Let’s Talk Trade “Secrets”

Some agencies don’t want you to know what processes or tools they use to sharpen their skills and do their jobs. A lot of them simply aren’t trying anything new and are doing things the way they always have. One of the things I love about Business Builders is that we’re not stingy about sharing how we do things. Plus, we’re always looking for ways to improve. Frankly, we really want you to know because at the core of our business, we just want to help people succeed and build better lives for themselves. The main way people do that is by owning/running/working for a business. As a marketing agency, we spend A LOT of time well… marketing. But what does that mean? There’s a lot of minutiae that goes into the day-to-day tasks. But, at the end of the day, we get your brand in front of people. We hone your messaging so that it’s clear. That way, you don’t get drowned out by the noise of all the other companies looking for attention. I want to share with you a few of the tools we use to do this.

BUT FIRST: What is the most important thing for your brand to have?

I’ll give you a hint. It’s not your logo. And for someone who has spent her career designing, it hurts a little to say that. But it’s true. The most important thing for your brand to have is good messaging. How do you talk about what you do? Can you tell someone what you do in a sentence? You need to be able to or you’re losing customers. Why? Our environment today is so saturated with advertising that you have a few seconds AT BEST to capture someone’s attention. I understand that’s a bit overwhelming to take in. The vast majority of us don’t like to write and are not good at it (myself included — shout out to the girls in content who make it look easy ????). There is a framework for messaging we’ve been using for a few years that is making HUGE waves in the marketing world: StoryBrand! It’s a great way of framing:

1. Who your customer is
2. Who you are to them
3. Why they need YOU

Plus, StoryBrand helps you structure that information in a way that is interesting. You know how it’s really hard to remember facts but you know the whole plot to all your favorite movies? People are hardwired to understand things quickly and store them well in a story format. It has been amazing to see how much better marketing works when it’s clear and concise. IT WORKS, and it’s why we have taken the time to become a StoryBrand Certified Agency. Don’t mean to toot our own horn too much, but ????????it’s kind of a big deal.

So you got your messaging down, but what do you do with it?

HubSpot is an incredible tool that we use for our accounts. In one platform, you can schedule social posts, set up and send out emails, schedule appointments, track leads, and so much more. You get that all from one platform, and they only keep improving. HubSpot may sound like just another tool, but really, it’s not. The most effective way to achieve your goals is by being able to track them and see that your progress MEANS SOMETHING. It’s the key to consistency which, ultimately, matters a whole lot in keeping your brand in front of people. Why do you need to keep your brand in front of people? Well, your target audience is only so big. But it gets a little bigger when you take into consideration that there are some people who don’t need your services right now. When they do need them, you want them to think of you and not someone else. The more your brand is in front of people, the more reliable you seem when potential customers are researching options because they already know who you are.

• Big ways to stay in front of your audience these days are through:
• Google Ads
• Consistent posting on social media
• Email nurture campaigns
• Making it as easy as possible your audience to see and interact with your company

Depending on the kind of business you run and your target demographic, the cocktail of what works for your business can be different. Schedule a 15-minute discovery call with us if you want to know more about how we can help you with those things. Want to know more about how you can do these things on your own? We provide a marketing workshop to walk you through some great places to start. If you sign up for our workshop on April 1st, 2020, it’s online and FREE (usually $79)! An alternate, fun way to get your business in front of people is to give out swag. At DE, we make extra shirts, hats, stickers, and more to be able to give out. It’s really cool to see our logo and branding pop up in different places. A good place to start with something like that is with some unique custom stickers. We have used Sticker Mule for laptop stickers and labels, and they always do a great job!

Want to know more?

Get yourself a copy of Building a Business that Lasts by our owner, Jay Owen, for even more tips and growth techniques.