Whenever I meet with a prospective client, I always ask them what their goals are for their new marketing activities.

99% of the time I get the answer I’m expecting: I want a stack of new leads.

Next, they usually talk about all the channels they think they should be using to get the leads (or, the ones they have been using that aren’t working).

But really, we’re putting the final coat of paint on the house before the foundation’s even set. There’s one huge step that needs to be completed first.

I call it a brand story, and it’s made up of five key components – business values, USP, value proposition, brand voice and key marketing messages.

It’s basically a five-point ‘self-discovery’ plan for businesses who haven’t looked in the mirror for a while. It tells anyone reading it who you are, what you stand for, what’s different about you, how you should sound in communication and what your key marketing messages are.

Pretty important, right?

It’s fundamental.

The content we develop in partnership with our clients can’t exist without a solid brand story to inform it.

And you can’t pick a channel or assign a budget before going through this process – even if you think you know what your goals are.

At The Marketing Project, we stick by the research – planning – implementation mantra for developing the perfect marketing plan. The brand story is a huge part of the research and strategy phase. We take all new clients through this process step-by-step. It’s amazing what comes out – our clients always discover new things about their own businesses.

Let me take you through it.

Your brand story, step-by-step

1. Brand values

Any business leader should watch Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, ‘How Great Leaders Inspire Action’. It’s a bit of a sacred text in the business world.

Simon’s idea is simple: people don’t buy what you do, they buy into why you do it. 

Great leaders aren’t afraid to say what they think. To give a crap about changing the world (or at least their industry) for the better. Great brands are no different.

People buy from you because they like the journey you’re on and they want to ride shotgun. That’s why it’s so important to have your brand values nailed down.

 

2. Your USP

Finding your unique selling proposition can be a tricky one for some brands to identify. Not because they aren’t doing great, unique stuff, but because sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective.

Clients we work with are quick to cite aspects of the business that they think are unique, but often we find that it’s an aspect of the business that they hadn’t even given a second thought.

There are a million guides on Google to finding and articulating your USP. Some of them are good, and a lot of them aren’t (just like USPs). Or, you know, you could just talk to us.

 

3. Value proposition

So you’ve found your ‘why’ and your uniqueness – it’s all smooth sailing from here!

It’s time to do a value prop.

These can have a bad rap – often they’re the product of boardroom compromise, and say way too much without actually saying anything. Actually, this should be one of the most exciting parts.

Basically, this is ‘what’s in it for me?’ time for your audience.

Your value proposition should answer a few key things:

• What you offer;
• Who it’s for;
• How you solve your customers’ problems;
• What benefits you bring;
• And why you’re different (which you should already know from #2).

The good news is that once you come up with this, it’s going to get plenty of airtime. Your value prop, perhaps with a little editing, should be the first thing that people see on your website. It should be on the business cards. Hey, it should even be on the wall of your office.

Here’s ours for reference, from our brand-new homepage:

Now try creating your own – let me know how you go!

 

4. Brand voice

Think of your brand voice as a character that does all your talking for you. If you were going to have a mascot – your own Michelin Man – how would they talk? What would they say?

As you start to answer these questions you can put together your own brand voice.

This can be as simple as three words, e.g. ‘creative, mature and charming’ – a couple of guidelines – e.g. ‘we talk straightforwardly and don’t use technical jargon’ – or a 20-page document, depending on what kind of business you are and how much content you think you’ll be creating.

From our point of view, the more you can flesh this out, the better (our copywriters love detail). Don’t worry, it’ll get used – this will be the voice you speak in on your website, on social media, in your advertising and in your content marketing.

 

5. Key marketing messages

It’s time to mix these all together, blend them up and create some beautiful marketing message soup.

Your key marketing messages are the statements that you take to the market, stand up proud and say ‘buy my stuff!’.

You should have several (we go for 3-5) per audience segment.

Here’s what makes for a good one:

• Explain to people who you are, and why they should care;
• Show how your product/service solves their problems;
• Separate you from your competitors;
• Demonstrate the value you bring;
• And speak in your very own well-defined tone of voice.

These messages can form the basis for content you create, or work on their own in your marketing and advertising.

 

Now go and build your foundations!

Yes, the point of marketing is to get that stack of new leads. But to get there, we need to introduce some process. Working through these steps is the best way to get started.

A cohesive foundation like this is the jumping-off point for your content strategy.

Just remember these steps:

• Define your values (why you exist)
• Find your uniqueness (why you and not someone else)
• Communicate your value (why now?)
• Establish a tone of voice (how you speak)
• And determine those super-important key marketing messages.

Want some help? Get in touch. We’ve taken lots of clients through this process and we’d love to help you too.

A few years ago, you were probably sitting around the kitchen table wondering how you could get your business started. There was just you, and a cup of coffee. Before long, you’d hired a part time support person as the work started to come in; and today – you have a small team around you.

Sound familiar?

So what’s the next step? Scaling up. And how do you do that?

Obviously marketing is a part of this, but effective marketing needs a great backing team and if you want to know the best way to get the right support as your grow – keep reading.

There are a lot of options out there and it’s easy to get frazzled while you’re trying to assess them all, so we wanted to help by providing you a summary of three structures for a marketing team that can help you grow your business to the next level.

Structure One: External Team managed by an Internal Marketing Employee or You

Pros: Having an external marketing team working for you means you have a range of expertise, and it’s not just one person trying to do it all. If you have someone in the office managing the team and reporting to you; or if you have the time to manage it yourself, you can make use of existing resources. That means, you don’t have to pay someone to work 40 hours a week for you as you would if they were employed by you.

Cons: Managing a team of marketers can be time consuming, so you need to ensure you have someone available on your current payroll who has both the time, and the skills, to manage external suppliers. Or, if you’re planning on doing it yourself – do YOU have the time?

Structure Two: External Team with External Marketing Manager

Pros: By outsourcing 100%, you won’t have any added strain or stress on your existing team members. You’re getting the expertise of a range of external marketing suppliers and the expertise of a trained marketing manager. You can also rest assured knowing that these people are 100% focused on marketing and are not going to be distracted by other operational tasks that are involved in running your business.

Cons: It’s going to take some time to find the right team and manager. Where do you search? What do you look for? It could be a long process of trial and error (or you could find the perfect assistance straight away). You need to make sure you invest enough time to make informative decisions.

Structure Three: Internal Team with Internal Marketing Manager

Pros: If you’re working with a team that you already have on board (or you’re planning on hiring), you get full visibility of all team members and can control what they’re doing and when. And if anything isn’t running efficiently, you can address it immediately in-house.

Cons: If you’re using existing team members they may not have the skills to deliver all marketing activity effectively and efficiently – or they may need extra training. If you’re planning on hiring someone new specifically for the job, this can be a long and tiring process. It’s expensive, and as you’re no doubt aware, it can be hard finding the right person to fit seamlessly in with your company’s culture.

Marketing your business to scale up is not a decision to take lightly and it’s important that you weigh up the positive and negative aspects to decide what option fits better with your company’s marketing requirements. Hopefully we’ve helped make the decision a little easier for you.

And if you need any advice, we’re waiting to take your call.