One Piece of Visual Branding Your Company Should Probably Have

The arena of branding has a myriad of components to consider. As a quick level set and review, let's take a look before we dive into the piece of visual content that you are probably missing. First and foremost,

branding is a message you want to share on repeat with the audience you feel deeply compelled to help or serve.

That means, having a brand necessitates you having a conversation on repeat with your "target audience" - all terms I'm sure you have heard before.

Next up, there are multiple ways you can start that conversation with your target audience. The best way to categorize them is to separate them into either a personal brand, traditional business or some combination thereof. For our purposes here, either of these will constitute your "company."

Next, inside your company there are aspects of "visual branding" to consider. Here we are talking about things like logo, website, banners, social media assets, business cards and other similar items. These things you probably already have. Now, let's get into what might be missing.

Here's the Problem...

The only problem with thinking about your company as just a company is it negates the thing that inherently connects people to you - your message. The word Company has become too sterile. Too detached.

It's time to start thinking about your entire "company," not just the visual branding pieces or assets, as a vehicle for your message. If that is true, than the best thing you can do is give your brand a true voice using (drumroll please) a Brand Video.

What is A Brand Video?

A Brand Video gives voice and context to your "company," so it is able to speak on your behalf when you can't, aren't able to, or don't know you have to. Here are some really creative use cases where a Brand Video can be used:

• Submission alongside a grant application for a Non-Profit Organization or For Profit Entity
• To introduce a specific benefit your organization has for a new target demographic not previously tapped into
• As a core piece of content for a campaign associated with a government agency to benefit the community at large

The goal of the brand video is 2-fold: To show people outside of your organization the benefits of joining alongside your organization, and to clearly establish the brand identity or messaging of the company in real, authentic, and plain terms every day people can understand.

For our purposes here, let's talk about how to treat a Brand Video you are going to upload to YouTube to either send out as a link in those applications or to run as an ad in the case of communicating with a new target demo.

Recently, while I was in Barbados on a 3-month sabbatical, I updated my brand video. Let's use that as an example of a Brand Video living on YouTube. With this new video, I wanted to accomplish these three things:

1. Explain clearly who I am interested in working within this season of my life
2. Talk through what I have been doing for the last 3 years - it's been cool btw
3. Give some energy to launching new aspects of my personal brand and my traditional business since I had been dedicated to doing consulting work for so long.

Two of these things I accomplished with the cover art I designed. Including both my credentials and saying that I have made multiple millions of dollars for my clients shows that I am qualified to talk about whatever I am talking about, and explains what I have been doing for the past 3 years.

To give some energy to launching new aspects of the brand, I included a clear call to action right on the video cover. That call to action also serves as the invitation to watch the video.

I took the liberty of including the brand video or you to reference. I'd love for you to take a look and let me know what you think in the comments. Looking forward to hearing your ideas. Stay Creative.

#branding #visualidentity #visionary #brandidentity #brandvoice #brandvideo #creativedirection #ideation

If you want to know whether you should start a traditional brand, personal brand, side hustle, or go after your dream job, or just how to maximize your Visionary energy, jump over to theshaunak.com and take the Visionary Personality Quiz