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Category: Branding
Brand Storytelling Matters: Tips for A Powerful Story
Brand Storytelling Creates Connections
Stories create connections, which an essential part of doing business today. Businesses can no longer remain faceless entities and be successful. In order to survive a business needs to find a way to connect with its audience, in order to thrive they need to pull on heartstrings and engage at a much deeper level than ever before. If a business isn’t making an emotional connection between its brand and its audience then they risk failure.
This is where your brand story comes in. It gives your business a human touch. Your brand story should weave together facts and feelings. It should include your why. Why you do what you do and why you believe it matters. It should also tell your audience why they should care about what you do.
Selling the Universal Emotion Not the Product
I remember when I first started doing marketing work a mentor saying to me, you aren’t selling a mattress you are selling a good night’s sleep. I was very confused as he dropped this piece of wisdom on my head and walked away because I wasn’t selling mattresses I was selling books. But the more I did social media and marketing the more I understood you are not selling products you are selling the emotional connections and the universal feelings. Nobody knows how your mattress feels, but everyone knows the amazing feeling of waking up feeling revived after a good nights sleep.
Be Heard in the Crowded Marketplace
Great brand storytelling allows you to be heard in a crowded marketplace. Now more than ever there are more people making things, and offering services. The marketplace is overcrowded. Some products and services are even great. So what makes you different? Why do I choose you and not your competition? How do you stand out? Your brand story is how you stand out.
Brand Storytelling is Powerful
When crafting your brand story think about what you want your business to be known for. When everything else is said and done what do you want people to say when they think about your business? What is the single most important message you want to deliver? Once you have that message in mind figure out a way to wrap that message into a story that your audience will connect with and you are now on the road to having a brand story that will connect.
Your story is the most powerful and flexible tool in your toolbelt. It should act as a compass that guides your business in all that you do.
Aspects of a Powerful Brand Story
So what are some things necessary to have a powerful brand story? That’s the thing with storytelling, it is not an exact science and there is not an exact formula. But we all know a good story when we hear a good story. So in my effort to figure out some things needed for a good story, I watched a lot of Ted Talks and searched around the internet for great sites on storytelling like echostories.com. I discovered great nuggets of wisdom, things that many of us already believe to be true. Unfortunately, I did not discover the silver bullet… the surefire way to have a story that connects with your audience. So since I can’t give you that yet here are a few tips.
Get Emotional
Inject emotion into your presentation with stories. The objective of a story is to make your audience feel something. Happy, Sad, distraught, hopeful. It doesn’t matter what emotion the story brings about per se as the emotion creates a connection. Tell the story of how your product saved a life, the story of how your business gave you a purpose, that great story about how you helped a mother connect with an estranged child. Take this commercial for example…
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Did You Feel Something?
No matter how you feel on the issue, I guarantee that ad for Verizon (btw) made you feel something. It injected emotion into its advertisement and that emotion made for a powerful commercial and made you feel some kind of way. Verizon is saying in this commercial that part of its brand story is the power of communication to bring people together. That love can always call back using Verizon phone service. The beauty of this for Verizon, is they didn’t even have to spell out the connection. By simply having the Verizon logo at the end of that spot creates the connection the emotions you felt there are tied to Verizon, and you want to go connect or reconnect with somebody using a Verizon phone! Yes, it just as easily could have been Sprint or Metro PCS but it wasn’t.
Make A Connection with Your Audience
The other thing that made the Verizon advertisement so powerful is the connection that they made with the audience. The story they are telling is aimed at those celebrating Pride in the month of June. It was created in partnership with PFLAG, a National organization that unities families and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. They knew their audience. They knew that many people who identify as LGBTQ have struggled with coming out in their lives. This struggle is universal in the community so they were able to connect with the audience by being aware of, and sensitive to this universal truth. As a business, be aware of your audience and your followers. Is your brand story or aspect of a brand story something that they will connect with? If it is not, should it be part of your story?
At First This Then That
Change is a fundamental portion of a story including your brand story. At first, this was the truth, that is why our founder created (brand name) and now this is the truth. Apple is famous for using this in its story and in presentations. This is computing now, but with this brand new Mac we have challenged the status quo and this is what computing will look like! And those of you who are like me and want things to be easier, newer, better, and not the status quo eat it up. This then that creates suspense and excitement, both emotions and emotions create connections. And if you watch a lot of Apple product reveals you notice that they draw out the suspense to the point where your body is physically reacting to it. Ah the beauty of storytelling… when listening to a good story your body reacts like it is there and it releases hormones and endorphins. You are literally feeling the emotions and it does not matter that it is a new computer that has nothing to do with it, the feeling is what matters.
Don’t Forget Your Why
A key aspect of your brand story is your why. Why is it that you do what you do and why should your audience care? You need to wrap these into that emotional story to create the connection between the product/service, the emotions, and your overall brand. The why is not to make a profit, as Simon Sinek says that is just a result. The why is… why do you get out of the bed in the morning? What is it about your business or work that gets you excited? Why is your business special? That is what will connect with people and make your brand story special. I can’t tell you what your why is… you need to dig deep for that. Just remember that your story is the most amazing thing about you and your business so don’t be afraid to say what you believe. Highlight your values. And create a brand story that is awesome and will connect with your audience and beyond.[
Simon Sinek Start With The Why
JTNDZGl2JTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJtYXgtd2lkdGglM0E4NTRweCUyMiUzRSUzQ2RpdiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIycG9zaXRpb24lM0FyZWxhdGl2ZSUzQmhlaWdodCUzQTAlM0JwYWRkaW5nLWJvdHRvbSUzQTU2LjI1JTI1JTIyJTNFJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZlbWJlZC50ZWQuY29tJTJGdGFsa3MlMkZzaW1vbl9zaW5la19ob3dfZ3JlYXRfbGVhZGVyc19pbnNwaXJlX2FjdGlvbiUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyODU0JTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyNDgwJTIyJTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJwb3NpdGlvbiUzQWFic29sdXRlJTNCbGVmdCUzQTAlM0J0b3AlM0EwJTNCd2lkdGglM0ExMDAlMjUlM0JoZWlnaHQlM0ExMDAlMjUlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBzY3JvbGxpbmclM0QlMjJubyUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRQ==I hope these tips help as you begin to work on your story and make brand storytelling a hard skill in your business. If you need help with any of this check out some of our other resources or contact Jonathan at jhoward@jrhgraphics.com.
May we also recommend taking a look at this blog post.
Your Brand Is Not This… Discover the Key to Branding
Brand is Not
… your colors, it is not your logo. The business does not control it. These things are all part of your identity, and while they may speak to your brand, they are not your brand. Your audience defines your brand. It is an emotional response to your business that includes sights, sounds, tastes, and past experiences.
In the following video, Jonathan Howard, the owner of JRH Graphics, discusses how a company can impact its brand, how every single interaction with a sales associate, or operator, or online service bot can influence the customer’s perception of your company. He also reminds people that it is incredibly important to believe in your brand. Make sure that everything you put out to your audience is representative of the values you think are essential. Be unabashedly true to your beliefs; don’t water them down to appeal to the masses. A company that aims to please all people ends up pleasing nobody.
Differentiators
The idea behind differentiators is also discussed in this video. A brand is what makes someone choose you over another company. So what is it that makes you different? Why would somebody decide to use you instead of another company? Branding is the art of differentiation, and if you don’t stand out, you aren’t going to win. For more on differentiation and how to win with your unique values, check out this blog post.
What is the Key?
The key is to find out what makes you different and find an audience that values those differences. Once you have discovered that audience, begin engaging them and providing solutions to the problems that they are facing. Keep your audience in mind whenever you are launching a program, product, or service offering.JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGWW5CcXd1UDlhTkUlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==
Your Weird: 3 Steps to Help You Win With A Unique Brand
If You Are Not Weird You Fail
Did you know that 50% of businesses started do not make it to celebrate the fifth year in business? One of the largest contributing factors of failure for these businesses is an inability to differentiate from the pack.
Many businesses feel that in order to be successful you need to be everything to everybody. However, the exact opposite is true. To see success in today’s business environment you need to tell people why you are different and align yourself with those that appreciate those differences. Or as I like to say, “what is your weird?” If you embrace your weird and showcase your weird, you will be able to win with your weird. It is really just remembering a few of the basics or branding and marketing.
Believe me, I am weird I should know
Embracing Your Weird
The first step of differentiation is figuring out what makes you different than all the other companies out in the marketplace and embracing those differences. Did you create this business to fill a void? Do you serve a specific section of the marketplace? The answers to questions like this are all essential parts of your company story and can be a differentiator. A differentiator can be anything that you think is important to your company, that other companies in your realm do not offer or deliver. A differentiator is what will make someone choose you over another company, it is what makes you stand out. I call this part of the process, “embracing your weird!”
Some Ways Businesses are Weird
Below is a list of some differentiators, do one or more of them apply to your business? This list is not complete, a differentiator is whatever you honestly believe you do differently that impacts your customers or clients.
- Deliver exceptional customer service, every single day by exceeding customer expectations
- Make solving customer problems a keystone of your business
- Focus on a very narrow part of the customer base
- Do business differently i.e. always accept returns or charge a flat rate for services
- Offer something up for free or a low price that makes a huge difference
- Focus on your culture and what makes it different i.e. at JRH Graphics we like it if you are a bit weird but love it when you are completely off-the-wall weird
- Focus on social media and make it so good people can’t forget you (think Warby Parker)
- Surprise and delight your customers
- Be Weird. Be So Weird People Notice You. Don’t Be Too Weird that they only remember the weirdness
Don’t Hide Your Weird
Whatever it is that makes you unique is your weird. Don’t shy away from your weirdness or try to hide it because you are afraid that these differences are weaknesses. These differences are the key to making connections with potential customers, they are essential for standing out in a crowded marketplace, and they could be a reason you make it to year six in business when half of your fellow business owners will not.
So you have embraced a few things that are weird and you have integrated them into your company story. You even discuss them as part of the unique culture of your company… now what?
Showcasing Your Weird
The next step is to showcase your weirdness. This is probably the trickiest of the steps when you begin because it is easy to confuse people if you are not sending a consistent message or bouncing around in how you are telling your story. The best way to properly showcase your weird is to tie your differentiators into what you are doing every day and what you are posting every day. And the best way to do this is by planning what you will be doing and posting well in advance. Make sure that what you are doing and posting ties into your goals and brand story.
Tips for Showcasing Your Weird
- Make sure every single person that represents your business inside and outside the company understands and represents the company story and company culture.
- Tell the same story but don’t use the same examples. People will get tired of them and it shows that maybe what you are doing every day does not align with the story you are telling. If it did new examples would be easy to find.
- Make sure that you are showing your brand in a similar and recognizable way across all of your social media profiles for your business. If I stumble upon your social media presence on Twitter and want to find you on Facebook I should be able to tell instantly what profile is yours when I search.
- A key to showcasing your weird is making sure that people know who you are and are engaging with you. In order to accomplish this on social media, you need to be creating engaging content and posting regularly. If you need help deciding on some things to post please check out my 9 Types of Posts Every Business Should Try blog post.
- Make sure that who you are online matches who you are/what your business is in real life.
- Begin looking for and working with other businesses that share your weird. Collaboration is Key afterall!
Sharing the Weird
So number 6 above is kind of a “pro tip” but here is an example of how it would work.
Say you are a career specialist who helps people discover what the next step in their career should be. You believe that having a complete online profile such as LinkedIn with a fresh headshot that captures their true essence and a winning story that showcases accomplishments helps them stand out in the crowded job market. In order to help your clients accomplish this, you begin working with a headshot photographer who is amazing at letting a person’s personality shine through the photo. You later discover a social media specialist who helps your clients craft winning stories to include on LinkedIn. As you continue to work together the three of you are all showcasing your business strengths to multiple clients and your ability to work closely with other businesses in your field becomes another one of your differentiators.
Winning With Your Weird
You have embraced your weird. You are showcasing your weird. So how do you know when you are winning with your weird? Don’t we all wish that there was a clear and concise answer to this! I can’t provide one but I can say that when you start to embrace your weird and showcase your weird and it is connecting with others you will notice some things like more meaningful comments on your social media. More people writing reviews of your business because your business fills a specific need in the marketplace. You will see additional referrals from other businesses you have worked with in the past. More of your ideal clients and customers will be seeking you out. Overall, you should see an increase in your sales and a decrease in the money that you need to put in to close each sale.
Signs that A Company is Winning With Their Weird
- They have a powerful and defined identity. They boldly proclaim what they believe and they stand by those beliefs even when tested.
- Winning companies have identified an audience or audiences that will engage with their weird. They are targeting this specific audience where they live, with content that has proven to engage them.
- Winning companies are passionate about what they do and they let it show in everything.
- Honest with what they can and can not deliver for a client. They know their limits and are not afraid of losing some business because a client wants something that is outside of their wheelhouse.
- Backs up claims with tangible actions and results.
- Put their clients/customers interest ahead of revenue.
- Accessible and real. They demonstrate the true meaning of authenticity.
- Understand the value of consistency. Always live up to clear expectations.
- Collaborate with other brands that share their values, potentially multiplying the customer base they have access to with the collaboration
A Weird Conclusion
Keep in mind that a winning brand has a proven track record and is a trusted member of the marketplace. They embrace the winning characteristics listed above in all that they do and they showcase them throughout their company. A new company cannot be winning until they have proven itself. However, it is important for a new company to make sure that they are embracing their weird and showcasing their weirdness right out of the gate. They should include the key aspects of their weird in their brand story to put them on the fast track to winning with their weird!
Defining a Roadmap for Your Business: Creating a Plan That Works for You
Defining a Roadmap for Your Business
Are you in the process of defining a Roadmap for your business. Are you hoping to create a plan that works for you? First things first… Quick, name a benefit of owning your own business…
- Getting to be your own boss
- Working from home on your schedule
- You pick the projects you want to work on
- Deciding who you want to work with
Are these at the top of your list? They are at the top of mine and many other entrepreneurs. It is why we have decided to go into business for ourselves. The independence is wonderful, we get to decide on the path we take and we can define the values of our company.
Creating A Plan that Works for You
However, when I talk with other business owners or some of my clients that are starting out they are always (many times inadvertently) trying to force their business to fit into the plans of another business. Or trying to follow the roadmap that their friend followed when starting their successful business. Why?
Create a plan that works for you! Decide on what is most important to you, what you want to be known for. Imagine what your ideal day would look like and build a plan that takes these things into account. Map out a plan that accounts for your passions. The plan should highlight your strengths and minimize the impact of your weaknesses. When I am working with clients to begin creating a roadmap for their business I have a series of questions I ask them, like the ones below. They are aimed at helping the client figure out what the right direction is for them as they begin their business endeavor. If you are at this stage or even revisiting your roadmap take a look at some of the questions below and answer them honestly.
Defining The Mission of Your Business
For what do you want to be known?
What types of projects do you wish to work on?
Which aspect of your business inspires you the most?
What is your bread and butter service/item?
How will you bring clients and customers in the door?
Once you get them in the door how do you plan on selling them the bread and butter item/service?
Defining Your Clients
Who is your ideal client?
What makes them your ideal client?
Do you know where your ideal client works?
This ideal client currently purchases goods and services from what business?
Where are you likely to meet your ideal client/customer?
Setting Priorities and Defining Goals
What is your number one priority?
What do you wish to accomplish in 3 months? 6 months? 9 months?
Define your key differentiators… What sets you apart from others in your field?
Define a win in your own words. What does a win look like for you ?
How much time do you think it will take to reach your goals?
Can you dedicate an appropriate amount of time to reaching your goals every week?
What limits do you have on your time?
Do you think you are working on things now that are not helping you reach your goals? Can these be eliminated?
Past Experiences and Lessons Learned
What are some of the experiences you have had in the past that you can draw on to build your success?
What mistakes have you made in the past?
Think about the lessons you have you learned from these mistakes?
What is something you have told to past employees/coworkers that you can use yourself now?
Think back to the interview question…
Talk about a time when you had to overcome diversity in the workplace, what was the situation and what did you learn in the end? Answer this honestly.
What is one of the hardest lessons you have had to learn in business?
Strengths and Weaknesses
Describe your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
The thing that excites you about your business most?
What terrifies you?
The tasks in your business play to your strengths?
Do you have a plan to minimize the impact of your weaknesses?
Obstacles
The obstacles do you foresee?
What plans can you make now to help you overcome these obstacles?
When obstacles present themselves how will you react?
How will you prevent obstacles from throwing you off course?
Can you take these obstacles into account as you build your roadmap?
Building and Activating your Network
Who in your area would you most like to work?
What do they bring to your business?
Who do you already know that could help you build a successful business?
How often do you talk with those already in your network?
How are you planning to expand your network?
What connections do you hope to make?
Name some ideal jobs the people you want to meet will hold?
Are you willing to network with others who do not possess these job titles?
What activities will you engage in to maintain your network?
Are networking events part of your strategy?
After you have reviewed these questions and answered them honestly you will have a better idea of the specific needs you have for your business. Then you can begin to plan what your specific roadmap looks like. If you still need help putting it together, please reach out to us here at JRH Graphics.
If you would like this blog in the form of a worksheet to work on, grab your free copy of it in the store under social media tools.
Mini Brand Profile: An Interview or Two with Jonathan Howard
Over the past couple of week’s, I have been asked by a couple online Facebook groups I am a member of to complete a Mini Brand Profile. These are really just some basic who am I, what do I do to let people know about my business and a bit about me. So here I am combining these two mini brand profiles to give you a bit of a deeper look at what I am about and what my business does. So here is the JRH Graphics Mini Brand Profile. I hope it gives you a deeper look into me and my crazy. If you have any questions of your own feel free to ask in comments. So, here we go…
A Mini Brand Profile: JRH Graphics
Who are you and what is your business / what do you do?
Well, let’s start from the top, my name is Jonathan Howard. I am a business consultant, social media manager, photographer, graphic designer and lead content creator at JRH Graphics. So as they say in business I am a Jack of all Trades and Master of None.
I started my company, JRH Graphics about a year ago and we provide business consulting services as well as social media management, graphic design, and photography to small businesses in Washington DC. Our goal is to help businesses get the most out of the efforts they put into social media by helping them build campaigns that will educate and entertain their followers (edutain as I say).
What We Do
We help create the content and make sure that your brand is set up to support the business that will be created with that content. Having close to 20 years of management experience. Plus 10 years of social media experience gives me the skill set necessary to build campaigns that highlight the strengths of a business while telling their unique and winning story. The power of social media is most visible when a brand can tell their story in a way that connects with its followers. Capture the hearts of followers and you will be able to build a loyal customer base. Stories connect and create relationships, and relationships sell and sell and sell.
How long have you done what you do?
I could answer this by saying one of two things, not very long or forever. I started my business over a year ago after leaving my 18-year retail management career with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers. BNC is a company that was founded on the idea of building relationships that transcend transactions.
Our goal was to create a campus community in and around our stores. It was a company that allowed managers to innovate and reinvent the role of the campus bookstore based on each school’s needs. As a store manager, I was allowed to do what was right for my store which provided me a lot of wiggle room to be a rebel with a cause. A role that I definitely enjoyed and still fill in my own business.
My community, students, and campus were my number one priority. We engaged our customers by listening to what they needed. Then we would find a solution. Our job was one of a storyteller, a facilitator and campus partner.
We Should All Tell Our Story
I am a storyteller now, that is my main job. I am a partner to my clients and I help them effectively tell their story. Social media is the platform I utilize to tell it but the idea is still the same. I help people tell a story in a way that engages followers. Stories have a way of transcending transactions and building long-term connections. Followers may not need your services now, but they will think of you when you do.
What got you into it?
Working at college bookstores my team became intimately familiar with social media from the moment it began impacting the way students would engage and shop. I was lucky enough to work for a company that adopted social media as a way to engage our customers early on. They provided us with key insight and allowed us to control our social media platforms ensuring that the content was “hyperlocal.” Some things we did were successful, other times we failed miserably but we got up brushed ourselves off and tried something new. We figured a lot out and we kept learning.
The impact of social media on traffic and engagement with our community was shocking to me. I wanted to know more so I began to take classes and read all I could find online about businesses using social media effectively. I also read a lot of stuff on millennials and how they engaged with businesses. The more I learned the more I knew I could make a difference helping businesses utilize social media correctly.
The Oh Sh!t Moment
My decision to leave my 18-year career happened about 2 years before I thought I would make that decision. It happened quick but the time was right. I was terrified.
Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.
Can you share with us a time where you struggled and persevered?
Perseverance is a mandatory quality for an entrepreneur. If it is not a quality you possess you will fail. I jokingly say, “the struggle is real,” but it is true when you own and operate your own business you struggle daily. But can also celebrate your wins daily. Wins that are real and directly impact you.
When I left my career, every day was uncertain. I left on a Tuesday and I had a couple options… stay in bed and mourn my loss for a week or so or get up and do something. Wednesday I was applying for my business license. By Friday I had my first meeting with a potential client. Every day since then I have been working to make something out of my business and my ideas. I believe I have a good idea here. I know I can offer value to businesses that choose to work with me. The businesses I have worked with have seen a greater reach, and have felt an impact on sales.
A Year In: Well, I Am Writing A Mini Brand Profile
Now a year into my journey, I still struggle. But I still learn every day as well. I think the ability to learn and adapt is the flip side of the perseverance coin. You are going to struggle and you need to persevere. In each of these struggles, you must find lessons and learn from them. If you fail to learn from them you will continuously face the same struggles. In my humble opinion; failure to learn daily is a failure in life.
So tell us some things we wouldn’t know…
So yeah, I guess I did a decent job telling my business story but I didn’t focus on the real me. If I was one of my clients we would have had a point in our weekly conversation where I reminded them that a glimpse into what makes you tick is essential. It’s an aspect of your story that builds a connection with your followers. So here we go…
Things You May Not Know Part of the Mini Brand Profile
I’m 37ish-year-old social media geek who loves what he does. Definitely bit of a goober, bit of a smartass, and a lot of a rabble-rouser. I learn all the rules and I like to find innovative ways to break them. I’ve been known to speak my mind with nothing held back. But I do it to make you better. My public persona pretends to have no feelings but in reality, I have all of them!
I live in Washington DC with my two puggle pups, Max and Ryder. These two have so much personality and stubbornness it can be hard to manage. But they love their Dad more then I will ever understand.
My escape from my work has unexpectedly become another job for me but I still love to take my camera out and photograph the city. These images are the basis for my Instagram feed which highlights the photography manipulation side of what I do that I barely spoke about here.
I have an amazingly supportive extended family that lives in Upstate New York and a younger sister who is getting married this year.
More Random Info
I am a huge fan of P!nk and have watched her Truth About Love Tour a frightening number of times. I am also a big Billy Joel fan and on occasion, I can be heard blasting his greatest hits as loud as the speaker can go and singing along. Yes, I know all the words to We Didn’t Start the FIre.
What is something that you think you may take too seriously?
That’s the easiest one so far, branding and brand identity. I am a stickler for posts being representative of the brand. Everything you do as a business should be guided by brand, even your unscripted content. Because your brand is defined by an emotional reaction from your followers. It is not defined by the brand identity guidelines you live by internally. Your unscripted content has the potential to create a brand identity crisis if you don’t really believe in your brand and use it to guide those interactions. Like I said, take it too seriously.
What’s your best advice to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
If you have an idea. One that you truly believe in. Then it’s time to get out and do it. Period.
What’s your best advice to someone who just started as an entrepreneur?
Don’t look back with regret. Look back to see how far you have come and then forward to see where you want to be. It is going to be the greatest journey of your life and you are going to be terrified at times. Actually, you are gonna be terrified a lot.
Don’t forget that the struggles teach us lessons that are invaluable. Keep learning, keep doing, keep innovating and keep adapting. Your business doesn’t need to look the same as you planned it to look on paper. You may think there was one void that needed to be filled in the market but after a few months you notice that you are filling a different void. That is not failure that is a success. Maybe not the success you planned but who the hell cares a win is a win.
Keep racking up those wins.
If you don’t have (blank) you will never succeed as an entrepreneur?
If you don’t know how to interact and read people you won’t be successful. You need to be able to step back and watch people and there actions to see what they really need. Translating what people say into actionable items. Motivating and inspiring employees. That is all based on your ability to interact and read people and their behaviors. Learn to be an active listener. Let people complete sentences and ideas. Don’t talk over people. Practice ways to engage people and explore ideas and differences in a polite way that keeps the conversation opened. Be aware of your body language.
Can you share with us one of your favorite experiences on your journey to success?
It is not really one experience that I can look to as a favorite in this journey. It’s the people. When I left Barnes & Noble College I left a family that I deeply loved behind, A family that knew my weirdness and quirks and tolerated my cursing. A group of people that will never be replaced.
Within a month, however, I was working with people who would start to fill that void. I never imagined I would be so lucky. These were amazing people who showed a tremendous amount of support and believed in what I do. They tell me when I am wrong. Help pick me up when I am down. Push me to keep going.
I met so many of these people via social media, just saying hey I love your work. Or hey, would you like an orchid? Do me a favor and if you ever need help with social media hit me up. I have nurtured these relationships. They have nurtured these relationships. And they have brought so much to my life in this first year of business.
People like Cody Alexander (who is 100% responsible for me doing what I am doing right now). Believers like Zack Wade, Dani Sauter and My Ly. Risk takers like Lea Berry, Pamela Moyer and Rinny from Oak Vino are all a part of my JRH Graphics Family. They always will be and that is the amazing part of the journey.So there ya have it a lot more about me… Wanna get to know even more or learn about our services click here
Building A Community Around Your Brand
Community and Social
Community and social media have been tied together since the dawn of the social media era. However, the more I look at the social and social media landscape the more I believe that building a community around your brand is going to be an essential part of all businesses strategies in the upcoming year. According to Hootsuite in their Social Trends 2018 Webinar real customer communities, micro-influencers, and ‘people like me’ take center stage as consumer trust continues to decline. So now is the time to put the ball into play and make sure you are nurturing a customer community that will advocate for your brand in 2018 and beyond.
The Decline of Consumer Trust in the System
The decline in consumer trust is a major indicator pointing to the increased importance of building a community around your brand. The lack of trust in authority figures is shockingly low according to Edelman’s 2017 Trust Barometer. Only 37% of the public trust CEOs. 29% trust government officials, and 85% of the public lack faith in the entire system. So, with this incredibly low level of trust in the system who are people looking to for advice and guidance? They are looking toward peers. A peer is considered by 60% of people asked to be very or extremely credible (the same as experts). “People like me” are the experts, the people they trust. They have the same likes, experience the same problems, and use the same products. This change alone has thrown marketers for a loop.
The Uber Mega Influencer Lacks Authenticity
Influencer marketing is a key part of community building. An influencer is a “person like you” they are just the coolest friend of the group. But the key to influencer marketing is having someone who does actually use the brand they are representing. 2017 marked the end of the celebrity influencer era, 2018 will mark the rise of the mini and micro-influencers. Consumers are looking for a more authentic spokesperson. For today’s consumer a peer to peer review, and employee testimonial or a customer’s story can carry more weight than the celebrity endorsement. The rise of the mini-influencer is another reason it is important to build your community. Tapping into the feedback from your community will lead to the discovery of these key assets and personas. It will also provide invaluable insight into a customers journey and what customers are looking for from your brand.
True Belonging
The third reason I believe that building a community around your brand will be an essential step is based on Brene Brown’s research on shame, vulnerability, and true belonging. Brown states in her book Braving the Wilderness, “Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” To get a fuller understanding of the concepts she studies check out TED Talks for two phenomenal thought-provoking talks. But for my purposes here, the concept is simple, humans want to belong to a community. An idea larger than ourselves. If a brand is able to provide that, you have a win on your hands.
So we all agree, community building around our brand is essential, right? Okay, good! Now, how exactly do we build a community, where will we build this community, and what does it really look like. The answer is simple yet complex, it is different for everyone! But I believe the following are must have parts of the formula…
Defined Brand + Engaging Story + Inspiring Leadership + Focus on Consumer + Goes Above and Beyond Daily
Define Your Brand, What it Is and What it is Not!
Want a little guidance on brand identity v. brand check out this post…
You can not build a community around a brand that is not defined so your first step of community building is defining what your brand is and is not. Is your brand representative of something? What does it sound like, taste like, feel like, and how does it look on paper (logos etc)? How do you want your followers to feel when they use your brand or product? Is it exclusive? What do you include and what do you make sure to leave out? What would your brand post about on social media?
After you define your brand you explore your differentiators. Are you different from your competition? What is different about your product? Why will people choose you over another brand? Taking a deep look at what makes you different from all the other brands. This will help you define what makes your brand special. And it will help you be able to define and communicate key differentiators to your followers.
Tell Your Story
If you are not telling your story, you are not doing your job. Your story sells. Stories win over customers. A story is the difference between success and failure, Your story is your golden ticket. Make sure that you feature your real, authentic brand story. Whatever your story is it is essential to your business and your brand. It is how you got to where you are. It is the basis for what you do. And your story will continue to develop as you continue to learn and grow. Your story is human, unscripted and real and it what allows you and your brand to connect with the community at large.
Give Members A Reason to Join
What will members get for being a part of your community? Inside information, special discounts, cool swag? Not ready to take a hit on the bottom line to encourage community membership and engagement? Then encourage the development of an inside language, inside jokes, memes, or other member exclusive items that set them apart from non-members, just make sure that you have a plan in place to get new members up to speed.
Make Sure Your Focus is the Customer or Follower
Real engagement and meaningful interaction should be the focus of your brand community. What questions do your followers have? Why did they join your community in the first place? What information can you provide them that can help them in their everyday life. Your goal is to have real relationships with these followers not just see how many followers you can quickly add so that you can boast about the numbers reached.
Don’t be Afraid to Engage and Inspire
You have a great brand, people like you, some may want to be like you. It is likely that some of your followers look up to you, and that is okay. Engage in the conversation when it’s appropriate and lead the conversation if you see a chance to inspire someone. Your followers want to be inspired and they want to feel like they are part of something (your brand) important!
Speaking of Being A Part of Something Important
Ask your community questions and listen listen listen listen to all of the feedback that you get. Your followers and community members want you to be successful and they have ideas! Listen to the ideas that they have, listen to the feedback they provide, listen to the chatter amongst group members. Then after you have listened to what they have to say make sure that you take some action based on the feedback you are provided. Every single person counts and listening to all the ideas, taking the time to really understand the feedback and then acting on it shows that you value your community members and that alone can be the win for your company.
Let Your Brand Ambassadors Be Ambassadors
Let your brand ambassadors be ambassadors and let them speak to your story, your product and your brand in their own words. If you think this is crazy then you are fucking insane! Brand ambassadors are employees, influencers and regular customers that like and support your brand. They believe in you and support your company. These people have actually spent time activating people. Encouraging them to try your offerings. Brought you new followers. They do this because they are passionate about something that you do. Let them share that passion in their own words. Allow their passion to show. How they choose to speak and what they choose to say should be up to them. Don’t fill their mouths with your uninspiring quotes, and perfectly word-crafted statements. Those statements are bullshit and your followers see thru them.
Go Above and Beyond All Day Every Day
It does not matter if you are dealing with your best customer or the browser that never buys anything. Your goal should always be to surprise and delight your customers and followers. All Day! Every Day! It is never a good idea to discount your customers or followers, you never know what that breakthrough moment for one customer could be your breakthrough moment, period! Read Discounting Your Customers
Over the course of my 18-year retail career, my proudest and most impactful campaign was not a campaign at all it was a crazy bet. I challenged my team to ask everyone if they wanted their gifts wrapped, and to wrap each and every item they wanted wrapped at the counter as part of the checkout process. And that year we wrapped every present bought with us, some presents bought at other stores and that year we destroyed our sales budget for Christmas and had delighted hundreds of neighborhood customers and followers. People came throughout the year and asked us if we would be doing that again, or if we could wrap a birthday present for them, of course we could it was a little niche we had won simply because we were the only ones doing it.
What is Your Little Niche?
Whether it is on social media, or something that you can do at your storefront, what is your niche and how can you do a little something that will surprise and delight your customers? Can you figure out how you and your team can go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations everyday?
In my opinion this is the make it or break it moment for your business and for building a brand community. Nail this and you win!