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I never wanted a store that just looked good the exterior. Creating just to please the eyes of the viewers, the audience and the critics would and remains a waste of time for me.
Over a decade ago, I left a boring corporate job because it felt like a trap—a stifling environment designed to put me on a creatively exhausting conveyor belt toward “Welcome to 65 and retirement!”
To be honest, it wasn’t for me. I became an entrepreneur so that I could build a business that is a free-flowing, evolving extension of who I am, rather than changing it to fit what I want the industry would like it to be that way.
For most of my career, I’ve been the kind of girl who figures it out. I paved my own path to success, including creating my own logos and programming my old websites. When I realized that visually Because some aspects of my business didn’t necessarily align with the core of the business, I paused, evaluated, and made a change.
I learned the crucial difference between visually and emotional branding. This development took time because with my background in photography I am a very visually inspired person!
Finally, I learned to take my obsession with pretty logos, fun fonts, and beautiful aesthetics and integrate the deeper work of cultivating a brand that creates meaningful connections with my audience. When connection is your brand’s main goal, it drives real (and better) results.
Your brand needs your heart and soul. Whether it’s a small side hustle or your full-time job, your branding (visual and messaging alike) can and should be the bridge between you and your audience.
Without emotionally driven branding, you’ll have to fill the gap yourself – and probably exhaust yourself in the process.
So let’s take a look at my experience, where I not only learned the difference between visual and emotional branding, but also how I created change in my company in the long term.
The difference between visual and emotional branding
I know that “branding” encompasses many aspects of what you do – it is essentially your company’s identity. When you create a brand, you likely create a series of logos, color stories, typography, and other visual design elements.
The visual aspects of your brand are important because it’s how your customers recognize you and differentiate you from everyone else. You can use these elements to appeal to your audience’s aesthetic and say, “Hey, you and I probably like the same things!”
Based on design, such as the attractiveness of a book cover, your audience will generally be drawn to you. That’s the first impression.
However, the impact of your brand doesn’t stop with the visuals. This is just a quick look, a drive past. You want more than just one shallow connection, as this can be reproduced (or counterfeited) by anyone.
We’ve all unpacked something (literally) and then realized that what’s underneath isn’t what the advertising sold us. You can be shiny, but you want emotional depth.
How to build long-term loyalty and retention in a crowded market.
Most people think that branding stops with the visuals, but I argue that’s where it begins. This is a real brand personality behind your offerings – well beyond a font or palette.
Emotional branding ensures that your brand becomes visible Feelingnot just an attractive look. By creating an emotional brand, you can strengthen bonds with your customers by expressing your shared values, beliefs and emotional experiences. Social media did that Away more possible.
In fact, the audience began when brands and companies appeared on social media required a deeper connection from them. Since then, brands have had to become good storytellers.
Emotional branding can be about sharing yourself.
I remember the significant shift that occurred in my photography career when I went from just sharing clients’ images to sharing myself.
I shared how I talked to my dogs laying over my feet, what the realities of entrepreneurship were like, how I decorated my first home with thrift store finds, and the puppies we raised.
I showed who I was and what I ultimately loved, and that resulted in my clients seeing the image of someone who felt like a friend. It wasn’t just about how I edited my photos; Now they could see WHO I edited the photos. You could imagine me chasing dogs or hanging pictures on the wall in my life.
I have developed from a company to a brand, to a personality. they wanted Me I am with them on their special days and not just on the results I would deliver to them. Because I understood that on a wedding day you need good people to bring that with you Good vibes.
And that’s exactly who I was and what I delivered!
People want to be able to do it interact (or identify with their favorite brands). Here are some easily recognizable companies that rely on emotional connections to their brand:
- Nike: Inspiring customers to be their personal best.
- Apple: Fostering a sense of innovation and belonging.
- Coca-Cola: Associating the brand with happiness and togetherness.
Although these companies are huge, global superbrands, I think we can learn a lesson or two from how they show up: They tell us a story about it WHO they are.
Not only do they flaunt what they do, but they also want us to feel comfortable interacting with them. They create a space where a customer can enter, belong and connect with an embassy, rather than just using a product or booking a service.
The difference can feel subtle, but a shift can make a (literally) big difference.
How I switched to emotional branding
The change first started in my stomach. I realized that I never felt the need to appear perfect, polished, or shiny. I longed for more reality, for what and how I created to manifest.
From there, I examined how my audience responded to my brand across multiple social media platforms. I observed the questions I was asked over and over again – were they curious about my life, my relationships, my work, my processes?
The messages, replies, blog comments, email inquiries, customer stories, and even podcast reviews helped me understand the stories I was telling and the way my audience perceived me.
I took time to make sure that was consistent with the way I wanted them to perceive me. Did it match my vision for my company and brand?
My business is me, so I want to make sure people remember that I’m a real, live human being with perspective Love split.
What I sell is not a representation of what anyone might search for on Google. They are processes that are learned, lived and put together Me. This is an important selling point and differentiator.
You could easily learn business from a million different places and people, but you can only learn my methods from ME in ONE place: my digital courses. Therefore, I had to ensure that the “I” element was always visible and unmistakable when presenting my brand online.
It’s not about the name (or even the premise) of the course, it’s about knowing you’re going to sit down and learn from it Me. People want The Type of connection.
When I read the testimonials, this becomes very clear. My students rave about the course and say things like “Learning from Jenna changed my business!” What you don’t hear is “This course changed my business” or “The commercials I saw for this course changed me I really liked it!” Ha, of course not, but you can see the difference.
My Digital course landing pages I still present a results-oriented goal to my potential students, but the brand itself creates a connection between me and my customers.
The way we approach copywriting, page layout, color selection and the key selling points of our core offering comes from a desire to ensure our customers feel seen, understood and guided. I want them to feel a great sense of relief when they read my sales pages because that’s how I design my offers entire Solutions.
They are complete, they are effective and they are designed to actually work help and simplify. I want my client to feel like I have met their gaze and know without a doubt that I truly understand their needs because I have been where they are now.
The influence of my evolved brand on my company
Shifting to an emotional brand has led to more buy-in on the front end as my audience is excited about my offers before I even send them. I no longer have to put all my energy into hoping that an ad or announcement alone will grab their attention.
Unfortunately, algorithms don’t work like that. Warm leads that lead to a paid offer are far better than “Oh, I didn’t know you were working on anything!” or “You barely show up in my feed anymore!”
More interaction with your customers means they have a better understanding of what they want and need from you. Feedback is a crucial part of connection. It can help you measure success and optimize your business over time, rather than veering off course and having to make big, sweeping changes later.
I see a better connection to what I care about. The questions I get about my life also testify to this. I get fewer questions about what I do and more questions about how people can get involved or learn more from me.
I feel seen and understood by many of my listeners, which means I can spend more and more meaningful time engaging with them rather than explaining who I am or repeating myself.
The profit shift appears to come from spending less time and money shouting about deals online (e.g. less advertising spending in the wrong places, fewer external apps and tools needed to get the message out to the public bring to).
Instead, I have clients who emotionally accept my offerings, my experiences, and new creative endeavors I will undertake in the future. They feel like my brand is led and shaped by them her Needs and see how it evolves with them, which means they want to stick with it!
And ultimately, I feel connected to my brand. This is a crucial piece of the puzzle. You You need to be confident about how your business is presented online. You know when you feel good when you walk out the front door and when you don’t feel quite like yourself, right?
We all know the difference between feeling “Yes, I like me!” and “Oh, please don’t notice me today.” I wanted to have that “I like me!” Every time I post a blog, release a podcast episode, or link my audience to a new offer, the feeling washes over me. I want to be sure I show up just as clearly Me.
The opportunity to appear through an emotional brand allows me to do that!
How to further develop your emotional brand
1. Be willing to listen and learn as you go.
Yes, the internet is constantly changing, but here’s what matters more true: you are constantly changing. And if that’s true, the same is true for your audience. Your needs, attitudes, lives and circumstances are constantly changing.
Unless you are a rare psychic. This is the only way you can find out what her Shifts are by asking them. Take advantage of the newly strengthened connection between you and your audience by making a habit of keeping the conversation open.
Not only does feedback help you get information about what they want to see from you, but this check-in also makes your audience feel seen and known.
2. Schedule a time to check in with your brand.
Instead of feeling the pressure to constantly keep your brand in edit mode (which is exhausting and unnecessary), schedule moments to engage with your brand.
Whether annually or quarterly, take time to analyze what you think of your brand. Evaluate the visual representation; Do they still represent who you are? Read through the text on your website and feel the tone. Is the voice still correct? Review your social media posts and look for things that drove results. What is the common thread? Send a feedback request to your audience asking how they are doing and what they want from you.
These check-ins may add a bit of homework to your list, but for the most part, they will leave you with the expectation that your brand is doing exactly what it needs to do.
3. Focus on how you make people feel.
The visual representation of your brand will always matter, but don’t get lost in the fonts or flashiness of your videos. Instead, focus on how you make people feel.
While I’m still interested in color theory, fresh graphic design elements, and ways to make my website pages load quickly and smoothly, I know how secondary these things are to my bottom line. Remember that these elements cannot go far without your vision and personality.
If your slogan feels like your mantra, your audience won’t Only Have brand recognition. They will read and see your tagline, your social media posts, and your latest offers himself also in them. An emotional brand means it can become your mantra her.