Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: Build Your Brand

7 Fears About Building a Brand That Are Worthlessly Holding You Back
Feeling nervous about building your brand? Don’t let these common concerns keep you down.

Let me guess, you have this totally awesome idea for a brand and you’re so excited about the IDEA of bringing it to life. Maybe you’ve even started to build it. You’ve put up your website, claimed your social media handles, and started to tell people about your brand.

But the further you start to go, the more impossible the whole thing seems. You’re starting to realize all the things you didn’t know and the road ahead is becoming more and more daunting. You spend nights Googling, reading blogs, looking for help figuring out what to do. Before you know it you’re left feeling totally overwhelmed, confused, and intimidated.

This whole thing has somehow gone from feeling really fun and exciting to feeling totally scary. Because honestly, if you are going to invest your time and money into something you don’t want to end up feeling like a total failure.

Look I totally get it. Your fears are legitimate. None of us wants to feel like we’re setting ourselves up to let ourselves down.

Here’s the thing though, those fears, they are totally and worthlessly holding you back. So, I wanted to tackle some of the most common ones I hear head on and show you why you should not let them keep you away from building your brand.

7 Fears About Building a Brand That Are Worthlessly Holding You Back

FEAR #1: I’m going to have to spend a lot of money working with a graphic designer in order to create something that looks really good.

Real talk, I am not going to tell you that design is not important. That would be a total lie. It is important!

BUT the amount of money you spend on design, that is not. When you are building your brand you do not need to spend a lot of money to get started. You can absolutely DIY and make your brand look awesome.

The thing that is really holding you back is feeling like you have no idea how to even approach design because that’s not your background or area of expertise. Guess what? We can totally solve that. With a few simple tips, you will feel so much more confident doing the work.

Still not sure? There are amazing free and inexpensive tools to get you started. One of my absolute favorites is Canva. With Canva you can create your brand style guide and logo absolutely free. Another favorite resource of mine is Fiverr which lets you find freelance help for as little as $5. There are also so many amazing resources out there like Logojoy and Creative Market which can help you create a truly stunning brand.

Seriously, the secret is spending money. It is knowing the basic principles of design and how to work with them.

FEAR # 2: It’s going to take a lot of time to get going and I simply don’t have any to spare.

Look we are all way too busy. You are never going to not be busy. You are never going to have that perfect window of time where you have no other commitments. It just isn’t going to happen.

What you have to do is decide to make the time. And, you have to learn how to work in a way that is smart and efficient.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting their brand is jumping head first into designing their logo and website. Ugh, this totally kills me because 99% of the time this ends up being a total waste of time. Your design really needs to come after you lay down the foundation for your brand.

You can find the time to bring your idea to life. You just need to find a way to be able to take one step forward without having to take two step backwards. You know what I mean? That means learning what those steps are and how you can avoid putting the cart before the horse.

FEAR #3: I have to have my products/services created before I can even think about my brand.

Nah! Seriously! You do not need to have your products/ services created before you start. Your brand is about so much more than that. As long as you have a strong idea of what you want to do, you are ready to start.

In fact, one of the strongest ways to launch your products/ services is by having created your brand ahead of time. This means that you are already going to be telling people about what you do. You’ll be getting the word out there and starting to build an audience. And guess what an audience is? Soon to be customers!

Your brand is the summation of everything you put out into the world. Your products/services yes but also your stories, images, partners, community, and you! Listen lady, even without that ready to deliver “thing” you already have so much you can get started with.

FEAR #4: There are already people doing what I do so I missed my shot. There’s no reason someone would want to choose me over another brand that’s already established.

Who cares? Honestly, who cares! Consider these examples:
- The Honest Company: diapers & baby products
- Away: luggage
- Glossier: beauty products
Were any of those things new or novel when they decided to launch their brands? Not a bit. It didn’t matter. What made all of the difference was the unique spin they put on them and the connection they were able to build with their customers.

At the end of the day, we all want to work with and buy from brands we know, like, and trust. If we feel like a brand totally gets us and shares our values then that’s who we’re going to go with.

It does not matter if someone is already doing what you do because no one else is going to share your same story, mission, vision, and values. You have so much uniqueness to bring to the table, you don’t even know!

FEAR #5: The whole thing is completely overwhelming. In order to be successful, you have to build a website, send emails, set up ads, be everywhere on social media all of the time, and still somehow find time to actually run your business.

First of all, let’s take a deep breath. Now let’s get to the root of the issue. You see other people running their businesses doing all of these things and feel like you have to do exactly the same. Problem is, you have no idea where to get started or where to focus your attention first. Am I right?

Imagine trying to put a puzzle together by simply moving a bunch of pieces around at the same time. You might get a few to connect but you’re going to get tired, overwhelmed, and just plain over it before your able to put the whole picture together.

Now imagine if those puzzle pieces were numbered and you knew exactly which piece to lay down first, second, third, and so forth. Before you know it you’d have the whole dang thing built and the process would have felt really simple and straightforward.

That’s how you want to approach your brand. Building your brand should be fun! And, when you know what to do, the whole process can actually feel really easy and empowering.

FEAR #6: Finding people who want to be my customers is going to really hard.

Guess what? Your customers already exist. Even better, they are all hanging out together. You just need to know how to find them.

It’s true. You’ve heard the phrase, birds of a feather flock together. Well, it totally applies to your customers. They’re gathering in the same Facebook groups, meetups, conferences, and more.

Once you have a really good idea of who you want to be your customer you are going to be able to find them. And, by learning how to listen in on the conversations they are already having you are going to quickly learn how to talk about your brand in a way that gets your attention.

The beautiful thing is, once you figure out where your customers are hanging out, you can be very focused and targeted in your marketing efforts. It’s going to totally simplify your life and save you boatloads of time.

FEAR #7: I have to have everything figured out before I get started.

Shoot if that we true than none of us would ever get anywhere. Figuring it out is all part of the process. You just gotta get started.

Not totally sure who your audience is? Take a guess, start pushing out your brand, see how it resonates and refine as you go.

Still trying to sort out how you want to package up your services? Start engaging with your audience and they’ll help you figure it out.

Feeling a little lost about what you should be posting to your social media feeds? Begin by sorting out your brand story, mission, vision, and values.

Point is, we learn by doing. Your brand will not be built overnight. But it will never be built if you don’t decide to take the leap and just get going.
July 2, 2018
How To Turn Your “Cute Idea” Into A Booming Brand
11 Essential Elements That Can Make or Break Your Brand

Last week I was sitting around a circle with a group of other women entrepreneurs. Most of us there were solopreneurs, a handful a dynamic team of two. We had been asked to share what the biggest challenge has been in building our businesses.

One woman raised her hand and shared that her friends couldn’t seem to take her business seriously.

They thought it was a “cute idea” but wondered when she would get back to a real job.

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A round of head nods passed around the circle. It seemed we’d all been on the receiving end of commentary of that sort.

Deciding to build a business is an enormous undertaking. The sheer task of creating something from nothing requires nothing short of brute strength and determination. So why is it that despite their best efforts, many new business owners find that they’re being met with doubt and aren’t being seen as a “real business”?

From what I’ve experienced, the distinction comes down to the fundamental building blocks that are put in place during the birth of an idea. They’re the not-so-sexy steps that come ahead of choosing a name, creating a logo, and building out a website. To reference an admittedly overused analogy, think of those things as the tip of the iceberg. It’s what everyone sees. Yet, the bulk of your brand, the thing that keeps it afloat is hidden beneath the surface.

I wanted to put together this post to shed light on those essential elements that generally lie hidden but ultimately can make or break your brand. These are the things that set you up for long-term success, differentiate your business from everyone else’s, allow you to cultivate a community and give a greater purpose to your work. If you look across the board and the brands that really stand out, create a buzz, and ultimately find success, you can find each of these essential elements in place.

11 Essential Elements That Turn A “Cute Idea” into a Booming Brand

Clear Brand Message

Your brand message is the clear, concise articulation of what service or product you offer, who it’s for, and how it is unique. Think about it as your elevator pitch. It’s your response to the question, “what do you do?” or, “what is (insert name of your brand)?”.

A well-written message can be a powerful tool for bringing focus and clarity to your business. It’s also what is going to make you memorable and referrable.

Likewise, an unclear message will not only leave you feeling confused but also your audience. And remember this, if you confuse people, you lose people.

How to use it
- As your social media bio
- The meta description for your website aka the words that show up in search results
- The key message at the top of your website’s homepage
- Any public facing bios (guest posts, interviews, speaking engagements)
Compelling Brand Story

Your brand story explains how your brand originated and plays a critical role in helping you to attract your ideal customers and establish a trusting relationship with them. It gives context to where your idea came from, how you brought it to life, and most importantly explains why your brand exists.

When you share your story it humanizes your brand and gives people something they can relate to. When you have a great story to tell it can also help create word of mouth sharing with your customers. It can even be the thing that captures the attention of the media and lands you amazing press.

How to use it:
- An “About” page on your website
- In your media or press kit
- Write it into your brand book
- In the content your brand creates (blog post, video, social media)
Rock Solid Values

Your brand values are the deeply held beliefs and principles by which your company operates. They serve as a moral guide and a framework for how you run your business. Your values make it clear to your team, your customers, and your partners what you care most about.

Establishing a set of rock solid values will give you a framework against which to assess whether or not something is the right thing to do. Deciding whether or not you to need to invest in sustainable packaging? If being eco-friendly is a core value then you’ll be assured it’s the right move.

Strong values will also help you form deeper bonds with your customers. In fact, 64% of people cite shared values as the main reason they have a relationship with a brand. Beyond attracting loyal customers, a clearly established set of values is going to help attract the right people to join your team which becomes important as your team grows.

How to use them:
- Share them on your website
- Include them on your hiring page or in job descriptions
- To help you decide on packaging materials
- To guide who you choose to partner with
- When figuring out which causes to support
Purpose Driven Mission

Your brand mission explains your brand’s reason for being. It answers the question “why does your brand exists?”. We write our brand mission statement in order to inspire everyone around our brand to drive toward the same goal, not matter what their role is – team member, partner, or customer.

Your mission statement will guide the activities your brand engages in beyond selling products whether its philanthropic endeavors, support for a specific cause, or the way you do business.

Sharing it with your customers will help them understand how their support for your brand aligns with their personal values. Similarly, sharing it with your team and partners will help them see the bigger picture their work contributes to.

How to use it:
- On your website
- To align your brand with a charitable cause
- To develop a natural extension of your online brand into workshops or live events
Empowering Vision

What is your ultimate dream for your business? What is it that you’re aspiring to? The answer to those questions is your brand vision. It should feel aspirational and serve as a true source of inspiration for your team.

Your brand vision is your long-term goal born out of your “big why” or underlying motivation. It sets the long-term strategy for your brand and serves as your guiding light or north star.

Everything that your brand does should get you a step closer to fulfilling your vision. If it doesn’t, you should question why you are doing it.

How to use it:
- Unlike your brand mission statement, your vision statement does not necessarily need to be outward facing (though it can be). The primary function of a vision statement is to inspire your team and the best way to do that is to keep it front and center.
Life-like Customer Personas

Your target customers are the ones who you believe your product or service is best suited for. They are the people who you want to buy from you and who you are going to focus all of your efforts finding, attracting, and keeping loyal to your brand.

Customer personas are a way of bringing to life your ideal customer by turning them into a fictional character that represents who they are. You might also hear these referred to as buyer personas or custom avatars. The idea is the same. They are a way of turning data points into something that feels human.

Creating customer personas will help you stay rooted in who you’re serving and how to best connect with and serve them.

How to use them:
- To help you determine which services/products to sell
- When evaluating where to set your prices
- To inspire the development of your brand’s visual style
- To inform the content you create (what you share and where you share it)
- When deciding who your brand should partner work with
- When setting up audiences for paid marketing campaigns
Brand Personality Pillars

Think of your brand personality as the way your brand would think, speak, and behave if she were a person. Your brand personality pillars are the keywords that describe your brand’s most recognizable traits – for instance, quirky, sophisticated, adventurous, bold, or witty.

We want to remember that people don’t fall in love with brands because of what they sell. They fall in love with what a brand promises to do for them and how that brand makes them feel.

Your brand personality is what your customers will connect with and gravitate to.

How to use them:
- Provide the structure for deciding how your brand does and doesn’t act
- Guide the development of your brand style (colors, fonts, visuals)
- How you talk to your customers through your website copy, emails & social captions
Brand Mood Board

A brand mood board is a collection of visuals that bring to life your brand’s personality. You can build them IRL or create them online. Either way, the point of creating a mood board is to capture the essence of your brand.

Your mood board becomes the jumping off point for the development of your visual identity – colors, typography, logos, and images. It’s going to help you visualize what you like and what makes sense so that when it comes time to make your final choices it’s much easier to decide.

How to use it:
- Ultimately your mood board will guide the design for things like your website, social media posts, product packaging, and collateral.
Brand Voice Guidelines

Your brand voice is not just what you say but how you say it. Just like your own voice, it is built from the combination of your words, known sayings, grammar, inflection and even accent.

Your brand voice will not only play a critical role in bringing out your brand’s personality but it will also establish a relationship with your customers and can even help to build a sense of community between them.

In your business, your brand voice comes through in every way you communicate with your customers. This includes everything from your product names and descriptions to email and blog copy.

Consider your brand voice when writing:
- Copy for your website
- Blog posts
- Email newsletters
- Social media captions
- Advertising taglines
- Slogans for merchandise
- Copy for your packaging
Brand Style Guide

When it comes to styling your brand, your logo, colors, fonts, graphics, and photography all play a role in establishing what your business stands for in the hearts and minds of the world. These elements work together to exemplify your brand purpose, communicate who your brand is for, and show off your brand personality.

Developing a cohesive style is what is going to enable you to develop a brand that authentically represents who you are. Knowing how to use that style consistently across all of your branding is what is going to allow you to create a business that is distinct and memorable.

A brand style guide is one-page sheet that serves as a quick reference for the core elements of your brand identity so you can keep everything looking cohesive.

How to use it:
- When developing your brand website
- Putting together a brand photoshoot
- Creation of branded collateral
- Development of product packaging
- Designing graphics for social media and advertising
Brand Book

A brand book, sometimes called brand guidelines or a style guide, is a set of guidelines that explain who your brand is, what it’s all about, and how it should be brought to life. Think of it as the one stop shop for all the strategic & tactical guidelines for all aspects of your brand

Your brand book will become your go-to source for everything related to your brand. It should guide your strategy and inform all creative executions. It should become the single source of truth and reference whenever you find yourself asking, ‘is this on brand?’.

One of the keys to developing a brand that stands out and is memorable is to create a consistent experience wherever you customers find your brand. Having a brand book will help you to keep everything looking, feeling, and sounding cohesive toa s your business grows.

How to use it:
- Guide your decision making as the visionary of your brand
- Onboard new team members or partners
- Inspire creative work from designers, photographers, copywriters, and others
- Develop “on-brand” activations with partners and influencers
Where do we go from here?

If you’ve read this post you might be feeling slightly overwhelmed. There are a lot of pieces that need to work together in order to create a super solid foundation upon which your brand can grow.

The truth is trying to tackle everything on your own can be downright intimidating. But here’s the thing, you don’t have to do it all alone! Building your brand should be fun. And, when you know what to do, the whole process can actually feel really easy and empowering.

If you would like a hand building your brand then I want to invite you to join me at Brand Camp. Brand Camp is a 6-week program that teaches women how to build wildly successful brands they are ridiculously proud of while bringing them into community with other bossbabes. We’ll go from idea to execution to turn your passion into the profitable brand you’ve been dreaming of.

You can find all of the sweet deets at Brandcampcourse.com.
June 25, 2018
4 Real Reasons Your Brand Is Failing
A hard look at why your brand isn’t taking off like you’d imagined

Here’s a real question for you. What were some of the biggest fears you had around launching your brand? Maybe they’re even fears you currently have as you prepare for that launch.

Do any of these sound familiar?
- I’m afraid no one will care or pay attention.
- I’m afraid my products/services won’t sell.
- I’m afraid of what people will think.
If everyone reading this was in a room together I’m sure 99% of hands would be in the air. Because let’s face it, these are all things that we should fear. After all, we put so much work into bringing our dreams to life, we sure as heck want to see our brands to succeed.

So what do we do when some of those fears actually start to become our realities? Do we throw in the towel and call it quits? I sure hope not! Instead, we can take a good honest look at where we might have missed the marks.

I’ve worked with many brands in my career and have seen some common patterns emerge. In this post, I’m sharing 4 of the top reasons that your brand might not be taking off like you like, and how to start diagnosing the problems.

Alright, let’s get to it!

1. It’s not clear what your brand does

When you are building your brand one of the most important questions you’ll need to answer is, “what do you do?”. It seems deceptively simple. Yet so many new business owners get it wrong.

Your response should address these three questions:
- What primary product or service do you sell?
- Who is the perfect customer for this product or service?
- Why is your product or service the perfect one for them?
Let’s take a look at a few examples:
- Glossier: Glossier makes easy-to-use skincare and makeup that form the backbone to a cool girl’s unique beauty routine.
- Lunya: Lunya creates effortless & comfortable sleepwear built for function & flattery for today’s modern woman.
- Brit + Co: Brit+ Co is a media company that inspires, educates and entertains real women with a creative spirit.
Can you see how each these examples provides a clear response to the three questions we outlined? They’re incredibly focused and that’s what makes them work.

So how can you tell if your brand is confusing people? Here are three things to investigate:
- Search result description. Type your brand name into Google. Now, read the description that shows up for your website. Does it clearly answer the question, “what do you do?” or, have you neglected to format this into a response that is immediately understandable.
- Brand name. Consider the name you’ve chosen for your brand. Is it descriptive of what your brand does? If not, have you written a thoughtful strapline to accompany it and provide more context? For instance, Coolhaus: Awesome Ice Creams.
- Word choice. Ask a close friend who knows your business to describe what you do. Are the words she uses the same that you use? You want to remember that your customers aren’t going to be as familiar with your industry lingo as you are. So rather than trying to impress them with fancy words, explain what you do in the words they would use.
2. Your brand website looks wack

When someone learns about your brand one of the first things they will do is Google it. Honestly, it’s just become human nature at this point. People will want to look you up and see what you’re all about. What they find, well, that is going to set the tone for how positively they perceive your brand.

First things first, yes your brand should have a website – and no, a Facebook page does not count. Beyond that, let’s take a look at a few mistakes you might be making that can seriously throw off your game:
- Your pictures are… meh. People form a first impression within seconds of landing on your brand’s website. That big image you have at the top of your homepage, it matters more than you think. The pictures on your website need to look professional meaning they are well composed, properly lit, and hi-res. Stock photos are fine but you’ll want to invest in ones that actually fit your branding.
- You lack style. Open up your website. Is there a clear color scheme to it? When someone thinks of your brand does a signature color even come to mind? How about your fonts? Have you developed a clean fonts system with specific choices for things like headlines, body copy, and buttons? Or are you simply using whatever the default was in your website’s theme? It’s important to put thought into your appearance if you want to be perceived as a brand to be taken seriously.
- Your domain isn’t your brand name. At a bare minimum, your website needs a unique domain. WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify or anything akin to this should not be in your website’s address. Period. The very best case is that your website URL (www.brandname.com) matches your brand name. If that domain is not available, you want to get as close to it as possible.
- You haven’t changed the favicon. A favicon is the tiny image that appears when you open up a new tab in Chrome or another browser. Your website builder (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc…) will default to their logo. That looks amateur. To elevate your brand, make sure you have switched this to a favicon version of your own logo.
Think of it like this, your website is your brand’s online home. It’s a place for you to welcome people and invite them in to get to know you. You wouldn’t want guests coming over to your real home if you had dishes in the sink, dirty laundry strewn about, and garbage piling up. You also wouldn’t give them the wrong address and expect them to magically find where you live. The space principles apply to your brand’s home.

3. Your brand’s Instagram feed is all over the place

Instagram provides another place beyond our website for customers to connect with us. It’s grown into a critical platform for engaging fans and building a community. In fact, research has shown that consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow on social media than from one they do not.

For many brands, Instagram is the platform of choice attracting the attention of their ideal audience. That means we have to treat it like a true extension of our brand and not simply as a nice place to post.

If you find that you’re failing to grow your following or get engagement from the fans that are there, here are a few reasons that might be behind it:
- No clear color scheme. Your feed needs to look cohesive. When you look at your grid (e.g. the 9 images that show at any given time) they need to almost blend into one complete picture. The way that you achieve this look is by developing a clear style to your images. You should only be posting images that are in your brand colors and you want to use the same filter or editing steps across all.
- Inconsistent content. You need to give your customers a reason to follow you. They need to have a general idea of what kinds of content that you are going to post. You shouldn’t be sharing an inspirational quote one day, a photo of your dog the next, and a picture of an event flyer the day after. It makes your feed look inconsistent and messy. Instead, you want to choose 3 – 5 key themes to post around that are relevant to your brand and to your customers.
- Generic captions. While it’s your images that will pull people in, it’s your captions that will get them talking. This space should be used to give context to the image, to show off your brand personality, and to create a conversation with your customers. You have to think beyond “Happy Friday!” “On sale now!” and “#summer #yay”. Put thought and purpose into what you write.
- Promotion overload. Your feed is not your storefront. I repeat, your feed is not your storefront. People don’t want to be hit over the head with sales. That is not a reason for them to follow you. Follow the 80/20 rule. Share posts that are entertaining, educational, or inspirational 80% of the time and reserve your product, promotion, and announcement posts for the remaining 20 %.
4. You aren’t focusing on your customer

Have you heard that the best way to get people talking is to let them talk about themselves? It’s an important notion to not only bear in mind when walking into a party but also when building your brand. You want your focus to be on your customers, not yourself. They will tell you so much if you only take the time to listen to what they have to say.

It’s my bet that this isn’t the first time you’ve been told that it’s important to know who your customers are. You also probably already know that it’s important to take the time to get to know them. Given that, why might you feel like you are still struggling to really connect with them? Here are a few reasons that might be the culprit behind the chasm:
- Your website copy talks about features vs. benefits. Features focus on what your brand has to offer. Authentic textures, original designs, great taste, *special ingredient* — these are examples of features. Benefits on the other hand focus on what your customer has to gain. Increased energy, reduced anxiety, better health, a clear conscious — these are examples of benefits. While you may care about the former, your customers care about the latter.
- You use lingo and language they don’t understand. Drop the jargon. Your customers don’t get it nor do they care. You are deeply rooted in your industry and have learned every nuance. Your customer has not. Talk to them in a way they’ll understand.
- You don’t understand their real pain point/desires. The products and services you offer have to offer a solution to a real problem or pain point your customer has. To take that even further, you need to talk to them about why and how it addresses that pain point and offers them their desired solution. Your copy can’t just tout great benefits. Those benefits have to be the ones your customers actually care about.
- Your images don’t feature your customers. It’s much easier to become what we can see. You want to depict your perfect customer in the images you use on your website, social media feeds, and collateral. It’s going to help them understand that your brand is for someone like them.
On to you…

Do any of these reasons hit the mark for you? Which ones do you think are the reason your brand isn’t taking off like you’d like? Any other theories you’d add? Let me know in the comments below!
June 18, 2018
How to Improve Your Brand in 10 Minutes

5 steps you can take in 10 minutes or less that will have a huge impact on your brand

Many of you share my desire to want to own something of your own creation – to have a business built around something you absolutely love to do. Either you are on that journey now or you are preparing to start on it.

The excitement of bringing our ideas to life can be enough to fuel us forward. Yet, once we get going it’s not long before obstacles cross our path and threaten to hold us back. For instance, how many have you have had the thought, “how the heck am I going to stand out and start attracting customers??”.

The answer is your brand

Here’s what I want you to take away from this post – The difference between getting lost in the shuffle and standing out in the crowd is your BRAND. Your brand is what makes you uniquely irresistible to the people who you’re the best set to serve.

When we talk about your brand, we’re talking about more than just a cute logo or pretty pictures. The simplest way to think about it is that a brand is the combination of all of the tangible and intangible assets of your business. It’s the products or services you sell, your visual identity, the content you produce, and the stories you tell. Even the people you work with are a part of your brand.

The culmination of all of these things establishes what your business stands for in your soon-to-be-customers’ hearts (how they feel) and minds (how they think). It’s this mindset that will cause them to choose you over someone else.

So the question now is, how do we go about building a brand that gives our customers all of those good feels?

Here’s our plan…

Building your brand is not something that happens overnight. However, there are steps you can start to take today that will have a big impact on how well your business is received. Even better? They don’t take a ton of time to do. Music to your ears, am I right?

So, are you ready for ‘em? Let’s go!

1: Really get to know your customers

Building a brand is about creating a community with the people we serve. That means getting to know them as friends, not just as a set of stats about their age, gender, and income. What are their deepest desires? What keeps them up at night?

It might seem obvious, but people want to buy from brands they know, like, and trust. Just like in real life, when we don’t take the time to get to know someone it’s hard to invest our confidence in them.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of bad marketing at some point. When we really know our customers our communication with them will feel genuine. Rather than pushing people away by trying to sell them, your customers will come to you because they’ll know you’re there to serve them. яндекс

10-minute action item:

Look up and join 5 Facebook groups that you believe your target customers would belong to. Once there, spend time reading through the discussions. Make note of what questions and concerns are being raised. This will help you learn how you can be of service in the best way possible.

2: Talk about how you help people not what you sell

There’s a common pattern you’ll find in great marketing. They talk to you about the benefits you get from using a product and not about the product itself. “Fall asleep faster, dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less, hair with twice the shine”.

People buy end results, not the things that get them there. What do your customers really need from you? More fun, less guilt, more energy, fewer concerns? When you talk to them about how you are going to help them achieve those things they will feel like you are on the same team.

Remember it’s not about you, it’s about your customers. Instead of telling people how great, faster, smarter your product is, tell them why or how those things are going to be good for them.

10-minute action item:

Go to your website’s homepage and read the copy. Are you telling your customers about what your brand does or how it can help them? If the former, rewrite the copy to talk about the bigger benefits and see how that helps turn website browsers into buyers.

3: Let your personality shine through

Brand building is a two-way street. We need to get to know our customers but we also need to let them get to know us. Your brand like any person should have a personality. You should be able to describe to someone what they like, how they talk, and the quirky things they do.

What are the words people would use to describe your brand? Is that person someone your customers would want to know in real life? Until they can get to know you they’ll have a hard time wanting to work with you.

10-minute action item:

Imagine your brand has been invited to be the keynote speaker at a big event. What would her bio in the event brochure read? Take time to write that down. Consider how she would be introduced, what her outstanding qualities are, and what things people have come to know and love about her. Use this bio when writing copy and creating images for your brand. Ask yourself, is this something she would say or post?

4: Spend the extra time and money on your branding

As human beings, we’re prone to make decisions on subliminal cues or “unconscious bias” as the author Malcolm Gladwell puts it. In fact, research has shown that we make an initial judgment in as fast as 8 seconds. This means we need to make an awesome first impression any time someone encounters our brand.

Creating that awesome first impression begins with your brand design. Great branding can help create an immediate sense of trust and authority while poor branding can detract from even the best products.

What does your brand design say about you? Are you creating an amazing first impression or do you have some work to do? It’s worth investing in getting help to make sure you knock this out of the park.

10-minute action item:

Look at your brand and ask yourself, “Am I proud of the way I am showing up?”. If the answer is no, ask yourself, “What 3 things could I improve to create a stronger first impression?”. If you aren’t comfortable fixing things yourself, head to Fiverr and find a freelancer who can help you make some quick improvements.

5: Show up consistently online

Think about well-known brands like Starbucks, Apple, and Target. Their branding is the same in their stores as it is on their website and every other place you’ll find them. The consistency creates credibility and also helps you remember them. The same is true for your brand.

In fact, brands that show up consistently are 3 to 4 times are more likely to experience brand visibility. (Lucidpress)

It can get tempting to mix things up especially when it comes to colors and visuals but save that creativity for another place. When you aren’t consistent you risk confusing your customers and losing their trust.

10-minute action item:

Conduct a quick audit of your brand website and social media feeds. Do you use the same brand name in your URL and handles? Do you use the same logo in each place? Are your colors and font consistent? A very big part of having beautiful branding simply comes down to be consistent.

On to you…

Which of these steps are you going to take in your brand? What follow up questions can I help answer? Let me know in the comments below! And, if you want even more tips, get a hold of my brand building cheatsheet. It outlines the steps that will help you bring your brand to life in the best way possible.

June 11, 2018
4 Tips to Get Powerful Press for Your Brand

Lemme guess, you want to get your brand featured in top press. Guess what? Me too sista. Me too.

And why wouldn’t we? I could share some incredible statistics with you on the power of good press but, I know I don’t need to convince you. Landing media attention for your brand can be downright game changing.

In case you have any doubts, simply consider the Oprah-effect. Getting featured on her show could turn your book into a best-seller, your expertise into a prime time TV show and your product into a must-have. Just take a look at Sara Blakely. The Spanx founder credits her appearance on the show as the tipping point that helped her budding brand take off.

Speaking from experience

I haven’t only witnessed the power of press from afar, I’ve experience it for myself. In my corporate days, I was responsible for pulling together the press strategies for new product launches. One appearance of our brand on The Today Show led to the highest grossing day in the company’s history to that point. At another point, an article in The New York Times led to our company’s founder holding a keynote speaking role at SXSW.

You also know, if you’ve been following me, that I am a contributor to the Entrepreneur Magazine network. It’s a role that’s put me on both sides of the table. On one, I’ve experienced how the position has increased exposure, credibility, and opportunities for my personal brand. On the other, I’ve seen how profound it can be for a founder to get an interview with me and have their brand featured.

In short, you guys, I know from personal experience that this stuff works. So now the real question is…

What does it take to get powerful press for your brand?

Well, that’s exactly what I want to dive into int his post. I’m going to walk you through 4 tips that will help your business earn the spotlight.

Tip 1: Get your brand ready

Before you do anything else, your very first step is to get your brand ready to be noticed. Everyday, there are approximately 2.4 billion brand-related conversations happening in the United States alone. This means that you need to be thinking strategically about how you are going to get your brand to stand out.

First, you have to realize that you are not going to get your brand noticed by everybody and that’s okay. You need to get very clear on how you are positioning your brand and whose attention you want to capture. You want to nail your brand pitch, the answer to the question “what do you do?”. Your response should make it unquestionably clear what your brand does, who it’s for, and what makes you super special.

Second, you need a good story to tell. In fact, it’s said that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. Imagine the dream headline you’d love to see in a magazine. What’s the story behind it? Does it share how your brand came into existence? Is it about a new product line you’ve just launched? Does it talk about a cool event you’re hosting or a big brand you are collaborating with? Your stories should take people on a journey, get them engaged, and give them a reason to care. яндекс

Third, you want your brand to reflect you in a positive light. We have fewer than 10 seconds to make a first impression. That means, why someone Googles you, the result needs to show them that they can take you seriously. You want a brand name and logo that are distinct and memorable. You also want to make sure that your choice of colors, fonts, and visuals not only look good but are an authentic reflection of your brand.

Tip 2: Prepare your press kit

When you feel that your brand is rockin and rollin your next step is to prepare your press kit. Your press kit is your brand portfolio, one location that contains all of the most important information about your brand. It’s your opportunity to show off who you are, what your story is can, and why you’ll make good news. Your press kit allows you to put your best foot forward and is a critical tool when you’re seeking to earn coverage .

Since your press kit is essentially your brand bundled into one pretty package it needs to fully embody your brand design. Incorporate your brand logo, colors, and fonts and ensure everything is packaged beautifully.

You also want to ensure that you are fully harnessing the power of brand storytelling. Include a well written press release that details whatever news you wish to have shared. Additionally, I always recommend including a page that recounts your brand origin story. Along with these, include plenty of visuals that depict your stories. Make it as easy as possible for someone to feel engaged in your story and share it with others.

Tip 3: Pitch your brand strategically

When you have your press kit ready and you are preparing to send it off the important things to consider are who you’re pitching, what you’re pitching, and how you’re pitching.

My advice is to seek out journalists who you know have previously featured brands similar to yours. This is where your own network can really come in handy. Ask around to learn which media outlets others have been featured in and how they landed the spot. You also want to ask if they have the name and contact information of the journalist or editor they worked with and if they’d be comfortable making an introduction. It’s always helpful when you can get a referral rather than going in cold. If you don’t have a direction connection, begin to build one yourself. Follow the person on social media, engage with their content, and begin establishing a relationship with them before asking for their help.

When you’re pitching your brand, you want to make your ask as clear and concise as possible. Include a brief introduction and what you would like them to cover. Outline the main points and highlight any outstanding figures our facts. Then let them know you’re including a press kit with more information.

As a rule of thumb email pitches generally work just fine. However, if you want to make a big impression, you can send something in the mail. It’s not always needed but when done really well, it can help make you and your brand stand out and get the extra edge.

Tip 4: Remember to follow up

One important thing to remember is that success often hinges on your follow up. When you’ve sent out your initial request give it a few days to get a response. If then you haven’t heard anything, follow up with a short, few sentence email. When I interviewed Jessy Fofana, founder of LaRue PR, her advice was to be the right kind of persistent. You want to check in every so often until you get a response, but not so much that you annoy them into ignoring you. This is relationship building after all. It’s about staying top of mind but in a good way.

When you do receive a response from a journalist or editor, it’s on you to be as responsive and helpful as possible. You want to make a great impression and show that you’re something they want to work with. And, if they do feature your brand, you want to make sure to share the feature with your audience. This will help you add value by getting more exposure for the piece. And in the future, you can point to this engagement as yet another reason your brand is worth being featured.

To wrap it up…

Earning press for your brand can be incredibly powerful and it can happen even when you are just getting started. The key to getting noticed is to take the time to prepare for the attention. Before you ask others to feature you, ensure that you’ve established a clear positioning, great story, and polished look. Then make sure you have this packaged in a well designed press kit that will appeal to the audience whose attention you most want. Not only will this increase your chances of landing press, it will also give you the confidence to put your brand in the spotlight.

Ready to take your first step? Take my free training on how to master your brand message. This is 3 part video series will teach you how to clarify your brand positioning & craft a powerful brand pitch.

What questions do you have about getting press for your brand? Drop a comment below to let me know!

June 4, 2018