Sometimes, I hear people refer to the brand side of marketing as primarily the visual aspects – like graphic design, photography, fonts, logos, etc. Sure, those are all PART of it. But they certainly are not THE brand itself. They only SUPPORT the brand of that person or entity.

Exactly what is a brand, then? It’s the aura, the essence, the “je ne sais quoi.” It’s the heart and soul of a personality or business. It’s the life force. The graphical design elements, logos, and supporting taglines and copy are all just veins pumping the blood from the heart to the major organs of the entity’s body.

Okay, that last part sounds a little ridiculous. I barely passed biology class in high school (which, laughably, followed religion class, btw). But, you get the damn point. I think. I HOPE. I think my analogy still makes sense.

Branding is brand-storytelling, and it’s purpose is to bring a business or personality to life. Everything we do in our marketing and communications must support our brand’s essence, and together all of those efforts help tell the story. Our story.

Here are the five most important questions – in order – to ask yourself when branding yourself or your company:

1. Who am I/are we?

2. What is my/our reason for being?

3. How do I/we bring value to the lives of others?

4. What legacy are we/am I building or will build?

5. What makes me authentic?

Answer those five questions to the best of your ability… and then keep things simple until you figure out how to communicate your brand story through all available mediums. Only by “being” will you ever tell your story. You can’t tell your story until it’s unfolded. And it’s a constantly ever-changing one. You know the saying, “If you’re not changing, you’re not growing.”

Are you ready to take your branding to the next level? Hire me to help you visually communicate it through custom photographs that tell the world who you really are! Whether you’re an artist, business owner, corporate leader, musician, actor, hair dresser, another photographer, or anything in between, I will collaborate with you to tell your story. And if you need a catchy tagline or bio, or compelling copy for your website, I can help you with that, too! I have over seven years of marketing and communications experience, and spent the last four years of my life copywriting for one of the biggest direct selling companies in North America. Let’s chat! Contact me at 702.378.3041 or at gina@ginamizzoni.com.

Gina Mizzoni Photography offers custom lifestyle photography services for men, women, businesses and families. Let Las Vegas photographer Gina capture your inner light, your most precious moments, your life. Contact us to book your appointment today. For more information about our many photography offerings, check out About, FAQs and Investment.