[This post contains video, click to play]
Talk to me
At its heart, marketing is a conversation you have with your prospective buyers about what you do, why you do it, who you serve, and why that all matters. The reason most marketing fails is that it’s too self-absorbed, too self-interested, to be interesting to the prospect. You have to put yourself in the shoes of your prospect by approaching this conversation from the standpoint of what they need and what they want and how your work can help them achieve those ends if you want to get through to them.
Breaking the ice
Print ads and commercials are ice breakers used to help get that conversation started. They should always feature a reason for the person listening, watching, or reading your ad to come to you. The giveaway must be something that your prospects will find valuable, something that is worth their time and effort to obtain. It should also be something that reminds them of you and the value you have to offer.
Tell me why it matters
Dale Carnegie is often quoted as saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It’s true. Your prospects need to know why your work matters to them. How is it going to help them with their own worries and concerns? How is it going to solve the problems they face? What is it going to do for them? Once you’ve answered those questions to the satisfaction of your listener, they’ll be more than ready to hear more about your work.
Preparing for that conversation
Building Your Brand helps you prepare yourself to have that conversation by answering those questions ahead of time. It helps you to think more about what your business does and why, who it is you want to serve so you can identify your ideal prospects and what you have to offer them, and why that all matters to more than just you. Plus, it helps you outline a rough plan for how you are going to make that difference so you can invite your prospects and buyers to be part of making it all happen.
Taking the next step
Once you’ve finished Building Your Brand, it’s time to position yourself where your ideal prospects are most likely to be. That’s why identifying your target audience is so important – until you know who it is you want to engage in conversation, it’s hard to pinpoint where their favorite places to hang out are likely to be.