I'm a marketing generalist, which means it's pretty difficult to nail down my "brand". Who is my ideal customer? What do I want to offer them? Do I do anything better than anyone else I know?
Like Katy Perry, I felt like a plastic bag drifting through the wind. Side note: I apologize in advance for getting that song stuck in your head.
Recently, I started working with a client I've previously worked with a few years ago. But he's not just ANY client. Oh no. He's basically a storytelling sorcerer. He could pull a fascinating brand story out of a plastic bag, if it had one. I've seen him do it many times.
That's when it clicked: I should use one of the free brand storytelling tools and craft my brand statement. So I set out on my quest, with my tool in-hand.
After filling out the Penning Your Brand Statement worksheet, here's what I came up with:
MY TARGET CUSTOMER: I'm here for busy business owners who want a marketing consultant they can trust.
WHAT I DO: I help my clients build brand awareness, engage their customers and drive growth. Helping savvy marketers navigate the complicated world of digital marketing is my jam.
MY DIFFERENTIATOR: Ramble & Red offers simple, yet comprehensive digital marketing strategies to help you overcome the fear of ever-changing online channels and achieve an engaged, loyal customer base.
No, it's not even close to perfect, because I'm still a full-stack freelancer. I'm not a badass copywriter or designer. I'm a marketing professional who loves to do many, many things.
Even so, I feel better about my brand and what my offering is. I realize now that it's okay to be a generalist without a niche, because I'm okay with my processes and who I work with. I don't care if I work with a solopreneur or small business or large corporation. First and foremost, I want to ensure that my clients trust me (read: my expertise/input is valued) and that our efforts are focused on what matters.
Lately, I've realized my work philosophy is to keep things simple. That may sound silly, but it's increasingly difficult when there are 10 different social media channels and countless marketing tactics to try. I don't want to be a generalist that tells clients they need to market their business a million different ways to be successful. Quality over quantity, as they say.
So I tried to incorporate this into my brand statement and refined it. It's now on the homepage of my website. Yay!
I was so excited, I decided to share the experience with another client of mine.
I recently started started working with a local business owner. We were going through something similar. She had a relatively new brand, with an amazing concept, but just wasn't conveying that through her positioning statement. I shared the worksheet with her, too. "Very helpful and thought provoking" she told me, and now she's on her way to a clearer understanding of what she offers, who it's for, and what her differentiators are.
So if you're looking for some guidance, try crafting a brand statement. See what kind of clarity that gives you, too.