I Know This Might Sound Crazy!

I know this may sound crazy, but I had a career in marketing for 13 years and it wasn't until I left that I fully understood what branding meant. After I was downsized (fired!), I went through a long period of trying to "find myself". Even though I knew I should stick to what I did best, just doing marketing didn't seem to be enough. Everybody was doing marketing! Somewhere, on some level! What was going to make my marketing services stand out? It wasn't until after attending several networking events that I realized not many people know how to market themselves (even entrepreneurs!). Nor do they realize the importance of marketing. Most people fall into what I call the "chotch-key trap". They believe that the more stuff they have to represent their company, the better marketers they are - that's just not the case. In fact, by doing that, you run the risk of sending multiple marketing messages and never reaching your target market. That's why building a brand is so important. Most entrepreneurs think that branding is only important for big companies, but how do you think they got to be a big company? Building a brand starts with 3 questions you must ask yourself:

1. What is the message I want to convey? Ask this of your self first and then your company. The two answers should relate to one another. For instance, if you want to be perceived as a celebrity stylist who's on the cutting edge of fashion, identify what unique quality you and your company can bring to your client.
2. What message are my clients/ customers getting from me? For this question, you really need to take personal inventory. Ask your clients/ customers for their honest feedback. Ask specific questions and ask them to give you specific examples. Once you get that feedback, compare it against what you do day-to-day in your business to get the message out. This may seem obvious to some, but what you do with that feedback makes all the difference in the success of your brand.
3. And finally, if those two answers are different, then you need to devise a strategic plan to get them on the same page. Whether you provide a product or service, your target audience should be able to spell out exactly the message you are trying to convey.

When venturing out on your own, building a brand is more important than ever. Spend the time and make the necessary investments.

Happy Branding!