The two keys to heartfelt brand building.
Your purpose and your personality are the two keys to standing out when you’re a small shop.
Being a small operation means that some types of advice are just never going to serve you well. Volume strategies come to mind here — more, bigger, faster. But being small also means that you bring a unique set of abilities and opportunities to the table. And this is where I want to focus. Making the most of what you do different not trying to make you like everyone else.
Purpose and personality are the best tools you have for standing out in a noisy marketplace, building a memorable brand, and creating marketing that draws in your audience instead of just sells them on something.
A strong, genuine purpose acts as a compass.
It helps you navigate decision making and gives you the energy to keep going over time. Having a clear, compelling purpose is invaluable. But it's not the whole picture either. Think about it. An amazing purpose can pull at the heartstrings, maybe even spur action. But it's not necessarily why you stick around — why you open emails, look forward to checking in, or even share it with someone else.
It's all the other little things that work in concert with your purpose that really bring it to life. You are a completely unique individual. You have this clear purpose, which I love. But you also bring all these little interest, talents, and tastes to the table.
Purpose is important, but to make it powerful it needs personality.
Otherwise it just isn't as compelling. And it's interesting to note that the inverse is also true. Lots of tidbits of personality with the coalescing force of purpose is also going to fall short.
And purpose while purpose gives you clarity and motivation, it’s personality that transforms daily work from tedious to enjoyable. Because the beautiful thing about personality is that it’s just that…it’s personal.
It’s not just what you do but how you do it.
You own a bike shop and are committed to promoting nature therapy through cycling. But maybe you’re also an amateur photographer. Maybe the brand you’re creating uses strong visual imagery to convey the power of nature. That stands out from the noise.
Or maybe you run a small business, perhaps you offer consulting services, but you love plants. Look for ways to incorporate that passion. Have them in the back of virtual meetings. Include a little plant with a note to new clients. (Maybe the note says something like looking forward to seeing you grow.)
There are infinite combinations of purpose and personality. It’s not about imitating what you already see out in the world. It’s about making what only you can make.