Positioning: 5 Ways to Open Your Brand Window
A window into the soul of your company: that’s what your positioning is. Before you can effectively promote your agency, you need clear, precise positioning that shows why you are different and how your work makes a difference for your clients. Here are five things to keep in mind:
- Focus on the needs of your potential clients
Many agencies look inward and ignore what potential clients need to know about how you will solve their problems. What is it that you deliver and how can they benefit by working with you? Remember, it’s not about you; it’s about them, their challenges and their concerns. Address them and you’ll be much more likely to attract new business.
- Keep it jargon free and simple
Use plain English and resist the buzzwords that you and your team use everyday. You want to keep it simple, understandable, and relatable. Potential clients want you to help them, not confuse them or talk down to them.
- Inject passion and personality into your tone and voice
Clients are attracted to those who communicate a real passion and love for what they do. They want to get a true sense of whom they’re working with and what to expect. They are counting on you to understand their pain points, be able to address them, and make them look good for choosing you.
- Be approachable
It’s the people behind the firm that connect with prospects and other external audiences. Your positioning should mirror the personality and characteristics that set you apart and make you human.
- Differentiate from competitors
Your positioning must show potential clients why they should choose your company over a competitor. You need to take a hard look and define who you are, what you do and why you stand out from the pack.
Reviewing and analyzing your positioning is like brand therapy. Questions need to be asked/answered:
- How important is your founder’s story to your brand story?
- Why do you win business over your competitors?
- What is your unique selling proposition?
- Why do you receive that first phone call?
- What are potential clients looking for?
- What are your principles and promises you stand by?
Only then can your positioning comes to life with:
Tag line: A short, actionable, benefit-driven message. It quickly defines the company and what it does.
About statement: Gives a clear and concise overview of who you are, what you do, what sets you apart, and what you believe in.
Mission statement: Defines your company’s objectives and how it benefits clients and potential clients.
Story: An authentic and passionate expression of where you have been, where you are going and what your company stands for. It incorporates your brand’s personality, promise, and differentiators.
The end result is your personal bible, a language and system that will inform everything you do and allow you to promote effectively.
