The first step in branding your business
It may seem odd, but when we begin branding a business, we never begin with the business. We start by defining their market.
If the goal is to make yourself irresistible to your prospects, you have to start with your market!
Defining gender, age, and income level is a basic start, but to really understand your target, you’ve got to go through a day in their life to know how to communicate effectively to them.
What gets them out of bed in the morning? What keeps them awake at night? What are their pet peeves? What do they wish they had more time for? What do they dread?
When you understand the things that go on inside their head that they never talk about, that’s when they’ll take notice of what you have to say.
Because you’ll be saying all the things they’ve been thinking but were either too afraid to articulate or didn’t know how to articulate.
Start by identifying your top ten customers. Bring them in and survey them. Find commonalities they share. How did they learn about you? How do they prefer to learn about promotions? Find out what publications they read, what they listen to, what they watch on TV, what they surf online, if they read email, and even what routes they travel through town throughout the day. These are all questions that will help you learn the best way to communicate marketing messages to this group.
Then dig deeper by asking them what a particular day looks like for them. Go through their entire day from the moment they get up until their head hits the pillow. Ask what gets them out of bed each morning; what motivates them. Ask what challenges they face and how they overcome them. These questions will provide insight into how you can provide solutions and add value to their lives.
Once you’ve found the commonalities, you’ll have a road map of how to best serve your clients and prospects. Create a fictitious character of the ideal customer and assign characteristics. Train your staff about “Busy Betty” and how to best serve her.
Speaking the unspoken thoughts of your target market will help you cut through the noise and get noticed.
Branding: from invisible to irresistible
The complete five-step process is an exercise every growing business should go through. If you'd like to discuss your progress or get assistance, schedule a free discovery call.