Branding is Not the Only Step
Thank you, Ali Shah Lakhani on Unsplash for this image
Many business owners start their business by investing in branding, which is a great first step. But branding is not the only step.
Branding helps you get started with:
Professional headshots
Colors that match your energy and tone
Mission, vision, and values
Recognizing your ideal client and market
These assets will help your website designer when you embark on that part of your business. They will also set bumpers, like the bowling alley, to keep your communications in your lane when you’re creating content.
Yes, you will still have to produce content, and a lot of it, the whole time you’re a business owner.
Gulp. Sit down if you need to.
Many business owners jump into designing their website after the branding process, before they really know their voice. Establishing your true voice, personality, and perspective is crucial to:
Use AI effectively and create a profile
Create a marketing plan
Write about your value on sales pages
Have one-on-one phone calls
Write profiles
Craft your intro or pitch
Build your speaker sheet
Write your website copy, blogs, newsletters, social media posts, etc.
Business owners think marketing is the hardest thing. Marketing takes time, experimentation, money, and idea generation. It’s a lot, but it’s a whole lot easier when you know your own voice and are clear on what you want to say to whom. This can be where business owners get overwhelmed and discouraged. They’ve spent time and money developing a brand, and maybe they’ve hired a website designer. But there’s still a lot of content to create, and that will continue. There’s some stuff you can’t delegate or automate without knowing yourself and your voice. If you take the time to find your voice, all the moving pieces in your marketing will generate more business in less time, with less angst.
You can look fabulous, but you want to sound that way, too. Brand assets are the outline you can create content from. You can write about each of your values and why you lean on them. You can discuss what drives your mission or the passion behind your long-term vision. But copying them from your branding assets is not going to get the results you want.
Branding assets also help writers like me start from somewhere. But I can’t go anywhere without clarity around your voice and perspective.
Writing engaging content has many nuances. Are you writing to sell, or to nurture? Are you writing for LinkedIn or TikTok? Have you worked with enough clients to know what you do and won’t do? Can you describe both the tangible and intangible value of your work? There are formatting guidelines and best practices when it comes to creating content. There’s what you want to say, and how you need to deliver that message so your potential clients resonate with your words.
Business Owners Don’t Always Hear Themselves. They don't hear themselves because they are spending a lot of time listening to other voices, other people, and other opinions. Ask a few friends and/or colleagues what words they hear you use all the time, or statements you make consistently. Ask them to listen to you and give you feedback on what you said and what they heard.
Voice is Internal. You need to spend time alone so you can find it - listen, hear it, and engage with it. This is one thing you cannot delegate and without it you will always be unsure about what you're saying, what you're writing, and what you're promoting.
You've learned so much about everyone and everything else through reading, podcasts, social media, attending conferences, etc. Those are just other people's opinions and perspectives. The key is to learn how to take what you like and leave the rest.
Final Words of Wisdom
Change is inevitable. Things are always changing and if they're not you should be concerned you want your business to grow, and you will grow with it. So will your ideas, your experience, and yes - your voice. But if you listen for those changes, communicating them won’t be so hard.
My passion is helping entrepreneurs to find the right words to communicate their unique value and perspective with their clients. Ready to find your voice and use it?