Updated Jan 2024
You already know that to be successful your business needs a clear purposeful direction. And you want to make a strong first impression with your brand and marketing. You do this to sell more effectively.
Sometimes, however, brands are halfway there.
Often a logo and tagline isn't backed by strategic business direction, or thought-throh branding. Often product and service descriptions, offers, and customer service are only part-way on target, or key points are missed (not engaging, or not offered the way prospects want to buy). Often a website doesn't address prospect questions with a clear logical flow (wait, what...?).
The boss knows revenue is needed now: "Don’t worry about that mumbo jumbo,," the boss says, "we need to bring in more business now. We'll probably fix that strategy and branding stuff when more sales are made…"
"And we don’t really need this branding stuff that badly anyway…we’re in a relationship business. So forget a new logo and tagline and some fancy-pants website, we’ve been doing business without them."
You’re a git-er-done guy or gal. So you spring into ACTION:
• You contact more prospects than a Nigerian prince with a fortune that just needs depositing in your U.S. account (and you get $2MM just for using your account… that was easy).
• Your new keywords pulverize the SEO out of every paragraph…and you think you can even improve your AdWords campaign (even though it's not producing much now.)
• You post on Instagram more often than a caffeinated influencer pushing the new caramel mocha latte with sparkly sprinkles.
• You hand out flyers with discount codes more efficiently than a one-armed paper hanger.
• You power-up the new business presentation to anyone in the elevator .who mentions your line of business. You even add a new salesgal.
You push past your limits like a high-intensity aerobic and anaerobic workout, with all kinds of marketing tactics… social media posts…expos… and trade shows and sponsorships, postboards n the town square… and…and…and…
BUT-BUT…
BUT WAIT
A MINUTE!
All these efforts… bring your prospects back to your website and new business presentations, right?!
And these are driven by your branding and your product/service offerings…
…and what if these aren't quite thought through fully, and don't rally engage your audience?!
Wait, wha-a-t?
With your fuzzy strategy… fuzzy branding… fuzzy product and service offerings… fuzzy processes… and fuzzy marketing communication… things are looking kinda....fuzzy!
Is your prospects’ first impression of your website and your business:
“Um...so I think I sorta get what you do…”
"I think you do something that might help us, but TLDR..."
Or: “Yes, saw your site, we'll keep your business in mind....”
Do you really want to present your “sorta good enough” branding and website to your best prospects, smart buyers — who are shopping the market, exploring the nuances of your brand, products, and services, and making buying decisions?
They may have been drawn in by your amazing blog post that your SEO guy optimized. Maybe they saw a post, a Google ad, came via a referral, or you've even set up a sales call that showed promise.
Will you wonder why your efforts are getting just a lukewarm reception… and you're not gaining the business? Did you gain their interest in your product or area of business, but some other business wowed them and got the sale? Yikes!
That often occurs not because your competitors have a better product or service — but only because they have thought-through the components of hteir business and presented them clearly.
Your competitors made it easier for prospects to understand and appreciate their strategy, branding, messaging, product or service, offer and customer experience… and it spoke directly to the interests of the same prospects you're trying to sell.
Unfortunately, you’ve just wasted a whole lotta effort and marketing dollars! And you likely have cut off some of your best prospects,even after they've responded to your sales and marketing efforts — because once they say "nah.…"! And at that point, it's pretty hard to get them to change their minds!
Diddley-dang… your competition just ate your lunch!
This is a very big question: Is your "Branding" just a logo, part of a Things To Do List, to pop onto your website...or is it a central strategic driving force?
If you look at the Strategy/Branding as something on your TTD list -- not as generative and the core of your integrated thinking -- you will screw yourself royally.
Strategy and branding are not stickers you slap on… they're the engine that drives your business. Your business strategy and branding should guide most things you do — from the markets you select…the way you develop, customize and present your products and services... your website content and SEO… and everything else. It is the foundation for growth… and you never want to build on a weak foundation.
>> Good strategy
(market segmentation and focus, key business decisions and more)
should lead to good branding >>
(which tells prospects they may want to do business with you)
>> Good branding builds the foundation for strong business
(starting with your website, products and services, and marketing materials >>
>> Content and marketing programs build leads and sales.
Thinking through stuff like presenting your brand, your products and services, should not be considered plug-ins that you get to "whenever." They are essential… part of a continuum… like an airport with runways that are long-enough!
In reality, you can't cross a chasm in two leaps!
If you present something muddled … you’re really presenting a different offering to your prospects. It might as well be a different company — a company that has no clear identity and direction. And the prospects you've tried to cultivate will meander off with "Hey I’ve got to make a call…"
Most businesspeople are moving way too quickly to explore this epiphany:
good strategy and branding lead to stronger ways of doing business, new markets, new ways of sales and marketing. You are defining and articulating your offerings in a stronger way, attracting and engaging your prospects and customers, and closing sales (faster). And you're making your boss happy again!
And you really have to keep up. Because your markets have changed. Your company has evolved. Your competitors have likely improved their branding, and the overall standard for branding in the marketplace is higher. You've got to stay current, and you certainly want to put your best foot forward.
You don’t have to be an Einstein to quote him — “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Yep! And if we don’t approach growth or innovation freshly, we miss capitalizing on our biggest asset — our ability to think!
Set Your Business Direction — Where Are You Going? And Is Your Brand Development Keeping Up With You?
First, get the destination straight. Are we going to the beach,…skiing in Colorado? When you know, you pack your bags. Not the other way around. If you ski in a swimsuit and flip-flops it's gonna be chilly! And you don’t want to bring your ski parka and insulated gloves to Jamaica, mon… do you feel me?
Practically, if you shift the order of what you do — strategy and branding first, as guiding forces — you'll change everything. You'll have your destination, map and compass. So you can produce the business results you want with clarity and alacrity. Guaranteed.
Are you feeling irie?
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Joel Alpert helps clients gain business results and profitability with level-up tools in strategic thinking, branding, and targeted marketing communications for companies of all sizes, startups … SMB… to the Big Kids and non-profits. He thinks he can figure out with you… how to "do what now."
Updated Jan 2024