Branding and Personal Branding


Description:

Branding and personal branding are fundamental elements for an effective self-promotion strategy. Create an image of one’s business is important to become recognizable to all stakeholders. This training module aims at giving a general overview on branding and personal branding, clarifying the main steps to follow in order to plan a good branding strategy, including a section dedicated to the creation of one’s logo. Furthermore, it will explain the role played by social network to ensure a successful branding strategy, bringing examples of some of the most interesting digital tools available today.




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Personal Branding: what does that mean?

Introduction Click to read

Personal Branding means strategically managing your professional image: what others perceive about you that will make them choose you over someone else.
By applying Personal Branding you can consolidate your positioning, differentiate yourself from others, and make yourself more recognizable and memorable.
  Personal branding means strategically managing one's professional image.

 

The goal of branding Click to read

The goal is to make a name for yourself and effectively communicate your value. The challenge is to influence in advance the people who are most important to you, such as customers, employers, colleagues, or managers.
 
Personal Branding means setting up a strategy to identify or define your strengths, what makes you unique and different from your competitors, and effectively communicate what you can do, how you can do it, what benefits you bring, and why others should choose you.
 
 
Without personal branding, you would be perceived as the same as everyone else and therefore it would be impossible to stand out!
Start with your personality and uniqueness, your strengths, to build a lasting, two-way relationship with your audience, capable of strengthening and even, very often, improving your Brand and attracting new opportunities.
 
Summing up Click to read

Summing up
Personal branding means strategically managing one's professional image     The goal is to make a name for yourself and effectively communicate your value
 

 

What is branding for and why is it important?

Branding for company, costumers, competitors Click to read

Branding is important not only because it sticks in consumers' memories, but also because it allows your customers to form real expectations about your company.

It is a way of standing out from your competitors and communicating what you offer and why you are the best choice. With your brand you can convey a particular feeling or image to your potential customers.

 

The purpose of branding is to enable potential customers to quickly and easily understand what you stand for and what you have to offer.

This is important, because a strong brand image has a huge impact on how your customers (and potential customers) react to your products (and prices).

It is critical that your company's logo and graphic identity match the attitudes, wants, and needs of your target group.

Summing up Click to read

Summing up
Branding is a way of standing out from your competitors and communicating what you offer      A strong brand image has a huge impact on how your customers react to your products

 

5 steps to define your logo

Setting your identity Click to read

1. Establish who you are and who you want to address.

What does your company represent? How do you position yourself in the marketplace? What type of customer do you want to target?

Defining the style Click to read

2. Define the style of your logo

There are different types of logos that are the result of a varied combination of fonts and graphic elements.
In some cases, we have examples of pure "text logos" or "graphic logos".

Of course, your logo can also combine both graphic elements and fonts in different ways.

 
 

Finding the right option for you depends on one hand on the essence of your brand, and on the other on the name and degree of notoriety of your company.

In case of start-ups, whose reputation is still undefined, the logo must first be created. For this reason, the brand name absolutely must be included in the logo

 

Right colours Click to read

 

3. Choose the right colours
Colours have a huge psychological impact: each colour is associated with certain emotions.
Try to limit yourself to one or two colours, or at most three.

 
In the next slide you can find an overview of the characteristics you can express with your choice of colours…
 

 

Right font Click to read

4. Find the perfect font for your business

If your logo contains fonts, the next step is to choose the appropriate font. Ideally, the font and image should not only stand next to each other, but also reinforce each other.

It is essential that the font fits perfectly not only with your logo, but also with your corporate identity.

On Google Fonts you will find an overview of the different types of fonts.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Final adjustments Click to read

 

5. Add the final adjustments

The logo, color choice, and font were revised and coordinated with each other at the same time.

Sometimes it's helpful to spend a few days on something else, and then go back to work on your logo with a clear head. Also, be sure to check exactly what file formats you will need for the logo to avoid complications in the future

   
 
   
Summing up Click to read

Summing up
A successful branding strategy is based on a clear identity   There are different types of logos, the result of a varied combination of fonts and graphic elements   It is important to choose the right colours for your logo, they suggest certain emotions
               
The font of a logo is also crucial   Create the right logo formats you will need for different purposes  

 

Social media platforms: why to use them and which ones?

Why the social media? Click to read

There are a number of reasons why establishing a strong social media presence is absolutely essential for any business that wants to succeed.

1. Improves public perception.
Social media can be used to build an online reputation or to improve an existing one.

2. Increases visibility
Social media is rightly seen as one of the most effective networking tools.

3. You can address your target group
Social media creates numerous touch points with potential customers, allowing you to market your products more effectively.

 

 

4. Customer loyalty increases
You will be able to respond promptly to any complaints, questions and suggestions from your customers who leave a review on your site. Quick responses create greater customer trust in a brand.

5. Increase the power of marketing
You can use other marketing channels, such as your blog, newsletters, webinars, and other offline or online events to give a boost by exploiting the power of social media.

Which social media? Click to read

The nature of your business is crucial. Choosing the right social media platform to promote your brand depends mainly on the nature of your business. For example, if your business is an artistic or creative one, then YouTube (long-form videos), Instagram (photos, short-form videos) or TikTok are definitely the best choice. On the other hand, if you offer standard goods and services, Facebook is the best option. A lot also depends on the age of your average customer. For example, TikTok targets a younger group than Facebook.
 
 
 

 

   

You should create accounts for your business on all major social media networks. By adding your company's design and important information, people will be able to recognize it.

It is advisable not to invest in more than 2 or 3 social networks at the same time, at least in the beginning. Limit yourself to those most relevant to your business.
 
 
 
Summing up Click to read

Summing up
Establishing a strong social media presence is essential for any business that wants to succeed   Choosing the right social media platform depends on the nature of the business   Do not invest in more than 2 or 3 social networks at the same time, at least in the beginning
Branding on Social media: a few tips

Uniform style Click to read

1. Use a uniform style

Be sure to use the same versions of logos, fonts, color schemes, graphic templates, etc. on all your social media platforms.

 
 
 
Image size Click to read

 

2. Comply with image size requirements
The size, resolution and parameters of your logo
must meet the requirements of any social media platform.
 

 

 

Simplified logos Click to read


 

3. Use simplified logos.

If a social media platform requires a small profile picture, it might be a good idea
to use a simplified version of the logo, such as without text.

 
 

 

Profile & cover images Click to read


 

4. Make your profile picture and cover image stand out.

It is important that your profile image and your cover image have the same design and colour scheme.
 

 
 
Optimize pages Click to read

 

 

5. Optimize pages for the of mobile devices.

It is important to test your page on different devices
such as a regular computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone.

 
 
 
 
 
Summing up Click to read

Summing up
Use a uniform style   Comply with image size requirements   Use simplified logos
               
Make your profile picture and cover image stand out   Optimize pages for the of mobile devices  
Common digital personal branding tools

Useful online tools Click to read


 

To freely and quickly create a custom logo, there are several online services, programs, and mobile apps available to achieve this goal. They will allow you to give your social media pages a more personalized appearance
 
 

 

 


 

Namecheap.
This is a free Web tool that automatically
generates abstract-type logos
that you can then customize directly
in your browser before downloading them to your PC.

 
 

 

 


 

Canva. It is a free online service (in its basic version) that allows you to design logos, flyers, graphic content for the Web and more directly online from ready-made symbols and shapes, and also to upload images and customized content. It allows you to download high-resolution versions of the logo being created, even as PDFs.

 
 

 

 


 

Inkscape is a totally free and open source program
available for Windows, macOS and Linux
that allows you to create a vector logo
 

 
 

 

 


 

Another very powerful software is Adobe Illustrator: it is the vector graphics software employed by professionals in the field to create logos. The program offers 7-day free trial, after which you need to subscribe to a fee-based plan.
 

 
 

 

 


 

Logaster:
allows you to create and download
logos specially adapted to various social media platforms.

 
 

 

Other useful tools are:

Sproutsocial: allows you to adapt your images to the specifications defined by major social media platforms. Pablo: You can search for large cover images and add them to your text.
Summing up Click to read

Summing up
Online services, programs, and mobile apps will allow you to give your social media pages a more personalized appearance  

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Test Yourself!

Keywords

Branding, Personal branding, Logo, Text logo, Graphic logo


Objectives / Goals:
  1. Understand what branding is
  2. Know the main steps to create an effective logo
  3. Being aware of the main digital tools to create your own logo
  4. Understand the importance of social network for branding strategies

Resources:

Personal Branding - why is it important?

Personal Branding 101 [Build Your Personal Brand In 2022]

What is Personal Branding?

What is personal branding and why is it important?

La guida al branding: il logo perfetto per la tua azienda


Bibliography

Pawar, Avinash. (2016). The Power of Personal Branding.

Shyle, Irma. (2015). The importance and the process of personal branding in nowadays. UNIVERSI Journal.