Most of us become creative entrepreneurs, small business owners, or freelancers because we want to spend our days working with our hands, curating our shop, painting canvases, designing brands, coaching dream clients… the creative side of what we do is, well… what we actually want to be doing all day. It can be frustrating when you have to wear all the other hats to run a successful business. It’s not enough that you just do “your job” because you have to do all the other jobs too: accounting, HR, account service, customer support, and marketing.
Listen. Marketing is simply reminding people to hire you. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, but what I really want to tell you today is that good marketing begins with good branding.
So what is good branding? When you hear the word “branding,” you might think about your logo, colors, and visual identity. You’re not wrong, but branding is so much more.
Branding is how you position yourself as a reliable guide or expert in your field. It’s the words you use in your tagline, on your about me page, and in your conversations that very specifically let your dream customer know you’re for them.
Branding is clearly articulating what you want people to know, do, and feel with every blog post, Instagram photo, tweet, and webinar.
Branding is knowing and communicating who you’re for and what you’re best at.
Branding is attracting dream customers without having to sell (in an icky way).
Branding is saying what you mean without having to over-explain yourself.
Once you know your brand, it’s so much easier to market yourself with clarity and confidence. You won’t feel like you suck at marketing because you know what it is you want to say – you just have to say it.