As we grow and change, so does our business. Sometimes change can seem scary, but it’s a totally normal part of expanding your business. How we do what we do and who we do it for may change, but our mission and values stay the same.
When I first started working for myself, most of my portfolio work was really corporate. I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it took a little time to replace my work with projects that would attract the kind of clients I wanted. So, when I started out, I branded myself as a general print and web designer. Now, I focus on creative entrepreneurs and providing services for branding, web design, and coaching.
If your business is growing and changing, but you feel you are attracting the wrong clients, have inaccurate web content, or you are not sure what step to take next, then you may have a branding illness.
Let’s identify the root of the symptoms with a Branding Check-Up list
1. Can you confidently and concisely tell people what you do and who you do it for?
This is also known as your elevator speech. When you meet people and tell them what you do are you telling them what you want to be hired for? If you are shyly telling them what you kind of do, what you do for money, and what you like to do, then you are sending a mixed message. How can they share your name to someone who needs your services, if they are not sure what that is. Why would someone want to hire you, if you don’t think you are amazing?
2. Do you have a website that converts visitors into customers?
There are two places you can look, your header and your services, to see if you are projecting a clear message and reeling people in or losing them with an unclear objective.
Can people look at your website and tell in .08 seconds (That’s how long you have to hook them!) what you do and how to hire you?
If people have to scroll through your site to see what you are about and how to contact you, guess what, they won’t. You have to have a clear positioning statement that says who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. That’s how you pull people in so you can tell them more and make a sale. What is the main thing you want people to do when they come to your website? That should be the focus of your home page.
Do your services read like the specials on a menu or the massive menu at the Cheesecake Factory?
Maybe you haven’t been to the Cheesecake Factory, but you have seen a menu so varied and so long that you eventually give up and just order something. Do you want your customers to feel frustrated, or do you want them to feel guided and confident they are looking at the best of the best like the specials menu? You want to pick your top services and promote these. These are the services that best serve your clients, align with what you want to be known for, and where you make the most money.
3. Do you have a consistent social media strategy, or do you post randomly because you don’t know what to say?
Your social media post should work together as pages to tell one larger story. Defining what story you want to tell is key. Go back to your brand foundations. Look at your values, mission, goals, and ethos. What can you share that supports your brand? Once you define what to share, stick with it. Build trust with your followers by being consistent in your message, posting regularly, and using images that have the look and feel.
Get your branding check-up worksheet here!
Let me write you a prescription!
I love working with creatives to help them get to the root of their business by defining their brand story, mission, values, and positioning statement. Once we have these basic elements, we move on to setting goals and knowing how to share content in order to meet those goals. Next, we can develop real strategies, including making social media easy. Finally, we match visual images to our content to create a cohesive message, look, and feel. What you really get is clear direction and confidence to market your business, instead of re-inventing the wheel and questioning everything when you need a graphic or make a post.
If you would like to work together you can contact me here and set up a time to get to know each other and talk about your business. You can also check out my DIY Branding Workbook For Creative Entrepreneurs. It walks you through my process of building a brand that feels like you and attracts your ideal clients step by step. You can download it here.
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