If you’re gonna be a go-getter, you need a brand that gets ups and goes. I’m not saying your brand has to have a kick-ass-and-take-names kind of entrepreneurial energy. That’s your energy. Your brand can be laid back and chill, it can be shy and reserved, it can be coy and beguiling… but it needs to get the job done for you, every single day.
One of the biggest mistakes I hear from new entrepreneurs is a statement like this:
“I don’t need a brand right now. That can come later. I’m just starting out. I’ll build a brand when I have some money.”
Nothing could be further from a plan for success. If you want your company to succeed in attracting customers and turning them into loyal, raving fans, you need to build the brand FIRST and then put the brand to work for you.
A well-crafted brand will get up and go to work at sunrise, morning after morning. It will be your right-hand man. If you play your cards right, you’ll always be able to count on the brand. It will become the hardest-working member of your team.
Here’s the part lots of folks don’t understand:
- You don’t need a million dollars to create a million dollar brand.
- You need strategy, hard work, commitment, and consistency — each in equal parts.
Here are seven tips for creating a Go-Getter Brand (And six of them are DIY).
1. Think of your brand as a person.
When you create your brand, you’ve got to give it heart, soul, a strong mind, a smooth touch, a face that more than a mother can love, and a personality. And then you need to treat it like a person – with respect and honor. And you need to allow it to act like a person – with a consistent voice, its own sense of humor, quirks and passions, and traits your fans can count on.
2. Give it a higher purpose.
You have goals, hopes and dreams. Your brand should, too. Prospects and customers will relate to those hopes and dreams. Relationships will follow.
3. Invest in design.
Sometimes you’ve got to let the pros do what the pros do. And the design involved with branding is one of those things. Your logo and brand icons are the face of your brand. They make a first impression every day. If you’re going to spend money anywhere, spend it here. You can do the rest yourself.
4. Get your story straight.
If you want people to remember your brand story – and better yet, re-tell it – you’ve got to get it straight. Take the time to sit down and write your brand story. It should be an intriguing story, with great characters and a juicy plot. You need it in long forms and short forms, because everyone loves a good story, and you’ll want to pass it on every chance you get.
5. Master your message.
You need to know, in a few short bullet points, what your brand is all about. I meet entrepreneurs with great energy and ideas, but I can’t really tell what they’re up to. I’m not sure, in the end, what they’re really trying to sell. Master your message the way you master your jokes, your wardrobe, your golf swing, your handshake. It should be smooth, flawless and consistent.
6. Get in and stay in.
Your brand is a person. It will form relationships over time. Wherever it’s going to be, it needs to get in, and stay in. If Twitter is your thing, then Tweet. But do it every day, as often as you can. If it’s Facebook or Periscope or pay-per-click ads or an industry blog, get in and stay in. Because showing up somewhere for five minutes is no way to make friends. Trust comes with familiarity. Relationships come from trust.
7. Consistency is key.
This is so hard for entrepreneurs. We’re down for change. We’re up for adventure. But with branding, consistency is everything. Just about the time you’re getting sick of seeing it, other people are catching on. Everything I mentioned in tips one through six above is about consistency. Consistent personality, purpose, design, story, message and hangouts. Everybody likes someone they can rely on. The same holds true for a brand.
Follow these tips, and your brand will go to work for you. It will show up when you’re too busy. It will shine when you’re completely spent. It will make friends while you’re looking the other direction.
You’re a go-getter. Why shouldn’t your brand be one, too?
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