Shiny Things
We ALL like shiny things, don't we!? It's arbitrary. It's age old. It's cliché, really... It's true, though, so I'll say it again for dramatic effect; WE ALL LIKE SHINY THINGS, DON'T WE.
We are, after all, HUMAN (***yes, it's something I said in my last piece "A Gut Feeling," but that too bears repeating.) Why? Because, naturally, it's important to keep in mind who your audience is when it comes to marketing your business.
WE HUMANS LIKE SHINY THINGS!!
Of course we do, so what does that have to do with branding and marketing your business? While the answer should be fairly obvious, it's something often overlooked by business owners, believe it or not, and no other time in the history of mankind has it been more imperative to make your brand SHINY.
Ok, not literally "SHINY" (though, maybe so in your case?!) but you MUST make your brand stand out from the crowd, and it's a HUGE crowd out there in the world of commerce. You know it, I know it, and the world isn't getting any less crowded.
Quick Litmus Test: Which penny do you prefer?
YES, there is a correct answer, here. Unless you're pulling my leg, you've correctly chosen the penny with the shiny polish. After all, it is indeed the more desirable of the two, right?! Right!!
BUT HOW CAN YOU POLISH UP YOUR BRAND TO MAKE IT SHINIER, MORE DESIRABLE, AND CREATE MORE SUCCESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS AS A RESULT?
YOU NEED A STRATEGY...
What Is Your Strategy?
Thinking... Thinking... Thinking...
A STRATEGY in action is both MEASURABLE and TIME-SENSITIVE. You can think of a STRATEGY as involving 4 parts:
Overall Business Objective. My Business "XYZ" will have a 50% increase in sales by December 31st, 2016.
Marketing Objective. Increasing in store customer sales with client leads by 50% by December 31st, 2016.
Digital Marketing Objective. To increase in-bound leads by 50% by December 31st, 2016 by increasing website traffic, growing brand awareness and building an online brand.
Digital Strategy. Leveraging my website, email marketing list, and social media base with quality content, marketing assets, pay-per-click ads, and analytics to promote 50% growth by December 31st 2016.
When you've worked out your objectives and goals, you can start thinking about the tactics you'll employ to achieve them. This is where that ALL IMPORTANT "BRAND" comes back into play. The shinier your brand is, the more it stands out from the crowd, the more you'll increase your chances of success!
Remember That A BRAND Is:
"... a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or organization." - Marty Nuemeier
Ponder Einstein for a moment:
"The Intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - Albert Einstein
So, what does that mean for our purposes, Einstein?
It's intuitive to us as HUMANS that we love SHINY things.
We're hard-wired to notice what's different.
We're attracted to things that stand out in a crowd.
YOU can apply this intuitive part of human nature to your BRAND and STRATEGY, thus making your brand more SHINY!
LITMUS TEST #2:
Does anything in this photo jump out to you?
One of these things is not like the other(s)...
Here are some questions to get you thinking about how you can market your brand to make it more SHINY:
How are my current marketing tactics helping me achieve my business objectives and goals?
Am I using digital marketing effectively to enhance my traditional marketing efforts?
How am I leveraging ALL my digital marketing assets, website, social networks, Youtube channel, and email contacts to create "fans" of my brand?
Am I creating and posting QUALITY digital content (beautiful photos, amazing videos, effective music, informative or entertaining blog posts, etc.) that inspires interaction on social channels and real-world action among the "fans" of my brand?
Am I testing, reviewing analytics, tracking sales, creating engagement through my marketing campaigns, and using digital tools to determine my marketing success and where to focus my marketing budget?
HOW AM I DIFFERENTIATING MY BRAND FROM THE COMPETITORS IN MY INDUSTRY?
Your BRAND doesn't have to be SHINY in the literal sense but you must always strive to differentiate and separate yourself in an increasingly crowded market. It starts with developing a clear STRATEGY, carefully crafting your BUSINESS OBJECTIVE, creating a MARKETING OBJECTIVE, a DIGITAL MARKETING OBJECTIVE, and implementing a DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY that leverages all of your digital marketing assets.
I'd love to speak more with you about how to help you make your brand SHINY, attractive, desirable, and create fans that will help you grow your business. Get in touch if you want to dive deeper!