Windmill at Crown Bay Marina in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Image credit: Loán Lake
So…you’ve taken the leap to build your brand and it’s time to let people know.
What is it that you have to say and why should anyone care enough to read, listen, or view it?
Great questions! This is exactly what you need to ask yourself as you begin your communications strategy. It’s easy to feel pressured to “just get your content out there,” but the reality is that a bit of planning and preparation are required.
Understanding your WHY is step number one in crafting your communications strategy. Doing so develops content that is rooted in authenticity, attracts and resonates with your ideal target audience, and creates value for all who encounter it.
Loán Lake – Founder, Gobi Marketing Group, LLC
What does this have to do with building my brand? Well, your brand – whether personal or for your business – is more than a logo or image. It is the set of characteristics that you and/or your company or nonprofit organization will be known for.
In short, your brand consists of:
- How you dress
- How timely you respond to your clients
- How you or your staff answer the phone
- Your overall quality of service
- How your staff engages with clients
- The consistent packaging of your products
- In short… How YOU (self, company, product, service) show up in public and how you are perceived. And the list goes on…
At Gobi Marketing Group, we refer to this as “Going Beyond the Image.” In short, moving beyond the physical branding to the intangibles that can make or break your business.
Now, take a moment to evaluate your personal and and professional brand:
- Ask a few people in your circle how they perceive you and what words they’d use to describe you and/or your company/organization.
- Does their answer match your perception of yourself and your brand? Consider why or why not.
- What changes do you need to consider if there is misalignment?
Consider this: Without knowing your WHY, you may find yourself like a windmill, going slowly in circles that never end. I encourage you to document the answers to these questions as embark on your communications journey and share them with me in my inbox or at [email protected].