If you're anything like me, you'll open up your Facebook and be flooded with 1 million posts and ads on the latest marketing fad that 'sky rocketed' someones business, got them earning 6 figures, and that 'YOU TOO can employ'.
We're not into schemes and tactics here but we are into communications and marketing, and we're here to share some of our knowledge with you for free, with no strings attached. We can promise you this though: This isn't going to make you 6 figures overnight sorry. Straight up. But what it will do, is grow you an engaged, loyal audience, which will in turn help you to create a sustainable business.
Ready for the secret? YOU are your biggest marketing asset.
You: "Who me?"
Us: "Yes you!"
You: "Couldn't be"
Us: "Then WHO, stole the cookie from the cookie jar?" - okay we went a bit far with that (I hope people get the reference there or that will just be weird...)
Anyway - let's get to the point.
1) Most marketplaces these days are flooded; there's a product to suit most needs, and more than likely products at multiple price points to suit that need, targeting every possible demographic.
2) We are bombarded with millions of marketing messages on a daily basis; from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep we're being advertised to in one way or another.
3) Us humans are quickly catching on to the fact that not all these ads are really reflective of the product or service they advertise - case in point, who's seen an ad for a certain Warrant of Fitness testing station lately where the staff are happy as can be, dancing around and signing about being super helpful to get you and your car on the road - now compare to your latest experience with said vehicle testing station...was there singing and gleeful happiness in that experience... point made.
4) Starting a brand and business, and being your brand/businesses media outlet is now easier than ever with the availability of website building platforms and access to social media.
The four points above have lead to a super wonderful trend change in the marketing and communications space - instead of bright and flashy lights, humans want to see the REAL people behind a business. More and more people are leaning towards going local, trusting people rather than shiny brands, and are choosing to purchase from humans LIKE THEMSELVES. This is epic news for you my friend, because it means that YOU are your biggest marketing asset, and that your magic is in simply being yourself and communicating yourself to your audience! You: "Okay how do I do that exactly?"
Us: "By becoming more personal with your branding and marketing."
1) Showing the person behind your brand is a really great start - Maybe it's time to post that cute family photo you took on holiday recently and to introduce 'your gang' to your customers and followers. Chances are many of your customers also have families and will really relate to this content.
2) Telling your story and communicating your why. As you're competing for market space with a heap of other brands who are all shouting their product or services benefits from the rooftops to attract customers, rather than trying to yell louder than your competitors, try building stronger relationships with clients by appealing to them on a values based level. One of the best ways to do this is to tell your business story and talk about why you do what you do - chances are, in explaining who you are and what you stand for, your customers you want to attract are going to share some similarities and build some 'brand love'.
3) Doing the above on video is where the magic is at. Video provides so much more context than just words and photos on social media - and because of that, video is a very HONEST platform. We gather information from not only what people say, but how they say it, their accent, the way they speak, and even the gestures they use. This kind of information is unspoken and can only be 'seen' either in person or on video - this means you can create an emotional connection with your audience before even meeting them in person. More and more people are wanting to 'know' a business before doing business with them, and with video being so information rich, it really reduces the 'unknown'.
There you have it team - start utilising yourself in your branding and marketing, get honest with your content, and start building long lasting relationships with like-minded humans!
