Why Your Business Needs Its Own Brand Language

At DesignGood, we define a brand as everything someone thinks about then when they think about you and your business. It’s what you look like, what you sound like, and most importantly, how you make people feel. When we create brands for our clients, we don’t just jump right into writing and designing their new brand. There’s a good reason for that. A unique and memorable brand requires a lot of thought and planning, including establishing the language that’s used to create clarity for your audience, evoke emotion and build connection. 

A core piece of developing your brand is crafting your foundational brand language. In fact, it’s central to our DesignGood High-Vibe Business & Brand Method. We create foundational brand language for every client we work with. It lays the groundwork for everything we create for your brand and makes all of our work together go more smoothly. Clients tell us they enjoy this step because it gives them the words they need to speak about themselves and their business in a clear, inspiring way. It can even feel therapeutic: When you feel seen and heard within your own business, it’s a beautiful thing. 

Creating Clarity, Capturing Essence

So what is foundational brand language, and why do you need it? It’s a set of standards and guidelines for how your brand communicates, and how you speak about your business. It’s where we capture your essence in language, while also creating memorable visuals that truly capture who you are as a business. It’s this wording that provides the basis for all future messaging for your brand, and it enables you to communicate meaningfully and effectively with your desired audiences. It also helps clarify who that audience is.

Foundational brand language includes these core components: 

• Brand Name: Compelling names for your business and offerings that amplify the power of your brand.
• Brand Clarifier: A concise statement that tells your audience exactly what you do and lets them know they’re in the right place.
• Brand Statement: A statement that connects with your audience on an emotional level and sparks interest.
• Brand Positioning: A paragraph that adds clarity about what you do, who you do it for, why you're so effective and the outcomes your audience can expect from your work together.
• Core Brand Vocabulary: The individual words that sum up the essence of who you are and the tone of your brand.
• Brand Personality: Guidelines that convey the voice and tone of your brand and how it “speaks” to your audiences. 

The Benefits of Foundational Brand Language

Whether you’re just starting out in your business, or you’re growing, pivoting or upleveling, it's common to have trouble expressing exactly what you do and how you do it. Which is why this is such an important exercise we do with our clients. Foundational brand language is valuable at every stage, and it makes many aspects of your business and your life easier. It provides you with clear, concise wording to express what you do, who you do it for, why you’re so great at it, and what your audience can expect from working with you. That way, when someone visits your website, or wherever they encounter your brand, they can quickly assess that you can provide them with what they’re looking for. This language also  gives them the confidence they need to take the next step in working with you.

The process of crafting foundational brand language can also give you valuable insight about your business. If your current language falls flat or feels uninspiring, it could be a sign that some part of your business is out of alignment. For example, maybe you aren't sure about the “big why” that fuels your business or you haven’t defined your unique audience. Working through this now — instead of after you've created a website and other branding materials — will save you a lot of time, money and emotional energy.‍

A Foundation for Communication

At DesignGood, we use your foundational brand language as the starting point for writing your website and anything else we create for you. You can also expect to use your foundational brand language long after our initial collaboration on your project. It will give you a head start every time you write an email, social media post, newsletter, or pitch yourself for opportunities like podcasts or speaking engagements. It takes some of the pressure off by giving you a clear way to speak about your brand that accurately communicates your value and creates excitement about working with you. It also reassures your audience that you can do what you say you can do. 

Foundational brand language is also super useful if your business has team members or you work with outside contractors. For example, if you’ve hired someone else to manage your social media or to create newsletters for your business, foundational brand language gets everyone on the same page and provides clear and defined guidelines for how to speak about your business and the work you do. We’re always encouraging our clients to delegate more and get help when they need it, so they can focus on what they do best. When we see clients hesitate in relinquishing some of their daily tasks, it’s often because they feel like they can’t trust anyone to speak about their business like they do. Your foundational brand language will allow you to delegate with more peace of mind, knowing your collaborators really get your business and brand. 

Want to see the power of foundational brand language in action? Check out our portfolio. You’ll see how each of our clients has a unique brand voice that helps you get to know them quickly. And if you'd like to learn more about creating your foundational brand language as part of a branding project with DesignGood, schedule a chat with me now.