As entrepreneurs, we know how important it is to create a strategy around how we run our businesses, how we show up on social media, and even how we get clients.
And as a coach, one of the things that you might help your clients with is creating a strategy to help them achieve the results they want.
So like everything else in your business, there also has to be a strategy around your brand.
Your brand is how you want your ideal clients to see you. And something I often pick up is that there is usually a disconnect between how a coach thinks their ideal clients see their brand vs how they actually see it. This usually happens because they didn’t create a strategy around their brand, and this is something that I would like to help you avoid.
Because I know you’re in business to help people and impact lives, and your brand should reflect that.
But before we can start talking about brand strategy, we have to start by being on the same page in terms of what brand strategy is.
So what is brand strategy?
If I asked you to think about a big brand or business that really cares about their clients and making a difference in the world or in their industry, which person or business would come to mind?
Or what if I asked you what is the most affordable supermarket?
Or the most expensive car?
What would come to mind?
The people or businesses that come to mind have made a lot of effort to get you to think about them in a specific way. So that when I ask you these questions they are the first ones that pop up.
And that’s a big part of what brand strategy is. It’s shaping how people think and feel about you, so that no matter who they are, they will see you in a similar way.
And if you can achieve this, you will automatically stand out in your ideal client’s minds.
A branding misconception
Some of the biggest branding misconceptions are that your brand is:
- A logo
- Other brand visuals including a color palette or fonts.
Which can lead to people having a logo and a pretty color palette without a strategy behind them. And as a result, having a brand that doesn’t help them stand out.
This is why you always have to start with strategy before you create your brand visuals.
So let’s talk about the 4 things you need to focus on to create an effective brand strategy.
1. Know who you’re talking to
We’ve all heard this advice so many times, but if you don’t consider who your ideal client is when creating your brand, your brand will not attract the right people.
One of the best ways to know if your brand is working is when you notice that you are attracting the people you want to work with.
2. Envision where you want to be 1-5 years from now and plan for it
A big part of creating an impactful brand starts by looking into the future. Especially if your desire is to build a business that is bigger than yourself and might even one day function without you having to be there all the time.
So you have to look at where you want to be, in 1-5 years. And if you want to hire a team that will be passionate about making your vision a reality, they have to believe in your vision to the point that they will be more than happy to put in the work to help you achieve it.
This is why your vision isn’t just about you as a business owner, but it will also affect other people.
For example, have you ever bought something from a business because you wanted to help them achieve their vision to, for example, end world hunger, rescue people who have been trafficked, improve the environment, fight racism and discrimination, etc?
If yes, then this is a classic example of what I mean when I say your vision is bigger than yourself. And if your ideal clients and team(or future team) believe in what you are trying to do, then they will want to help you achieve your goals.
But let’s be real, you won’t have a crystal clear image of everything you want to do in the next 1-5 years. This brings me to my next point.
3. Know what you want to be known for
What do you want your legacy to be?
How do you want people to see you 5 years from now?
Even if many of the plans you make change, what you want to be known for won’t change because it’s one of the reasons you created your business.
You wanted to change how things are done. You wanted to show people that there is a better way of getting what they desire.
And perhaps you’ve seen other coaches do things that make you cringe. That make you angry or upset, and as a result you want to do things differently.
So at the end of these 5 years, what do you want to be known for?
4. Know what your competitors are doing.
In order to stand out, you have to know what your competitors are doing. You have to know what their websites or brands look like, and how they show up for their audiences online.
Because the last thing you want is a brand and website that looks exactly like your competitors.
Also take a note of what seems to work, what doesn’t work and any patterns you keep seeing that you find helpful or that you’d like to avoid completely.
If 80% of the coaching websites you see talk about “helping people get unstuck” then in order to avoid sounding the same, you can use different words. Or break down what “unstuck” would actually look like for your ideal client.
So here’s to creating impactful brands!
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