Tip 1/3
My goal here is to give you insights about branding, resources, and other tips and tricks to help you on your way with your brand, business, and being an entrepreneur. As such, here are 3 basic tips to help you stay on track with your brand.
Use a cornerstone document for your entire brand.
Build an internal workflow that translates to a client journey.
Create your brand for your audience, not for yourself.
This article will be all about the first one (to keep them shorter) so make sure to stick around for the other tips!
Use a cornerstone document for your entire brand.
Let's get started right away with what is a cornerstone document and the purpose of using one for your brand. Firstly, I've already written a detailed article about The power behind cornerstone documents. That one goes into a lot more details, information, and even some examples, so make sure to read that if you want more info. For now, though, here are the basics.
The original definition of a cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Construction, right? And it kind of makes sense, it’s used as a guideline to build something bigger and better.
A cornerstone document is similar in the sense that is used to build your entire brand or individual aspects of your brand (like your content).
For example, cornerstone documents can be used to help you repurpose content and make content creation easier. This is when you write big, break it down into smaller parts to use on different platforms, then break it down even smaller to turn into graphics, and so on and so forth.
In this example, the first big write is your cornerstone document.
And, as I mentioned, it's not limited only to your content. Hint, hint… your brand guidelines are a cornerstone document too.
The thing is, using the concept of cornerstone documents is very useful in…
◇ keeping you organized and for you to keep track of everything,
◇ making sure you are consistent in your message and style, and
◇ creating any type of content based on your document is much easier and faster.
Sounds too good to be true? Probably. So, let's be honest and blunt. It is too good to be true. I mean, yes… a proper cornerstone document can definitely help you with all of these things and more. However, creating one is… painful, to say the least.
The best way to get this is to create your document first and then build everything else around it. And make sure it includes everything. This, however… can be very hard for anybody to do, especially for perfectionists. Because we are always learning and growing and the information in this document can change as you grow. So, the point here is to create a fluid document that changes as you grow and evolve.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry, I'm going to share a secret with you…
Grabbing all your content and putting it into one document probably won't help you much. Creating a folder on your computer where you drop all your visual assets may make it easier to find them in the future. Filling up your to-do list and calendar with tasks for your business will only slow you down.
What matters is knowing what your assets are! And knowing what they are, means creating a brand strategy that encompasses every single aspect of your brand and business. Here's the best way for you to test how much work will be included in your brand's growth…
Ask yourself, if you were to hire someone on your team TODAY, how much work will it be for you? And this is a legit question, even if you don't plan on expanding your team. The truth is, you know how much easier it is to get someone else to help you with your business. Whether it's your social media, your finances, your website updates, your graphic design... whatever it is… delegating is one of the ways you grow.
And you know this, since others delegate their own business work to you, right?
Stay tuned for the other tips!