Imagine you are walking along in a park one bright sunny day. You happen to look down and see an envelope, which you decide to pick up. It is very fine quality envelope with a logo and postage on the front of it. You think it is very impressive. To your amazement, the envelope has nothing written on the front, no recipient's name or address. And you can tell, on closer inspection, that the envelope is empty. This envelope is like most small business marketing activities. All the investment is spent on the vehicle or marketing strategy, represented here by a quality, stamped envelope. This is like buying advertising, creating web sites and brochures, Chamber memberships and having trade show booths. What is missing is a target market (address) and a message (letter inside the envelope). Who should get this envelope? What do you want them to know? In marketing terms, this missing piece is a unique and different brand message stating who your products or services are for, and why they need to purchase them from you. Without a unique brand message, you may as well throw your money out the window, because your marketing strategy is doing nothing for you. Not having a brand is like sending out sealed, stamped envelopes without addresses or anything inside. This is why so many small business owners find marketing expensive, difficult and a waste of time. If they just did Strategy #1, things wouldn't be this way. Strategy #1: Identify Your Brand Value A brand is the unique identity of a business. It's not just what we communicate; it includes all the impressions and beliefs your target audience has about who you are and what value you bring them. Well-branded businesses attract attention with clear, compelling, authentic messages. This can actually shorten the sales cycle, because prospects more quickly understand why they should do business with you. They also appreciate your value, so you can charge premium prices and expect both repeat business and referrals. No Brand? You're Not Alone. If your client attraction marketing strategies aren't working, you are not alone. Many business owners don̢۪t feel confident they know who their ideal clients are and how they were different from their competitors. A majority of business owners are wasting money on marketing strategy, sending out sealed, stamped envelopes without addresses or anything inside! Strategy #2: Your Edge in Any Economy: Brand Your Business Before you waste more money implementing strategies that deliver NO message, invest in identifying your brand. Here is what you need to do: 1. Develop a Vision of where your business is going, and the role your brand will play in getting it there. If you can describe what significance will look like, it will be a lot easier to build a bridge to it. After all what is success without significance! 2. Determine the alternatives to your brand. When people don't choose you, what do they choose? How, why, and for whom are you actually the better choice? 3. Define your target market. Exactly who needs what you offer and will find the most value in how it helps them? 4. Identify your specific point of difference or Unique Selling Proposition. In other words, what is your special or secret ingredient? Whatever you choose, it must be clear, compelling, authentic and consistently communicated. 5. Package your unique differences, verbally and visually. Here is where you create your audio logo, saying who you are for and what you do that no one else can do as well. Develop a look and feel for your brand, also: a logo, color scheme and visual style, imagery and a "voice" to use in your marketing materials and communications. 6. Select the marketing strategies you will use to deliver the message of your brand to your target market. Great ways to shout out your brand message include writing articles or speaking on related topics, networking, and blogging. 7. Promote your brand through all your "touch points." Every place your brand is seen or experienced by your target audience should be consistent with your core brand identity. Well-branded businesses attract more prospects with less effort, get superior, charge higher prices and enjoy more profitable and significant businesses. If creating your brand right now seems like a luxury you can't afford, consider the money you are currently throwing away on ineffective marketing strategies. Why wait any longer? So, How is Your Brand Doing? Stuff your envelope with a unique brand message that will differentiate your products and services, attract perfect clients and build the significant business of your dreams! Steven J. Beamanis the founder&principal; owner ofBCSG, LLC, a general business consultancy and coaching organization whose primary focus is independent professionals and small businesses. Steven helps businesses to determine the constraints that are causing them to become stagnant or unproductive. He also assists start-up businesses to determine the roadblocks or obstacles that they may not have perceived. He also guides organizations through the start-up process, rapid business growth, or a turnaround situation. He does this using his wealth of management experience gathered during his over 35 year career of managing a variety of business functions in both small and medium businesses. He has expertise in numerous types of businesses (for profit and non-profit).
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