Welcome back to the Brand Boost Blog where we grow from business to brand strategically and authentically.
Today we are going to talk about 3 branding challenges that hold back small businesses from growing a thriving brand. Then, we will look at simple, actionable ways we can overcome these challenges. Let’s dive in.
Lack of Clarity
When I started my business I was so excited. I wanted to do it all. It was the classic hero story written in my mind. I would launch this amazing business, and (play the majestic music) help save the world with beautifully designed logos. But, a few months into the journey, and I was struggling. I was getting clients, but the clients that were coming didn’t value or understand the work I longed to do for them.
My problem wasn’t my clients. My problem was that I lacked clarity around my own business. After sitting down and thinking through some of my conversations with clients, I realized that wanting to do everything wasn’t producing the clarity I needed to grow into the brand I wanted.
Maybe you hold the same “do it all” mindset. You are building your business, but you are trying to be everything to everyone, you are on your way to burnout. So let’s get clear on what you really want.
The key to a clear brand is defining your “why” behind what you are doing. At the start of my business, I just wanted to do what I was passionate about and make some money doing it. That attitude is great for a hobby, but it doesn’t grow a thriving brand. I needed to go deeper.
Having purpose in my work is a strong driver for me. To clarify what I wanted my brand to be known for I needed to dig into the purpose of what I wanted my work to do and who it was for. I asked myself what benefit would my work would produce for those I served, and what my long-term goals do I need to set for how to get there.
Gaining this clarity was a process. I wrote and ideated over and over again. I tried things out on my social media, and come back to the drawing board to find what was authentically mine. In the end, I realized that I really didn’t want to do everything or serve everyone. I wanted to work with clients who valued my ability to think and plan strategically. I wanted to work with clients who saw the designer/client relationship as a collaboration. I wanted to work with business owners with a long-term mindset.
BRAND BOOST CHALLENGE
Take time to clarify your brand and what you want to be known for starts with your mindset. Are you building a hobby or do you want to build a growing and thriving business? There is no right or wrong answer here. I have many friends who are passionate about their hobbies and have made them into a small income stream. I also have lots of friends who are turning their hobby or side-hustle into thriving brands that have or will soon replace their current income.
For those building a thriving brand, clarify your purpose. It helps to think through the principles that guide your business, what makes work exciting for you, and what problem you want to solve for your ideal client. Give this exercise all the time it needs. Ideate, test, and start again until you have the thing that both light you up and resonates with others.
Communicating Your Value
In the beginning of my business I was scared of over promising and under delivering. Honesty is a core value of my life and my brand. I am also not the type of person who wants to be pushy about my business. But a the end of one project, I realized that I needed to get comfortable with the value my businesses offered to others and communicating that value.
This is what happened. When I wrap up each project, I send my clients an email thanking them for their business. I ask them to give me constructive feedback about the process and give me a review. At the end of the project mentioned above, the client I was working with had two suggestions; “Jami, you offer far more than what you are charing for. Fix that. Also, being honest about what you are capable of and what you deliver is not being sales”y”. Fix that too. It has been a pleasure working with you. We will be back soon.”
You can’t get more direct than that. That email caused me to get real honest about what I had to offer to my clients. I had to think deeper than what just a logo could do for a business and what I offered to them as a brand identity and website designer.
The answer to these question became my value proposition. A value proposition is the core promise you make to your customers about your products or services. It is the unique benefits of working with you and foundational in building a thriving brand.
Whatever market, niche, or industry you work in, no doubt, there are a lot of other businesses that offer the same or similar products or services.In a crowed space its hard for customers to make a good buying decision, and they will often resort to the path of least resistance when there is no clear winner. That path tends to be whatever seems most familiar and safe.
So, it is our job to help customers understand the benefits of what we offer. We, as the small business owners, have to be able to clearly communicate why customers should choose us, the problem we solve, and why we are worth their time and money. The way we communicate that should be honest, but doesn’t have to be pushy or sales”y.” The more true, authentic, and real it is the more people will gravitate to it.
Creating our value proposition can sound like a daunting task, but it is more simple than you think. And, the benefits of taking on the task of understanding our value is huge. Through clear value communication we attract the right customers, build their trust, gain their loyalty and ultimately increase sales. What business owner doesn’t want all of those things to happen?
BRAND BOOST CHALLENGE
To understand and clearly communicate your value proposition you need to
- become clear on what you offer to your customers and the unique benefits of working with you
- get to know your ideal customer and what frustrates them as it aligns with your industry
- define how your products or services offers a unique solution to their problem
Then, you combine those answers into your value proposition. Frame that answer into a statement such as,
“Jami Thornsberry Designs helps entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners build a thriving brand by creating unique and strategic customer experiences so they can meet their growth goals.”
The framework for this is simple, [Your business name] helps [your target customer] [do what/overcome what] by [what you promise].
Know your value and being able to communicate your unique benefits will also help you craft an authentic and meaningful message.
Muddled Messaging
As small business owners we always have to remember that we serve humans. This means that we need to focus on fostering trust with the people we serve and want to serve.
With limited time and resources it can be challenging to create the predictability and consistency around our messaging that will enable people to trust us. So, we bow to the tyranny of the urgent, and just push it out there. This inconsistency creates confusion and doubt in customer’s minds hindering them from investing in our offer.
In the beginning of my business it seemed quicker and easier to just take what I was seeing others say and rework it into my own words. I had to many other things to do than “re-invent” the wheel so to speak. But, as I committed to growing a thriving brand, I realized that my messaging needed to authentically represent my brand.
A clear, consistent message that is authentic to your brand will grow your business. As customers interact with your brand through your website, social media, marketing, and wherever you show up, they are getting to know who you are. If you aren’t showing up consistently in your voice, your visuals, and vibe you’re causing confusion. Confusion never leads to trust.
When you can make your messaging clear and consistent across all of your customer touch points, it helps your customers trust in the promise you make. It then becomes a powerful tool for business growth.
BRAND BOOST CHALLENGE
Your messaging is a powerful attractor to the customers you want to work with, but it must be clear, consistent and authentic. If you have complete the Clarity exercise, you are already on your way. A clear message is based on the pillars of clear purpose and value. Now add to that who your message is for. Get to know your ideal customer wants from you. What matters to them when it comes to what you offer them. How can you communicate what you do, who you are, why it matters in a way that will resonate with them? Again, this is a foundational marker that will take time to ideate, test, and rework. It is worth the time. Don’t be afraid to ask your social media followers for help. Use polls to test multiple this can boost your engagement and gather real-time feedback.
Overcoming these three branding challenges will put you on your way to a growing and thriving brand. Clarifying what you want people to remember about you is the first step. Remember to keep it real and authentic. Find the purpose that resinates with why you started your business in the first place. Learning to communicate your value and the benefits customers can expect will make your efforts like a magnet for growth. Finally, managing your messaging will engage and grow your customer base with trust.
