A brand promise is a simple statement about your business that will help you direct your marketing efforts. Your brand promise is composed of two parts:
What do you do?
For whom do you do it?
How Do I Get My First Clients?
You're ready to launch your new business. You have a shiny new website with great content and copy and you've started a blog so people can find you when they Google your products and services and.... Crickets.
So how do you get clients for your brand new business?
Start with people you know and people who you've worked with in the past. Even if you offer them help and advice at a discounted rate, or even for free. Doing free and discounted work for a complete stranger just for 'exposure' may or may not help you land that first client, but doing the same work for people within your current network is more likely to lead to paid referrals and more business.
Digital Marketing for Non-Digital Businesses
Nowadays, everyone is online. Whether you do business online or not, your customers are looking (searching) for you there. They want to know as much about you and their potential experience as possible before they walk in your door or pick up the phone. They want to interact with you via social media or email or another platform. Your customers are also looking for information, sometimes even from the front door or parking lot of your shop. If you don't provide that information, it will come from either generic search results or your competitor.
If you create a strong website that provides information about your business and your industry at large, you'll gain greater access to your audience and the ability to communicate with them directly. Your website should educate your clients about the experience they will have with you and the products and services that you offer. Whether you sell online or not, a website is always an opportunity for education.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Alyssa Joy
Tell me a little about you and your company.
Hi! I’m Alyssa, owner and lead creative over at www.alyssajoypd.com where I specialize in helping creatives, small businesses and non-profits beautify their brand from start to finish! I offer full branding packages, Squarespace web design, and custom styled stock photography and just recently launched my stock photography shop! I really love getting to know my clients, I believe that’s the best approach to design the perfect brand just for them - and well who doesn’t like making a new friend along the way?!
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Patricia Talavera and SYT Biz
Tell me a little about you and your company.
Save Your Time Biz Solutions is a family company, the team is made up of me, my twin sister Lily and my husband Boshwell. We help women entrepreneurs play in their zone of genius. We free up their time by taking over the web design piece of their biz so they don’t have to stress over something they don’t know. When you ‘don’t know,’ leave it to the experts, we say.
This way, our clients have the time to work with their dream clients doing the type of work that they really love. Oh and they impact change that way...no small deal. This gives our clients the added bonus of being able to finally implement those BIG ideas they’ve been dreaming about. Those grand schemes can now become reality.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Three Feathers Design
Tell me a little about you and your company.
I am a mom of two little kids, a wife, surfer and designer. My company is Three Feathers Design and I help creative entrepreneurs build kick ass brands.
How long have you owned your own business?
It is coming on 2 years, but I just recently started working full-time for myself, up until recently I had a part-time job - to pay the bills and provide a little security while I built my business.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Daniella Shapiro
Tell me a little about you and your company
Daniella Shapiro is a Disruptive Entrepreneur, Marketing & Branding Strategist, Social Media & PR Specialist and Speaker.
Daniella Shapiro is the Founder and CEO of DaniellaShapiro.com, a Premier Marketing, Branding, Social Media Management, PR and Event Planning company dedicated to building products, services & brands for the future.
Daniella has a BA Marketing Communication degree from the University of Johannesburg and an honours degree in brand leadership from Vega College.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Sophia Treyger
Tell me a little about you and your company.
My Sex & Intimacy Coaching business was created as a storehouse of all the wisdom and experience I’ve gathered throughout my life becoming an empowered woman and guiding women to love and trust themselves. My company values women and their partners. I’m committed to helping women and couples experience genuine intimacy in order to feel connected and close. I’ve always been fascinated with relationships - how they are formed and maintained throughout life - and was naturally drawn to the workings of the human mind. I’m eternally curious about how we think and feel and how that affects behavior and beliefs.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Vegetarian Zen
Tell me a little about you and your company.
Vickie and I actually have several current ventures, all under our limited liability company, Two Southpaws Enterprises (est. 2005).
We created Vegetarian Zen in March of 2013, shortly after we became vegetarians. Our mission and vision:
Vegetarian Zen is committed to providing informative and entertaining content, including recipes, tips, products, and services, to both current and aspiring vegetarians and vegans in an open and non-judgmental manner.
The Interview Series: Spotlight on Della's Apron
How to Name Your Business: A Step-By-Step Guide
Are you struggling to name your business or your brand? Do you want to pick the perfect name?
I have named hundreds of items between products, brands and companies (my own and others). Today, I use a basic formula that is easy to follow and helps me determine a name every time. It takes about a few days, but the time invested is worthwhile.
What Is the Most Important Thing to Know When I Launch My Business?
Perhaps as a marketer I am biased, but I think the most important thing to know when you are launching your business is your customer. Without a solid understanding of your customer, your business probably will not survive. With a good understanding of your customer, you can meet and even exceed their expectations at every touch point.
Silver Shade Group
A quick intro to Silver Shade Group:
Most of my blogs will contain general information about marketing or answer common brand, product, and digital marketing questions, but for today, I offer a little about me and why I started (and am qualified to run) this company. I am a marketing and branding professional with 15 years of industry experience. This year, I decided to create a company to formalize the consulting work that I was already doing. In addition to marketing consulting, I own an arts & crafts subscription box company called Twined. I built that business from the ground up and learned many lessons along the way.