Authentic Branding: 3 Misconceptions Solopreneurs must Avoid
Authentic Branding turned True-to-You?
Have you ever felt like your brand just feels “blah”– not quite reflecting who you are or who you want to be? Do you find resistance in sending your website to someone who wants to learn more about you? Are you secretly hiding your social pages from the internet people? Do you feel uninspired when it comes to showing up in your business?
We could write 20 blog posts about this single topic and the reason for that is because it’s a VERY common struggle that a lot of solopreneurs deal with. Hence, you’re not alone!
We’ve worked with probably a hundred clients at this point (it’s been almost 8 years of entrepreneurship! WOW!) helping them nail down their messaging and eventually it came time for us to do our own. We sat down and really thought about our core message– the thing we believe so deeply about and help our clients with and it all came back to authenticity.
“Authenticty” ugh the word that has somehow become so popular– basically flying off the walls like toilet paper during you know what in 2020 (Toilet paper? Really? That’s the thing you’re worried about running out of during a pandemic?).
Authenticity is overplayed and what we realized is most people don’t even know what it means. Or at least what it means for them. As we dug deeper, “true-to-you” came up and we couldn’t let it go. We realized true-to-you, in a brand sense, means the sweet spot between who you are today and who you’re becoming.
A true-to-you brand is a brand that honors your present and amplifies your future–creating a bridge between your now and your next. In even simpler terms, it’s a balance between the most confident part of you now and the vision you have for yourself in the future. Without knowing both of those parts, your brand kind of just blends in leaving you and your audience uninspired and uncommitted.
When you know both those parts and you find the balance between them, you show up confident in your now but empowered for your next. You’re clear on what’s working now but knowing what steps to take next. You feel clear on how to position yourself and start creating from that higher place. You feel motivated and excited for what’s coming because you see it so clearly. You feel safe enough to share parts of you because it doesn’t require all of you.
This balance is essential because it fosters real confidence, it creates instant connection with your target market and it allows your brand to evolve with you– leaving room for pivots (our favorite part).
Why Most People Get Branding Wrong
We’ve heard all the misconceptions when it comes to branding, especially authentic branding, and we want to address them here and now!
#1 Thinking Branding is just Visuals
We hear it all the time when we ask prospective clients “do you already have a brand” and they say yes, but then continue to show us their logo and color palette. No shame! Most people think branding is all visual but the truth is– it’s sooo much deeper. Branding comes down to feelings. Is that not the spin you were expecting? We’re not talking about your feelings (well kind of), we’re talking about how your brand makes other people feel. How you are perceived dictates how your brand is received.
For Personal brands, you are your brand and therefore the way you show up, the way you communicate, the message behind what you’re sharing, what you share, your values and so much more become the foundation of your brand. What people forget is that visuals are not the only way to communicate, connect, or persuade people. Although they play a big part, the key piece most solopreneurs are missing is their messaging. The magic lives in alignment between messaging and visuals. Think about it– Sally shows up on Instagram stories and LinkedIn posts slinging curse words and telling people how it is yet her website and IG profile aesthetic illicit feelings of calm, peace, and warmth. We’re not saying you can’t be both but what we’re saying is the majority will experience a disconnect unless she finds that sweet spot we’re always talking about.
#2 Mimicking Trends Instead of Embracing Individuality
Do you sometimes feel like you want to burn everything down every 6 months and start over? Once again, you’re not alone. One of the top reasons clients have come to us looking for a rebrand is because they created their brand based on trends rather than what feels true to them. Trends are great! We know, we’re designers. But what makes HOC so special is that we put our love for trends aside and we hone in on individuality– creating something that isn’t just seen–but felt. We believe this is where the REAL magic happens and how we’re able to create timeless brands that evolve WITH our clients. Now, don’t get us wrong, there’s definitely a time and place for a brand refresh especially if you underwent a complete transformation or pivot and your brand no longer feels like you. Either way the point is– avoid trends, choose authenticity and watch your results soar.
#3 Believing Authenticity means over-sharing
Even we were victims of this one! A lot of people fear creating a personal brand (even though they have dreams of speaking on stages or leading groups of people) because they think they have to share everything about themselves and their life and spill all their secrets to the interweb abyss. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. The best part about branding is you have so much more control than you think. Part of our process in uncovering your sweet spot aka your magic, is honing in on the parts of you that will stand-out (in the best way) and the parts of you that you feel comfortable sharing. Ever heard of a thing called positioning? Positioning is about guiding the way you want to be perceived. It’s less about manipulating and more about safely & authentically sharing what’s valuable and relevant to your audience. Think “I want to be perceived as fun, playful, and inviting” and create a brand that mirrors that through clever messaging, colorful visuals and accessible offers. You hold the reins here and you have more power than you think– don’t let these fears stop you from showing up and sharing what you want!
To summarize our large amount of thoughts, these misconceptions lead to disconnect, burnout, and/or the constant need to “rebrand.” So take it from us– create a brand that’s true-to-you. Are you wondering why your brand doesn’t feel quite right or why it’s not connecting with your dream clients? Grab our quick, fun audit below to help you figure out what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your energy next.
Meet Carly & MichelleYour duo team helping solopreneurs find their sweet spot when it comes to branding, uncover their magic, and share it with the world in a way that feels real, exciting, and unmistakably them.