We might think our businesses are unique. That we’re the only holistic health coach or stylist for corporate women out there. But realistically, whatever we’re doing, there will be hundreds of other people offering the same thing. So how do we set ourselves apart? How do we ‘win’ the business over our competitors? What’s our differentiator?
Your differentiator is YOU!
Most of us with online businesses have a personal brand. Whether or not we realise it. How our audience connects with us (or not!) has a big impact on our business.
A person will buy your product or service over your competitor, because they resonated with your story and like you more. It can be as simple as that. Some people will connect with you and others won’t and that’s fine. We can’t please all the people and we shouldn’t try, but we can delight a few!
How do we delight our target audience? By being ourselves and showing our personalities through our brands. By creating a brand that people are drawn to because they feel they know you, or can see themselves in parts of your brand.
One of the most important jobs you have is to be the face of your brand.
Personal branding is such an important factor in building and marketing your company.
Steps to building a personal brand
- Firstly, you need to dig deep and ask yourself these questions? Who are you? What are you passionate about? What’s the message you want to put out into the world? What makes you unique?
- You need to figure out what you want your brand to represent. To help this process it’s a good idea to create a Vision statement and a Mission statement. They can really help you gain clarity.
Then when you embody your vision and mission statements, you make it easy for people to understand the value your brand could have in their lives.. You have clarity and cohesiveness.
Brainstorm the attributes that your brand embodies (or that you want it to embody). Then embrace the top three and use them to steer all of your brand decisions. This will help shape how your brand will be perceived.
As a personal brand you are so entwined with your business, so it’s important to stay in alignment with your true self. This branding is embodied in everything from your logo to how you show up in person.
The more consistency you can bring to this, the more it will reinforce your brand.
Remember!
What do you stand for?
By connecting yourself to a message you help other people easily understand what your brand can offer.
Don’t try to be anyone else
It can be so hard to totally be yourself. Quite often we doubt our abilities and the value we have to offer. It can be really easy to latch onto what we see other people doing. Assuming they have it all figured out and then we try to fit into their version of how they want to show up.
Not fully being yourself will not help your ideal audience find you. You will be creating a business based on an untruth.
Lean into your weird
With the above point in mind, embrace your individuality. Don’t play down the characteristics that make you unique. But lean into your quirks and your weird. Your ideal audience/customers won’t find you if you’re busy hiding behind being someone else.
Be brave
Since the beginning of time the human race has had a negativity bias. This means we are primed to look for the negative (that helped us stay alive!). When faced with something which is scary but a great opportunity your brain tries to keep you safe. It will start to throw up all the excuses it can. ‘Maybe it’s not the best time’, ‘Maybe you need a little more experience’, ‘Maybe….’ you get the picture. It does this to keep you safe, playing small and feeling comfortable.
I know there are loads of quote about life beginning at the end of your comfort zone, but they’re there because it’s true. Great things were never achieved by anyone being safe.
To truly push your business to where it could be you need to leap and challenge this comfort zone. Take opportunities even if they scare the hell out of you, because that right there is where the magic happens.
Embody your brand
You are your brand and so it follows that you should appear like your brand. This could be subtle or it could be all in. The important thing is that how you’re showing up and the message you are trying to portray through your brand should be congruent. There would be a disconnect if you were bold and colourful online and showed up to an event like a librarian. People would be not to trust you or your brand.
If you’re a bold person, you need a bold brand, with bold graphics. Make sure your personality lives out into your brand, from the logo to your personal presentation to your tone and language used.
I want to leave you with some homework. Think of what you want your brand message to be? For me my Mission statement is as follows; ‘The Mamapreneur Revolution is determined to ignite significant change in mamas. We will provide them with the skills, resources and support they need to turn their brilliance into a business they love. By demystify strategies, providing no-fluff advice and by being their biggest cheerleader along the way, we will help them take back control of their lives.’ What about you? Then think of 5 core values which sum up your brand.
Do you think you’re truly being yourself in your business?
Comments 1
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