When I first started working online, I investigated the role of branding in my business.
Some marketing consultants were opposed to the whole idea of branding, and rightly so: at the time many of us associated branding with colors, images, and type fonts.
It took me a while to realize that solopreneurs can’t use “branding” the way I used to teach Marketing 101.
As a small service-based business, the brand is you. You use branding to create a relationship with your followers. You send away those who don’t belong in your tribe; you attract those who may want to work with you someday. Your brand helps you deliver one of the most important marketing success factors: consistency.
Now when I work with clients on marketing, I suggest your brand helps you teach your clients what to expect from you.
It goes beyond sending a newsletter the same day every week. It’s about the stories you tell, the promises you make, and even the way you recommend solutions to business problems.
I have to admit: that consistency has been one of my greatest challenges. I like variety and novelty. ’m always tempted to branch off into a new topic, leaving my readers wondering, “Is that the Cathy Goodwin I subscribed to?”
If these challenges ring a bell for you, I recommend tuning in to my most recent podcast. In that episode, I interviewed one of my favorite online marketers – Cindy Bidar.
Cindy is a quintessential Role Model archetype. Her promise is, “If I can do it, you can do it.”
What’s impressive is that Cindy uses this promise in every aspect of her marketing. She credits consistency with her strong online success, even in areas where most of us don’t think of being consistent.
For instance, Cindy is very big on creating systems. On the podcast, she shares a belief that success doesn’t come from setting goals. It comes from implementing systems.
That’s a powerful way of saying, “I’m not special. I follow a path. I put one foot in front of the other.”
I’m still working to be as consistent as Cindy, although my version won’t look like hers. I’m an Educator archetype, so I send a different message and tell different stories.
For instance, many marketing experts advise you to “Tell a story…any story.” Or they may suggest a specific kind of story (usually a hard luck story). What’s much more useful is to say, “Choose stories that support your brand, consistently.”
On this podcast, we talk about specific ways to choose your story. Cindy shares a realistic – and very rare – insight into making those choices to support your business and build your brand.
And if you’re looking for ways to build consistency in your content, check out this course: Content for Credibility. Use the code SEPCRED50 for a 50% discount.
