateral (website, business card, stationery, brochures, social media posts etc.) tell the same story? Do they all match? Can ideal clients clearly identify them as yours? Are they all reflective of a standard that will take your business to where you want to be?

Do you have a clear, consistent way of speaking about your business? Do you use similar language in all your social media posts? Is this language reflective of the personality ascribed to your brand during the development process?

An intentional branding strategy guides all the choices that you make in your business. It takes you from who you are to where you want to be. It also ensures that your customers receive the right messages throughout each stage of your evolution as an entrepreneur. Building a brand is a process. Winning brands don’t just happen. They are the product of long-term strategic development. It takes a careful understanding of how you do business and a thorough appreciation of your customers’ needs. The key is to be authentic and consistent as you build a brand that highlights your value.

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