Stand by your brand

How to develop a professional self-marketing package offline

By Leah Macpherson

Are you luscious or delicious? Perhaps peerless or impeccable is a better way to describe your unique skills and identity? Let’s face it: everyone loves a good game, and turning my business cards into a personality quiz was one of the smartest marketing moves I’ve ever made.

Benefits of branding

Whenever I meet prospective clients and contacts, I fan out my rainbow-hued business cards and invite each person to select one. I advise each prospect that the word on the card will say something about his or her personality.

Your brand is a promise. It’s a reflection of who you are.

Part fun, part fortune-telling, it’s a fabulous icebreaker and an effective promotional tool. The same design elements on the card appear in the rest of my marketing package, including my letterhead, invoices and web site. Clients tell me my cards are clever, creative and memorable — attributes I hope they associate with my services.

Make it personal

Freelancers and small-business owners not tied to corporate images, logos and culture face the daunting task of creating their own brands or identities. Kirsten Dixson, a personal brand strategist and co-author of the book Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand (Wiley, 2007), suggests the best way to begin marketing is through a thoughtful examination of your brand.

Use Microsoft Word to create a business card that sums up who you are and what you do.

“Your brand is your unique promise of value; you need to identify your vision, values and passion.” Ask yourself: “How do I stand apart from the competition?” If you find it difficult to be objective about your business, Dixson suggests getting feedback from respected peers or friends and family about your reputation and what you’re known for.

Dixson advises that consistency is key — the same messages, look and feel should be applied across all media, including business cards, resumé or sell-sheet, and web site. Your marketing package is vital — you don’t get a second shot at first impressions. The challenge for entrepreneurs can be bringing disparate elements together for a standout marketing package. And just as important is how you design your web site to be in sync with these marketing tools.

In many cases, your marketing materials represent you before you’re there and help develop a “virtual rapport” with prospective clients. When you’re creating marketing tools, Dixson recommends remembering these points:

Whatever you do, make it personal. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Develop a tag line . It’s important to have concise words that instantly describe what you do and how.
Watch your language. The language you use will depend on your business and target audience. If you’re creative, humour can be an effective way to connect with your clients, but a funeral home would use more conservative, formal language.
Be yourself. “The most important thing is to be true to yourself and let your confidence and personality shine through,” says Dixson.

Distinctive designs

Once you’ve developed the content, it’s time to create a design that harmonizes with your marketing messages.

Take charge of your brand. Identify yourself with an image or graphic style and tagline.

Duncan Aitken, creative director at Toronto-based DNA Design, has been a branding and marketing professional for more than 20 years. Like Dixson, he suggests looking at your marketing materials as a cohesive package with common elements.

“Define your needs and goals; then distill your information down to the basics of what you’d like to convey,” he says. “Good design is crucial. How you say something can be as important as what you say.” Aitken advises selecting an overall design that harmonizes with your industry and service offering.