OMG, does your head spin when thinking of the word “branding”? Specifically, wedding planner branding? You are not alone! I recently went on a journey to the branding unknown when creating my DIY Branding Workbook for Wedding Planners. I’m not a marketing major or a design wiz, but I have hired lots of people to do these things for me and in the process I have learned a lot of the must-know basics. So, on this recent mission to help new wedding planners find an affordable way to self-brand, I researched a lot. I mean a lot lot.
Wedding Planner Branding
And you know what I found out? That “branding” is a ridiculously vast topic. So vast, in fact, that there is a ton of contradictory jargon and a lot of confusing terms. Out of desperation I frantically punched in “branding simplified” into my laptop—and you want to know what came up? Emily’s Simplified Planner! What?! Really?! Branding is so complex that it simply can’t be simplified? Dear goodness. So today, I’m going to simplify the branding terminology for you. Can I get an amen!!
All right, here’s my disclaimer: I’m not a design/branding guru. If you’re reading this right now and you have a “branding background,” don’t take offense. Just know that my brain works a little different and because I haven’t seen a great article on how normal people can brand so that it makes sense, I had to create my own lingo. Don’t hate me. Don’t hate the new terminology that I’m using, it’s just layman terms so the outside world can understand this hot mess.
External Branding
External branding is the visual side of your brand. This is everything a prospect can see. This is your logo, your colors, your fonts, pattern, textures, and images you choose to display on your website and social media outlets. Having a cohesive visual brand strategy is how you’ll draw in your ideal client. The wedding planning company that can create a visual identity that best resonates with their ideal client will get that lead!
It’s important that you triple check and ask an industry friend for feedback before moving forward with your brand. Sometimes we have so much tunnel vision with our own creations that we don’t see what others see. It is far faster to grab the attention of an interested person perusing your website by using the right visual appeal. Just like that old adage “one picture speaks a thousand words,” your branding will speak a thousand words too.
Internal Branding
Internal branding is what your company is made up of. This includes the foundational pieces like your brand personality, tone, core values, clarity statements, and your company culture. These things are the heart and soul of your company. This visual side is what everyone loves working on, while the internal branding is often overlooked.
Tell the truth: Have you thought about your core values or your brand personality? For most wedding planners this is an afterthought. I had to admit this, but it was for me too. Not until I brought on my team and paid someone $500 did I figure this stuff out. But I’m glad I did. If you don’t know what makes your company tick, you’d better believe your team won’t either. And that just leads to chaos. No one will be invested in the company and they will only work for your money.
Ideal Client
If you really want to create a brand that targets your ideal client, you have to figure out who you are targeting first. Step uno. This will help with figuring out what type of social media content to post or what images would best connect with a lookie-lou. Knowing who you are branding to is one of the most valuable pieces of the branding puzzle.
One of the best ways to figure this out is to create a client avatar. We have a free client avatar worksheet to help you niche down your biggest fan. For your external and internal branding to be truly effective, figuring out who your ideal client is, is the first step in the branding process.
Last Words On Wedding Planner Branding
Before you come up with a company name or website design, spend a little extra time figuring out who your ideal client is. After that, work on your external and internal branding, keeping that ideal client in mind the whole time. If branding is giving you a little bit of trouble, go ahead and check out our DIY Branding Workbook for Wedding Planners.
