People like to buy into people, so even if you intend to sell your business one day, doesn’t hurt to share who you are and how you got here.
The digital and social media landscapes have been amazing for budding brands who are looking to make their mark and reach new audiences.
However, as new brands launch everyday, it has also meant that there is a lot of noise, and therefore it can be a challenge to stand out from the crowd. It has never been more important to get your key messages or brand “point of interests” across in a meaningful way.
I have been a TV journalist for over 20 years turned business owner, and here are some of my tips for you.
What is your point of difference
Many businesses have competitors, therefore it helps to put together some key messages that really speak to your brand and highlight your values. For example, are you sustainable? Are you doing something different? Why should customers look to you over a similar brand? Do you have an interesting backstory?
I recommend coming up with 4-5 points that speak to you and your brand. Then take the time to practice the delivery to get those points across in a meaningful way.
Have a founder story if necessary
If you have an interesting or relatable story or inspiration behind your brand, it is good to share your founder story, be it through your website, social media or the media. People like to buy into people, so even if you intend to sell your business one day, doesn’t hurt to share who you are and how you got here.
Utilise the media
The media is a very powerful tool to use when it comes to getting more eyes on your brand. You can think of it as word-of-mouth on a far larger scale as some Australian outlets have anywhere from 40, 000- 10 million monthly unique readers. It is a great way to share your brand message, have your product featured or share your story to people en masse.
Print media and TV are brilliant for credibility. Online media is also brilliant as backlinks to your website help to boost your SEO ranking. It also makes it easier for people to click through from the article and shop your website immediately.
Having a social media presence
Even if you don’t have many followers, having a social media presence allows potential customers who come across your brand to see what you are about and learn more about what you offer. One a potential customer comes across your brand, be it from word of mouth, a meta ad, social media or a media article, they will often want to find you on your own page to check you out. A website is great however regular updates on social media come across as more authentic as they are often less polished. While followers are helpful for reach, just having a place where you can post relevant and interesting content is key. Don’t be disheartened if your audience takes a while to grow, as social media may be another touch point that helps you close the sale regardless of your follower number.
Educate on your point of difference
If you are in a unique business, or you have done something innovative, it helps to use social media to educate people, especially if they are looking for you after spotting you somewhere else. With my lab-grown jewellery business, The Cut Jewellery for example, lab-grown diamonds are a relatively new concept in the medi,a so a lot of my social media page features me speaking to camera to give people snippets of information. Ie. Are lab-grown diamonds chemically the same as mined diamonds? Yes they are. Are they more affordable? Yes they are. Are they graded by GIA and do they hold their value? Yes they do.
For me, lab-grown diamonds are a relatively new space in terms of educating the public on their value, so it makes sense that I would use my social media platform to answer the questions that I would assume people have. I also use it for more pop-culture topics such as repurposing your ring, divorce rings etc too to keep people engaged and get them involved in the conversation.
Utilise META
META is such a powerful tool as it can refine your audience perfectly. By refining your audience, you are more likely to have a click through rate of only people who are interested, however if you don’t know what you are doing you can lose some money in the process as clicks from people who don’t care about your brand will cost you money. Finding a good social media advertising expert or spending the time to keep on top of the algorithms and trends yourself will go a long way in terms of brand awareness and hopefully sales.
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