Creating a Strong Brand Identity: Stand Out and Stay Top of Mind

Your brand is more than a logo. It’s how you make people feel. It’s your message, your mission, and the way your audience connects with you.

But building a brand can feel overwhelming when you’re just starting out.

Here’s how to create a strong brand identity that positions you as a niche expert without needing a branding agency.

1. Define Your Brand Essence

Start with these questions:

• Who do you serve?

• What issues or challenges do they face?

• What transformation do you help them achieve?

• What values guide your business?

• What vibe or personality do you want your brand to express? - Are you sophisticated and cerebral or more down-to-earth with a few 4-letter words sprinkled in your message?

This becomes your brand foundation—your north star for every decision.

2. Create a Visual Identity That Reflects YOU

You don’t need to spend thousands. Here are tools to DIY a pro-looking brand:

• Canva Pro – design your logo, color palette, fonts, and social templates

• Coolors.co – generate cohesive brand color schemes

• Fontpair.co – pick font pairings that align with your aesthetic

• Align your colors with your target audience, personality, and message.

Check out my Psychology of Color and Branding cheatsheet for guidance.

💡 Pro tip: Choose 2 fonts (1 headline + 1 body) and 2-3 brand colors to start. Keep it simple and consistent.

3. Position Yourself as a Niche Expert

You don’t need to appeal to everyone.

In fact, you shouldn’t. When you try to please everyone, you wind up pleasing noone.

When you narrow your focus, you become:

• More memorable

• More trusted

• More referable

Ask yourself:

• What do I want to be known for?

• How can I own this space with my unique voice?

Lean into your strengths and don’t be afraid to polarize a little. It’s better to be loved by a few than tolerated by many. One of my favorite marketing experts, Amy Porterfield, tells the story about being crushed by a not-completely-wrong-but-maybe-a-bit-cruel comment from a reader. Near tears, she called a trusted friend and colleague, who told her, "You ain't for everyone, Boo." So true. Your message, your personality, your way of looking at things will resonate with a lot of people. Not ALL the people - just YOUR people.

4. Stay Consistent Across Platforms

Branding isn’t about being fancy—it’s about being recognizable.

• Use the same profile photo and colors across channels

• Repeat your core message often

• Infuse your tone (fun, fierce, calm, etc.) into everything you write

A strong brand identity builds trust. And trust builds conversions.