9 Ways To Get Your Brand Together
As the turn of the season approaches, we’ve probably all been thinking about things we need to do or want to do within our brands to tidy up or get the ball rolling in one way or another. From processes and housekeeping to batching and growing, today I’m sharing 9 ways to get your brand together!
ICYMI: I have a Brand Habits Stack that goes right along with today’s episode, which shows you how to set up your brand for success. Grab that today, linked in the show notes.
If you’re anything like me, you might push certain things off or shove them to the bottom of the list because “more important” or “urgent” things come up.
That is really how life goes sometimes, so that is valid, BUT, there does come a point where we just need to get down to the nitty gritty and check some of those long-overdue things off our list.
From my experience, there are a handful of same ‘ol same things that fall to the side, and they can usually fit into a few different categories, like back-end tasks, maybe setting up some templates or workflows, or updating your brand guide.
This post is a good one, so let’s just dive in: Here are 9 things to either clean up or focus on for your brand this season (or this year, however you need to plan it out)!
No. 1: Clean up your brand guide
In podcast episode #15 of The Sweet Brand Show, I talked about ways to take advantage of the season. So, if you’re planning to incorporate any of those marketing strategies, you might also want to get ahead of it and get your brand guide updated with any necessary changes before you go into full-on campaign mode.
If you’ve recently refreshed or changed fonts or colors, go ahead and update that in your brand guide.
Maybe you’ve introduced new messaging or photography, or you’ve taken the time to figure out your ideal audience.
Whatever the changes, you’ll want to add that information to your brand guide sooner rather than later so that you and everyone else can be on the same page when making decisions for upcoming promotions and campaigns.
No. 2: Clean up your files
Speaking of promotions and campaigns, you’ll want to know where to FIND everything you need in order to make those.
If your brand assets are not very organized yet, now is the time to get that done.
And by “brand assets”, I mean anything that you use for your brand, like logo files, typography files, colors codes, supporting graphics, all the way to any templates for print, digital, social media, and so on.
If everything is organized, you’ll know where to find it, and that will make for a smooth process when creating anything for your brand, including your upcoming campaigns.
PS: Grab the Brand Habits Stack to help you get started with this!
No. 3: Clean up your messaging
You probably already (cringingly) have something in mind that needs clarified within your brand… I get it. I have messaging that needs updated as well.
Does your website need some copy clarity?
Do your brand values need tweaking?
How about your about page or any of your sales pages on your website?
Do your automated emails (new subscriber sequence, abandoned cart sequence, lead magnet sequence, etc.) need a refresher?
Choose something, no matter how big or small, to clarify.
Your brand will be all the better for it when you’re done!
No. 4: Choose a housekeeping focus
Do you need to update your website plugins or remove unsubscribers from your email list?
Maybe you need to go through your finances, or send out a request for testimonials.
Now is the time to break out the broom and sweep!
If there are any back-end tasks that constantly get moved to the bottom of your to-do list, maybe you need to do some housekeeping.
One great way to do this is to schedule a day to get it done.
Additionally, you might consider making it a recurring day each week or month so that it’s always on your calendar.
If you’ve never done this before, it’s so helpful because then you know THAT is the day you’re going to get XYZ done, and you don’t have to feel bad about putting it off – because you know the day is coming.
The key is to put it on your schedule!
No. 5: Clean up your frameworks and templates
How can you make your workflow better this quarter? What are things you do daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly that you could make a liiiiitle easier on yourself when you create them, using frameworks or templates?
–BTW–
When I say frameworks versus templates, here’s what the difference is:
Frameworks are…
I think of frameworks as more of an outline or a process. For example, my FAVORITE blog outline framework is from Ashlyn Carter (affiliate link!), which was 1000% worth the cost. I also love this caption framework from Jasmine Star, and you can find MANY great tips from her about social media as well.
So, you could create or purchase copywriting frameworks such as a blog outline framework, or a social media caption framework, or a framework for your Pinterest Pin captions. These are not plug-and-play, but they’re how each post should flow. There aren’t any fill-in-the-blanks, but it is a framework to help you write.
For example, a common caption framework is:
#1. HOOK
#2. CAPTION
#3. CALL-TO-ACTION
Frameworks are especially helpful whenever you’re writing or creating any kind of content, like podcasts or videos, and they make the process so much quicker because you’re not having to reinvent the wheel every single time.
VS.
Templates are…
On the other hand, think of templates more like plug-and-play. Most everything you need is already there for you, and you’re not starting from scratch or having to think too hard about it.
For instance, you can create or purchase copywriting templates for email sequences or social media captions, where everything is literally written for you and all you have to do is fill in the blanks.
Or, you can also create or purchase your own branded graphic templates for things like video thumbnails, pinterest pins, blog graphics, lead magnet pdf’s, social media posts, etc.
Think about things you do regularly, habitually within your business, and ask yourself if you have frameworks or templates saved for those things.
If you don’t, now is the time to purchase some or create them yourself, so you can work smarter, not harder!
No. 6: Clean up your systems, processes & workflows
If you’re like me, you know there are some systems and processes you could put into place that you just ‘HAVEN’T HAD TIME’ to do yet.
Do ‘em, and do ‘em now.
Automate your email sequences: Install your copy and set up your email sequences so your new subscribers are getting the goods right away… rather than sending crickets.
Use a project management system… not your notes app or email trail.
Store important brand docs and other files on the cloud so you and your team can access them from anywhere… NOT you having to send something each and every time someone asks.
Use a scheduling tool to make meetings with your team and/or clients easier… over emailing back and forth for calendar availability.
Set up automated abandoned cart emails… instead of missing out on the opportunity to make someone’s life better with what you offer!
You get the picture.
There are so many great apps and ways and ideas out there to make your systems and processes more efficient and easier.
You just need to pick something to START with. You’ll figure out if you love it or hate it, and you can do something different soon enough. You never know until you try!
No. 7: Choose a growth focus
This could be anything that you want to see an increase in this year.
You might want to focus on growing your email list or podcast subscribers, or you might want to increase engagement on instagram, or even ramp up your Pinterest click-through rate.
Now when you do this, you might want to take a step back from other things that aren’t your focus or the things that aren’t serving you very well at the moment.
If you’re trying to grow your email list, you might need to back off of posting so many instagram stories and take that time instead to really dive into how you’re going to get new subscribers on your list.
I’m not saying neglect other things that need done, but maybe consider taking a step back from some of the mannnyyyy outlets begging for your creative attention, and really focus on growing one or two things.
No. 8: Choose a content focus
Maybe there’s something you’ve been meaning to write or create content for, that you just haven’t yet.
And I’m not talking about an Instagram post – that can seriously wait.
What I’m talking about is evergreen content for your website, your blog, your email funnels, your podcast, or other mediums that, once you create the content, will live for a WHILE, and not be something that’s going to go away in 24 hours.
For instance, you could revamp your About Me page on your website.
Or, maybe it’s something bigger, like writing out your brand story – even if you know it by heart, you should write it out for reference AND to weave into your brand messaging on your website and other places.
Do you need to write your abandoned cart email sequences?
Do you need to plan and write out the next few months of podcasts or blog posts?
Do you need to write and create some lead magnets to get those subscribers on your list?
Whatever it is, carve our time for creating evergreen content in your calendar, and get to creating, FINALLY!
No. 9: Choose a batching focus
If you’re not familiar with batching, it’s another one of those made-up terms and all it means is to break out a goal into tasks, and then do ONE task, all at once.
For example, if you need to make 30 Pinterest pins, you’re going to break that out into three steps:
- Plan
- Create
- Schedule
The process would go like this:
First, you would do ALL of your planning at one set time, such as taking a few hours on Thursday to plan each pin and put everything down in your content planner.
Next, you would create all of those pins, using a template, and take some time to do it on a different day and time.
Lastly, you would sit down and schedule all of the pins at one time.
The point of breaking this up and “batching” each task is to give your brain ONE thing to do at a time, so that it doesn’t have to think too hard about it, and it essentially takes less time because you’re only focused on creating the pins, for example.
I’ve done this process both ways – and I’ll tell you from experience, it’s much simpler and faster to break it up and batch it.
If you’ve never done this before, I encourage you to try it out!
Make a list of alllllll. the. content. you create: email, blog, social posts, etc. Just choose one thing to start with, and break it down into steps.
For example with blogging, I need to:
- Content plan
- Rough outline
- Write the blog post
- Proof & edit
- Create any graphics, images, pins, etc.
- Upload to wordpress
- Schedule the post
That is a LOT of steps, but again, that’s why batching works so well for my brain and my schedule!
So whatever you find yourself doing on the regular, I guarantee there are steps for it, and you can break it down in this way and batch it.
Your content-creating life will THANK YOU.
How To Start
Okay, to recap, here are 9 ways to get your brand together:
No. 1: Clean up your brand guide
No. 2: Clean up your files
No. 3: Clean up your messaging
No. 4: Choose a housekeeping focus
No. 5: Clean up your frameworks and templates
No. 6: Clean up your systems, processes & workflows
No. 7: Choose a growth focus
No. 8: Choose a content focus
No. 9: Choose a batching focus
If ANY of these are on your list, you might need to space them out so that you can actually get to them in a reasonable amount of time, without feeling like you have to rush or be overwhelmed.
Start by thinking about now through the end of the next quarter or season.
If there were only a few things you could accomplish in this set amount of time, what would those things be?
If you could start on, learn about, become better at, get some deep-work done for a few things… what would it be?
I often ask myself towards the end of any given day (generally when I’m feeling like I’m running out of time on conquering my to-do list):
“If I could accomplish anything on my list – if I could just try to get one thing done the rest of the day, what would it be? What would move the needle for me? What would make me feel good that I accomplished, or at least got started on?”
The same can be applied for the next few months.
What is that one thing or those few things for you, for the rest of this quarter or season that will help you get your brand together?
Write them down as goals, and break them out into actionable steps with due dates spread out across the days and weeks ahead.
An idea might be to focus on one thing each month.
Or, if you need to tackle a few things every month, make your weeks themed so you can really focus.
For example, week 1 is Systems Week, week 2 is Clarify Week, week 3 is Promotional Week… and so on.
Schedule time in your calendar and add it to your to-do list to give you the best chance of getting it done.
Use A Goal Planner
One of the best ways I’ve found to do this personally is through using a goal planner, such as the one I have LOVED for years from Cultivate What Matters.
I started out using their 1-Year Powersheets Goal Planner, but have recently transitioned to their 90-day Powersheets Goal Planner.
No matter what you’re looking for, they have a TON of options to fit your needs, anything from daily and academic planners to the 90-day ones that I’ve been using. Any of their planners can be used for business, personal, or both, and for me it’s been a really great tool that’s kept me both personally and professionally on track, “no perfection required”.
I am an affiliate partner, so be sure to use my link to get 10% off your next purchase with the code: DESIGNWITHCLARISSA.
No matter what you choose to do, or how you choose to do it, I really hope today’s episode is a springboard to help you get your brand where it needs to be this year.
Remember: You don’t need to do ALL of these things right now, but you do need to mark the time to do them.
Be sure to subscribe to The Sweet Brand Show to learn more about ALL the branding things!
This post includes affiliate links, meaning I get a reward or percentage of the sale if you purchase using my link – thank you for your support!