Ep. 31 5 Must-Have Brand Strategy Tools for Online Business Owners
One of the biggest questions I hear from business owners—especially those DIY-ing their branding—is: “Where do I even start?”
Do you need a Photoshop subscription? A stack of expensive books? Thousands of dollars in design software? The truth is, no. You don’t need to break the bank to create a strong, strategic brand. What you do need are the right tools, a little bit of structure, and a clear process.
In every brand strategy and design project I work on—whether it’s a $15K done-for-you package or a DIY-er inside The Six Figure Brand Society—I find myself reaching for the same core tools. And today, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what they are, how I use them, and how you can put them to work in your business too.
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1. Client Call Transcripts (Your Secret Messaging Goldmine)
When I work with clients, I don’t guess at their messaging. I literally pull it straight from their mouths.
Recording client calls and reviewing the transcripts is one of the simplest but most powerful ways to refine your messaging. Instead of sitting in front of a blank Google Doc thinking, “How do I explain what I do?” you can use the exact words your clients are already using.
For example, if a client says, “I just feel embarrassed sending people to my website because it doesn’t reflect how good I am at what I do.” That’s copy you can reuse on your own website, sales page, or Instagram. It speaks directly to the pain points of your audience in their own language.
How to use this tool:
Record your Zoom or Google Meet calls.
Use a free or inexpensive transcription tool
Highlight the phrases, struggles, and results that keep coming up.
This alone can transform your messaging and give you endless content ideas.
2. Simple Client Feedback Questions
Every single client I work with gets asked a few core feedback questions. These aren’t just for my benefit, they also help them gather powerful testimonials they can use in their own marketing.
Here are three of my go-to questions:
What was your biggest challenge before working with me?
What has changed since we worked together?
What would you tell someone who’s on the fence about hiring me?
These questions are simple, but they create specific, story-driven testimonials instead of vague “Morgan is great!” feedback. And the best part? You can flip them around and ask your clients to collect the same feedback from their clients.
Strong testimonials build trust, clarify your value, and make selling so much easier.
3. Canva (The DIY Designer’s Best Friend)
If you’ve been waiting for the one tool I wish everyone would start with…it’s Canva.
You don’t need expensive Adobe subscriptions to get professional-looking visuals. Canva has made design accessible to small business owners in a way that wasn’t possible even 10 years ago. You can use it for social media graphics, presentations, PDFs, proposals, service guides, and even light photo editing.
A few tips to make the most of it:
Stick with a consistent set of fonts and colors (not whatever looks cute in the moment).
Save templates so you’re not starting from scratch each time.
Use folders to keep your visuals organized by platform or project.
A cohesive look is half the battle, and Canva makes it easy to achieve.
4. A Brand Strategy Workbook
This is where we zoom out from visuals and dig into the foundation. Before you choose colors, fonts, or logos, you need clarity on the strategy behind your brand.
That’s why I created The Stand Out Brand Foundations Workbook. It walks you through the core elements of brand strategy: purpose, vision, mission, values, ideal client, positioning, brand story, voice, and more.
Without this step, you risk pouring hours (and dollars) into a brand that looks nice but doesn’t actually convert. With it, you’ll know exactly how to communicate what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters.
Whether you’re DIY-ing or working with a designer, a strategy workbook will keep you grounded and focused, saving you from shiny object syndrome and decision fatigue.
5. Project Management + Client Experience Tools
This one may not sound glamorous, but trust me… it’s a game changer. A huge part of branding isn’t just how your business looks, but how it feels to work with you.
Using systems like Dubsado or HoneyBook for contracts, invoices, and onboarding templates makes your process seamless for both you and your clients. No more reinventing the wheel with every project. No more juggling emails and PDFs and hoping you didn’t forget a step.
When your systems are smooth, your clients feel taken care of, and that consistency is part of your brand.
Wrapping It Up: Start With What You Have
Here’s the truth: you don’t need 1,000 fancy tools to build a brand. You need a few simple, affordable ones and the discipline to use them consistently.
Use transcripts to nail your messaging.
Ask simple questions to gather powerful testimonials.
Start with Canva for visuals instead of complicated design software.
Work through a brand strategy workbook to build a foundation.
Streamline your client experience with a project management system.
These tools will save you time, cut down on overwhelm, and help you build a brand that actually works.
And the best part? None of them will break the bank.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
➡️ Follow me on Instagram @spechtand.co
➡️ Grab The Stand Out Brand Foundations Workbook
➡️ Book Your Stand Out Brand Strategy Session (use code SFBPOD for $100 off)
➡️ Check out episode 7 How to Use Client Feedback to Improve Your Online Business
🎧 Listen to episode 31 of The Six Figure Brand Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube
