In today's post I will guide you through the five main steps of brand building and help you gather, prepare and bring together the ingredients you need to build your brand.

Starting a business is similar to having a baby (without the cravings, raging hormones or diapers, of course).  Think about it.  We spend endless months planning for its arrival. You introduce it to the world with beaming joy. You spend many sleepless nights tending to it, nurturing it, investing in it and worrying about its future.  Sadly, just like a child, unwavering love, sacrifice and dedication doesn't automatically equal guaranteed greatness.

The first thing I want you to do is stop scouring for some risk-free guarantee and look within.  You are probably searching for steadfast clarity.   I have found that one of the reasons women have dismissed branding for as long as they have is because they saw it as an expense rather than a necessity.  Many thought branding was about a logo or making things pretty.  I hear it from solopreneurs all the time.

Branding is really about clarity.  Clarity in understanding your purpose, mission, voice, style, and even that of your reader and clients. It is a process of identifying the unique aspects of both you as an individual and that of your business, and weaving those attributes together in a way that is consistently expressed in everything you do, say, and create.

I want to show you the big picture for your journey to great brand building.

The five main steps of brand building are:

Step 1:  PLAN
The first phase in the branding process doesn’t entail creative output. It is about planning and brainstorming. It is about getting everything out of your head and onto paper.  This is where you will develop and define all the aspects and attributes of you and your brand. Everything from your brand name, tagline and target market--all the way to your brand personality, voice, style and goals.

Step 2:  EXPLORE
The explore phase is all about identifying inspiration to model your brand assets after.  This is where you will scour and collect resources that you can use to create your unique brand style guide, signature opt-in offer, products/services menu, website, and content.

Step 3:  DESIGN
The design phase is all about creating your brand's visual identity.  This is where you will be designing your brand signature style, including all of the visual assets that will make up your style guide.

Step 4:  ASSEMBLE
The assemble phase is all about building the infrastructure that will house your brand.  This is where you are going to build out your website with the content, style and user experience that will attract, nurture, and convert your leads to die hard fans and loyal customers.

Step 5:  LAUNCH
Lastly, the launch phase is all about setting up your brand touch points.  This is where you are going to develop and automate the triggers, funnels and touch points that will foster consistent growth in your brand's visibility and profits, including those having to do with your email and social media efforts.

Are you pumped and ready to do this?