“Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.” – Robert Frost
Ah, to be irresistible… To have that certain something that makes you impossible to resist. Call it charisma, call it personality, call it attraction, allure, appeal… By any name it’s something we all long for. Yet, when it comes to creating an irresistible presence in business, it’s something that can be elusive.
To develop an irresistible presence, you first must build an irresistible brand. Not an easy task, by any measure. But the rewards of having an irresistible brand are well worth the effort. A strong brand makes you unique and memorable, and helps you stand out and be heard in a sea of wanna-be’s and copycats.
So where do you begin your quest to build an irresistible brand? A catchy slogan? A kick-ass website? A cool logo? A fabulous Facebook fan page? Sure, those are all important ingredients, but they are only building blocks to developing a compelling brand.
Most small businesses have it backwards. They rush to put up a website and have a logo designed, only to realize later that they have left out a crucial step: How to distinguish themselves from their competition with a strong brand identity.
Oftentimes, entrepreneurs will contact me about creating a video to market their business, when they have yet to even define their brand. While online video is an excellent tool for building a brand, you’ve got to have your foundation already in place.
Fortunately, as a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach, I use some of Michael Port’s tried and true principles to help entrepreneurs create breakthrough brands that help them stand out and stay top of mind. Here is a five step system I use when helping clients create an irresistible brand:
- Develop a “who & do what” statement – The “who” is your target market and the “what” is the primary benefit they get from you. For example, my “who and do what” is: “I help entrepreneurs build breakthrough brands on the Internet so that they can get more clients!” Whereas, my Uncle Vito’s might be “I help deadbeat debtors find their checkbooks so nobody gets hurt.” You get the idea…
- Define your “why you do it” statement – The “why” is the reason you do what you do. It’s what you stand for. It’s important because it’s what will attract the right clients to you. My “why” is my desire to turn struggling entrepreneurs into Online Rockstars! Uncle Vito’s why is to make sure his boss gets paid by any means necessary. To each his own!
- Focus on building relationships – Social networking and video are similar in that they are tools to help build relationships on the web. But you’ve got to give before you get! Engage, contribute, share… Serve before you sell! Build your social capital and work on developing trust and credibility. When you put relationships first, both social media and online video can become a great resource for developing your online brand.
- Maximize social media and online video – Entrepreneurs can rapidly accelerate the branding process by using social media and online video strategically. Make every tweet and Facebook post count. And don’t stop with Twitter and Facebook. Video is social, too! For example, YouTube has become an enormously powerful business tool for creating connections, demonstrating your expertise and enhancing your online visibility.
- Use Online Video to stand out and be noticed – As a long-time “video guy,” I’m especially partial to video as a resource to break out of the pack and be noticed. Online Video builds an immediate, personal connection and makes you distinctive and memorable. It enhances your online visibility and it works for you world-wide, 24/7. Online Video is quickly becoming the ultimate brand-builder.
Follow this five step process and you’ll find all the other pieces of the puzzle falling into place. When you start with building the foundation of your brand identity, creating a logo, website or video campaign will be so much easier! Best of all, your brand will become something that your prospects and customers can’t resist!
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