Brand assets can sometimes mean different things to different people. But for the purposes of this article (which was written for ambitious, 6-figure women looking to make a bigger impact) let’s focus on the basics.
Forget for a moment about the perfect brand design and identity– which can include things like a logo and colors.
Instead, think of your brand assets along the same lines as your financial assets. A brand asset is digital or physical property that holds value and owned by a person (you) or company.
Here are the 6 brand assets you need to uplevel your personal brand:
Website Hosting + Domain
Creating content for platforms like YouTube or Medium, is great for growing your audience. But you always want to make sure you own your own slice of the internet. With your own website, you can show your work with a portfolio, start a blog, or sell digital or physical goods.
If you’re serious about creating an online presence, purchase and set up your hosting plan and custom domain today.
To secure the URL for your business website, I recommend Namecheap. True to its branding, it’s super cheap! It’s also a trusted service that has been around for years and has quality customer service agents who can help you if you run into a snag.
For your hosting plan, save yourself the research and go with Green Geeks. I have used every hosting plan under the sun, but stick with Green Geeks because they are fast and eco-friendly. Most of all (and you might notice a pattern here) they have amazing customer service. If you have any questions or issues, they have an agent who can get on the phone or chat with you to walk you through a fix.
A domain and hosting plan is a critical first step to getting your website up and running. It’s also one of the most, if not most, important brand asset you’ll have.
Digital Download or Product
A digital download can be as simple as a checklist. Ebooks, resumes, portfolios, templates, workout plans, and the list goes on and on. Digital downloads are great assets to add to your website or link to on social media. They help establish credibility and give you an opportunity to stay in touch with the people you reach through your brand.
Professional Headshots
Professional looking headshots are worth investing in as they will go a long way in helping to establish the credibility of your brand. Use your headshots to update your profile photos. People want to know you’re real, not just a post. This will help people identify the face behind the brand.
One trick I’ve used for years, is to find photographers near me through hashtags on Instagram. For example, I’ll search #DCphotographers, #washingtondcphotographers, #capitolhillphotographers. I’m no longer based in DC, but simply change the hashtag to match my location.
I usually do this when I’m working with a small budget and want to find an up and coming or inexpensive photographer. I also like that Instagram helps me see the style of photos they create. I typically reach out to 5 photographers to see if my budget and goals are a fit and promptly get something on the calendar.
Brand Or Lifestyle Photography
After getting your headshots, think about curating a photo collection that will help you tell the story of your brand. Hire a professional photographer to take brand photos, take them yourself, or search for royalty-free stock photos online.
Having a collection of photos that relate to your branding will help you stay consistent as you expand your brand across platforms. This is perfect for establishing a consistent look and feel for your brand or using them in your marketing or advertising. Quality photography is a true asset that will help take your brand to the next level.
Newsletter
Whether you pay to subscribe to a newsletter, the fact that people pay for this is proof enough that it’s a worthwhile asset. A branded newsletter is a great way to micro-blog, or keep people up to date with what’s happening with your brand. If you’re a designer, you can send updates about your design process. Send new blog posts, updates about your products, or simply life updates. Substack is a great platform to create a paid newsletter.
For a free newsletter, I recommend MailerLite. Why? You guessed it: they’re cheap and have excellent customer service.
Photography by Pablo Raya
