Did you know that in 2017, only 5% of Americans worked from home? HA — man, how things can change in a few years. Those numbers have skyrocketed since the global pandemic, and now over half of Americans work from their living room. (Or their bed — no judgement!)

Everyone can agree working from your couch has become “normal” these days, but are you using your time wisely? Since cutting out your daily commute to work, are you using any extra hours to accomplish something great?

Often, we prioritize the needs of others, but the pandemic has given us a lot more free time than usual. These extra hours at home could — and should — be used to finally build your brand. 

Without a solid brand identity, you’ll leave your audience confused. The objective of branding is to make a lasting impression. If successful, your business will seem more professional and credible. 

But where do you start?

Research, research, research! 

Researching everything (and I mean everything) you need to know about your industry. This is fundamental for building your path to success.

Start with learning about your audience. Your audience is extremely important to understand because you provide a service or good for them. Having an awareness of their interests, wants, and needs is essential.

Next, research your competitors. Find out everything about them and what they bring to the table. A great way to keep track of your competition is making spreadsheets with all the companies you need to keep your eye on. Don’t copy your competitors!

The goal in conducting opposition research is finding your niche and showing why you are unique.   

Find your Brand’s Personality 

Is the voice of your brand serious or humorous? What kind of language are you using? What kind of people does your brand represent? These are all vital questions to answer when developing your brand’s persona.

Finding a brand personality that resonates with your audience will make your business more memorable, and consumers will feel more connected to your work.   

Create Your Digital Presence 

Now that you’ve researched your industry and found a good fit for your brand’s personality, it’s time to take the next step in developing your online presence. Start by building your website. Tons of platforms offer affordable and easy ways to make a website.

I suggest using WordPress as a starting point for a clean and professional vibe. Then, hop on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and make business accounts for your company.

Depending on your audience, you’ll use some platforms more than others. If your audience is high school students, you’ll likely spend most of your time on Instagram. If you’re a B2B business, you will probably be on LinkedIn more. The idea here is to tell stories and build your brand on these platforms.

Learn more about each social media channel — and how you can utilize them — with our free Beginners & Basics download.

Stay true to yourself

The most important takeaway from these tips is staying true to your brand and yourself. At the end of the day, you’ve created this path for yourself. You took risks, followed your gut, and took leaps of faith to get here. Be proud, success looks good on you!

This is the perfect time to get some tips and tricks from the pros. If you are struggling to build your brand and need some help, we got you! 

---

Pin this for later 📌