If you feel like a freshman vocalist, in a theatre of professional opera singers when it comes to branding your business and making it stand out on the internet you are not alone. If I had to pick the number one problem for Home-Based Solopreneurs it would be Authentic Branding. And if you get this wrong you probably have been or in the future will struggle with every aspect of business growth. You might be thinking can I really stand out and really compete with larger brands in my industry? The answer is YES and here's how.
As a common practice, in order to create Authentic Branding for a Home Business Solopreneurs and Find Your Personal Brand Voice you must first start by creating your own I Believe Statements and Belief System.
As the only person involved in my business, I understand how it can be difficult to find the time and resources to work on personal branding. It is easy to get lost in the day-to-day operations and forget the importance of promoting yourself and your business. Authentic Branding is all about you and so often Solopreneurs skip this step or don't develop this concept out enough, which causes many struggles. Keep reading for the step-by-step instructions for Authentic Branding.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL BRANDING FOR SOLOPRENEURS
If I asked you to describe yourself, you probably wouldn't say that you are 6'2 if you are really 5'4, ... which I am by the way.
You wouldn't say that you were Caucasian or Asian if you were like me and were an African American woman living in Houston, Texas. This is the essence of what Authentic Branding is, .... which is all about you.
Authentic Branding is how you differentiate yourself from your competition and attract your ideal clients.
I like to think of it as my own personal Bull's Eye Target or filtering system.
So for example I am looking to help other Home-Based Solopreneurs to reach their first 10k from home, using a blog as the growth strategy. Now worldwide there are about 42 million Solopreneurs. Am I not looking to work with everyone?
Not At All!!
Some Solopreneurs are not Home-Based, some make over 10k already, and others only need help with services like digital, content, video, or social media marketing. Although I instruct on those subject matters and many Solopreneurs may land somewhere in my target area.
The way I've created my personal brand, it becomes a filtering system of sorts. It works best with Solopreneurs that fall in the Center Bullseye which is my Core Target Audience.
Authentic Branding or Personal Branding is essential for Home-Based Solopreneurs because it is the foundation of all marketing and business growth. As well as how you allow your business to stand out.
It is important to note, however, that Branding comes before Marketing. Without a clearly defined Authentic Personal Brand, your marketing aspects would be difficult are none existing.
STEP 1: HOW TO FIND YOUR BRAND VOICE?
Start with your personal values, and morals, and what rings true for you?
As for me, ... I am a Christian woman, a world traveler, a daughter, a big sister, and an aunt so my personal values are deeply wrapped around those things. I am also very passionate about helping other women in business because I have faced many challenges as a woman of color and Solopreneur.
These passions led me to create Facebook Groups, Facebook Challenges, and LIVE Streams to address our common struggles.
What are some personal values, and morals that you have?
Some examples could be:
- I am a mother/father first
- I am a solopreneur
-I am a go-getter
-I never give up
-I always push through no matter what
-I am an introvert/extrovert
-I am lazy at heart but
-I would rather spend my days
These personal values become the foundation of everything that you do in business and thus become your voice.
STEP 2: ANSWER SPARK THOUGHT QUESTIONS
The next step is to answer the following questions:
-What personal stories can you share that will help your audience understand who you are?
-How have your personal values helped you in business?
-How can you share your personal story in a way that will resonate with your ideal clients?
One day I was sharing my personal story about how difficult it was building a business online while being a full-time care for my mother. So I was giving tips and strategies I was using at the time to get 5-10 leads daily.
This sharing of my story helped me to connect with so many professional women who became my clients and business partners. We were able to relate to each other on a personal level, and I was able to show them that if I could do it they could too.
STEP 3: CREATE YOUR I BELIEVE STATEMENTS
After you have listed out your personal values to help find your voice and answered the 8 Questions To Spark Thought, the final step is to create what is called "I Believe" Statements.
These are different than positive Affirmations or "I AM" Statements. The “I AM” Statement is a simple yet powerful tool that can help you to achieve your desired reality. By declaring, “I am _____,” you are affirming your positive attributes and qualities. You are stating the desired place for your future.
However, the "I Believe" Statement is different. This is a statement about what you believe in and not just what you are trying to achieve.
Your beliefs are the fabric of who you are and these statements will come to be the identifying markers for your Tribe or Core Target Audience you are trying to build.
For example, my personal I Believe Statement is:
I Believe in being unapologetically me
I Believe in helping other women in business
I Believe in speaking my truth
I Believe in world travel
I Believe in enjoying the simple things in life.
What this does is it allows my potential clients to know exactly who I am, what I stand for, and if we share the same values. It also allows me to attract my ideal client because they can see that we have commonalities.
If you have been in business for any amount of time, you know that there are people who will not like you. That is okay! You cannot be everything to everyone. This is why it is so important to find your authentic personal voice and build an audience or tribe around those who share your values.
Your I Believe Statements become your talking points on your Social Media Platforms, your Blog, Video Marketing, Email Campaigns, and just about any marketing you have around your business.
One of my I Believe Statements even became a mantra statement for my business and I said it so often that one of my clients carved it into a piece of wood and mailed it to me.
I BELIEVE I AM HERE TO IMPACT THOSE WHO ARE
SUPPOSE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Board designed by Dr. William Atkinson
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Your personal values become the foundation of everything that you do in business and thus become your voice. Your voice is what makes you stand out in a sea of sameness.
- Answering the 8 Questions To Spark Thought will help you to identify your personal story and how to share it with your ideal clients. Each answered question can even become 8 pillar talking points for your business.
- Creating "I Believe" Statements is not only a powerful way to attract your ideal client. It is the crest and jewel of creating your Authentic Brand. It is second nature to you because it's truly you in business form.
#10kMatters
If you would like help creating your personal I Believe Statements, or if you need help finding your personal voice, please click the Fuchsia color button for free download. If you found this post helpful, be sure to leave a comment below to continue the conversation.