Increasing your income in just two days sounds like a crazy, far-off concept, but what if it wasn’t? We sat down with entrepreneur Collin Boyd to discuss how profitable businesses do just that, and as it turns out, the key to higher income is as simple as using the right words. The bulk of marketing boils down to this idea, so deliberate word choice is everything.
The tone you use and the image you present of your brand directly affect how your business performs, so if you’ve been in a slump lately, keep reading to learn how to improve in just 48 hours!
Tell Your Story
One of the most important parts of any successful business plan is having a story to tell. By creating an engrossing story, you can engage your audience, driving more traffic your way. Readers will be able to see what drives your business, what drives you as a person, and what makes you stand out from the crowd.
For example, let’s consider how Disneyland compares to your typical theme park. It goes without saying that you wouldn’t pay Disneyland prices for a standard theme park experience, but why? They’re both theme parks, aren’t they? However, Disneyland has built itself up to be so much more than a theme park simply through a cleverly-written brand story and an unmistakable identity.
When you hear the name of a regular theme park, you probably just think about the theme park itself. With Disneyland, however, you think of childhood, charming characters, and the magic of film, turning an otherwise normal visit into a unique and enchanting experience.
How to Write Your Brand’s Story
Creating a solid brand story is all about revealing the deeper meaning of your product or service, as well as why your audience should be interested. While someone selling safety products for children could just say “I make safety equipment for kids,” that’s not engaging, and won’t set the product apart.
On the other hand, mentioning their experiences as a parent being concerned for their kid’s safety creates a sense of relatability. Though it’s the exact same product at the exact same quality and price, this “made by parents, for parents” approach is an instant attention-grabber.
Though writing the perfect brand story is a complicated process, it all boils down to three key questions that your audience is asking: are you like me, can you lead me, and is there a path I can follow?
Connect with Your Audience
Now more than ever, customers are looking for people similar to them, people they can relate to and form a real connection with. Small business owners have a unique advantage in this field, being able to present themselves as just another person. They’re not the sleek, sharply dressed young people we think of entrepreneurs as, they’re people like us, parents, students, and dreamers.
People who present themselves as being similar to their audience inspire a sense of empathy and deep-seated connection towards themselves, and by extension, their business.
Lead Your Audience
Skilled entrepreneurs are also skilled leaders, inspiring a sense of identity in their audience. Take Toms Shoes’ business model, for example. For every pair of shoes a customer purchases, they donate a pair of shoes to those in need. By setting up this model, they’ve turned something as simple as buying shoes into an act of public service, enticing a much wider audience than they would otherwise.
Additionally, this has created a unique culture in which the otherwise entirely normal shoes are the symbol of someone who cares about the community and wants to give back. This tight-knit community in turn draws in new customers, who will then draw in even more customers.
Offer Your Audience a New Identity
In a similar vein to the previous question, creating a clear-cut brand image gives your brand a new sense of appeal. Returning to the example of Toms shoes, let’s ask why this specific brand was so popular. After all, there are plenty of other shoe options out there that customers could purchase, so why do people keep coming back to Toms?
Strange as it may seem, it’s not about the shoes at all. Customers aren’t paying for Toms shoes, they’re paying for the sense of identity that comes with them. These shoes have become a statement of sorts, a part of who the wearer is. Seeing this, new customers want to claim that identity for themselves. To put it simply, a good brand story is rarely about the brand, it’s what the brand stands for, what it represents, and what makes its customers unique.
If you want to listen to the full podcast episode we did with Collin Boyd, you can find it here!
