How To Develop And Share Your Brand’s Core Values

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I’m sure you know that building a strong brand is the key to success in today’s market.  Consumers expect more from brands and are seeking alignment with their own values In order to follow, engage with or purchase from a company.

One of the essential tasks to stand out from competitors and connect with your target audience is to establish values that represent what you believe in and create a connection point between your brand and your audience.

Why Develop Core Values For Your Brand?

Your values are a foundational piece of your brand strategy.  They inform and guide your decisions, actions and behaviors as a business owner.  More importantly, they communicate to your customers what you stand for, what you believe in, and how you intend to impact the world around you and the people you serve.

Having clear, authentic, strong core values will help you attract like-minded individuals who align with your vision, and they’ll be more likely to become loyal customers.

5 Easy Steps To Develop Your Brand’s Core Values

1 - DEFINE YOUR BRAND PURPOSE

It’s always good to start here.  Why did you start your business in the first place?  What problems are you trying to solve, and what impact do you want to make in the world?  The answers to these questions will help you define your “why,” which will serve as a guiding principle in developing your core values.

2 - CLARIFY YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY

Your brand personality is the set of characteristics that describe your brand’s tone, voice and overall vibe.  Are you serious and professional, or playful and fun?  Are you moody and ironic, optimistic and hopeful?  Knowing your brand personality will help you choose core values that align with the type of brand you are.

3 - BRAINSTORM YOUR CORE VALUES

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand purpose and personality, brainstorm a list of core values that align.  I like to start with this prompt:  “I / We believe that…”  You want to state your authentic beliefs, but like with anything about your brand, you want to consider who you’re talking to.  What are the core values that will resonate with your target audience and differentiate your brand from competitors?  

My suggestion is to start with some single words that come to mind, such as: authenticity, innovation, curiosity, compassion, or social responsibility.  Then write a phrase to really explain why that word is something you believe is a core value of your brand.  “I believe that curiosity fosters innovation, and our brand is always seeking to improve.”  That’s just one example, go ahead and brainstorm yours!

4 - PRIORITIZE YOUR CORE VALUES

Once you have a list of potential core values and you’ve written some explanatory statements about them, prioritize them in order of importance.  First ask yourself what value could your brand not exist without, and go from there.  Narrow your list of core values to 3-5 (7 tops), but notice where you might be able to combine some of your values and beliefs too, so you’re not being redundant and you’re clearly getting your point across.

5 - COMMUNICATE YOUR CORE VALUES

It’s essential to communicate your core values to your audience so they know what you believe in and what you stand for.  You can communicate them via your website, social media, and marketing campaigns.  Weave your core values throughout everything you do and allow them to act as filters for decision-making, too.

A Few Attention-Grabbing Ways To Share Your Brand’s Core Values

VISUAL STORYTELLING

Put your brand’s core values front and center by leveraging visual storytelling in a creative and engaging way.  For example, create a series of Instagram Stories or an Instagram carousel post featuring images and/or videos that represent each core value.  Keep your messaging around them clear and concise and marry your message to an engaging visual for bigger impact.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT

If you have a core value or two or three that could be Movements for your brand, create a campaign and branded hashtag around your core value and showcase it to your audience.  Encourage your audience to share a story, experience, photo or video, aligned with that branded hashtag that represents that core value and repost and share the best content on your social media channels.

INFOGRAPHICS

Infographics are an eye-catching, clear way of highlighting your brand’s core values. Make sure you’re using your brand’s style guide to keep the colors, fonts and design style consistent so your audience recognizes it as your brand.

In Summary

Developing core values for your brand is a crucial step in building a strong experience that resonates with your audience and builds your positive brand perception.  Define and prioritize your core values and don’t forget to share them regularly so your audience can connect with you and your brand more deeply.  

This connection will become a relationship and will help establish a strong foundation for your brand’s success.  Remember, your core values are not just words on a page, but should guide your actions and behaviors as a business owners and brand.

Need more personalized help defining your brand’s core values and how to share them?  Just head over to my website and get in touch…I can’t wait to hear from you!