SWEETSPOT STRATEGIES
  • Home
  • Work With Abigail
    • The Baker's Dozen Checklist
  • Contact
  • Blog

5 Benefits of Having a Big Bold Brand

7/26/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Marketing is the people mover of your business. It's the train that takes a person and gets them to become a prospect, then a qualified prospect, then a customer, then a fan. How does that happen? It happens with a great brand. And how do you create a great brand? This happens when you know who you are and what you do, who you serve and why you serve them, and you have clearly positioned your business as unique in your competitive marketplace. These are the foundational elements of a great brand.
​

So "Branding is about everything" (Tom Peters), especially as it relates to creating a good relationship experience with your prospects and customers. This is really important. If your brand is working you are getting more visibility and credibility, and the right people are showing up at your sales table.

Picture
But, did you know that a great brand gives you so much more? Below are five benefits of having a great brand:

1. Gives your clarity on your business - If you do the right branding work and really dig deep into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your business you WILL get clarity on your business. You WILL get clarity on your goals. And, you WILL get clarity on the steps you need to take to make things happen. Clarity gives you purpose. Clarity gives you hope.

2. Allows you to take control of your brand and your business - Your business has a brand. My question to you is, "Who is controlling your brand's reputation?" If you're not making sure your brand image is visible, consistent and solid, you're allowing your prospects, customers, competitors, and community to control your brand's reputation. Protecting your brand image is an important part of building a thriving and enduring business. Control your brand. Manage your brand. And, it will give back to your business tenfold, at least. 

3. Gives you a foundation to create great marketing - Marketing is a necessary part of the business success puzzle. However, without the right foundation (branding) effective marketing is impossible. Marketing is all about getting seen as credible, and as the authority in your marketplace. It requires frequency, consistency and intention. But, the process starts with branding.

4. Gives your prospects and customers a level of expectations - Your brand is your reminder to your prospects and customers that you are running a business. It's a reminder to them that you're focused on solving their challenges and being the best solutions provider you can be. A standard level of service is a good thing. It gives your employees and resources a level of expectations. And, it gives your prospects and customers an assurance that when they work with your company they will be treated a certain way and receive a product or service at a certain level of delivery. 

5. Positions you as a market leader - Every industry evolves through innovation. Who is leading your industry? Companies with a solid brand become the 'go to' leader because they're out in their marketplace consistently, frequently and intentionally. They're usually listening to their customers and creating products and services that help customers solve their problems in new and better ways. Companies that have solid brands are market innovators and thought leaders.


Controlling your brand will help you control your marketplace. What are you waiting for? Is your brand ready to lead your business to success? Is your brand ready to be a market leader? If you answered, "I'm not sure," let's talk.
Before the logo, before content, before development of websites or social media pages your brand needs a blueprint. It needs to be carefully created so that the steps of marketing and sales can be developed aligned with your business goals.

I've created "Your Big Bold Brand," a Live Interactive Virtual Workshop to help you get your brand focused and on message. Check back for the next event!
​

This is a working workshop. You WILL make progress on your branding. Branding is the foundational element on which marketing and sales are built. It is a critical piece of your success puzzle. Once you see the connection between the branding, marketing, and sales your business will never be the same! Get your branding right and you'll be on your way to creating marketing that gets results and sales that gets you customers. Let's talk, let me help you create your Big Bold Brand!
To your SWEET success! ​

Abigail Tiefenthaler is the founder of Sweetspot Strategies, Inc. She helps small and mid-sized companies clarify, prioritize, and simplify their branding and marketing for greater success. Her FREE Guide: "7 Deadly Mistakes That Sabotage Your Business and Cause You to Lose Customers (and Money)" identifies potential sabotage patterns in your marketing so you can address them and start creating marketing that grows your business. Download it today: http://www.sweetspotstrategies.com/7-deadly-marketing-mistakes/
1 Comment

Yes, you can do branding work without professional support, but why would you?

7/26/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
As a growth strategist I work with a lot of clients on branding and marketing. It's hard to grow a business, get sales, and create customer relationships without either a brand, or the marketing that supports it. Although I see many entrepreneurs try.
​

And it amazes me, that even with tons of free information available, and hundreds of marketing coaches in the business, that entrepreneurs still struggle with the processes of branding and marketing. I have my guesses why, but one reason I know for a fact is that most entrepreneurs think it takes too much time to do these steps right. And, the one thing entrepreneurs don't think they have enough of is time.

There are so many questions that get answered when a business owner does branding work. A brand creates a businesses' look, feel, and hook. The right branding work helps an entrepreneur have an idea of whether their vision will fly, it gives her a clearer image of her ideal client, and identifies a USP or UVP for her business.

Yes, you can do branding work without professional support, but why would you? Branding is so foundational to your business that it would be like building a house on your own without knowing anything about design, or construction. Working with an expert helps you ask the right questions, take the right steps, and focus on the right things. A lot of entrepreneurs think branding is the way the house looks (logo), but branding is actually the foundation. And, every home needs a foundation if it is to stay standing long after the hammer gets put away.

Branding answers the Who, What, Where, When, and Why of your business mystery. And, we know from reading Nancy Drew books that without figuring out these facts, we never find out who committed the crime, and why they did it. And, more important, without a trained eye we miss critical clues.

So, what happens after you know these answers? They become the basis of your marketing plan. Marketing is the steps including, pricing, packaging, product, and promotion of taking your brand to market. Once you know your what (your brand), marketing is everything you need to do - advertising, promotion, public relations and merchandising, to help people FIND YOUR BRAND.

Branding gives you purpose. It is the dart board for your game called business. It's the canvas on which you will paint success. It's the focal point of your "Knock 'em Dead" outfit. At the end of the day, it's the one thing you protect more than money because it's your treasure. It's your personality. It's your reputation. It's your essence. It's there whether you define it or not, and if you don't define it you risk having your competition and customers define it for you.
Picture
So branding is important. It is your EVERYTHING. And, I mean EVERYTHING. Without it, your business will suffer. You business will feel out of place. It will experience confusion, frustration, and overwhelm. It will lead you to misguided and unsuccessful attempts at selling.

With it, peace. Confidence. Purpose. Yes, your brand is that important.

So, if branding does all this, what does marketing do?

Marketing is the steps you take to get your brand noticed. By the right people. At the time they're making decisions. Marketing is the process of building visibility and credibility. It gets your prospects to consider you a viable option to solve their challenge. Marketing is a people mover. An engager. It brings people into your tribe (and gives prospects a way out of it as well). Marketing has one job and that is to get your brand noticed.

So, without a brand, there is no reason to market. And, without marketing even the most solid of brands fade away into oblivion.

The world is not at a loss for great ideas. The world is at a loss for those ideas to be formed into a brand, and then marketed in a way that gets the right people to see it. So the next time you think about upleveling your business, focusing your business, or finally figuring out what you need to do to grow your business and get results, think your brand. And then, plan your plan. And you will be taking the first step on the path to your success.


Abigail Tiefenthaler is the founder of Sweetspot Strategies, Inc. She helps small and mid-sized companies clarify, prioritize, and simplify their marketing and income producing activities for greater success. Her FREE Guide: "7 Deadly Mistakes That Sabotage Your Business and Cause You to Lose Customers (and Money)" identifies potential sabotage patterns in your marketing so you can address them and start creating marketing that grows your business. Download it today: http://www.sweetspotstrategies.com/7-deadly-marketing-mistakes/
0 Comments

    Author

    Abigail's goal is simple, build a brand that positions a business as different and unique, then simplify marketing so it can attract the right prospects. 
    She's co-founded online and offline networking groups, a mentor and presenter for SCORE and speaks regularly on branding and marketing. When she's not working with clients or speaking, Abigail loves renovating her 50+ year old home with her husband of almost 27 years.

    Archives

    June 2018
    May 2018
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    Branding
    Business
    Marketing
    Strategy

    RSS Feed

SweetSpot Strategies Inc.

Connect With Abigail!

To connect with Abigail, follow her on social media or follow the link below to contact her.
Contact Abigail

Join Our Facebook Group!

This Facebook group is a FREE valuable resource for branding, marketing and sales questions and challenges. This group offers advice, inspiration and a platform for you to introduce yourself and your business. There's nothing mandatory to join the group! It's a place for you to learn, grow and ask questions as a business owner. ​
Join Now!
©2019
Terms And Conditions  |  Privacy  
Schedule Strategy Call  |  ​Accelerate Your Business |  Survey For Business Owners
  • Home
  • Work With Abigail
    • The Baker's Dozen Checklist
  • Contact
  • Blog