If you follow my instagram, you will know how I can be very impulsive and reactive with my creativity, especially as it forms part of my processing of information. Recently I have been getting curious about how I can get caught-up in a trend or by something I should be doing on any particular 'named' day. For example, this year I have decided to highlight that on International Women's Day, I do celebrate women, but I actually support all genders, all year around. One of my personal values and they matter to me. They may not matter to you and you may not agree with them - and that is cool because you are you.
But in business - how does this mindset differ? I still hold those values obviously, but I focus wholeheartedly on my clients values first. But I wouldn't have got to that point if our values did not align on some level.
Sometimes, I start by being conscious of how I want to communicate and who I want to reach, then go at it in a considered way to intentionally connect. Other times, this begins with a conversation around their wants and needs and ultimately their 'why'. Once I know this, I can guide them on a journey - occasionally that may be a referral to a completely different service (like a website build or social media strategist). It makes sense to take this approach, we can then create together successfully - we both get results and impact we want. But we couldn't do that without investing time in our values and our who and why first.
A really good Brand Strategist / Brand Story-teller is worth their weight in gold (I know some if you want an intro) but if you are doing this solo, here are some tips:
Understand Your Purpose: Think about why your brand exists beyond making money. What positive impact do you want to have on the world or your customers world?
Know Your Audience: Understand what your customers care about, what thier problems are and what values resonate with them.
Define Core Principles: These are your fundamental beliefs and principles that guide your brand's actions and decisions.
Show Your Personality: Decide on the traits you want your brand to be known for - these are what make you different (your USP)
Be Consistent: Make sure your brand values are clear and consistent across everything you do, from marketing to customer service. They can remain backstage if you like - you will need to find a way to communicate using them to connect with who you want to reach.
Involve Others: Get input from your peers, current customers, and other collaborators to refine your brand values (take caution with family - they are bias!)
Live Your Values: Take actions that demonstrate your brand values in real life, like supporting causes you believe in or making ethical business decisions. If you are social media savvy, talk / share / connect with like-minded people.
By keeping things simple and focused, you can create brand values that are easy to understand and follow, both for your team and your customers. As an FYI - mine are a great big doodle (make sure you create them in a way that engages you!)
If you want to discuss this process and how I can help you visualise your values, please pop me an email or give me a call.
Check out my insta reel sharing a true story about values here
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