Branding Q&A

Personal branding as a form of marketing isn't for every business or person. It takes a lot of diligence and persistence to build a personal brand.. and a knack/enjoyment for social media and public speaking. 

If you don't have the above, use other means to build your business. 

Personally, at SavvySME.. I find it hard to build a personal brand. I'm not great with details and that sort of work really. I much prefer working with systems and processes, and building our team here. 

If you were to speak more generally regarding your reputation.. I think it's super important to have an image that others respect. If not for the greater public, it's important to do with your own team, your customers and suppliers. Can't go far without it!
 

As a marketer who's spent 20 years building 'faceless' brands, but now have my own business where I'm the brand, I'd have to say that it's such a game changer to put your face out there, as part of your brand, no matter whether it's a large business or small. 
Businesses are just groups of people, people buy from people, in particular those who they like! 
It's so much easier to build connection when you're showing yourself and your letting your values shine through.
as the leader of a larger company, people know they're not going to be dealing with you directly, but that your ethos is the foundation of your company. 
It's hard to think of any downsides, a business brand with a face to go with it is far more memorable than one without.

development (business)

It is like asking how much does it cost to buy a car, well that depends are you buying a Kia, Honda, Lexus,  Cadillac or Rolls Royce?  They are all cars that can get you from point A to point B but the ride will be different.  You can crowdsource a logo online or send out a Zoomerang survey link to conduct market research on the cheap for example.  That does not mean it is a good logo or relevant research though.  We have built successful brands in the low 5 figures up to well into the 6 figures so  it is not a question of how much you spend in my experience.  Find the right team to bring your brand's story to life and if all you can afford is a Kia then the team needs to be scrappy and resourceful to leverage social media and find the right words and pictures to tell your story.  That is also great advice if you have a bigger budget too.  Great brands connect with their target on an emotional level and they become champions and ambassadors for the brand.  Finding those compelling messages and insights takes experience and smarts more than money.  Good luck!

There are several ways:
- A name that describes what you do (perhaps based on company values, etc.)
- Join two words together to create something unique (and memberable) e.g. BlueChilli
- A random, made-up word.

I'd avoid names based on your name simply because it can be a limiting factor in the future if you're not a lawyer or accountant.

Each has benefits and disadvantages.

I hope this helps.

Totally agree with all aspects of Danielle's answer! So I won't repeat it, just add to it! :) 

Fact is - not many understand Personal Branding at its core because I always get the feedback 'I don't want to brag about myself', 'I don't want to blow my own horn about how good I am.'

Here is the thing: Personal Branding is NOT about you. It is about positioning yourself as the Go-to-Person when it comes to yoru area of expertise. It is about showing others how you can help them by sharing your approach and learning with the,. It is about re-assuring them that you are the best person for solving the problem they are facing.

We are moving into a service based industry where it all comes down to how well you can resonate with the service provider as otherwise you just compete with price which is obviously not sustainable. It is about having a clear understanding of what makes you different and show how your work benefits your audience. For that you need to obvioulsy be crustal clear yourself what you actually want to stand for and what makes you YOU-nique.

Moving into a digitally connected world where everyone becomes slowly but surely virtual, it is key to become real! What does means? You need to build a strong presence and reputation - online & offline to support your Positioning.

Public Speaking is key to not only gain credibility but also expand your network tenfolds in a much shorter time as to when you just attend events. It is also about the 'Social Proof' of it - so having photos from your speaking engagements and showing behind the scenes footage as well as achievements from and with your work are key to build trust and a relationship. And this is what personal branding is all about - building a relationship where there is none which is the base for further mutual beneficial engagement :) 

I suggest the reason Helvetica appears popular is because it's common and easy to specify due to lack of choice. The best of a bad bunch, not necessarily because it's the right font for the job.

If the type for your picture book is to be set in a large size for children, I would use an Oldstyle serif. If for adult readers, a Modern serif in a smaller size. In all cases, I would be looking for a font with a larger than usual x-height to aid legibility, particularly if type were to be set over images. Instinctively, I would avoid sans serifs for areas of dense body copy, because they are less legible.

But great for headings/sub-headings if set against a serif for text, when applied to longer form reports and documents.

It will come down to the type of content you are presenting and the impression you wish to create in the mind of your reader. A trained designer will be able to make an informed choice.