Many people ask me, “What exactly is a brand and how do you know if it’s doing its job?” The answer is simple to state, slightly more complex to execute. Your brand is your calling card, your reputation and the thing that makes you most memorable. It’s the first impression and the last thing you leave behind. As Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
Your brand is the perception that you create in other people’s minds.
Easy to say, not so easy to do.
Your brand is only as effective at creating a powerful perception as it is healthy. That’s why I created the 50-point Brand Health Checklist for you to assess the health and performance of your brand so that you can effectively attract, connect with and engage your ideal clients, and yes, sell more of your products and services while building a loyal following.
Think of your brand as a living, breathing entity. It needs constant tending, nurturing, a little hair and make-up when it’s about to go out into the world, and, most importantly, it needs the breath of life. Your breath. Your brand needs YOU to be integrated into its daily rituals so that the audience/clients/customers come to know and trust you. And once your brand is clear, consistent and compelling, they’ll keep coming back.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it,” says Simon Sinek in his books and in his famous TedTalk. I believe, as he does, that when we communicate our brand from the inside-out, meaning when we consistently communicate our brand’s purpose and values with clarity, we are touching the hearts of the people who will respond most organically to us. These are our ideal clients and customers. These are the people who need our help and who will benefit most from what we have to offer.
Your brand’s health is made up of five distinct areas:
- Brand Presence
- Brand Awareness
- Brand Reputation
- Brand Engagement
- Brand Loyalty
When you build, track and refine these five areas, you ensure your brand’s vibrancy, longevity and resilience against inevitable ebbs and flows in the marketplace.
In the 50-point Brand Health Checklist, I walk you through these areas so that you can see what’s working, where you might need a few tweaks and what needs the most work. It might seem like an overwhelming task, but as long as you take the first step, you’re moving in the right direction. With each step forward you will build momentum and resonance, create clearer messaging and brand touchpoints, and attract more of your right audience.
In order to earn a piece of real estate in someone else’s mind and create a positive, lasting and valuable perception, it’s imperative that your brand is thriving and healthy. Taking the 50-point Brand Health Checklist assessment is your first step to creating a powerful, compelling brand.
