Well, here we are. Ten years and what feels like a million decisions.
(Plus a few fuck-ups along the way).
I didn’t start knowing what I do now. No one does. I started with no more than what most small business owners start with. A half-baked idea, and a cart-load of hope and optimism.
The kind of reckless charge you’d expect from me, right?
Over the years, I’ve learned loads about branding. And I mean the real stuff, not throwing darts at Pantone boards or slapping a logo on a book and calling it done. No, I’m talking about the things that show your business means, well, business.
Branding has been the difference between success and failure for me. So here are ten branding tips I’ve learned over ten years.
Every one of them is hard-won.
Tip # 1 – Authenticity Triumphs in the Long Run
When I started, I tried to sound like the agency I THOUGHT people wanted to hire. I thought I needed to be polished and safe (eww). It felt awful because it was hollow. It wasn’t me, and people could feel that.
And I was attracting what I put out there. The wrong energy bought the wrong clients and the wrong jobs.
Audiences connect with truth. So when I started telling my real story, in my voice, the right people found me. I got better work because I attracted the right attention and built firmer relationships.
You can’t fake it forever. Eventually, that mask slips, so build something real instead.
Tip #2 – A Brand is More Than a Logo
I will shout this one until I’m blue in the face if I have to. Your logo is only a small part of your brand. It’s important, but it can’t do anything alone.
It’s like heading off to battle with only a sword. You might get a few good swings in, but without armour, a shield and a strategy, you’re not going to get far.
Your brand is everything. Values, voice, character, position. The way you answer an email. The experience someone has when they meet you.
Your logo is a symbol, your brand is your reputation, so don’t confuse the two.
Tip #3 – Consistency Builds Trust
Trust is like a good suit of armour. You don’t make it in an afternoon. You have to forge it, piece by piece, until it fits. And all those pieces have to work together.
Trust is built in every interaction with your brand. Not just you as a person, but across ALL touchpoints. You are eroding hard-earned trust when you change your visuals every year, or shift your messaging every five minutes.
Consistency ensures you don’t waste goodwill you’ve spent years earning. It keeps people coming back to you and shows you’re not going anywhere.
Plus, it keeps you around longer.
Because inconsistency is expensive.
Tip #4 – Learn When to Say ‘No’
When you’re building something from nothing, every opportunity looks too good to turn down. So you keep saying ‘yes’, because ‘that’s good customer service’, right? Soon, you’re saying yes to things that drain you, working for clients who don’t value you.
This almost broke me early on.
Every time you say ‘yes’ to the wrong thing, you’re saying ‘no’ to a better opportunity.
Saying ‘no’ isn’t poor customer service, and certainly isn’t a poor branding decision. It tells the world what you stand for.
I’ve turned down work that would have paid well because it didn’t fit with my values. And each time I did, it sharpened the focus of what Iron Dragon stands for.
And left me open to a better opportunity.
Tip #5 – Evolve or Die
I’m not the same designer I was in year 1. Hell, I’m not even the same person. My market has changed, and my clients are different. If I’d held rigidly onto everything I’d done at the start, I’d still be stuck back there.
Your brand will naturally change over time. That’s not a betrayal of what’s come before; it’s survival. Drop what’s weak and keep what’s strong, then build on that.
And no, this doesn’t contradict tip #3. The brands that succeed aren’t the ones that never change. They’re the ones who know when to adapt and how to do it without losing the essence of what they are. Change the surface when it makes strategic sense.
But guard your core like your life fucking depends on it.
Tip #6 – Clients Are Your Best Ambassadors
If you’re doing a great job, your customers will talk about it. No marketing I have ever done has been worth more than a client who was thrilled with what I’ve done. Word of mouth is a verdict on the quality of your work and how you do it. And you want that to be stellar.
Treat all your clients like they’re connected to the next ten. My simple rule is that I ALWAYS want our last interaction to be positive. Even if I have to bring bad news. Long after a project ends, the experience you deliver echoes.
Make sure those echoes reflect how you want to be known.
Tip #7 – Position is Vital
You can’t be everything to everyone.
Trust me, I tried.
Plant your flag and own what makes you different. It’s not just what you do, but who for, what you stand against and most importantly, why someone should choose you.
You’re not the same as everyone else. How you position yourself will determine if your brand has clarity or is just noise. Don’t follow the crowd, plant your banner and be bold.
Remember, if you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’re resonating with no one.
Tip #8 – The Best Brands Stand for Something
Iron Dragon Design stands for small business owners who are tired of being talked down to. That’s conviction, not a clever marketing ploy.
I fucking LOVE an underdog. Someone building something out of the love of it. And I hate sneering, jargon-wreathed agencies that look down on them. I want to see my clients win against the odds, and that shapes everything I do.
Brands that endure aren’t just selling products and services. They’re aligning themselves with a cause they truly believe in. And that alignment creates genuine loyalty.
What does your brand stand for? If you can’t answer that clearly, your brand stands for nothing.
Tip #9 – Emotions Drive Branding
You don’t buy with your brain. You buy with your heart and then justify it afterwards. You could be excused for thinking this is cynical, but it’s honest-to-goodness psychology.
Brands that work don’t sell with features, but with feelings. Decide what the strongest emotional driver in your brand is, then build around that. Is it joy? Or safety? Whatever it is, build to reflect it.
Facts tell, and emotions sell. The best brands create a strong emotional connection with their audience, so don’t be afraid to build one.
Not sure where your emotional core lies? Brand Archetypes will give you a good place to start.
Tip #10 – Branding is a Battle of Perception
One of the hardest lessons to learn is that your brand isn’t what YOU say it is. It’s what your audience says it is.
You can craft incredible visuals and messaging, only to still lose the battle of perception. This is because a brand is built on experiences, not intention.
Every interaction and touchpoint either reinforces or undermines the brand you’re trying to build. You don’t control the outcome, but you control the evidence that informs it.
So you need to fight every day to keep that perception where you want it.
BONUS: Find the Love in What You Do
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that your passion drives your success. If you can find the joy in what you do and love the brand you have, it’s infinitely easier to market.
Branding is hard work, and building a business is harder. A strong brand, one that you truly believe in, inspires your confidence. And you can use that both to attract clients and keep yourself moving forwards.
Ready to build a brand worth fighting for?
Ten years in, I still believe that great branding is the best investment a small business can make. If you’re tired of having a brand that doesn’t reflect who you actually are, I want to help you change that.
Book in for a call below. No sales, no jargon, just a chat about what your brand could be.
