You have a compelling product or service but-How do you get your brand out to be seen in this noisy world?
Relationships are the life blood of brands. Brands with the strongest relationships to their audience are usually the ones that prosper and persevere.
Think of a brand that you believe you have a strong relationship with. Chances are you’re more likely to spend a little bit more money on their products or services. You’re more likely to open their emails, click on their ads, take their phone call and speak positively about them. If they mess up you’d probably forgive them. You do that not just because you like their products or services - you do it because you feel like you have a relationship with them. You feel like you're a part of their story.
How to build strong a relationship with your customers
I’ve been working with brands for almost 10 years to help them share and tell their story. What I’ve learned during that time is that brands with strongest connection to their audience - they view, share and live their story differently. They don’t constantly brag about themselves and beg people to do things for them. Instead, they share from their heart and demonstrate what matters most to them. They connect with people and invite them into their story -those are the types of stories I’m after. The brands we love believe that they exist for something much more important than market domination or profitability. They believe they can make a difference in the world and in the people they serve. Their product or services are merely just a means to a greater end. When brands think of themselves from this perspective we view them differently. We don’t think of them as selling to us, we think of them as helping us. Now imagine people saw your brand from this perspective. In order for brands to have a strong relationship with people they must have a vision that everyone in their story wants to be a part of.
But that’s only step one
What makes a brand unique is not what it does, who it does it for or how it does it. What makes a brand or a person unique is WHY it does what it does. What is your core belief or core values that guide you to do what you do? What is your why? What is the ultimate goal of your brand and why does it exist? A core belief should always be there as a guide to your brand’s end goal. Just as people connect with other people that share their beliefs, brands connect with people who share their beliefs. The stronger the belief, the deeper the connection. The strongest relationships are built on shared beliefs. Brands don’t need a script - they need a soul. When a brand discovers why it really exists and they live by the moral of their story (a core belief) - their soul shines through. When a brand reveals their soul then everyone who shares the same beliefs will be attracted to the brand. The relationship between the brand and its audience will grow stronger and stronger.