When I set out to create Branding Breakthroughs™, I decided to scope out my competition. After all, they are branding and marketing gurus, so they must have incredible websites, right?

Marketers Don’t Necessarily Brand Themselves Well

But, my research left me a bit stymied.

While I certainly found some great marketers out there, I was shocked at the number of websites that entirely missed the whole point of brand strategy.

Tons of copy. No differentiation. Lack of focus. Marketing-speak. Inconsistency. Old-fashioned imagery.

In a word:

Turned To Social Media For Answers

So, I put the question out into the social sphere.

“Did you do for your own brand what you do for your clients?”

While some readily acknowledged a hearty YES!, others openly admitted they wanted to focus on their clients rather than themselves.

Wait … what?

How can you possibly hope to engage prospective clients if you don’t practice what you preach?

First and foremost, you have to get your own brand right. Even Psychology Today offers the advice,

“Love yourself before you love others.”

The Secret Sauce Behind Branding

So ask yourself.

1. What keeps my customers up at night?
2. What makes our brand different?
3. Where is the white space in our category?
4. What kind of personality do we have?

It’s Hard Work, Not Magic

Clients often look at me and think I have some magic up my sleeve. I throw a little of this and a little of that into a magic black box and *PRESTO* out comes the perfect brand ecosystem. But you and I both know, there isn’t a whole lot of magic that goes on. It’s just good old-fashioned, roll-up-your-sleeves, noodle-it kind of hard work.

My Advice To You

• Take the time to talk to your employees about what they see as your brand strengths and weaknesses. What do they wish you did differently?
  
• Look at everything you share with your customers. Is it focused or all over the map? Can your competitors say the same things?
• Speaking of competitors, analyze their digital presence. What are they saying to differentiate themselves from you? Hint: Don’t play in their sandbox if you don’t have to.
• Look at the media attention you’re receiving. Is it consistent with what you say about yourself? Does it play out your point of differentiation?
  
• Convene a multidisciplinary team for an afternoon. Talk about your brand. I mean, really talk about your brand. Ask the tough questions and hang around until you’ve figured out the answers.
  
• Now lock yourself and a few trusted allies in a room. Use everything you’ve learned to carefully craft your brand ecosystem.

It’s Hard Work, But It’s Worth It

If you want to create a meaningful, differentiated brand, do the work. You won’t regret it.  (Tweet this.)

It will be worth every single minute and every drop of sweat.

Don’t Want To Go Solo?

Feel free to drop me a line at Sue@BrandingBreakthroughs.com. I’d love to help you find the magic behind your brand.