My Brand Shock Experience…

As you all know I recently launched a brand new business, website and brand which of course I absolutely LOVE doing and I could not wait to share with you all last week.

That was until I started reattaching all my social media profiles to my new website, and embarrassingly saw how inaccurate and inconsistent my brand had become all over the web in the last 2-3 years. Of course I was mortified, but then I started wondering…how many other elite woman entrepreneurs had let their own brand grow hairy legs all over the web too.

So I dedicate this week’s elite post to getting you ALL to do your own ‘brand audit’, and make sure you don’t get the same ‘BRAND SHOCK’ that I experienced last week, in your own business.

Why Consistency’s Important…

Me of all people, coming from a background in corporate communications, should know better. Which was why I was disappointed in myself for being so slack [busy is no excuse for brand embarrassment].

Your brand presence is not only your identity,  it is also how people perceive you in the marketplace. When your branding message is inconsistent, or confusing, it sends mixed messages to your target market about:

• Who you are
• What your area of expertise is
• How you can help them
• More importantly, if you are actually the same person [consistent brand identity].

Lucky for me, my personal appearance had not changed too much over the last couple of years, but my business and personal brand had definitely had a HUGE transformation in that time, and it was DEFINITELY not being represented in the ELITE style that I wanted for my current business.

It is so easy to become complacent…

Don’t worry I get it. We are all so busy in our business day in and day out that we forget about our presence all over the internet. Some of you may still  have the same branding that you have always had, and that is perfectly fine. But let me ask you…. is that old branding still serving your current target audience? Do you think it you may be in need of a refresh?

Or perhaps, you started your brand as a business identity and now realise that you want to uplevel into a more personal influencer brand to stand out in your industry like I did.  Is your current branding reflecting that new influencer positioning adequately?

Sometimes it can be as simple as having an updated photoshoot, rebranding your banners, business cards and website banners to create a whole new marketing opportunity for your business.

For me, I had been moving and transitioning into a new target market for the last few months, so it gave me an amazing opportunity to do a complete brand overhaul and that is why I am sharing this with you today.

Some tips for doing your own Brand Audit

1. Cull all your social media platforms onto one list so you know ALL your brand representations on the internet [mine were so outdated]. Here are some that I suggest you check for brand consistency:
   • YouTube accounts [including old accounts]
   • Make sure to check the description links in your videos on YouTube to be the most up-to-date website links.
   • Twitter accounts
   • Pinterest
   • Linkedin
   • GooglePlus [I know, everyone forgets about this one, I know I did]
   • Old websites [make sure to redirect all urls to your current site]
   • Snap Chat [I don’t use it, but best to check]
   • Periscope [I have to remember to check that too]
   • Instagram
   • Facebook [check all your accounts and pages for consistency]
   • Ezine Articles [I just remembered this one, thanks for jogging my memory]
   • Itunes or any other podcasts or hosting platforms
2. Make sure to delete any accounts that no longer serve you or your brand
3. If you are not sure, do a Google search on your name and see what shows up. Remember, that is what other people will be seeing when they search your name including journalists and prospective customers.
4. You can also redirect old domain names to your current domain name to ensure people know where to find you. ***Very Important***

Brand Image Tips:

• Make sure your brand imagery is consistent across all platforms including colours [no more than 3] and fonts.
• Type in the new image sizes for the following social media platforms and create new banners for them all with the same elite look and feel that represents your professional brand.
  • YouTube Banner
  • Personal Page Banner FB
  • Fan Page Banners FB
  • Twitter Banner
  • Linkedin Banner
  • Google Plus [Not sure how long this will still be around, but check it anyway]
• Also it is a good idea to update your brand identity on
  • Business cards
  • Books including ebooks and published books online [Amazon and Author Central]
  • Email signatures
  • Newsletter branding and banners
  • Blog image consistency including fonts and colours
  • Video thumbnails
  • Taglines keep them consistent

The more consistent, the more recognisable you become

If you want to attract the elite affluent clients, and uplevel your business and your brand, then it is very important as an elite influencer in your industry, that you have a consistent brand both online and offline.

Don’t make the same mistake I made and wait till your website dies to realise that your brand presence was out of date.

Good Luck!

PS. If you have any tips or suggestions on how to keep tabs on all your social brand marketing, please leave your tips and comments below.

PPS. Doing a brand makeover or refresh is fun. If you would like help with this, send an email to pam@pambrossman.com and we can discuss how I can help you uplevel your current positioning and brand presence to an elite influencer brand in your industry in a very short period of time.

See You Next Week!