brand marketing communications geek stuff

who cares what it’s called…

If you missed last week’s missive about storytelling, start with why Soft Skills = Cold, Hard Cash (and better connections).

Your brand, marketing, and communication strategies are NOT the same things.

Sorry not sorry to launch with that headline, but it always fires me up when I’m chatting with friends on a patio over a nice bevy and the topic turns to marketing as someone goes down the rabbit hole of their latest woes of what to post on social media.

Yes, this actually does happen.

No, not all the time…sometimes I’m actually fun!

Since this subject arises with almost every client — big and small — I thought it may be beneficial to highlight a few key points on how these things work together, but aren’t exactly the same.

First and foremost: Your brand is your foundation and the identity of your business.

It is the platform on which you stand: Think mission, vision, values, key messages, the transformations you offer, the experience of working with you, why you’re “worth” the investment, and messaging that conveys purpose and the big picture.

Quite simply, it answers who you are, what you value, what you're doing, and how you do it. It's your WHY coupled with how people benefit from working with you. It also acts as the “guard rail” for your marketing and communication strategies.

Once you know these things, you can build a brand strategy plan to evolve your identity in alignment with your business goals.

Sidebar: Your brand isn’t just a logo or pretty designs with your company name (though necessary). Your visuals must work with compelling content in order to attract and convert the right people for a mutually beneficial experience.

Second: Your marketing should be informed by your brand AND support your current and long-term business goals.

An overarching marketing strategy is a game plan for attracting clients and helping them understand how and why to engage you — and to keep coming back. It uses your foundational brand content and marries it with your offers and what’s happening in the market, and outlines strategies and tactics to grow your brand and business together.

Think of it as "Who You Are" & "Why You're Here" meeting up with "What Do You Want to Accomplish?" and “How Do We Get It Done?” to make your business work.

Finally: Your communications strategy fills in the gaps.

Some may argue that a comms strategy is part of a marketing strategy — and I’m not here to beleaguer that point. It very well can be. But I like to do communications strategies that support the brand and business specifically around written and verbal communications for both internal and external channels.

In plain English, a good communication strategy clarifies what is being said, to whom, at what time, and where the communication is getting delivered. Does my team know how to best communicate what we do and who we are? What does my audience need to hear from me on social media? A communications plan can answer both strategic and tactical questions and help messaging efforts.

here’s the tl;dr on why you should care about these things:

If you don't take the time to fully know, explore, and build your brand, it will feel like a constant struggle and you’ll end up with a business that doesn’t serve you — or others.

And if you don't market and communicate your brand with clarity and confidence so your perfect people care about what you’re saying, they’ll never benefit from the magic you’re here to deliver.

I talk to so many entrepreneurs who wonder if compelling content, copywriting, and strategy is worth the investment.

My response is this:

It's really hard to have a successful, sustainable business when no one understands what you really do beyond a list of services, trusts you to help them with what they need most, nor knows you deeply enough to like and hire you.

And, if you build your brand intentionally and communicate it clearly, you’ll never have to “sell” anything again.

Xox

Michelle

P.S. Don’t be the person wondering what to post next on social media. If you’re in Richmond, there are only a few seats left for the in-person storytelling session at the lovely Lavender Hill. Or join me virtually for the same workshop!

P.P.S. Ready to act? Brand with me or let’s chat about how you can buy my day for targeted, expedient transformation.