Have you ever looked at a competitor’s marketing and thought, “I’ll never be able to do that.” You can really feel it when you’re a small business, and they’re a big brand. They have teams of marketers, and you have, well, yourself. They look polished, their posts pop up all the time, and it looks like they have a plan. The truth is, none of that influences who your customers choose to work with. The bigger brands are spending loads of money to manufacture what you already have: a personality that people can relate to.
What does branding look like for a bigger business?
Big brands market themselves to people across the country, or even the world. They have premises all over the place, adverts and posts across multiple channels, and it all needs to convey what their brand stands for. That involves a lot of work behind the scenes to get everything lined up. Branding guides go into every possible detail, from the brand colours and fonts, where to position a logo and what their brand voice sounds like, right down to the words to avoid. It’s also all made up.
They can’t buy what you have
Some brands started just like yours, with a single person starting a business based on their vision and values. When it grows, you’d hope that those foundations stay solid. Other brands identify a gap in the market and aim to fill it. It might not have anything to do with their lifestyle or the change they want to see in the world, so they have to find a way to be relatable to the people they want to attract. That doesn’t apply to you. You’re the business. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re using the ‘right’ words because you can explain things how you naturally would. People come to you because they know your values match theirs. You haven’t had to run focus groups to work out what you need to stand for to attract the right people because you know what feels right to you. A bigger brand can’t buy that.
What’s worrying you?
Being yourself is great, but it can also be utterly terrifying. You might hear me tell you to be yourself and wonder which version of you that should be. I usually find people are worried about one of two things. That they’ll share too much of themselves or that they don’t have anything interesting to talk about.
You don’t have to overshare to get your personality into your marketing. I mention my family because they’re central to my life, and it informs my perspective on the world and the way I work. Only share what you’re comfortable with, and what feels relevant. Your voice and the reasons why you chose this business, or the way you work and how that fits with your values, are enough.
If you’re reluctant to share your personality because you think you’re not that interesting, think again. Your customers don’t want a performance. They want to get to know you and decide whether you feel like their sort of person. Sharing something that shows how warm and friendly you are is much more powerful than leaving people feeling dazzled.
What your customers think
There might be many practical reasons why you aren’t competing with a big brand, but your personality isn’t one of them. They pay millions to create what you already have. A clear view of what you stand for and how you want to talk to people in your marketing. Focusing on that as an asset lets you write marketing that shows your audience the real you and helps them connect with you. If you eventually meet in person after they’ve found you online, it lets them feel they’re continuing a conversation rather than starting a new one.
Ready for a chat?
If you’re ready to get your personality into your marketing but you’re wondering where to start, let’s have a chat. Maybe a brainstorming session would help you get your thoughts in order and focus on what your customers need? Perhaps you’re wondering when you’ll have the time to write. If you’d rather hand the whole thing over, I can help with that.
When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business, and write content that showcases your best self, helping you connect with your ideal customers and talk about what matters most to them.
You can email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.
Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.
