“How Do I Create an Artist Brand That Will Resonate With Fans?” Our October QOTM!
Let’s dive into Brand Development and how to get fans on board for our second pillar of the “Pillars of Kelzana” series: Brand.
Kelsy: I believe in authenticity as the #1 ingredient to making your artist brand resonate. Often I believe artists, especially those who have already been in the spotlight, can get caught up in how they feel they should be perceived, trying to emanate a brand that is not really reflective of their true selves. This inevitably creates problems down the road, whereas if you put authenticity at the center, at the end of the day, your true fans will resonate no matter how your career or artistry evolves.
Tori: To truly resonate with fans, your brand must evoke genuine emotion through consistent behavior across social media, marketing, and live interactions. The starting point is self-awareness (shout out to my journaling girlies who may be ahead of the curve). Instead of inventing a persona that feels foreign to who you are, focus on amplifying the traits that already define you. Creating a character that contradicts your core identity may work temporarily, but it quickly becomes exhausting and unsustainable because you are essentially putting on a mask everyday. Spoiler: the mask will slip eventually.
A simple exercise to begin cultivating your self-awareness is to list a few core values & your strongest personality qualities. Then imagine how they might come together as a larger-than-life version of yourself. For example, if you choose core values like curiosity and justice and your personality is charismatic & outspoken, picture how those traits combine into a recognizable persona. Then connect these traits back to your story. Did you overcome challenges of being outcasted as a young child and developed resilience and a sense of empowerment as a result? Think about why you are this unique mix, and how it shapes your perspective. Once you define your values, personality, and story, you can explore which artist brand archetype best represents you. If you do this exercise and are still unsure of your artist archetype, take our Kelzana quiz here.
From there, begin developing your visual identity. Get CREATIVE with this! Create a Pinterest board or magazine collage that captures your aesthetic. Pay attention to the colors, fonts, and styles you are naturally drawn to. This becomes the visual foundation of your brand and ensures consistency whether you are performing live or posting online. Then the magic comes with pairing your sonic identity with your visual identity. You can always evolve from there but this is a solid foundation that can launch your career into one that will be taken more seriously because you’ve done the work.
Bonus Question: How to create social media content that resonates with your audience once you have your brand defined.
Make sure your brand story shows up clearly in your content and on your platforms. For example, using the example above, if your brand centers on social justice and you're charismatic & outspoken with a story about resilience, speak up about causes and topics you care about both on stage and across platforms. Consistency is what allows your audience to recognize you and connect more deeply.
Would you like help creating an authentic brand? Set up a consulting session with us here or become a member of Kelzana’s Creative Collective to ask us a question through our monthly Q&A and get a members-only discount on consulting.