Before you create the logo, the book cover or the website, it’s important to have clarity about who you are, what you stand for, what your purpose is and what problem you solve for your clients. It’s imperative to understand the desires and needs of your target market in order to truly connect and serve them.
You may think you know how you are being perceived and this can be a stumbling block. It’s important to know how you WANT to be perceived and what you want to reflect both personally and professionally. When these are in alignment and you are giving your clients an exceptional experience, they will LOVE you!
In helping my clients connect to their purpose and passion so they are able to communicate their message in a clear, compelling way, we are then able to create a more effective personal brand experience and plan. Ultimately, this helps them build thriving communities and sell more of their products and services.
Positioning is one of the most effective ways to build your personal brand, but before I share some of my positioning strategies let’s talk about what positioning really is.
Positioning is a marketing strategy that aims to make a personal brand occupy a distinct position, relative to competitors. Entrepreneurs can apply this strategy either by emphasizing what distinguishes them or they may try to create an image that will attract their target market.
Here are 7 Positioning Strategies I use with clients and if you can implement even just a few, you will grab attention, clearly communicate your message and build a powerful personal brand.
✔︎Education– Dive into continuing education on a regular basis. Staying current on your area of expertise establishes credibility and gives you an opportunity to tap into new and fresh ideas.
✔︎Content– Create content that positions you as an authority in your industry. This is done through a consistent newsletter and/or blog.
✔︎Speaking– Creating a signature presentation- a topic that you are and expert on. Allow for flexibility so a modified presentation can be done in 15, 30 or 60 minutes. Speaking for local organizations, non-profits and other target market aligned associations is a great way to build that positioning credibility.
✔︎Charity– Donate a percentage of your sales to your favorite non-profit organization and be sure to make their website easily available to others but placing a link on your site.
✔︎Networking-Your time is valuable and you want to be sure you are spending it wisely. Join a group that attracts your target market. It could be a networking group, philanthropic organization or cultural gathering. Joining the board or leadership team is a great way to get visibility and establishes you as a leader.
✔︎Testimonials– Gather testimonials from your clients and audiences and be sure to pass them on to potential customers. Writing testimonials for high traffic websites will boost your visibility.
✔︎Excitement– Capitalize on what is new and exciting in your business. New projects, services, products are always opportunities to create buzz.
Implementing these 7 Strategies will help you position a personal brand people love, create a brilliant digital presence, sell more products and services and tap into the clients who have been waiting for you.
Which strategies are you already using? What do you need to improve upon? What are you waiting for?
JuliAnn Stitick is an established expert in personal brand and image development for entrepreneurs, business leaders and executives. For the last 20 years, JuliAnn has helped powerful, successful people align their personal brand with their ultimate potential and accelerate their business success.
Her connoisseur level of expertise is crucial to luxury brands and professionals who bring their A-game to every aspect of business. JuliAnn is a trusted advisor for top level entrepreneurs globally and organizations crossing every industry, from The Oscars to Lexus, The Golden Globes to Disney, Nordstrom to Kaiser Permanente and Caruso Affiliated.
Whether working privately with her clients or leading a keynote for a business conference, JuliAnn’s sincere and strategic approach, coupled with the proven ability to reflect the very best of each client, compels game-changing insights and actions that ultimately transform lives and paychecks.
JuliAnn is a Managing Director for the premier women’s business network in North America, eWomenNetwork. Her position with the Orange County Chapter showcases her exemplary leadership skills and influence. She works closely with the dynamic group of members and plays a key role in building a strong leadership team and facilitating the fundraising efforts for The eWomenNetwork Foundation.
Her involvement with The Salvation Army, Girl Scouts of America, The eWomenNetwork Foundation and youth groups allows her the opportunity to mentor young women into the workforce.
JuliAnn is married to Joe and lives in the quiet suburban foothills north of Los Angeles, California. She is mother of three and grandmother of one. She loves all animals (especially her dogs) and spends her leisure time with her family, camping, traveling, bbq’ing, reading and watching movies.