When you started your business you hired a brand strategist or attended a workshop. You dived into target market, messaging and purpose. But, that seems like years ago now and words like clarity, purpose & ideal client just seem like a couple of buzz words with no real value. It’s time to do a brand audit and make sure your business is still aligned with your purpose.
If you’ve done any kind of branding in the past then you know it has almost nothing to do with websites and logos. Branding is meant to help you answer one question above all else: What sets you apart? And, that happens to be a very complex question. Below a recap on how to make sure your brand is strong to keep a flow of constant cash coming in.
Note: If you are finding it incredibly hard to sell a service you have seen sold by others odds are your brand is not in alignment.
Bite Size Branding. It all starts with your ‘Why’. Yes, that buzz word you constantly hear Simon Sinek talk about. But it’s true, people don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it. Dig deep and get back in touch with your purpose. Why do you do the work you do? What do you find so frustrating in this world that you took it upon yourself to fix? What is your story? This above all else will be your distinction factor.
Keeping The Cash Flowing. It’s time to reassess your clients. Look back at your year or at least six months and start to pin point your market’s demographic. Get as specific as possible. Knowing you service women over 40 years old will be mildly helpful but being able to pin point women who are over 40 years old who have recently gone through a divorce or loss and want to feel healthy again is much easier to find. All of a sudden you know you need to be going to wellness events, have divorce lawyers as referral partners and attend at least one yoga class a month. So bite the bullet and get specific about your ideal client. If sales have been slow lately this might be a chance for you to explore new markets. Who else needs your service or product?
Consistency Is Key. Yes, it often involves having to turn away business but being consistent in what you offer and who you serve will help establish you as a specialist. And, that’s the exact position you want to be in. Don’t be scared to turn down a client if you feel they aren’t right for you. This will only help strengthen your brand and the prospect will respect you for your honesty - he might even recommend someone to you now that he knows how much integrity you have!
It’s a wrap! It’s time for the big audit. Review your website, marketing material and packages with your branding cap on. Are they all aligned with your purpose and target market? Do they properly highlight your talents? Are they appropriately built for your audience?
We’re raffling off 20 FREE branding audits with a Branding Specialist this week only to help you stay focused, profitable and distinct. To redeem a FREE branding audit email us at [email protected]. This offer expires September 15th 2014. No purchase necessary.
