5 things an entrepreneur needs to know about branding to create a marketing strategy that works

Stop wasting your marketing budget!

We’ve all done it: setting up a new social media account or shelling out for new flyers without really thinking about how that marketing activity will fit into a larger plan. So we wonder why it doesn’t work.

The thing is, if you’re creating marketing communications and marketing without a plan, you’re better off throwing your money away. Yes, there is a chance that some of them will find your ideal client, but it is only a possibility. With a brand-based marketing strategy built to target your ideal customers in the most appropriate way (for them AND for you), you have an infinitely higher hit rate and a much better return on your investment.

So what do you do to create a marketing plan that you can put into action, confident that your money has been well spent and that you’re getting the return you want?

Here are the 5 most important pieces of advice I give my clients:

1: Know what you do.

I know it sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many companies can’t clearly communicate what they do, for whom, and why. So take some time to clarify exactly what service your business provides to your customers, what problem it solves for them, and how it improves their lives.

Remember to focus on benefits rather than features, and if you get stuck on ‘features’ and can’t figure out what the benefits are, just ask the golden question: “So what?” Their one-day dry cleaning service is available from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm and has a booth at the local station. That is a feature. And that? So customers can drop off their clothes on the way to work and pick them up on the way home, so they don’t have to go out and waste valuable time on the weekend. THAT is a benefit.

2: Know who your target customers are.

Again, it’s an obvious question but not always an easy one to answer, especially if you’re in a business that could apply to anyone in any industry. Suppose you are a graphic designer: your service can help any company. That’s great, but it doesn’t help you determine who to target for the best chance of making a sale.

So who are the customers you really want? Maybe you have an area of ​​expertise in a particular industry, or enjoy working with other creatives. Perhaps your best customers are those who bring you repeat business because they need lots of new brochures and printed materials on a regular basis. Maybe you get a lot of interest from startups but don’t get a good return on your time, so maybe you need to start focusing on established businesses.

Think about exactly the kind of work you need to achieve your business goals and then you can plan backwards to who you want to target.

3: Know where those target customers are.

This one isn’t that easy, but if you hit number 2 and you know who you’re targeting, then you’re halfway there. You probably need to do some research, unless you’re really lucky and have an obvious way to reach those target customers. If you’re selling coffee from a mobile Piaggio van, then an obvious place to find those customers is at your local commuter station from 6am to 9am. But if you’re selling graphic design or business coaching, it’s not so easy to determine where your customers will be. ideal clients.

If you can’t find these people at work, think about what these people need, where they go, what they read, what they do in their spare time. You might be able to group them geographically, you might be able to think laterally and group them by demographics and likely hobby (middle-class men over 35? Going to the local golf club, gym, tennis club, or bike shop on a Saturday).

Think of other business services they use and build a network of alliances that can refer you to their clients. Then think about the right marketing mediums to attract those people. Entrepreneurs over the age of 50 are unlikely to be on Facebook, but more likely to be on LinkedIn.

4: Know what you stand for and how you are different from the competition.

If you haven’t solved this, STOP THE MARKETING PLAN!

The best part of my job is helping clients understand what is uniquely brilliant about their business and using it to position themselves in the marketplace. No matter how difficult it is for you to identify your brand identity, you have a unique package of skills, experience, values, personality, approach and a particular way of doing things that no other company has.

This is your authentic brand, and this is the secret of your success. Identify this and everything else will follow: you will know how to brand yourself, how to communicate with your target customers and exactly what marketing strategies and tactics are consistent with your brand positioning.

A great branding strategy is the key to a great marketing strategy, and it all comes down to what makes you different, special, and authentic.

Not sure what your real appeal is? Email me and I’ll help you identify it with one of my branding and marketing coaching packages.

5: Know what you do best: marketing that plays to your strengths.

If I had a pound for every client told by a marketing consultant that they ‘need to blog’, I’d be a rich woman. Let’s get this straight: If you want to authentically build and grow your business, and you hate writing, there’s no point in starting a blog. Why? Because a) it won’t be very good and b) you won’t enjoy doing it, so after a short burst of activity, you’ll give up.

There’s only one thing worse than not having a blog, and that’s having a really bad blog that has two outdated posts from a year ago. So think about what you are good at and what you like to do; don’t force yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable or unhappy because you won’t do them right.

Play to your strengths. If you like meeting people, focus on networking. If you like public speaking, look for events where you can speak. If you like to write, then blog like crazy, write articles for online magazines, publish your work and your name. If you love technology and digital media, then Twitter to your heart’s content.

You don’t have to do anything, and contrary to what many marketing consultants will tell you, you DON’T have to do anything you hate.