Does your brand stand OUT?
Despite all of the definitions of “branding” that are out there, essentially, a brand is that “thing” that makes you stand out against everyone else. It doesn’t mean that you’re the best, and it doesn’t mean that you no longer need traditional marketing, but it does mean that when you’re around, whether it’s in-person, online, or in-print, others “get it.” They understand what you do, your style and your unique ability.
One of the mistakes that a lot of business owners make it hopping on the bandwagon. They look at the outward signs of success for other businesses and falsely assume that imitating them will bring similar results. If you want guaranteed success I recommend that you start from the heart. By starting your communication from a point of passion you will attract the type of people that easily resonate with your brand.
When I first started in business I did exactly that. I didn’t know where to start, so I started where others did. I called up a few companies, had them to send me their brochures and marketing packages and tried to find out there prices… and then I did what they did. Little orphan Beatrice, all alone I was trying to compete on an unfair court.
You see, I was just one person, but I was comparing myself to companies that with a staff of twenty. How could I compete? I didn’t even get invited to pitch a proposal for the companies they were doing business with, yet I was trying to imitate their style and services as if they had a magic formula. You know what happened? Absolutely nothing. It failed, and it failed miserably and as a result I never had the business I envisioned.
Then I decided to take a break from the business and really figure out what was going on around me. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t “their” marketing or “their” connections that was making them successful. It was their voice. For a long time I was always having people come to me to work for them, and I had fun building their brands and they had great results. The problem with “my stuff” was that when it came to my own materials I was imitating, instead of doing what was working, which was within.
The moment I decided to look at my own unique abilities, and build everything else around it, my in-come skyrocketed. It was one of those “duh” moments. It wasn’t hard, it was just different. I learned that once I could show “what makes me so special” other people “got it”. Even if they didn’t resonate with me and become clients, they had enough clarity to let others know what I was up to.
And my brand began to rise up above the surface. Isn’t that what we all really want to do? I truly believe there is enough business to go around. We don’t need the “biggest” clients and we don’t need the “most” clients, we only need the right clients, and THAT is what branding strong will do.
To measure the strength of your brand, ask yourself these questions:
1) Do I clearly communicate my passion?
2) Is it easy for others to understand what I offer and why it’s different?
3) Do others recognize my brand from a distance?
4) Have I received passive referrals by word of mouth? These questions are a good indicator of how your brand is performing in the marketplace, but they’re only a start. Some brand assets to consider are your name, your niche, and your number.