Much like logos, branding is everywhere. From the tennis shoes that you wear that are made by Nike, to the smartphone you're using right now that is made by Apple. Each of these companies has a unique "brand" that sets them apart from the competition. But what exactly is a brand? Well, in the context of this post, my favorite definition of branding is the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.

‍

‍

The idea of branding was first introduced when farmers used an iron to burn a symbol into their cattle to set their livestock apart from others. Branding livestock instilled a sense of ownership in the farmers, allowing them to be identified through their livestock because they were branded to them. As the years went by, this concept began to spread into other areas, such as manufacturing. Because of this, you can now look down at your sneakers and see a specific shape or design on the side of the shoe that will immediately tell you who is responsible for the creation of the product. That is branding.

‍

Branding your content.

So at this point you're probably wondering, "How does branding affect me as a content creator?" I'm glad you asked! To start, think about a YouTuber, Twitch streamer, or even an Instagram influencer who you regularly follow and interact with. What do you find so interesting about them that sets them apart from other creators in the scene? What that "it" factor is for them, is a key part of their brand. But let's break it down...

‍

Individuality and Personality

As a content creator (or as a business owner), you want to give people a reason to consume your content or buy your products. Let's be honest: we live in a time where starting a business or sharing your voice with the world is so much easier than it was thirty years ago. Because of this, it is a lot harder to penetrate any market and penetrate the competition.

‍

To counter this factor, you have to find your fire. Find that one thing (or maybe multiple things) that will set you apart from those who are also trying to get to the place (or maybe have already gotten there) that you want to be. Once you have found your niche, you have to own it. Your goal with your personality is to set yourself up so that whenever a consumer thinks of that thing that sets you apart, their mind immediately goes to your content or business.

‍

Visual Style and Association

As we have mentioned in past posts and journals on this site, branding is a complex concept. It isn't just about your personality or the way you act. It is also about the visual style that people associate with you. A common misconception in the world of graphic design, mainly from people outside of the field, is that your logo is your brand. Now they aren't completely wrong; your logo is a key part of your brand (especially for companies that sell physical merchandise), but it is by no means the only part. In reality, it is only a small part of the branding puzzle.

‍

Let's be real about this: a majority of people today spend their time looking at their phone, many of them scrolling through social media feeds looking for content to consume. Because there is so much content, it is humanly impossible for a single person to interact with every creator or influencer within any given field. This means that it is your job, as an entrepreneur (yes, content creators and influencers are entrepreneurs too... but more on that later) to find ways to make your content stand out in the crowd.

‍

The easiest way to start getting your content noticed is to put time and effort into making it look good. Taking the time to develop a visual style that will work with the message or content you want people to see will give the impression to viewers that you care about what you are creating, and it tells them that they should too! Keep in mind, though, once you get people in the door to consume your content, you have to give them a reason to stay. If a person clicks on the video and leaves within the first 30 seconds, you have failed (and there are ways you can track this). But if your viewer sticks around until the end, and maybe even leaves you a comment praising the content you delivered, you might just make it in this game after all.

‍

How do you develop your brand?

Before I even get into what it takes to develop a brand, I want to make it clear that branding isn't something that happens overnight. For even the most successful companies out there, it took them years to perfect the way that people perceive them within their market. So don't get discouraged if you don't see instant results when you start really building your brand.

‍

Step one: Conduct an audit of your competition.

In 2020, most markets are over-saturated by hundreds of thousands of people who are all looking to find stardom through content creation. Chances are, you have probably been following some of these creators for a while, and that's why you want to get into making your own content. So before you get started, take some time to really watch/read/consume some of the content that they are making. Get a notebook or open a Microsoft Word document, and jot down some things you notice about their content. What consistent things do you notice? But more importantly, what do you feel like is missing from their content that you would be able to add to your own. This value-added could help you to identify your framework.

‍

Disclaimer: As someone who has been in this community for close to six years now (mostly as a silent observer), I have seen too many people try to mimic those they admire, and then they fall flat on their face and are completely discouraged whenever their content doesn't perform as well as their inspiration's. Whenever you're looking at your competition, please, for your own sake, do not try to copy what they're doing. Rather, try to build off what you have learned from them and capitalize off the things that you, as a viewer, could add on to the subject.

‍

Step two: Determine what will set you apart in the community, and how you want your viewers to see you.

Now that you have a solid understanding of what value you can add to your niche, you need to decide how you want to communicate it. Do you have a super fun and bubbly personality? Great! Let that shine through whenever you're talking to your community, and show them how passionate you are about the topic at hand. Maybe you prefer to take a more laid back approach towards getting your message across? That's fine, but still make sure that you're engaging your audience, and being consistent on the way you present your content. If the content is valuable, the viewers will continue to come back, regardless (usually) of how crazy or hyper you act.

‍

Step three: Determine what style of graphics/visuals you want to use to represent your brand.

Just like we were taught through the various cliques of high school, appearance is everything. So now it is time for you to decide what visual style is going to best represent your personality and the overall feel of the content you are creating. Have a more hardened personality? A grunge-y style may be fitting for your content. Like to lean on the lighter side of things and make your content fun? You could consider a more bright and "lively" style for your graphics. No matter what style you pick, you need to make sure that it is visually appealing and is true to your overall branding.

‍

Need some more ideas on what exactly branding is?

As I mentioned earlier, take a look at some successful content creators within your niche. Chances are, they probably have solid understanding of what branding is, and their content and overall visual style will reflect that. But if you don't want to have to search and you just want a quick reference for someone who is doing it right, look no further than right below this paragraph.

‍

‍Dr. Disrespect (Streamer and Content Creator)

(Insert image of Doctor Disrespect, flush left)

Herschel "Guy" Beahm IV, or as he is known professionally "Dr. Disrespect," is someone whose brand practically slaps you in the face as soon as you look at any of his content. The Doc rose to fame through his representation of a character that he created, wearing his signature sunglasses, headset, and totally-not-fake wig and mustache. These have became his signature appearance and he can be seen wearing on every single one of his live streams. This appearance and his overall mannerisms on stream, as well as his interactions with his viewers, have allowed him to stand out from other streamers that create similar content.

If you're looking to learn more about The Doc and his branding, check out his YouTube channel by clicking here.

‍

‍100 Thieves (Premium street-wear brand, and gaming organization)

(Insert image of 100 Thieves logo, flush left)

In 2017, Matt "Nadeshot" Haag, the Call of Duty champion and content creator, started his own clothing brand, which quickly evolved to an eSports organization, called 100 Thieves. As soon as the company revealed their logo and overall style for their brand, fans were fascinated by it's style, as well as the exclusivity of their clothing line. Whenever 100 Thieves releases a new line of clothing, they only make a set number of each item. This has greatly increased the demand and overall "luxurious" feel of the brand as a whole. Since the company launched almost three years ago, the clothing typically sales out almost immediately upon release.

‍

The more visual approach to branding has became a staple for their success, and the premium quality of not only their merchandise, but also their content, has helped to make them a name that will be remembered for years to come.

‍

To learn more about 100 Thieves, check out their website here.

‍

Wrapping it up.

Branding is an essential part for every endeavor, even if it may not seem like it at first. But in a world that is filled with outlets that allow you to voice your opinion, so it is important more now than ever to find a way to stand out among the competition. To summarize:

‍

1. Find your voice. Almost everyone has something that will allow them to stand apart from the competition. Figure out what that is, and capitalize on it by building your brand around that factor.

‍

1. Find your style. Once you have found what will set you apart, figure out how you want to communicate that to your audience through your visuals. We get it, everyone isn't a graphic designer. So reach out to someone who is and work with them to create your visual branding.

‍

1. Don't be afraid to look to the competition for inspiration. Chances are there are hundreds of other streamers within your niche that you can observe for inspiration on what you can do. But as I mentioned earlier, you shouldn't try to copy what they're doing. Instead, think about what there content is lacking and figure out how to capitalize on it to build your content off of.

‍

So there you have it! That is branding in a nutshell. If you have any questions about how you should brand yourself, or what branding looks like in your field, feel free to reach out to me and I will do what I can do help you out. Keep being awesome!