How to attract more customers and stand out
Before I dive in, I want to level-set and say that running a business is HARD. It takes bravery and resilience. It takes the willingness to ride a roller coaster of emotions and—of course— to grow personally.
Trust me, after being in business for over a decade, I 1000% GET IT!
But this 3-part blog series isn’t about bonding over the challenges of entrepreneurship. It’s about sharing some tough love that can help you smash THROUGH the things that are holding you back.
There are some key struggles that have been creeping up in my coaching conversations lately. Simple mistakes that I see my clients (and other digital entrepreneurs) making that have a direct impact on their engagement, sales, and overall success.
So, what's numero uno?
Here’s one of the top things that I see killing your business — and what you need to do to turn the tables (AKA: Start attracting more customers and stand out).
Let me be blunt…
It’s NOT about you.
Yes, building a business requires a lot of YOU. But as you start to grow and market your brand, it’s absolutely crucial to make the shift towards focusing on your ideal client.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I alway preach about how important it is to really know your audience. THIS is a perfect example of why.
When you’re trying to stand out in the digital world, it’s tempting to think that shining a spotlight on what makes you and your offering different, unique, and valuable is the key to attracting a bigger audience.
While it IS important to share your expertise and what sets you apart, here’s the rub… I often see entrepreneurs putting so much of themselves into their brand that it seems like they’ve all but forgotten about their ideal client. Soon enough their websites, social media posts, and marketing all becomes a giant billboard to showcase how great and wonderful they are.
Even worse? There are so many business owners trying to “out-shine” each other that it’s making the digital space an incredibly loud and overwhelming place.
But here’s a secret friend: You don’t have to get LOUDER to get noticed.
Want to really attract your audience? Instead of focusing on you, speak to THEM!
Let me share a real-life example of the impact this can make...
I’ve been interviewing brand copywriters recently. To start the process, we asked candidates to answer a few questions and send us more information about their experience, etc.
As I sat there sifting through email after email, do you know which applicant stood out to me? It wasn’t the one who led with all her shiny credentials, and it wasn’t the one who bragged on her 5-star reviews or strategies. It was the one that focused on how she could help ME, my business, and my clients.
She started her email by walking through one of our recent marketing campaigns – offering some feedback and what she might advise or shift slightly to make a bigger impact. She also talked about why she felt aligned with my writing style, our primary writing topics, and how she would love to hear more about my audience and business goals.
Guess who I reached out to first?
This isn’t to say that skill set and experience doesn’t matter -- it most certainly does. But catching someone’s attention first by focusing on their needs, can make all the difference in the world.
CASE IN POINT:
Make it about YOUR person and you’ll instantly stand out in a crowd.
It’s also important to remember — that focusing on your person is about so much more than just your brand’s copy and messaging. It’s about seeing your brand as a whole through their eyes, from your brand colors to your images to your blog posts.
So go ahead and step into their shoes.
Browse through your website, social media, and marketing, and look at every piece through your ideal client’s eyes:
How are you speaking to them?
How are you addressing their problem or pain points?
Is it easy for them to understand how your offerings can serve their unique needs?
What questions or objections might they have? And are you addressing them?
When you craft a brand that genuinely serves your audience (through every touchpoint), you’ll do more than turn heads. You’ll cultivate true fans of your business — who will keep coming back for more!
So instead of trying to make yourself look as flashy and fancy as possible, come from a place of CONVERSATION, of speaking to and serving your person well.
You’ll be amazed at the difference this makes!
