Why is Brand Consistency Important? A Three-Step Guide.

“You are exactly who I thought you’d be.” 

—Someone you just met in person that you’ve only interacted with online

In general, this is a pretty great compliment. But in the realm of personal branding, it is the highest of praise.

It’s a sign that who and how you are online is exactly who you are in person. 

It’s a sign of integration. 

And integration means that your personal brand is not cheesy or narcissistic or trying too hard—it’s authentic.

It means that your personal brand is you, simply being you. 

In our world, what we’ve found to be true time and time again, and what our founder has literally written a book about, is that that’s it. That’s the secret to it all. You, being yourself.

Incorporating who you really are with what you do and telling your story over and over again, clearly, constantly, consistently, authentically, with depth and emotion, while also providing clear expert value—that’s the winning formula that gets you seen and makes true connections. 

So why is brand consistency so important? In short, it brings clients in your door. 

Brand consistency satisfies the human need for truth. 

Wanting your interactions to be authentic and genuine is as human as it gets. 

And humans don’t want to feel like they’re being lied to. We want (brand) consistency. We want what we hear and see and experience (and how it all makes us feel) to be the same each time we come back.

This is just as true in everyday life as it is in business. 

You want your friend to be loyal and trustworthy. You want to know what to expect from your interactions with them. You don’t want them to be one way with you and another way with someone else. 

And you want the same from a business partner or a client.

You want them to show consistency, whether you’re watching a video they made and shared on LinkedIn or reading an email they wrote or looking at their social media or sitting down to coffee with them (that’s personal branding, baby). 

When you show up the same way both on- and offline, clearly and consistently, you’ve achieved it: an integrated personal brand. 

It’s simple, right? Just be yourself. 

But it’s not always easy.

Step one: Master your message. 

Taking all the things that make up you—your experiences, your dreams, your fears, your career, your life—and distilling them down into a clear story that not only stays true to you, but also accurately reflects your expertise and shows the value you bring to the world, is no easy feat.

Identifying what not to do is just as important as what you do take action on in building your brand.

So here’s what not to do:

• Don’t discount the parts of your life that have shaped you because you think people won’t understand—often, sharing deeply personal stories is what connects us.
• Don’t gloss over the awesome parts—being humble is human, but own what you’ve done and claim your expertise proudly.
• Don’t forget to look at others in your space—get really clear on what everyone else is saying so you can highlight the parts of your story that uniquely position you to stand out. 

Step two: Bring your brand to life. 

The way we visually show up—through photos, colors, fonts, shapes, styles—is the first thing people process when consuming our content. The look and feel of something immediately sets the tone for the message to either sing (if they are in alignment) or fall flat (if they’re not). The right visual component can not only draw your ideal audience’s attention, but bring them in long enough to internalize your message and take action—whatever that call to action may be.

Here’s what not to do: 

• Don’t just think about your logo—having a fully realized visual style means you can apply it to any and all kinds of content (your photos, your videos, your website, etc.). Being adaptable to all situations, while maintaining brand consistency and recognizableness, is key.
• Don’t pick your aesthetic at random—be intentional, research color and font theory, and make your choices not just on what you like, but what your target audiences will respond to.
• Don’t be afraid to go against the grain—don’t feel you need to subscribe exactly to what’s trending or what others in your space are doing. Visuals provide you an opportunity to set you apart from your competition. 

Step three: Use social media to get ahead. 

Even with the perfect messaging and visual look, if you’re not showing up in the right places, your ideal audience will never find you. You need to find them first (in other words, go hang out online where they’re hanging out online).

Here’s what not to do:

• Don’t get fixated on a specific platform or type of collateral if you aren’t getting the results you want—your space might not be active on that particular platform or respond to that type of content. Look at what others are doing and think about how you could do it differently (and better).
• Don’t discount leads that come in from social media—everyone from your mother to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company are on social media and use it.
• Don’t over- (or under-) saturate your platform—optimize when and what you post to prevent burnout or missing your audience. Get to know and stay up to date with your chosen platform’s best practices and algorithms. 

So… why is brand consistency so important?

Our company is dedicated to showing people how to brand themselves authentically.  We have seen the benefits of intentionality and consistency time and time again—through our own platforms and those of our clients. 

This is the way that you not only win in business, but also finally feel like you are truly living your most fulfilled purpose as yourself in your career. 

The secret sauce to brand consistency, then? It all starts and ends with you simply being yourself. 

This is both the most effortless and the hardest thing we as humans can ever aspire to do.

Take immediate action on building your brand, by building your confidence, your value, your understanding of why you’re here, and your platform. 

And when you do, you’re going to quickly realize how much easier it all is. It’s so much easier once you just begin.