Every Business owner needs to realise the relationship between aligned branding and a money-making business – And it’s not just about your clients.
After years of creating best-selling design templates and branding businesses for success, If there’s one thing i’ve learnt it’s this: Every hugely successful business I’ve worked with – whether that’s 5, 6 or 7 figures – has one thing in common:
The most successful long-term businesses all have branding which aligns both with their clients AND the people behind them.
..And not just “I like that color!” but deep alignment that runs alongside your businesses core values, goals for the future and serves the person you aspire to be.
The recipe for a successful business is a mixture of selling potential and passion – Our clients’ love for our branding creates the sales, but the personal alignment with our branding creates consistency. And without motivation and consistency, you’ll never have the passion and drive to show up for your business with the time and energy that success demands.
It’s great having a beautiful brand that your dream clients love, but if you don’t love it then in the long-term it’s just not sustainable. When something isn’t aligned, your soul will never feel ‘full’. There will always be that voice in the back of your mind muttering ‘But what if?’ and no matter how long you try to suppress it, eventually it will win: You’ll get bored, lose motivation and will resent your business and the work you put into it.
Alignment with your branding is key, but even if you feel unaligned it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what’s ‘off’. With so many templates, designs and aesthetics out there it can be overwhelming and near impossible to find ‘the one’.
What if we could go beyond the surface, and use our deeper personality traits to find out what we’re really craving to create branding that feels more soulfully aligned?
That’s when it hit me (cue the lightbulb-over-the-head, “This could win me a Nobel prize” revelation confetti): Maybe our Myers Briggs personality types can help us with our branding, too.
What are Myers Briggs Personality Types?
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (also known more commonly as “that 16 personalities thing”) is a personality assessment tool that helps people gain insight into themselves and how they interact with the world around them. If you’ve even seen a 4-letter acronym in somebody’s Instagram bio and thought ‘What the heck does that mean!?’ – It’s Myers Briggs!
MBRIs categorize people into 16 distinct personality types, each represented by a combination of four letters relating to extraversion and introversion, sensing and intuition, thinking and feeling, and judging and perceiving. Before Myers Briggs personality types, we mostly thought of our personalities as either just being ‘Introvert’ or ‘Extrovert’, however I always found this problematic because people are so much more than just one of two things! If you’re anything like me and feel like an ‘extroverted introvert’ most of the time, It can be difficult to feel understood and represented by those two categories.
MBTI has gained huge popularity in the 2020s due to how accurate the results are and effectively they can be used as tools to help learn, and many workplaces and schools have even started incorporating them into how they teach and operate! They really are *that* good.
I personally love the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, because not only does the test take into account how you act, it also considers how you feel and perceive. With 16 ‘characters’ you feel much more seen and aligned, and the results are so accurate that they can help teach you things about yourself you might not have realised in 30 years. It feels almost like a personality type, horoscope and therapy rolled into one! I remember feeling almost scared when I read my results, wondering how it could possibly know me that well, which is how I knew it would be the perfect tool to help with branding.
I’ve used all of my design knowledge and spent hours researching each personality type, so that by the end of this post you’ll be able to fully understand what your aesthetic needs are to feel more represented and aligned in your branding and web design, so you’re overall more passionate and confident in the way you’re showing up.
Let’s dive in!
(If you haven’t taken your Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality test, you can find it here. This blog post will be much more valuable once you know which of the 16 personalities you are, and the information can help you understand your core values and how to channel them into creating aligned branding… Plus it’s really, really fun!)
The Analysts (NT)
The Analysts group comprises of INTJs (Architects), INTPs (Logicians), ENTJs (Commanders) and ENTPs (Debaters).
If you’re a part of the NT personality group, your trademark is that you’re a killer strategist, logical thinker and incredible problem solver. Your talents are leadership, innovation and the ability to make big ideas come true – think CEOs, Scientists and Inventors who have the power to change the world!
Big ideas call for BOLD Branding. No frills or bells – An Analyst’s offers are calculated, educated and the best on the market: They have the life-changing star power to speak for themselves.
Part of your superpower as an Analyst leader is that you effortlessly exude a magnetic energy that everybody wants to possess, and they want to know how to get it. Unlike other personality types, Analysts thrive owning a business that’s all about them (And trust me, from experience I know their audience love that too!)
If you’re an Analyst, the perfect structure for your branding is one that shouts: “This is who I am, and this is what I have, and you want it all”. This might not work for some personalities because it might feel selfish, but an Analyst has the confidence and power to pull it off.
As a strong and successful female entrepreneur, the chances are you and your audience are obsessed with fashion and style so any branding and layouts with an editorial feel will truly speak to you: Black and white borders, boxy text layouts and social media posts that look like they could be the front cover of The Gentlewomen (Google this for the ultimate inspiration for your Instagram feed!)
For your website, The perfect aesthetic to convey this message is clean and minimal – a basic yet unapologetic palette of three colors: A black, white and statement pop of color will show your visitors that you mean business and you aren’t afraid to own it. The best fonts to brand with are pairings of either two serifs or two sans serif fonts (it’s all about committing to one strong aesthetic) that are minimal: For inspiration, think brands like Vogue or newspaper front pages which are effortlessly timeless, memorable and make an impact.
As an Analyst, your homepage shouldn’t focus on persuading your audience why they need your product and a long list of what it can offer them (it almost feels untrustworthy the longer the list goes on!) but instead show who you are, who you serve and what your product is in an easy 3-block format. A diplomat’s audience will love the simplicity of a bold and straightforward website, because it inspires them that they have the potential to be as impactful as you if they invest in what you’re offering.
Below are two of my best selling templates Nashville and Jennifer Knox which you can purchase here that made me blow up on Pinterest, that are perfect for Analysts because they have an effortlessly editorial vibe that’s bold and straight to the point (You can even peek my own website for inspiration!) and will make anybody who aspires to be a leader in their niche feel aligned and confident.
The Diplomats (NF)
The Diplomat family is made up of INFJs (Advocates), INFPs (Mediators), ENFJs (Protagonists) and ENFPs (Campaigners).
Out of all the personality groups, the NF personalities are the most emotion-driven. If you’re a Diplomat you are empathetic and compassionate, and feel aligned when putting others before yourself. You are kind and nurturing (over both people close to them and the planet) and the likelihood is you started your business not for money, but because you have an idea you know will help other people.
When it comes to creating branding that’s fully aligned for Diplomats, it can be HARD. Because diplomats feel happiest when they’re pleasing others, the idea of branding with a design they personally love feels selfish, so even if a design makes their heart skip a beat it can still feel unaligned with what will truly make them content.
The best approach towards creating an aligned brand for a diplomatic personality is having a relatability factor – because diplomats want to deeply connect with their audience, softer designs which feel nostalgic and give their audience emotional content to relate to is key. Branding that feels like it connects rather than commands, and sparks curiosity over clickbait.
When we think about ‘relatable’ branding, we might instantly jump to somebody like Jenna Kutcher – however, Jenna’s branding is more aligned with an ‘Explorer’ personality type that might not resonate with a Diplomat. While mind-blowingly amazing, Jenna Kutcher’s branding has a relatability factor however also focuses on leadership which can feel out of line with a Diplomatic personality, who prefer to lift their friends up rather than pull them onto their pedestal. It’s quieter, softer and more intuitive.
For aesthetic, many diplomats feel connected through the earth, so if you’re a diplomat branding palettes inspired by nature might feel like they’re speaking to your heart the most. Organic blues and neutral yellows inspired by the sand and sea, gold tones like the sun’s rays and neutral browns inspired by the earth might feel most aligned with your soulful energy. In terms of fonts, light-weight serif fonts (and header fonts with a whimsical flair!) which are reminiscent of books might feel most aligned.
When it comes to web-design, a website with smooth transitions that effortlessly flow from one page into the next like a river also fits this sentiment, and when it comes to web pages a diplomat will want to focus less on product pages and more on ‘about me’ pages where there are opportunities to tell stories which connect you with your clients and inspire them.
My templates Sunrise, Aurora Loves and Brand new template Bloom are amazing inspiration for Diplomats to create a gorgeous website which feels creative and relatable with the opportunity to connect deeply with visitors (and you can purchase them here!)
The Sentinels (SJ)
ISTJs (Inspectors), ISFJs (Protectors), ESTJs (Supervisors) and ESFJs (Providers) are the powerhouses that make up the Sentinels: Each of these personality types are known for being responsible leaders who people can depend on with confidence. Much like Analysts, they all have the blood of a successful CEO.
Practical, warm-hearted and reliable: From a business standpoint, Sentinels prefer not to be experimental or leave things to chance. They feel comfortable investing in proven ideas that they know will work, because they know they won’t be putting family, friends or workers at risk in pursuit of a venture that won’t pay off. They’ll never make decisions ‘just for the sake of it’, and for a sentinel alignment comes with knowing with certainty they’ll succeed.
For branding, this one is slightly different – but I’m not going to lie, establishing the most aligned design for Sentinels felt easy. I’m not going to expand on too much detail here (that’s another blog post for another day!) but it made me instantly think: Web Funnel. It’s less about the branding, more about the function which will put a Sentinel’s mind at ease.
What Is a Web Funnel? The word ‘Funnel’ has become something a lot of new business owners dread because it sounds super confusing, but long story short: a Funnel is just the direct route a visitor to your website takes to get from clicking on your link to the point of sale (they move through it like a funnel – hence the name). Not scary at all!
Therefore, I think for a Sentinel the answer is a killer, straight to the point Sales Page.
A Sales page doesn’t leave it up to the visitor to have to navigate through a ton of pages on a directionless journey that puts them in control, a sales page puts you in control. With an effective sales page, you have the power to show your visitors all the information that you know will convert them in a matter of seconds. And the chances are if they’re your dream clients, they have things in common with you which mean they’d rather invest in products or services that speak for themselves and don’t need to persuade them (and they’ll appreciate the speed of the process, too!)
A funnel model (Sales Page) is a tried and tested method with proven success, and Diplomats can rest assured knowing that their business is following a method they know works.
With a Sales Page Template like the one above (which is available on my store!) you can customize it however you like (with any colors, logos and images you want that resonate with you) to build a brand you both love and you know will convert, because with an effective template the business side is done for you.
These are two of my most stylish yet highly converting Sales pages (they’re best selling for a reason, because they WORK.) Kayla Skye and Boujee Deluxe, which will satisfy any Sentinel’s craving for a beautifully designed website that has unbelievable selling power they can trust. (Buy them here!)
The Explorers (SP)
The Explorer family consists of: ISTPs (Craftsmen), ISPF (Composers), ESTPs (Dynamos) and ESFPs (Entertainers). These personality types are the true trendsetters: The experimenters who want to do things differently, and who above all else want to be happy and fulfilled in the present! They’re adaptable to change, and thrive whilst taking risks and trying new things.
Ever met somebody with ‘golden retriever energy’? The chances are, they’re an Explorer personality! Moreso than any other personality group, whilst they still care deeply about others (especially making them happy!) explorers have to feel like they’re living life authentically and as an individual for their needs to feel met. Even the introverts of this family are measurably outgoing, and want to spread joy and inspire others to live uniquely.
…And oh boy, is Explorer branding fun.
Explorers shouldn’t be settling for any less than brand and web design that’s vivid, colorful, experimental. The goal should be to make your audience think “I don’t know why they’ve chosen to use this color, but I want to know”. I recently handpicked 5 bold, fresh color palettes that I think explorers would love and wrote an Instagram post about it, which you can find here!
For font picks, explorers will resonate most with non-conventional serif fonts, however I would recommend investing in a font rather than using a pre-loaded font that comes with Canva, because they either won’t feel serif ‘enough’, be too over the top or the perfect balance but already overused. One of my top recommendations for places to purchase fonts is Creative Market, because they’re unique and affordable.
When building a website, Explorers should not only consider the aesthetic but also the text content, because as much as they love visuals they also love to tell stories. If you’re an Explorer, you want to invest in a website template which allows you to take your visitors on a journey, where they can learn all about you and the stories that lead you to be such a unique person that will inspire them. I’d suggest a softer selling approach, which is based more around creating persuasive stories and scenarios for your potential clients to indulge in, rather than hard-selling with a Sales Page. This will make an Explorer feel much more aligned!
There is also the chance that for the most passionate Sentinels, a template just might not cut it. Even with an infinite number of ways you can fully customize a template to make it your own (and I do mean infinite, and I urge you to check out my other blog posts and resources before you decide templates aren’t for you!) you might benefit more from investing in custom branding – which I’d also love to help with! – so you can really feel like your uniqueness is shining and you’re in a league of your own.
Aren’t quite ready to invest in a custom branding package right now? My two boldest, most daring templates Bright Studio and Lavender Moon have the perfect mix of style and uniqueness that drive Explorer types crazy. You can buy them here!)
And there you have it… My guide to how to brand and design your website based on Myers Briggs Personality types.
This was such a fun topic to dive into! I hope that this blog post has been as much of a “What the heck, I needed this!!” revelation for you as it has been for me.
Learning about my Myers Briggs Personality has helped me feel so much more fulfilled in both my life and my business with the small changes I’ve made after understanding more about what I deeply and genuinely want, rather than what society has told me I should want. It’s helped me to build a brand and presence I’m proud of and excited to show up for every day, that I know I’d fight tooth and nail for for the rest of my life to keep the money rolling in!
Never underestimate the power of what design and branding *really* is – It’s not just a reflection of things we’re selling, but who we are and want to be.
To explore all of the Showit templates in this post and over 15 more best-selling templates for Showit websites and Canva templates for Instagram, click here to visit my shop! And for more design-lead knowledge and inspiration, Sign up for my email list (And I’ll send you a free template as a thank-you gift, too!) and follow me on Instagram.)
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