“Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.” – Amy Jo Martin
Small business has nothing to do with size, but everything to do with the way we conduct our business. Because we are small, every single decision we make is huge with huge consequences. One interaction has the power to make or break a small business brand, which in essence has nothing to do with the size of the business.
Your marketing message is often the first thing your potential customer comes in contact with and thus the importance of your first impression is such a huge component of your business. Your first impression or your brand words is your chance initially to define who you are and what you do.
Brand words are usually three words that effectively describe your business and the feel you want your clients to get when they look at your website, products, blog posts, etc. Choosing brand words is a critical step when you are creating your brand strategy and most entrepreneurs and businesses pick three words.
So here is a great example… Meet Sarah. Sarah is a graphic designer and creative strategist for women entrepreneurs who are chasing their big dreams and want to make a huge impact in the world. Sarah’s three brand words are influential, community and refreshing. She chose those words because that is how she wants to feel and how she wants her crew to feel.
- She wants to feel influential when writing, teaching, speaking – influencing her followers and clients to create a powerful brand of their own.
- She wants to create a sense of community in every aspect of her business so nobody feels alone.
- She wants the content, images, design and videos she creates to feel refreshing – like a breath of fresh air.
“Define what your brand stands for, its core values and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.” – Simon Mainwaring
So now let’s create your brand words with these easy steps…
- Start by writing down a list of words that excite you. They can be words that describe how you want to feel or how you want your clients/potential clients/followers to feel.
- Now let’s narrow down your list to those that really speak to you or closely relate to your business. These should be the very basic words that you are super-excited to infuse into your business.
- Go to Pinterest, the internet or magazines and search for images that represent those basic words and display them some where close to your working area. These will visually help you when you are producing marketing content.
Now that you have your brand words they will help you influence your decisions for your business and your social media marketing. You want to be sure that you keep things consistent, so that your followers/clients are constantly getting the same message from you every time they interact with your brand. Everything that you produce for you marketing should be guided by these brand words.
So let’s hear your brand words – leave me a comment below and share your brand words that will now set your brand foundation.
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