How to Build a Brand (Without Losing Your Mind)

So you want to elevate your brand? Welcome to the club. Population: everyone with a logo and a dream.

Know Your Audience (Or Pretend You Do)

First things first—figure out who's actually going to buy your stuff. Create "buyer personas," which is just a fancy way of saying "make up a person named Sarah who's 32, loves yoga, and has strong opinions about oat milk."

Survey your audience if you're feeling brave. Just be prepared for someone to tell you your logo looks like a sad potato.

Make Your Brand Look Pretty

Pick some colors that don't make people's eyes bleed. Blue says "trust me," red says "buy this NOW," and purple says "I'm either royalty or selling essential oils."

Your logo should be memorable—but not "I can't unsee this" memorable. There's a difference.

Social Media: Where Brands Go to Overshare

Post things people actually want to see. No, not another Monday motivation quote with a sunset background. We're begging you.

Respond to comments like you're a human, not a robot programmed to say "Thanks for your feedback!"

Create Content That Doesn't Suck

Start a blog. Write things. Use words. Revolutionary, we know.

Throw in some pictures so people don't fall asleep scrolling through your wall of text. Visual learners are real, and they're tired.

Partner Up (Misery Loves Company)

Find another brand to collaborate with. Two mediocre marketing budgets are better than one, probably.

Don't Be Terrible to Your Customers

Make it easy for people to give you money. Complicated checkout processes are so 2005.

When someone complains, don't hide. Address it. Pretending problems don't exist is a strategy that works for exactly zero brands.

Stay Authentic (Whatever That Means)

Be yourself. Unless yourself is boring. Then be yourself but more interesting.

Show some personality. People want to buy from humans, not corporate robots who say things like "let's circle back on this synergy."

Keep Evolving (Or Get Left Behind)

Trends change. Your audience changes. That font you thought was cool in 2019? Yeah, about that...

Stay flexible. Pivot when needed. Just don't call it a pivot—we're all tired of that word.

The Bottom Line: Building a brand is like raising a very needy plant that requires constant attention, occasional watering with money, and inexplicably dies when you look away for five seconds. But hey, at least you'll have business cards.

Now go forth and brand responsibly.