I get it. All the online gurus are shouting about this one big thing that you need to help your business stand out online. Courses, workshops, masterclasses and cookie cutter solutions to help you achieve the nirvana of the online presence.
So, I want to start this post by saying that that’s not what I’ll be offering around here. If it was that easy and quick, we’d all be rolling in it and you wouldn’t be reading this because you’d be lying on a beach somewhere…
But, what I do want to tell you is that there is a way. There is a process you can go through and something you can learn about to apply to your business that really can help you attract the right people and repel the wrong ones, and this is by having a strong brand.
Note that when I say strong brand, I don’t mean a super colourful logo (although that can be a part of the puzzle) I’m talking about so much more than that.
Take the brands you know and love, for example. What do you love about them? I doubt that their logo is the thing that draws you in and has you coming back over and over again.
The brands that pull you in hook, line and sinker will be providing you with an experience. A feeling that you’re part of something and they will have somehow managed to create an emotional connection with you. And this is how having a strong brand can make all the difference in helping you stand out online.
And as you’ll know, in an increasingly noisy online world, being noticed by the right people is so important to help you grow a sustainable business. So how on earth do you do this
By having a strategy in place and a set of guidelines to ensure you’re staying true to your brand is the key. But what I’m not going to tell you is how my quick-fix solution will help you get to ‘Branding perfection’ in just a few easy steps. In reality, this is a process that will be completely unique to your business, your values, goals and ideal clients. One size fits all certainly does not apply when it comes to having a brand strategy and it involves some deep digging.
But where can you start?
Here are three tips for getting you started on your brand strategy and how they could change the game for you…
Identify your brand values
To identify your brand values, think about what is important to you when running your business and which of these things will be shared with your ideal clients. Is it fun, honesty, sustainability, family, style, trust, friendship, health? Think about this in the context of content you can put out there into the world to help you relate to your business and to you? Maybe you have already created content around your values without realising it. Try to identify 3-4 core brand values that will help you define your brand and how you connect with people on a deeper level.
Get clear on your big mission
Why are you doing what you do and what’s your big mission? Ok, this doesn’t have to be world- changing stuff. It might be something really simple. It’s important to share your mission with your audience to help your brand become more relatable to them. My big mission is ‘to help more women build a business they love’. Everything I do in my business revolves around this mission. Another great reason it’s important to identify what this mission is, is that it will help you keep going through the tough times when, quite honestly, you can’t remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Reconnect with who you want to serve
Do you know your ideal clients? Like, really know them? It’s important to dig so much deeper than just the demographics with this. Age, location, income level can be beneficial things to explore with your ideal clients and marketing to them, but really digging deep into what makes them tick is much more valuable. Do you know what keeps them up at night? What do they find irresistible? What are their dreams and aspirations? Connecting with your ideal clients on this level means you’ll build much stronger relationships with them and be able to connect with them on an emotional level.
And that’s where the magic happens. That’s when you can start to create, not just a surface level brand, but one that makes them feel something. And that’s what will really help you and your business stand out online.
Try considering these three tips when you’re creating content for your business and see how it makes a difference. And if you need more guidance on creating a strategy for your brand, I’m here. I take female business owners on a journey of discovery of their business, to help give them the clarity to show up and the confidence they need to shout from the rooftops about what they do. Let me help you fall back in love with your business.
