We all have a passion in our hearts, a burning desire to change the world and influence others to be the best that they can possibly be in whatever they choose to do with their lives.
In order to get our message across we have to do it in such a way that people hear us and can visualize the end goal for themselves. No matter what industry you work in, this is true. I don’t care if you are trying to convince the Pope to run for President of the United States, you have to get your point across in such a way that he can visualize that goal for himself.
As an entrepreneur, your goal is not to try to convince EVERYONE of the worth of your product, service, or good. Don’t throw paint at the wall and expect it to stick. Trying to target everyone in the world with your marketing or branding is only setting yourself up for failure and wasting precious resources. Your goal is to target specifically those that will be receptive to your unique message.
1: Establish Your Message
People can relate to people that are real and are concrete in their message. No one wants to do business with a person or company that is wishy-washy. Establish the company goals and values from the jump before you even put out your first product or marketing campaign and never waiver from those values.
What do you actually do?
What do you provide? How are you different than your competitor?
Why should I choose your company and not someone else?
Customers value a company that has respect for itself and for its own values so stand strong even if that means that you don’t always close the sale. Put your values out there and the right customers will be drawn to you.
2: Be Who You Are
I read a post on Facebook the other day from a man that is wanting to start a business consulting firm because he was recently laid off from his job and is having trouble finding another job. Nothing wrong with that! In fact, I applaud him for wanting to chase a dream.
His post was about how he was trying to establish his “tagline” and he felt called to say that he “helps people to get shit done faster and more efficiently the first time instead of spinning their wheels.” But, he wasn’t sure if he should use “shit” or “stuff” so he was asking the group for feedback.
Here’s the thing… if you feel called to cuss in your branding then do it! Be yourself and your ideal clients or customers will resonate with you.
Who do you want to do business with?
What feels right for you?
Who are you and what do you stand for?
Think about this before you put yourself out there and don’t be afraid of rejection.
3: Be Consistent
Once you have your brand established, be consistent in the way you put yourself out there and how you are putting yourself out there. If your style is raw and edgy then use that, don’t be politically correct with some people and not with others. This is a surefire way to lose people and to lose yourself. Most people start a business to give themselves some sort of freedom to be themselves and do their own thing, so continue to believe in that!
Look at this photo... what do you think of when you see these brands? These are well known brands! And very recognizable brands, that's because they have worked tirelessly to establish their unique branding.
One mistake that I see made over and over again is an entrepreneur will try out a marketing message or even a product for a month or two and then switch everything up because they didn’t see the instant results that they thought they wanted.
Give it some time!
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your target audience may take some time to find you but they will never find you if you are never consistent. And if they find you and you change your entire branding then they will likely not want to work with you because you cant maintain consistency!
4: Connect With People
Why does anyone buy anything?
What makes them choose to spend their hard earned money on something?
Why do they go out looking to make a purchase in the first place?
Because they have a need or a want for the something that they are looking for! If you have a need for a new sofa then you go looking for a new sofa… that doesn’t mean that they are going to spend money on horse because they don’t want or need a horse!
Connect with your audience on a deeper level. Find out what they need and then find a way to connect with them to fill that need. Most newer salespeople can’t figure out how to close a sale for two reasons:
a. They didn’t connect with the buyer on what they actually needed so the person went in search of someone that would listen to them and meet their needs. OR
b. They never actually asked for the sale outright.. they just kinda maybe hinted at the fact that they were a salesperson and expected the potential buyer to throw money at them. Trust me, you have to actually ask for the sale in some way.
5: Actually Be Unique
It is not enough in the modern day and age of technology to say that you are unique. You have to actually BE UNIQUE!
What do you do differently from someone else in your industry?
How can you convey that to potential customers?
This entire post has been about creating a unique brand that will help you to stand out from the crowd because that is how you are going to make an impact and a real difference. Anyone can put a sign in their front yard saying that they can teach you how to get shit done like the example that I provided but why should I choose you and not the other Tom, Dick, and Harriets that are out there online?
Give me something different! Give me something that I hadn’t thought of before! And give me my money’s worth if I am going to invest in your idea or concept. Be unique and make me want to believe in you or I am not going to spend my hard earned money on you.
Sorry to be blunt, but that’s the truth! If you are the same as everyone else then I wont bother and neither will anyone else. Humans are emotional creatures so reach down inside people and touch them at their core if you expect them to open their wallet. And you do that by creating a brand that is unique and that they will remember.
And then you put your message out in a such a way that they will see it and remember it! They may not need your product or service or good right now but they will know who to look for when they do need it if you have done your job right. And if you didn’t do your job right then they will remember that too and go spend money with your competitor.
So, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and do things a little bit differently in order to be unique and different from the rest of the online entrepreneurs and marketers that are filling up the Internet already.
Brand yourself in such a way that people will want to support your vision or mission and will throw money at you just to be part of your process. Because those are the people that you want to surround yourself with and those are the people that you are creating your business for in the first place. Those are the hearts and minds that you want to touch.
I would love to hear your thoughts on building brands that are unique and innovative in order to find those that share your passion or can visualize your end goal!
Thanks for reading,
Ivy
The 
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