5 Questions To Ask A Branding Pro

How To Hire Your Brand Dream Team

Consider these questions your secret weapon to determine what type of expert will best help you level-up your brand.

Your answers will help you gain clarity about your needs and screen potential candidates to find the perfect fit for you.

For tips on how to know it’s time for a rebrand (and speaking with branding pros) check out this post. Click here. Or, if you want the fancy PDF, click here.

Then, print this post, answer the questions and scribble all over the page to capture your ideas.

After you’ve done research (asked your network for recommendations), schedule interviews and/or discovery calls and bring these questions and your answers along to guide those conversations. If you want the printable PDF version you can get that here –> Click for PDF.

1. Let’s start with YOU. What do YOU need branding wise? Branding has become a catch-all phrase that includes everyone from photographers, to writers & storytellers, to graphic designers, to strategists. 

Do you need a thought-partner and brand expert who can help you untangle all of the ideas in your head and do a deep-dive to pull together the foundation and essence of your brand? Someone who can help you sort through your offerings and business model and simplify your message so you’re laser focused? You need a brand strategist. 

Need that and help build out the positioning, messaging & visual assets? You need a strategist with a creative team of designers and copywriters. 

Do you have your brand strategy crystal clear and need help with the visuals? You likely need a graphic designer. 

Does everything look good, but sound not so good? Need help clarifying your message and brand voice? You should seek out a copywriter and brand story expert. 

Is your website the part of your brand that needs a refresh? Look for Brand Strategy & Web design pros.

2. Ask around your network, who do your business colleagues recommend? Ask them about their experience with branding pros and what they helped them with. This will help you zero in on the answers to the previous questions.

3. When researching branding pros, do they have a portfolio and testimonials you can look at? What are you drawn to in the portfolio? Do you see some range in what they’ve produced…this is a hint that they’ll design a brand that looks and feels like you vs. putting you into their aesthetic. 

Do they have a process they can articulate? A timeline? What’s their policy on revisions and client satisfaction? How much time and effort will they require of you in the process and how involved do you want to be? More involvement looks like weekly meetings and providing your own research and inputs, less looks like filling out a simple intake questionnaire and letting them run with it. 

Answers to these questions show they’ve done this before and won’t be flying by the seat of their pants. Bonus points if they have a previous client you can speak with to hear their experience with the brand person and their process.

4. What is the actual deliverable? What will you get for your investment? Make sure this is crystal clear so you don’t expect one thing (like a full set of brand guidelines with logo, color, typography and brand essence) and end up with something completely different (a stand alone logo)

5. What types of clients do they work with? Specialists in your industry will have a base of knowledge (ex. technology specialist) Will they take the time to understand your business and industry? Most importantly, will they take the time to TRULY understand you and your vision for your business and brand?

Whichever way makes the most sense for you to level-up your brand, I ask you to please, please, please start with strategy.

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Have a compelling reason why you’re making the changes and how they’ll reflect the fundamentals of your brand. If you get help from a pro, make sure strategy is part of their process. 

I PROMISE starting with strategy will save you time, money and sleepless nights and give you clarity, confidence and solid foundation for growth.

If you’ve asked yourself these questions and you’re still not sure what the next best step for your brand is, the Groundwork Blueprint Plan can help. Or, you can email me your branding questions, click here.