Last week I talked about the missing ingredient that many businesses forget…their marketing foundation. I wanted to dive in a little deeper so you you can work on your marketing foundation and start getting results in your business!

Buyer Persona

Effective marketing starts with knowing who you are targeting. You need to take some time to figure out who your ideal customer/client is. We call this your “buyer persona”. For instance, if you’re selling RV’s and retired couples are generally your biggest client base, do you know where they hang out online so you can engage them? (Tip: they’re probably not on TikTok) What does their typical financial situation? What are their hobbies? What do they read? 

By grouping people into buyer personas categories, it’s much easier to tailor content, messaging, targeting and services to these different groups of people. And it’s not hard, it just takes some a little focused time (~30 minutes) to brainstorm and create your buyer persona. If you have more than one ideal client, start with creating one core persona and build up from there. 

Branding + Messaging

Your website is your flagship, your first impression on potential customers. People do their research online and most likely have looked at your site before deciding if they want to go a step further. Did you know that people make up their mind in less than 5 seconds when landing on a webpage? If they don’t like it within 2 (literally) seconds, the bounce rate spikes 50%. That is lighting speed. This is your first opportunity to make a good impression, because if they do not like your website, they’re going to be skeptical about learning more about your business. 

Branding is all about your unique messaging. It’s actually pretty simple, but so often overlooked. It’s so much more than your logo. It’s your vibe, it’s how you want people to feel when they land on your site or social media, it’s the images and colors you use to evoke emotion out of your potential customers. There’s a famous quote that says people don’t buy what you do or sell, they buy why you do it. They want to feel that connection, that belief in why you’re doing it. Your job is to take them along for the ride!  

So, what message are you sending? 

Be honest. What are you saying? Are you using words and terminology that your target persona would relate to? (Stop here and do the buyer persona if you haven’t) Should people put their trust in you and/or your product or services? If yes, why? How are you communicating this message to them? And, if you’re not, you may want to refine your message. 

If you went to your website right now, would you say, “Yes- that’s exactly what I want people to think of my business!”? 

Here’s another thing to think about, if you had to tell me in 30 seconds or less what your business does, would you be able to? 

Honesty is the key here if you want to get better at your branding + messaging.

You see here’s the thing a lot of people don’t realize… if you want to attract the right customers and clients, you have to tell your story in a way that makes THEM experience the outcome you deliver. They need to feel that transformation

Let’s take a real estate agent for example:

 They would want to paint the picture of a smooth transaction- every detail being taken care of for their clients. Everything from the offer to the inspection to the closing and, finally, their clients picturing their celebratory glass of champagne in their new house.

How could a real estate agent get that message across to their potential clients? By using their unique messaging to convey their expertise:

• Verbiage on their website addressing these pain points and how they will take care of each one
• Social media posts with soft lighting images of a couple in front of a fire toasting a glass of champagne and a smile on their faces. 
• Blogs on certain topics to educate their potential clients and grow the relationship.
• Use testimonials from previous clients to show credibility 

Whatever your industry is, think of your ideal customer’s pain points, address them and showcase how you will help them overcome them. 

What wording do you use? What types of images? What’s your color scheme? What fonts would you use? Filters?  How do you want people to feel when they land on your page? Really put some thought into this and come up with a branding statement and vision. It honestly takes a little bit of time to figure out what you’re trying to say and match it with images + tone, but once it’s done, it’s done and it ties together your online presence, making your business stand out. 

A great exercise is to create a mood board that has your color scheme, fonts that you like, types of filters you’ll use (if any) and content you’ll use to attract these prospects. And keep that feel consistent across your website and social platforms. You can use Pinterest to gather all of these different items- pour a glass of wine and have fun with it! 

It’s also important to note that people love transparency and want to know about you, your business (employees, how you give back, culture, etc.) and why you do what you do. Include this in your messaging so they can feel the authentic you!

 Then, deliver this message consistently over time so that when they eventually need your product and/or service, you are the brand they think of first. 

Your Website/User Experience

Like I previously mentioned, people make up their mind in less than 5 seconds or less whether or not they’ll stay and look around on your website. Are you going to catch their interest in that short amount of time? 

What does your website say about you? Your social media profiles? 

This is your digital brand flagship, the first impression and you pretty much get one shot at it…

Do all of your links work? 

Are there clear CTA’s that direct them to the next step you want them to take? 

Does your site load quickly? 

Is your site mobile-responsive? (That means it adapts to whatever device they are looking on like PC, tablet, phone).

Is it secure? Meaning you have a https:// instead of http:// (If you are not sure, contact your hosting company and if it’s not secure- they can help you make it secure and it’s ~$15/year). 

Note on security: Google penalizes unsecured sites- they’ll down rank them, so make sure to secure your site! Not to mention, 84% of people abandon them→ they don’t trust them!

Do you have relevant content that speaks to them? 

How do your images flow with your text? 

Note on images: DO NOT just pull images from Google! You can get fined upwards of $10,000. I’ve seen it happen. Either buy a subscription to istock or depositphotos.com ($30/month) or use free sites like pexels.com or unsplash.com 

(While you’d think these points are totally about what people think of your website, it’s also about SEO)

Your Call to Action (CTA)

The web is a busy, busy place- you need to make it as easy as possible for your clients to take the next step. Put it right in front of them. In multiple places. We’re so distracted these days, we need constant reminders 🙂

We can do this with Calls To Action (CTA’s). Do you want them to download a free resource? Call you to book a consultation? Whatever your end goal is, put it in a Call to Action so they can easily click on it and go to that next step. 

You can create banners, buttons or links- any and all work, but some may work better than others. Do a little testing to see which works best, but including them in any shape or form will help grow your business! 

Create a few different ones and have them handy (and linked properly) to use in your blogs, pages, podcasts, social → anywhere you’re posting for your current offerings, new releases, etc.!

Conclusion

 Ok, now can you see how this is beneficial to know before you start marketing your business? You’ll be able to save so much time because you know who you’re talking to, where to reach them and what to say to connect with them 🙂  If you have any questions or would like a free 30 minute strategy session, book your call here!