Did you know that all brands have a personality? Some may have nicer personalities than others, but all brands have a personality. Understanding what our brand personality actually is helps us in so many other parts of our business.

As small business owners, we are often introduced to new marketing terms that we may or may not be terribly comfortable with. At first marketing jargon can seem to be just a pile of c%$!, but on reflection when we understand what these terms actually mean we can the successfully apply them to our business.

Brand personality is one of those terms.

Brand personality is the way our brand speaks and behaves.

Yes I know that sounds weird - as your business doesn't actually speak, look or behave at all.

Except it does, doesn't it.

Brand personality focusses on how your brand or business makes people feel when they come into contact with it. It is the feeling that get when they walk into your office, listen to your voicemail message, see your Facebook page or Instagram feed and how they feel when they use your goods or services. It is also how your staff may react, what your packaging might look like, the colours you have chosen for your logo and marketing material, right down to the words you choose to put into your emails, blog posts and product descriptions.

So just like our personality is a reflection of how we make people feel when they come into contact with us, and forms how they describe us, it is the same for your business. How people feel when they interact with you, comes from this meeting and will be how they will then react to your messaging.

Think about some big brands and then describe their personality. Here are some examples that should get you started.

• Dove - honest, feminist and optimist;
• Apple - Polished, accomplished, smart
• Coke - fun loving, bright & bubbly

Brand personality is the result of all the consumer’s experiences with the brand. It is unique and long lasting.

In all of these examples, I am relaying to you how I feel about these brands, the emotional reaction I have to them. The reason I feel like this is as much my experience of the brand or business as it is a result of the conscious decision on the part of these business to position themselves in this way.

These emotional connections that a business seeks to create are far more powerful and longer lasting than say brand image - which is more a buyer's opinion of a product or service, rather than how they feel about something.

Feelings are far more powerful when seeking to attract your ideal customer. They are powerful and longer lasting. When we seek to speak directly to our dream client - the connection that they feel with our brand will help to create a bond with them that helps you sell to them time and time again.

So brand personality is a really key plank of your marketing plans. You need to be conscious and aware of how you present yourself as your business to the world. The language that come from that is going to help you connect with your dream client. and we all could do with more of them.

So what’s your brand personality?

Need to know more - click here to grab our helpful checklist and start to define your brand personality - remember we all have one, try not to have a boring one!