My Top Tips for Building a Killer Coaching or Creative Brand in 2024

If you’re reading this, I don’t think I even have to touch on how important it is to stand out in a crowded market. 

But have you considered the role your brand’s personality plays in getting noticed? ?

It’s easy to default to a professional tone or a generic look when you’re starting out because of course we want to be seen as professional and we “behave” and act as such. 

But injecting some personality into your brand can be the most important key to attracting clients who connect with you on a deeper level. You know, the ones you most definitely want to work with and that will benefit the most from working with you!

Let’s go over why it’s essential to infuse your brand with personality, and I’ll include some actionable tips for how you can apply this to your own without sacrificing professionalism. 

Buckle up, because we’re about to add some serious sparkle to your brand’s DNA!

Why Branding is Essential for Coaches and Creatives

As a coach or creative, we live in this small business entrepreneurial world and are bombarded with one and a million ways to “grow our business”.

You may think that branding is only important for big businesses or corporations because well, using a template here, a shortcut there…it will work right? Rigid “guidelines” are not for us…

However, branding is essential for any type of business, no matter the size. 

At its core, branding is the way that you communicate your business’s values, personality, and unique selling proposition to your audience, clients, customers, everyone!

When you have a strong brand, it helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

Here’s one thing I want you to remember: 

Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and helps you attract and retain loyal customers. 

And that’s a cold hard fact.

Of course, that leads to help you build trust and credibility with your audience, which is crucial when you are trying to sell your offers.

For coaches and creatives, branding can be especially important because you are often selling yourself and your expertise. Not a product to easily label, right?

Your brand is how you communicate your skills, experience, and approach to your clients, so this is going to be (or it HAS to be) infused with all of “you” and your secret sauce. 

My friend, this is what helps you build a reputation as you run and grow your business.

And it helps establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry (no matter how saturated the market is!). 

Your brand can also help you attract the right clients. 

When you have a clear and consistent brand message, you are going to attract clients who are a qualified good fit for your offers. 

This can help you build a stronger business and make it easier for you to achieve your growth goals as you continue to grow your business.

In short, branding is essential because it helps you stand out, build trust and credibility, and attract the right clients. Pretty clear, right?

Creating a Cohesive Brand Identity

Now that you’ve established your brand’s personality, it’s time to create a cohesive brand identity that will help you carry your message. 

Your brand identity is the visual representation of your brand, and it should be built to reflect your personality and values.

This is what will make it unique and completely different from your competitors.

Think of your brand identity as the outfit that you wear to a party. 

Just like how you carefully choose your clothes to reflect your personality and make a statement on how you want to be perceived, your brand identity should be built to do the same for your brand.

 It’s the visual representation of your brand that will catch people’s attention and make them remember you long after!

When I say that it should be cohesive, I mean all the elements should work together seamlessly to create a unified look and feel. 

This includes your logos, color palette, typography/fonts, and any other visual elements that you will use to represent your brand. 

You want to be able to establish a strong visual presence that people will recognize and associate with your brand as they get more expire to it. Brand awareness growth for the win!

Take some time to carefully craft your brand identity, just like how you would carefully choose your outfit for a party. 

With the right brand identity, you’ll be able to make a lasting impression on your target audience and build a strong, recognizable brand.

4 basic things to build your brand

1. Create a Brand Style Guide

A brand style guide has many names, I call the pens for my clients “Brand Guidelines”. This is a document that outlines the visual and design elements of your brand and how each should be used to keep things clean and in line with the aesthetic. 

It should include your brand’s colors, typography, logo, and any other visual assets that are important for your brand so that no matter who works with you, or even if you are creating all things yourself, it will be your literal “guideline”.

Creating a brand style guide will help you maintain consistency across all of your marketing, from your website to your social media profiles.

2. Develop a Logo Suite

Your logo is a critical part of your brand identity, and it should be easily recognizable and of course, built to be memorable. I like to actually go a bit further and design a Logo Suite. 

This means there is a main logo and a suite of logo variations, logo marks/icons, and possible monograms that will help your brand stand out even more, plus it will make your brand responsive. 

Yep, just like a website would be responsive and adapt to different devices, your logo suite ensures you can use the correct logo mark for the space you have available, in the variation that will help it fit nicely and purposefully stand out.

If you don’t have design skills, consider hiring a professional graphic designer to create a logo for you. I know a great one if you need her (she’s writing this for you! Me, yes me.)

A well-designed logo will pay for itself in increased brand recognition and customer loyalty.

3. Choose Your Brand Colors

Your brand’s colors should reflect your brand’s vibe and aesthetic.

Consider the emotions that you want your brand to evoke, aka, how you want your audience to feel when they engage with it, and choose colors that align with those emotions.

When choosing your brand colors, take a moment to consider the psychology behind the colors. 

That is my favorite way to align the purpose of a brand, the connnection with the audience, and the emotions we are going for.

4. Select Your Typography

Your typography is an essential part of your brand identity, and it should be consistent across all of your marketing materials. 

This is a hard one because I know how hard it can be when you see a pretty font and you just want to use it… don’t. Be intentional!

Choose a set of fonts that reflect your brand’s personality and are easy to read. I shouldn’t need to say that, but alas, a reminder just in case.

When selecting your fonts, consider the hierarchy of your text. 

Your headlines should be larger and feel bolder (or simply “stand out”)  than your body text, and you should always choose a font that is easy to read in different sizes.

Infuse everything with your brand story

Now that you have identified your target audience and determined your unique visual brand, it’s time to craft a compelling brand story. 

Your brand story is the narrative that connects your business to your audience on an emotional level. 

It’s the story of your journey, your values, and your mission. The whole “WHY” are you doing this?

The key to creating a powerful brand story: start by thinking about your own personal story. 

• What inspired you to start your business?
• What challenges have you overcome? 
• What values are most important to you? 

Ask yourself these questions to create a narrative that connects (and resonates)  with your audience and positions your business as a solution to their needs.

Once you have your brand story, use it consistently across all of your marketing channels. 

Incorporate it into your website copy, social media posts, and email marketing campaigns. 

Share that! Speak and write from that place!

By telling your brand story over and over, you’ll easily differentiate yourself from your competitors by always having your secret sauce infused into every marketing piece.

Remember, your brand story is not just about what you do, but why you do it. 

By sharing your passion and purpose with your audience, you’ll inspire them to take action and compel them to turn into loyal customers. 

So take the time to reflect on your powerful brand story, share it so others can connect with who you are and what you stand for, and watch your business soar.

Results of a great brand

1. Builds Trust and Credibility

A well-crafted brand can convey professionalism, expertise, and reliability.  It can also help establish trust with your potential customers. When they see a consistent brand across all your marketing materials, they are more likely to perceive you as a legitimate business.

2. Creates Recognition and Brand Awareness

A great brand is what helps you stand out in a crowded market. When your brand is recognizable, it’s easier for people to remember you and your business. Make it so customers can easily recognize you among competitors.

3. Establishes Emotional Connection

This is the conversion maker. We purchase wit hour hearts (and our logic will try to stop or justify that purchase). 

A strong brand can evoke emotions and connect with your audience on a personal level. This is especially important for coaches and creatives as we rely on building relationships. 

Wrapping it up

Branding is your key to establishing trust, creating recognition and awareness, establishing an emotional connection, and differentiating you from competitors. 

If you haven’t already, it’s time to invest in building a strong brand for your business!

Don’t let your creative ideas gather dust! Need help creating a brand that amplifies your brand voice and draws in new clients? Let’s work together.