When it comes to building your brand, having the right branding expert by your side can help you take the guesswork out of creating your overall strategy. But does this mean you should hire out your entire branding process? Not necessarily.
Here are 8 brand strategies you *shouldn’t* hire someone else to do.
- Defining Your Brand: Brainstorming with an accountability partner or a mastermind group can help you uncover your why, but only you can know deep down what drives you to do what you do. Block out some time to look inside yourself and identify your business values, beliefs and purpose.
- Following Up on Proposals: You’ve already sent a meticulously crafted proposal to a potential client, and now it’s time to follow up on your pitch. This is not the time, however, to enlist your assistant in the process. Directly following up with prospects not only helps them get to know you, but it shows you have time to take them (and their project) on.
- Making Referrals or Introductions: You’re not connecting businesses; you’re connecting humans. Leaving it up to your team or someone else to make referrals and introductions can feel a bit impersonal to the people on the other end of those connections.
- Finding Your Brand Voice: Others may tell you how they think you should sound, but for true authenticity, your brand should sound and feel like you or your business. Taking the time to discover your brand voice will help you (and your team) stay consistent across all customer communications, from emailing to blogging to social sharing. [ctt title=”For true authenticity, your brand should sound and feel like you or your business.” tweet=”For true authenticity, your brand should sound and feel like you or your business. ~ @fingerprint http://ctt.ec/69bTC+ #dontshouldonme” coverup=”69bTC”]
- Personal Social Media Posts: Automating your social media is a great way to keep your content calendar filled week after week. However, if your brand is built around you, then any personal posts you wish to share should be written by you, not your assistant or social media manager.
- Client Experience System: There are no shortage of ways you can create an amazing customer experience, but the key is to focus on what works for your business. Plus, how you design your system depends on the types of products or services you offer. Start by outlining the high-level steps for your system, from initial contact to project wrap-up, then fill it in with follow-up steps.
Asking for Testimonials: Say your car was recently serviced, and later, a random survey company emails you with a request for feedback. How likely are you to respond? Probably not all that likely. The same goes for your customers: having an outside party or team member ask for feedback can be off-putting and not terribly motivating. To secure a rave review, be sure to send a customized testimonial request directly to your client yourself. Not sure what to include in your testimonial request? Click on the image to download a FREE copy of “7 Questions to Get an Effective Testimonial”- Customer Research: Being in tune with customer needs will help you dream up better products and services. Collecting this data is easy (and free!) – you just have to speak less and listen more. What are they saying in emails, blog comments, social posts or Facebook groups? You can learn quite a lot from this information.
Over to You
Which aspects of your branding do you DIY? Which do you consult with an expert on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!