Marketing The Business of You
Men and women from all walks of life are eschewing traditional 9-5 careers and starting businesses of their own. For many people, that means turning a skill or hobby into a profitable business. Look around and you’ll see thousands of people doing what you do and turning it into a career replete with financial and emotional rewards. The key to turning these businesses into success stories is marketing yourself with a keen eye. A few of the businesses starting in droves and requiring business owners like you to learn how to market and position themselves as a “product” include:
- CPAs
- Artists
- Realtors
- Coaches
- Authors
- Speakers
- Personal chefs
- Jewelry makers
- Apparel designers
- Professional organizers
Investing in the corporation of you means more than product development and creation. It means marketing like a maniac and staying in front of your target audience. It means creating new and innovative ways to reach your consumers with your total brand message: logo, website, social media profile, posters, banners, business cards, and signage. These four marketing points will help you market to your audience, highlight your unique selling proposition, and start establishing brand credibility.
Market You, Inc.
When you are your brand, you should be your brand. That means taking steps to have a professional headshot and in-person presence that represent your brand. For example, a speaker or author whose genre is children-based might not have the same type of headshot or professional wardrobe as one whose genre is real estate. Both can – and should – be professional, but each requires its own look and feel to reach the right audience.
Know Who You Serve When You’re Marketing Yourself
It’s not you. It’s your target market. Knowing your target market should be the impetus that drives your marketing efforts. Not knowing them means you can waste a lot of time, money, and energy marketing to the wrong people and getting no results. Knowing them means you have a greater grasp on their preferences and how they want and need to perceive you.
Know What Your Target Market Needs To Make A Purchasing Decision
Knowing your target market makes it easier to know what marketing products you need. It means you know what marketing tactics and devices they’re more likely to respond to. Knowing what leads them to make a purchase can make it easier to choose between a print (posters, banners, vehicle wraps) versus digital (website, social media) marketing campaign and a webinar versus live event.
Know How Your Target Market Prefers To Buy
If you’re an author, would your reader prefer to buy a digital book online or a signed copy at a book reading? If you’re a speaker, will your listener prefer to watch you via YouTube or to hear you speak from the stage? If you’re a personal chef, will your foodies prefer a cookbook, video demonstration, or personal tasting? Take note of how one of these preferences requires a very different type of marketing than the alternative.
Here’s the takeaway for marketing yourself: know what works for your target market. That understanding lets you do more than leave your audience feeling good – it lets you leave a lasting impression. When you contact us to schedule a Product Consultation, we’ll help you choose and design a suite of marketing products that positions you head and shoulders above your competition.
