Struggling with my identity… a question of branding?

Yes its true, I am having an identity crisis – am I a marketer, social media butterfly, jewelry designer or wine enthusiast….?  The answer to all of those is yes, plus more… we all are.

I’ve taken time recently to try to work through these questions.  This work has been truly valuable in helping me to understand myself and the type of business I want to build.  It’s work that is actually very reminiscent of a corporate branding exercise… or at least it should be.  You see, it’s not just individuals that go through identity crisis’ but companies also.  Businesses need to be constantly evolving to adjust for ever-changing markets and fickle customers. Defining and redefining a brand is a necessary exercise for survival that helps businesses get to their core, to their heart – without this understanding, it really is impossible to build a business or move it forward.

Think about it ..have you ever taken the time to find out what makes you tick… to understand what your life’s intentions are… and to know your true strengths? If you haven’t – I highly suggest you do.

The Alchemist, one of my favorite books by Paulo Coehlo makes one believe that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to – that once you state your wish,  the whole universe will conspire to help you achieve that wish.  But the truth is, I can’t do ANY-thing I set my mind to. Much to my chagrin… I will never be a world-class surfer, or an olympic athlete, or a back-up dancer for JT (one can always dream) – its not just a matter of timing, but also natural talent.  I recently took the Strengths Finder 2.0 test, which is meant to show you – what your strengths are.  It was an eye-opening exercise and it made me happy to understand myself better – to embrace and be proud of the natural talents that I have.  Curious?  Here they are:

• Activator
• Positivity
• Futuristic
• Empathy
• Maximizer

I look at these as as my competitive differentiators.  What makes me unique and stand out from the crowd.   This is one of the first steps you must take when developing a marketing plan.  Understanding your competition and how your business is different is the cornerstone for how you begin to position your business (read ‘sell yourself’)

Branding…it matters.

Having driven branding and positioning strategies for both publicly traded and private start-up technology companies, I now find myself going through the same process with myself.  It starts with defining your product or service.

ME -  I am an online marketing and social media professional… a creative thinker who likes to put things together in new and interesting ways.  This applies to my passion for networking and developing innovative marketing strategies, as much as it does to my love of forming metal into unique one-of-kind jewelry.  I also get a kick out of giving, really I do.  And I want to help other small business owners achieve success and excellence in their own businesses.

Branding..step 2 – Who is your audience?

MINE – Well, this I am still figuring out.  Certainly I am drawn to others as passionate as I am, so I gravitate to independent small business owners.  And I love food and wine, so restaurants and wineries feel like a natural fit.

Branding…step 3 – What problem are you solving for?
ME – I help small business owners effectively tap online and social media channels to build and grow their businesses.
Bottom-line. Marketing can and does impact sales. Let me prove it for you.

Having these three pieces of the puzzle in place will make everything go much smoother – from here you will be able develop a platform that will drive your messaging, look and feel, brand personality and competitive positioning.

I’m still working on the answer to Step 2, but I’ll keep you posted. Now I’m curious. Have you answered these three questions for your own business? Do share…