You might think that your business is unique.
Realistically there are hundreds of other people offering the same thing as you.
So how do we set yourself apart? How do you ‘win’ the business over our competitors?
One of the most important jobs you have is to be the face of your brand.
Most of us with online businesses have a personal brand, whether we realise it or not. How our audience connects with us (or not!) has a big impact on our business.
“Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room – remember that. ”
Chris Ducker
A person will buy your product or service over your competitor because they resonated with your story and like you more.
Some people will connect with you and others won’t and that’s fine. We can’t please all the people and we shouldn’t try, but we can delight a few!
Here are some tips on how to be your own brand.
Don’t Try To Be Anyone Else
It can be so hard to totally be yourself. Quite often you doubt your abilities and the value you have to offer.
It can be really easy to latch onto what you see other people are doing. Assuming they have it all figured out and then you try to fit into their version of how they want to show up.
Not fully being yourself will not help your ideal audience find you. Your true business is a reflection of you.
Be Brave!
Since the beginning of time, the human race has had a negativity bias. This means we are primed to look for the negative. When faced with something which is scary but a great opportunity your brain tries to keep you safe. It will start to throw up all the excuses it can. ‘Maybe it’s not the best time’, ‘Maybe you need a little more experience’, ‘Maybe….’ you get the picture. It does this to keep you safe, playing small and feeling comfortable.
I know there are loads of quotes about life beginning at the end of your comfort zone, but they’re there because it’s true. Great things were never achieved by anyone being safe.
To truly push your business to where it could be you need to leap and challenge this comfort zone. Take opportunities even if they scare you because that right there is where the magic happens. Have courage and take one step at the time!
Take some time to self-reflect
We rarely find time to sit, pause, and reflect. To live purposefully and in alignment with your brand, you need to make time for reflection.
It may sound strange but schedule a meeting once a month with just yourself to quietly reflect on your goals.
- What steps are you taking to live your values?
- What are your current goals, and how are you progressing toward them?
- What different choices would allow you to get closer to living your values?
You don’t need to have definitive answers to these every time, but this self-reflection forces you to question your decisions and make sure they’re taking you down the right path.
And don’t try to squeeze this in between meetings or relegate it to the worst part of your day when you’re tired. Commit to a time when you can be fully focused and energized for you–whether it’s at your favourite coffee shop or while snuggled in bed at night.
Your brand will change as your business grows and adapts to the everchanging online marketing worlds. But here is the thing-choose your core values and no matter what happens you will remain true to your brand and people will love you for it!
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Thank you for reading this far!
Have an amazing day!
