Chances are, when you set up your business it was one of the biggest decisions you’d ever made. Maybe you left a job in the corporate world with the aim to have more flexibility in your working life. Maybe you had a passion or purpose that you needed to fulfil and the usual 9-5 just wasn’t cutting it for you.
It was a really big deal for you….
.......And it still is.....
Did you get your trusted friends and family involved in the naming of your business or perhaps you sat around the kitchen table with a bottle of wine mapping out your business plan?
It probably consumed your every waking thought during that time, and probably still does.
You are a few years into the business now, it’s still your baby, just a little bit more grown-up. Your business is going well – although you know it could be going better, run smoother and be less of an emotional roller coaster. The potential to deepen your business knowledge and update or fine-tune your marketing communications is ever-present, if only you had more time!
Sales are steady, there’s a bit of an ebb and flow and who would say no to more leads, or a stronger presence in the marketplace, a greater reputation and a stronger engaged community in your socials.
The thing is it feels like no one cares about your business anymore.
Your trusted advisors have moved on to the next challenge, maybe they’ve got businesses of their own.
Your communications, from social content to your emails and blogs are drying up, how do you continue to come up with creative content?
Your brand has lost its mojo. What once was the apple of your eye, shouting ‘look at me’ I’m new and shiny is now looking a bit flat, and if you’re honest doesn’t really represent who or what you are anymore.
Often the product or service that you based your business on has morphed and developed into something different. Take a good honest look at your website and marketing efforts – do they still truly represent where your business is today in the current market?
If any of these sound familiar chances are your audience and prospects will feel it too and that connection or spark between you will have headed into the sunset.
And it feels like no one cares about your business anymore.
Listed below are 5 principles to focus on that will help to build that engaged community, create a powerful reputation and awareness around you and develop a strong brand authority for your business. Make your prospects sit up and take notice and have you fall back in love with your business.
1. No one cares about your Branding.
It doesn’t mean anything to them, it lacks clarity and there is no loyalty. What does your brand represent now? Work out your values, what you stand for, your passions and the mission for your business. Your brand, (and that’s not just your logo) where and how you show up in your communications, need to demonstrate these values to give it the brand authority and identity that showcases you, the current business. Once these are clear your audience will start to build a connection with you and your business and the buy-in will follow creating loyalty and that all important trust in you and your business. Values
2. No one cares about what you say in your communications.
Are you clear in your messaging? This isn’t your tone of voice, but what you are saying which needs to not only resonate with your audience but speak directly to them in a clear and concise way. A website that has too many offerings for example will give a confusing message and the reader will not know what service or product they actually need. Chances are they’ll move onto another website to make their purchase. Work out where you stand on your positioning and your messaging will follow.
3. No one can see your business.
Your business lacks visibility. There is little or no awareness, your customers are your biggest champions - you want them to be shouting positives about you at every opportunity. Sit up and grab the spotlight. Be proactive on your social feeds, but above all be consistent. Write blogs, use this content and re-purpose it to give you plenty of social media content. Turn into videos, memes, and stories, make the time framework for you, but above all be consistent.
4. No one cares about your business content on your social media.
Everyone wants more comments and shares. Your content just isn’t meaningful enough. Are you pushing sales too much and not creating content that your prospects actually want to read? What makes your audience tick? Just as you have a personality, so does your business – showcase it and let it shine. Talk directly to your audience, imagine you are chatting one to one with your ideal customer. Once you think on this level the content will flow and so will the engagement.
5. No one cares enough about your business to trust it.
Your business lacks trust and credibility. Trust comes from endorsements and is earned. That could be a testimonial on your website or shared on your social feeds. It could be word of mouth through networking. It could be a 3rd party endorsement through a local newspaper, magazine, radio interview or podcast. Using the media to leverage your business is an endorsement that gives it the credibility it needs to elevate it and make it stand out.
Take some time to work through the above 5 principles making sure they represent your business today. With business growth comes change and you’ll be surprised how much you’ve grown since you first started. Reignite the interest and attention in your business.
Don’t worry if you get stuck, you can book in for a free 1-2-1 with me where we can brainstorm your communications. A 20 min chat might be all it takes to set you on the right path to getting customers interested in your business again. Visit my website to book a session www.fionajohnson.co.uk
I’ll also be holding a free Ask the Expert session on Friday 27th May at 10 am giving you the chance to use me to pick my marketing communications brain. It’s an informal group session where you’ll definitely pick up some tips. Message me to register your interest at fiona@fionajohnson.co.uk