The 4 Brand Bios Every Business Should Have

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

How you introduce yourself is a big deal when it comes to running a successful online business. 

Did you know that there are four brand bios that we recommend that you have? 

I am super jazzed to talk to you today about your different brand bios. 

How you introduce yourself is so important and there are different platforms and different moments in time that are going to require a different usage of your bio. 

Sometimes you're going to need just a two-liner. 
Sometimes you're going to need a full brand story to share with your audience. 

I really want to break down each of these with you and how they build on top of each other and give you some insider tips for writing your different brand bios.

BRAND BIO #1: HOOK

Let's start with the first brand bio that I always recommend my clients write inside of my programs like Roadmap to Freedom, because it is so important, and that is your hook. 

I talked about your hook last week in my weekly video training all about brand messaging, which you can catch right here. 

Your hook is designed to replace the elevator pitch in 2021 and beyond. 

It is designed to stand on your website to hook your audience in 10 seconds or less, to use on your social media platforms, to use in the sidebar of your blog, to work into your content, to use it to introduce yourself on a video.

Your hook is a great way to share who you are, who you serve, the problem that you solve for your ideal customer, and how solving that problem gives them the desired outcome that they want. 

Your hook is typically two sentences long and can be used everywhere. 

You always want to write your hook pretty early on in your business because you're going to use it in your marketing and your messaging moving forward. 

Again, you can watch the video that I did last week on brand messaging to get a little bit more insider knowledge on crafting your hook.

BRAND BIO #2: BIO BLURB

The second bio that, I don't know, might be one of my favorites, is called your bio blurb. 

This builds on top of your hook to offer more authority and expertise for your audience. You'll typically find your bio blurb on the homepage of your website. 

I talk about the four-part framework for the homepage of your website in this video right here, so you can check that out after you conclude this one today. 

But your bio blurb is where you're continuing to expand on your hook. 
You're offering a little bit more of your story. 
You're sharing your mission. 
You're talking more specifically to your ideal customer and ultimately teasing your entire brand story, which they can read on the about me page of your website.

You also might find that your bio blurb can be used as an introduction to a podcast, speaking on stage, or even inside a freebie PDF file that you create for your audience. 

Your bio blurb is where you start to add in a little bit more of the emotional element and connection with your ideal customer.

BRAND BIO #3: PROFESSIONAL BIO

The third bio that you want to create is a professional bio. 

Now, I'm not recommending that you have this right out of the gate for your business. As I mentioned, your bio blurb, number two, can help you when you're getting featured as a guest speaker or on podcasts when they're typically asking for a professional bio. 

But once you start to get some of those accolades, you've had success in your business, you've been recognized for an outstanding award, or anything in that category, you want to create a more professional bio as a way to introduce yourself to the media.

You'll typically find your professional bio could actually live on your about me page. 

I always recommend that underneath your entire about me, you have a little section with your headshot that says professional bio, and have your professional bio there. 

If you're doing an interview or something, you can send them to that page to grab your bio. It's readily available on your website. You can also use it in your PR collateral as well. 

But your professional bio is where you really showcase your expertise and your authority. You talk about the amazing things that you've done. It's a great opportunity to brag about yourself and your awesomeness.

Here’s an example of mine:

Michelle Knight is a mother, wife, world traveler and storyteller. She is the founder and CEO of Brandmerry.com where she supports entrepreneurs in branding themselves online, marketing their message and creating more income and impact.

Michelle focuses on teaching the power of storytelling to create an authentic brand that allows them to show up as they are, build a loyal community and experience time, financial and location freedom as a result of their work. 

Michelle left her 9 to 5, retired her husband, built a multiple-6-figure-a-year business and became digital nomads all within 5 years of launching her business.

Michelle has been featured on CNBC, Entrepreneur, and Authority Magazine.

BRAND BIO #4: ABOUT ME PAGE

Finally, we have your about me page. You can probably see how each of these is going to build onto the other one. 

Once you understand your hook, who you are, who you serve, and how you're supporting them, you can then present your bio blurb, why you're doing what you're doing, your mission statement, and how you ultimately want to support your clients in getting their end results.

From there, you can continue to expand on that with your professional bio and your about me page is the big kahuna. This is where you're sharing your entire story on how you created the business that you have today.

I have a podcast episode on the Brandmerry podcast on how to write an about me page that sells that you can listen to for all of the details on this process.

What I want you to note is that your about me page can sell for you, because the reality of it is most people are interested in the person behind the brand. We know that your about me page is the second most visited page on your website, and that's because we know that emotion and connection, and trust is what ultimately leads to a sale.

When you're creating your about me page, don't forget to really share the story. This is where you get to expand and talk more in-depth, to paint a very vivid picture, something you might not get to do in your hook or your bio blurb. 

The idea is that your hook will hook them, your bio blurb will start to build that know, like, and trust factor, and your about me page is really where you sweeten the deal. 

This is where you get to share who you are, your authenticity, the moments that have led you to create the business, the product, the service that you sell today, and showcase the person behind the brand. 

It's a beautiful opportunity to connect with your ideal customer, always keeping in the back of your mind as you're writing it who your ideal customer is and what they ultimately are looking for from you, how you can support them. 

Again, I have a podcast episode that breaks down your about me page, how to write it, and the importance of it. You can check that out here.

CONCLUSION

Sometimes we forget that there are so many different ways that we can introduce ourselves and share our brand story with the world and that if you're going to take all this time to write an about me page, you need to also understand your hook, your bio blurb, and your professional bio as well.

If you are ready to share your brand with the world, make sure you join the waitlist for my signature program Roadmap to Freedom.

This 90-day live group program is designed to help new and aspiring entrepreneurs make money on their terms. We cover it all inside of this strategic program, giving you the tools to build your strong brand foundation, attract your ideal customer and community, market your business with ease and learn to sell consistently and authentically.

To learn more head to brandmerry.com/freedom.

P.S. Have you tuned in to The Brandmerry podcast? I release new episodes every Thursday on topics around branding and marketing! Check out past episodes and be sure to subscribe at brandmerry.com/podcast

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Tell Your Brand Story Through Your Brand Identity

*This post was updated in 2022

Storytelling is my superpower. 

It is my specialty and I put the concept of storytelling into everything that I reach. 

And while I’ve shared so many blogs and videos on brand storytelling, today we’re going to dive into the concept of Brand Identity.

One of the reasons that I truly love storytelling and the role that it plays in building a successful business is that so much of making the impact you desire to make, comes down to understanding who you are, your mission, and the purpose that you have behind your business. 

And then sharing that in a way that deeply resonates with your audience and builds that trust. Storytelling does that, which is truly amazing.

Today, we’ll dive into the importance of storytelling, as it related to brand identity, and three action steps to help you in taking action on this process to share more of your brand story through your brand identity.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAND STORYTELLING

Before I get into this we need to talk about the power of storytelling. 

Storytelling is truly one of the most powerful things that you can use in your business because of how it allows you to connect with your audience. And there's a lot of cool stuff that happens when we share story through our content.

As a content creator myself, who spends time making that high-value content, I want to make sure that my audience actually remembers that content. So when you incorporate story into your content you are actually increasing the likelihood that your audience will remember it. 

In fact, you're increasing it by 22 times.

If you're going to take that time to create those posts don't you want people to actually remember them? Of course, you do. 

So incorporating storytelling into your content, even if it's just a single sentence, allows you to do that. It makes your content more memorable which is very, very important when you're building that know, like, and trust factor with your audience.

I hear people say a lot, "Well, my story doesn't connect with my audience or I don't have a shared experience." Here's the thing, it's not really about that.

It's not 100% about you and your audience having the same story or the same journey. It's just about the art of telling the story. 

By telling stories and by your audience reading and listening and ultimately receiving those stories, there's a lot going on inside of their brains and inside of their hearts, that is building that connection with you and with your brand.

Neural coupling is one of the things that's happening where the story is ultimately triggering, firing their brain, and connecting through the piece of content. Just because you're sharing a story. 

It's activating the brain and keeping them engaged which leads to them actually remembering your content. In addition to that, dopamine is released, which makes them feel good. 

So they're feeling good when they're reading your content, seeing your stories, hearing your stories on a podcast, or however you're sharing your content. And that is powerful. 

Those are just two examples of what's happening in your audience's brain that is really contributing to the growth of your business. Because this is how they become fans. 

Storytelling is very, very important. It can be incorporated into every single level of your business and you’ve just got to do it. The science is there, we just need to learn the strategies to actually do it.

What is THE Brand Identity?

When you think of your brand identity, I want you to think of the collective elements of your brand that make up its personality.

Much like your personal identity, it's who you are. So, when you're creating a personal brand it can and should have parts of your personal identity represented throughout. Now it's not a carbon copy, but the pieces you determine to integrate into your brand are what give it its personality.

This looks like:
+ Your story
+ Your mission
+ Your values
+ Your voice 
+ Your emotional connectors 
+ Your "superpower" (or as the industry likes to call it, your positioning)

It is the combination of these things that build your brand identity.

And much like your personal identity, when you've clearly stated these elements, it makes it a lot easier to show up in the world.

You're more confident in how you'll dress, how you'll speak, what you'll surround yourself with, etc...

And, the same goes for your brand: your colors, fonts, brand photos, etc... all stem from your brand identity.

When you're creating a personal brand it makes it a lot easier because you're front and center, you're sharing yourself, you're sharing your stories. So, that personality just naturally happens which is why personal branding is so powerful.

If you want to learn a little bit more about emotional branding and all these different elements make sure you check out my blog.

When you think of Brand Identity, I want you to think about the personality behind your brand and the overall experience you’re creating for your audience.

Effectively Write Your Brand Story

Now that we know what your brand identity is, let's talk about how we use our story to share that brand identity and ultimately experience with the world

The first thing that you've got to do is figure out what your brand story is. So this will look different for different types of businesses. There are different ways and structures to actually create your brand story based on your personal story and based on your individual business. 

But really what I want you to focus on now is stripping away the, "How do I write this on my about me page?" And, "What does this look like on my bio, on my homepage?" Strip all that away and just focus solely on the story.

In fact, when you're writing this out I want you to think about actually telling this story to someone. 
Some of you might want to even record it and transcribe it. It might feel a little bit more natural to you. 

Ultimately, what you want to do is highlight and share the journey that has happened that led you to the creation of your brand.

Your brand is not a product, your brand is not a service specifically, it's the whole thing. 

It's that umbrella, it's the work that you're putting out into the world, it's your mission, it's who you ultimately want to impact all rolled into one. And you want to share the evolution of how that came to be. 

So I want you to strip away, “How is this structured?” and “How does this flow?” and really just allow yourself to tell the story. That's where all the goodness gets to go in. And then when we format, we can pull out the unnecessary pieces and clean it up a bit. 

But I want you to just deeply understand what has led you to this moment and think of really telling that story to your audience.

For example, when I talk about my brand story, one piece of that is this underlying feeling of not living a life based on other people's expectations or going against the status quo. 

And I know that that's important to my audience, that's important to you, that's something that you also believe in. I share that through my storytelling and I share that through my brand story to get that message across. 

You're probably already picking up on it, but your brand story is where that connection can really start for many of you. Because once we get to formatting it for an about me page, or we get to put it out there on social media, it might be one of the first things that people see and you have an opportunity to build that connection with them right out of the gate. 

Focus on taking your audience on this journey, write out your brand story and become really clear on what you ultimately want to share about your journey and what has led you to the brand that you are creating today.

Identify The Brand Emotions

Step two is to elevate the experience by focusing on the emotional connection.

And this is where we really take your story and spin it around to pull in your audience and build that trust. 

I call these brand emotions and I encourage you to identify five brand emotions for your brand as a whole. 

Don't get too obsessed with the number. It could be three, it could be six, it could be seven. Don't do 25 or something like that. I find five is the sweet spot.

But you really want to ask yourself, "How do I want my audience to feel?"

I mean, the reality is you've got eight seconds to make an impression. 

That's not a lot of time to read an entire message on a piece of content. It's not a lot of time to read a bunch of stuff on your homepage. 

You've got to make that first initial impression a good one and powerful, and that really comes down to that emotional connection. How do people feel when they land on your website, when they see a piece of your content?

In order to exude that, in order to allow people to feel that, you need to know what you want people to feel. 

Take the time to identify those brand emotions. 

I want to give you two examples, because I know sometimes you might be thinking, "What do I want people to feel, Michelle?"

I have a client who is in the mindset space, the spiritual mindset space specifically, and she supports women in moving through a very difficult period of their life. She does a lot of shadow work. Her clients are currently in a difficult time but they are moving towards the light. They want to understand how to get there, they want to feel supported through that process, and they want to do it in a way that feels good and not forced.

We know this about her audience and we also know from her brand story she's really good at it. So when we were thinking of her brand emotions we wanted to show the light. We wanted to show what was possible, the desire, and what her audience was wanting to move towards. 

Because her audience didn't want to neglect where they were and that was really, really important to communicate, we played with sharing that through messaging, through story, through brand colors, showing both the dark and the light. 

That's just one example but again it comes back to how do I want people to feel and ultimately what are they looking for? What are they searching for?

With my brand, I decided very early on, well actually after eight months of having a brand that was not me at all, I redid the whole thing and now it's great. But when I redid it, I got back to this core piece of storytelling and brand emotions and I asked myself, "How do I want people to feel?" 

And it kept coming up for me that I wanted people to feel safe and comfortable and that they could be their authentic selves. That there was this connection between the two of us, between my brand and between them and their story. That it almost felt like we were sitting cozied up by a fire on a fall day just having a really deep conversation and chat. 

I used that to motivate all of these different pieces that we're going to talk about in just a second.

Again, take the time to understand who you are and the journey that you've gone on to get to where you are, to have the brand, the mission, the values, the core beliefs and the impact that you want to make in your ideal customer's life. As well as understand how you want them to feel from the moment they come in contact with your brand, through all of those different pieces.

Now that brings us to, "Now how do we actually use this Michelle? How do we use this? This all sounds great, I love it, but how do we use it?" 

Let's talk about how we use that brand story and those brand emotions to enhance and communicate and have this wonderful experience also known as brand identity.

NOW, HOW DO YOU TELL THAT THROUGH YOUR IDENTITY?

Brand Identity Design: Incorporate your Brand Story into your visuals

One of the things that capture people's attention right away and has an opportunity to build that connection are the visual aspects. That's why a big part of branding is the colors, the fonts, the elements, and the photos that you choose to tell that story. 

So many people choose those randomly or just choose things they like and they're not actually telling the story of their brand or making their audience feel anything.

So when you're thinking about colors, fonts, elements, and brand photos think about how you want your audience to feel. 

This is that initial ding that gets people to say, "Yeah, I'll keep going, I'll keep reading, I'll stick around," or exit out and close out the screen.

So it's very important. It's like the subject line of an email. You really want to use this to pull your audience in.

If you are like, "Okay, great, love this Michelle, but what am I ultimately wanting to make them feel?" 

Maybe there's a little uncertainty around that. Here's a great starting point. Think about your audience's desires, their aspirations, and how they want to feel when you support them in solving the problem. 

Everyone's got a problem, that's why they're seeking out your brand in the first place. When that problem is solved, or even when you start the process of solving that problem, what are they working towards? 

That's a really great place to start when you think about your brand emotions. Then carry those through all the visuals that you create. Take time to learn about color psychology and the different meaning behind fonts and elements and all of that juicy stuff as well.

Create a clear brand message

The second thing that you can do in order to carry your brand story into your brand identity is to create a clear message. We've got the visual component that captures their attention, now we've got to keep them engaged. That is where your copy and your messaging come into play. 

You can use your values, your mission, your brand story, and your journey to communicate to your audience the purpose behind your brand.  

This is very, very important. In fact, in my program Brandmerry Academy, I have all of my clients write out their mission statement because that is the guiding light. 

That is why we do everything that we do, why we show up, and why we're ultimately wanting to create a brand that is of service and of impact to our ideal customer.

One of the best things that you can do is share that with your audience and build that connection right out of the gate. This goes miles when you are building that experience, sharing that personality, and elevating that brand identity. 

Because consumers want to know the values and the mission behind a brand. We saw this really accelerate in 2020 and we are going to see it continue to play a vital role in branding, consumer interactions, why people buy, and ultimately the success of businesses as we continue.

In fact, 77% of consumers say that they buy from brands that share the same values as they do. And 64% said that they would actually boycott a brand because of their values on political and social issues. 

It is important and many brands actually neglect sharing their values or even posting their mission or sharing their mission with their audience, so they never know. 

But it's one of the best things that you can do. If you want to build a revenue-generating business, you need to know this stuff and you need to clearly communicate it with your audience, it matters.

One of the ways that I love to do this is through the art of storytelling. Create stories and social content, incorporate them in your blogs, all over the place that show your values.

You don't just have to have a place on your website that says our company values. You totally can, that is absolutely fine. But in addition to that, I want you to also share that through your content and your storytelling. 

So if you're like, “What kind of stories can I start sharing?" 

Write out your brand values and then think of why that is a value for you. Why have you decided to incorporate that into your company? And share that through your content as a way to really build deep brand affinity with your audience; which is that connection between shared values of the brand and the consumer.

Brand Identity: Consistently create value and branded content

Number three is consistency, which is one of my favorite words and I think something every single business needs to be putting a lot of emphasis on. 

We talk about content creation a lot. It is a core piece of building an online business, of making sure that you're attracting your audience and showing up for them, nurturing them, and leading them through the buying process and ultimately to the sale. 

We talk about consistent content all the time but what about consistent messaging? That is very important because you can create a bunch of different content but if your audience doesn't clearly understand what you offer them, how it's going to support them and those brand values, that mission, your story, and build that trust. 

You're going to feel all over the place to your audience. And therefore there's going to be that break in trust and that's going to affect sales.

So when you are thinking about sharing your brand story as a way to amplify your brand identity, what you really want to focus on are those consistent messages. It comes back to what we talked about in the very beginning. Understanding your story, your values, and your mission and then consistently sharing that with your audience as well as creating this linear path on how you want your audience to feel with every single thing that you create. 

If they land on your website, they read a social media post, they watch a live video, they see you at an event, it all feels the same. It all feels like you, it all feels like your brand identity, that's very, very important. 

This is where the magic happens and this is really where you get to share these stories on your values to improve and create that brand affinity with your audience.

CONCLUSION

Don’t forget how crucial brand storytelling is to the success of your brand and business. To dive deeper into this topic, and learn my signature brand framework you can sign up for my free class at brandmerry.com/class.

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

---

MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

BRAND AFFINITY: WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO YOU IMPROVE IT

Brand Affinity: What Is It and How Do You Improve It?

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

Have you ever wondered why some brands resonate with you so much better than others?

Or, why you find yourself coming back to a brand over and over again because of the connection you feel?

Me too, that was until I learned about Brand Affinity.

Turns out I had been focused on building Brand Affinity for years, just didn’t have a name for it, but this secret sauce is something every online brand should work towards (more on why in a minute).

The beautiful thing about Brand Affinity is that it doesn’t have to take years to build trust. We often think that building trust with our audience takes a lot of time, and for some it does depending on where they are in the buying process, but it can happen within in minutes.

The tips I’m sharing with you in this blog will give you tools to start building Brand Affinity today, so you can get started on your way in building a deeper relationship with your audience.

Let’s start at the beginning.

WHAT IS BRAND AFFINITY?

Brand Affinity is when a consumer believes a particular brand shares the same values as them. 

It’s deeper than a knowledge of the brand, brand awareness, and begins to build the connection between consumer and brand on a more personal and emotional level.

This connection is what allows you, as the brand, to not only stand out online but keep your audience coming back time and time again.

Remember purchase decisions come down to trust.

“If someone likes you they’ll listen to you, if they trust you they’ll do business with you!” - Zig Ziglar

Building this trust is necessary when building an online brand in 2020 and beyond because consumers are looking for brands that they can trust.

As more generations become part of movements and make changes in their personal lives they’re looking for brands that share those values and go even further to provide support for those values as well.

When you build brand affinity with your audience you increase the likelihood that they will purchase your service or product, you create a consumer base that sticks around for the long haul (hello community) and your audience is more likely to refer others to your brand.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a sweet deal.

BRAND AFFINITY IN MARKETING

In a few minutes, I’m going to share with you five ways to increase your brand affinity, but there is one strategy that is essential when it comes to marketing your business and that’s the power of storytelling.

The reality is you can’t just post your values every single day on social media, but you want people to understand them.

You can’t share your mission point-blank in every email, but you want your audience to understand it.

This is where storytelling becomes your secret weapon in marketing.

Through strong storytelling, you can showcase your values and mission daily through your brand messaging. Yes, that’s right storytelling should be incorporated into every aspect of your marketing.

Want to learn all the ins and outs of storytelling in business? My Tell Better Stories Mini-Course has your name written all over it. Learn more at brandmerry.com/stories

Storytelling gives you the ability to not only share relevant stories that showcase your values and mission (hello, Brand Affinity) but give you the tools to begin building deeper relationships with your audience.

These deeper relationships and connection are why our audiences trust us, buy from us and keep coming back.

It’s not enough to just have strong Brand Awareness, someone’s knowledge of your brand, you have to go deeper. The truth is, there are a lot of people offering something similar to you, multiple ways for a consumer to solve their problem, but storytelling and specifically Brand Affinity makes your brand...their brand.

5 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR BRAND AFFINITY

I know you’re wondering, “Michelle, aside from storytelling how can I increase Brand Affinity with my community?”

Well, I’m so glad you asked!

I know storytelling can feel complex, I’ve included some resources below to support you with this, but I want you to be able to start TODAY. So, below you’ll find five simple ways to improve your Brand Affinity almost immediately.

1 | SHARE YOUR BRAND VALUES

Seems simple enough right? Well, not enough brands are identifying the values of their brand and therefore aren’t sharing them. How do you expect someone to experience Brand Affinity, shared values, if you yourself don’t know your brand values.

So, if you haven’t already identified yours now is the time to start.

I suggest thinking of the values you personally hold and how those connect to your brand.

What values do you want to share between you and your consumer, it will be a lot easier to build a business you love if you attract the right people.

For instance, some of my brand values are:

+ Authenticity
+ Transparency
+ Care and Attention to Detail
+ Reduce the overwhelm
+ The desire for our living a Freedom lifestyle

I showcase these through my marketing, every email, photo, etc is focused on attracting people who share the same values.

TAKE ACTION: Identify your core values and then share them.

The simplest thing to do is post them on your website, this can be done on your About Me page, but as we talked about earlier you’ll also want to showcase these through storytelling.

2|  SHARE THE MISSION BEHIND YOUR BRAND

I started my career in non-profit work so forgive me as a gush over the power of a Brand Mission. As business owners we forget this, not enough business owners are taking the time to identify the mission or purpose behind their brand and this is a mistake.

63% of consumers state they want to buy from purpose-driven businesses.

And although money is amazing, I love it myself, it’s not the purpose. Your purpose and mission need to be deeper than that.

For instance, the mission behind my brand is…
“To empower women to uncover and own their story and share it with the world through their personal brand.”

This mission not only drives every decision in my business, but is also one of the main connectors for my audience.

TAKE ACTION: Identify your mission.
What is the purpose behind your business?
What legacy do you want to leave begin with your work?

Then share it! I love encouraging my clients to share their mission statement on their Home Page, but you can also include it on your About Me page.

3 | SHOW BRAND AFFINITY THROUGH PHOTOS

This is my favorite thing to do as a personal brand and it’s so important. We often don’t think about the effect of Instagram on building trust or the use of seeing multiple photos on a website as a way to build Brand Affinity, but it’s actually a very powerful practice.

Here’s why it’s so powerful. When you showcase multiple photos of yourself, different outfits, different locations, different expressions your audience feels as if they are seeing at different moments in time. It’s as if you’ve met and know each other for longer than you actually have.

Photography overall is one of my favorite investments as a brand. It’s not about spending a bunch of money or posing for all your photos, but it is about elevating your brand by showing different sides of your personality and if you’re not a photographer then hiring one can be one of the best investments in your business.

TAKE ACTION: Hire a photographer if you can and make sure you clearly articulate your brand values, ideal customer and the emotional connection you want to portray. More on prepping for a Brand Photoshoot here

But, even if you can’t invest in a photographer right now, you can use a tripod or a friend to take photos of you. Make sure you’re sharing different moments in time to achieve the Brand Affinity. Then share your photos on your website and of course on social media.

Take a look at my Instagram to get a feel for this!

4 | BUILD A COMMUNITY

There are a lot of different ways to build community outside of a private Facebook Group, even though everyone is telling you that you need one. The truth is you can build community on social media and through your email lists just as effectively.

When we think of community we think of a central location for everyone to hang out, but what you’re wanting to do is just declare your brand as the community.

For example, inside of my first email when you sign up for my email list I welcome new subscribers to the Brandmerry Community. 

I’m always referring to the Brandmerry Community on my live streams, blogs and on social media. There isn’t a specific jacket we all wear, but we know. The women inside the community know I’m speaking to them and about them and that builds connection.

You could even go as far as declaring a name for your community.

This sense of unity makes someone feel as if they are part of something bigger. It’s not just about buying your product and peacing out it’s about belonging, which we as humans want.

TAKE ACTION: How can you use the tools at your fingertips to build a community? Will you give your audience a name? Determine some of the fun ways you can create a community that allows your audience to be part of something.

5 | EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

It’s no secret that as consumers we want to be cared for. We don’t want to work extra hard to get the products and services we desire and once we make the decision, i.e. commitment, we want it to be easy.

This is where your customer service comes to the next level.

We often think the customer service is the sale, and while that is important, what comes next is what builds further Brand Affinity.

For instance, when someone purchases one of my services or courses they receive instant confirmation that their purchase has been received. Then, they receive an email with all the information they need, including login, how to access the materials, the next steps and where to start.

I take the guesswork out of getting started and right away my audience feels taken care of and trust is increased.

TAKE ACTION: How can you improve your customer service? If you have any holes in your process, post-sale, fill those now!

CONCLUSION

I hope you can see the importance of Brand Affinity and why every single brand, no matter what you sell, should be focused on building this deeper connection and trust with their audience.

As I mentioned before I know sometimes this whole branding and storytelling thing can feel like a lot. If you’re wanting to build more of a foundation with your brand, understand how all the pieces like storytelling fit together and what you want to avoid when building your brand then I’d love to invite you to watch my free class.

In this free class, I’ll share the Build a Better Brand Method. Sign up for the next available time at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.

And if you’re looking for those resources on storytelling, sorry to keep you hanging, you can find those below.

Where and When to Share Your Brand Story can be found here

The Art of Storytelling in Business can be found here

5 Examples of Brand Storytelling to Incorporate into Your Marketing can be found here

How to Attract Your Dream Clients Through Emotional Branding can be found here

I hope these resources will support you in understanding storytelling in marketing on a deeper, it really changes everything!

P.S. If you made it this far, good for you! Let’s take it a step further and dive into your branding. If you haven’t already be sure to watch my free class on The Build a Better Brand Method.

It’s a free 60-minute class for female entrepreneurs looking to build a strong personal brand that supports them in standing out online, creating a stream of high-value content and build a community of fans that leads to a revenue-generating business.

Sign up for the class at brandmerry.com/brandmasterclass.

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Pivot Your Business Without Losing Momentum

How to Pivot Your Business
Without Losing Momentum

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

If you prefer to watch a video version of this post, which is highly recommended, you can do so below.

Last week on the blog, I did a special post on Branding and Messaging Your Business During a Crisis, you can check it out here.

And so many community members asked about a very specific part of that post and video, which was all about pivoting your business.

It makes so much sense that this would be a concern right now as we navigate this Global Pandemic (also known as Coronavirus). It’s got so many businesses thinking, “How do we make money during this time?”

But, to be honest, this isn’t something we should just be prepared for as it applies to a pandemic like this, many business owners might need to pivot their offer, messaging or business due to life changes.

Maybe you’re wondering…
...if now is the right time to sell anything.
...how you should be supporting people.
...what to offer since what you typically do is not possible.
...if your offers or services need to change.
...what you should be charging.

And, that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg with questions running through your head.

I highly suggest writing these prompts and questions down to dive into on your own. Carve out 15 minutes a day to answering these questions to gain clarity on your next steps. 

PHASE ONE: DETERMINE WHAT STAGE YOU ARE IN

The first step is to figure out what stage you are in because every single business is going to be at a different stage, which is going to mean that your pivot is going to look different. 

Nobody's pivot is going to look the same.

Because of this, it can be really easy to get overwhelmed when pivoting because we’ll see other business owners doing something in our niche or similar and we think to ourselves, “I should be doing that! Or should I be doing something different?”

But, we don’t know their story - we might think we know where they are at in their business, but the reality is we probably have no clue.

It’s times like these we need to go inward, worry about our own business, our own progress and our own current stage.

STAGE ONE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS TAKEN A MAJOR HIT

If you’re in this stage, you’re most likely struggling a lot. If you’re a photographer during this particular season of the Coronavirus you’ve had to cancel a lot of your business.

A sign that you are in this stage could be that you’ve taken a major hit financially.

POSSIBILITIES: You can drive more online traffic. You’re going to want to put more time and energy into building an online presence and offering incentives. While you might not be able to physically do your job if you’re a photographer, you could offer gift certificates or coupons if they book now. Think of restaurants around the holidays when they sell a $50 gift card and give you $15 to use on your next visit - same principle.

You might also consider offering something new, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE TWO: YOUR BUSINESS IS CLOSED

If you’re in this stage, you might have a physical business that is now closed, so your options are to close or move online.

POSSIBILITIES: Move your business online so you can continue to sell. Think about what technology systems you need and how to manage the ins and outs. Every business needs an online presence and you have a chance to build that now. Think of ways to sell gift cards even if it’s not physical products right now. Incorporate incentives as I mentioned above. 

Also, this is a great time to build brand awareness and educate your audience on your product so they can purchase at a later date. Use different tools and resources to drive traffic to your new site like Search Engine Optimization and Pinterest.

This might also be a good time to consider a new offer, I’ve got questions below to support you.

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STAGE THREE: YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN FORCED TO SHIFT

This stage could look like a lot of different things. Maybe you’ve experienced a hit, but you have money in savings so you don’t have to actively sell right now. It might also mean that what you sell doesn’t feel good and you want to make some adjustments to your offer or how you message it.

The majority of online businesses typically find themselves in this stage.

POSSIBILITIES: If you’re in this stage it’s about heightening your brand awareness. If what you sell or offer is still valid it’s less about what you offer and how you’re offering it. A big shift during this stage might be a pivot or adjustment in your messaging, along with adjusting the price of your offer.

During this brand awareness phase, it’s also important to explore other avenues. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a drop in people spending their money on marketing. That means ad costs have gone down drastically, so if it’s available to you investing in this aspect now can really pay off in the long run.

SPEAKING OF LONG RUN

When pivoting, or navigating a time of great change, it’s so important to focus on the long game. I hate to be the one to say, but even if you're not making money right now, which is scary, you can set yourself up for massive growth later on.

How can you set yourself up so that you can sell later in the year or next year really, really strong? 

Those are the things that we need to consider because that is the reality. So how do we do that? Let's talk about some questions that I want you to think about around pivoting your offer. 

PHASE TWO: PIVOTING YOUR OFFER OR SERVICE

Let's say that you have an existing offer that's not working, or you have an existing offer that you want to modify. Here are some questions to consider.

What does your audience need right now?

I’m a big fan of market research because I know it changes the game of how we show up, run our businesses and ultimately make sales. If you show up and you ask your audience in this time where they're needing support, they will most likely tell you.

If you don't have an audience already look at other people's threads in your industry, look at what people are Googling, or look and see what people are asking in Facebook groups or threads.

What are people needing right now? 

Let me make this clear, I do not mean everyone. I specifically mean what does your target market need and what would support them in this season of life?

How can you show up and give that to them in a way that is an extension of your brand? 

Is this something existing? Or do you need to create something new? 

For many of you, you are going to have to create something new. You've probably had ideas for things that you can launch or build in the background, but maybe life was too busy so I'm going to challenge you to look back at those ideas that have maybe been sitting on the back burner, on a post-it note on your desk, and start to think, “Is that something that I could create now?”

FEELING STUCK? A NOTE ABOUT BRAND CONTAINERS

Brand Containers are a concept that I teach to all of my clients on the idea that what you sell cannot be your business and brand. If it is you are probably running into a problem right now. 

It’s not about having 75 different offers, it’s about having a brand and having variety, allowing for more flexibility, creation and community building.

When you create a business around a single offer and then want to pivot, it will feel like starting over, but when you create a brand first and foremost it’s much easier.

Imagine 5-7 brand containers of things you love talking about. For my business branding, business coaching and marketing are definitely the main ones, but I also love to talk about travel and could offer a blog or course on how to travel full time.

If you’re interested in learning more about Brand Containers and my branding process, check out youbrandedcourse.com.

The key here is you want to first look for a pivot that is of value to your audience and already connected to your brand as a whole, your Brand Containers can help with this. 

When it comes to pivoting the hardest thing you can do is burn it all down in the hopes to build something new. I encourage you to look more for opportunities or gaps in which you can make small adjustments.

Ask yourself: How can I show up, that's going to be a value to my audience and is already connected to my brand as a whole?

Then it will feel more of like a shift or extension than it does a complete starting over from scratch. 

Pricing Your Offer

If you don’t feel like you need to create something new, just adjust something existing, it’s time to think about how to shift it.

Is there a new pricing structure? 
How can you modify an existing offer to launch something smaller?
Can you take a bigger program or something that you've created and sell it separately as a lower-priced offer? 
How can you repurpose some of the things that you've talked about in the past? 

Think of how you can get creative with what you have. For instance, if you’re a photographer and can’t photograph clients, you don’t necessarily have to declare you’re no longer a photographer. You might be able to adjust your offer to something along the lines of selling a style guide on how to prepare for brand photoshoots or teaching other photographers how to edit their pics.

TO RECAP

What does your audience need?
What can you support them with?
Is there something that you can create that as an extension of your existing brand, think about your brand containers, rather than starting completely over? 
And if you have an existing offer that works, how can you modify it or change the pricing structure? 

PHASE THREE: AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

Phase three is what every single business should still remain focused on during a pivot or crisis. 

The brands and businesses that continue to persevere are the ones that continue to show up, build trust and community. These are the businesses that will experience sales later.  

Pivoting isn’t just about the offer it’s also in your messaging and how you show up.

How can you build brand awareness?
How can you create educational components for your audience?
What does this look like for you? 

Get ready for the questions because here they come. Some things to consider are:

Does your content need to shift during this transition? 
How is your overall brand messaging, is it in alignment with your new direction
Do you need to adjust the platform you are showing up on and reaching your target audience? Do you have SEO on your website? Are you using Pinterest to drive traffic? 
Can you start reaching your new target market with advertisements? 
Do you have a sales funnel set up for onboarding new community members and leading them to a sale on evergreen?

When you’re pivoting it can be really easy to not show up, to not build an audience because you feel like you don’t have it all figured out. Take some time to get clear on your pivot offer and audience and keep showing up. 

People are waiting for your message, even when you’re “figuring it out” keep showing up and building trust.

MISSION-DRIVEN BUSINESS GOALS

When you’re going through a pivot or transition it might feel like you need to create something RIGHT NOW. You might think, “I’m just going to put this out there!”

I'm going to encourage you to slow down just a minute to ask yourself this overarching brand question…

“What’s the purpose behind your business? Why are you doing this in the first place?”

Because the reality is if you run your business just for money, you will run into problems. It has to be more fulfilling. What do you do, when in one season of life you don’t have the money coming in? What continues to drive you?

Questions to consider.

What is your purpose behind your business? 
What is your mission? 
How can you create content and offers and all those things that are in alignment with that? 

And if you don't know this, it’s time to dive deep into your brand.

CONCLUSION + PLANNING

MAKING PLANS

With the info that you have collected from above, I want you to start mapping out and planning your next steps.

I know in times of uncertainty and change, there is power in knowing what direction you're going.

Think of where you are headed, there’s that purpose, mission and long-term thinking again, so you can start taking small steps every single day. Start mapping out what that looks like, but be open to adjusting.

Think about…
How does your content look with these new plans?
What offers are you going to put out there? 
What do you need to create?
How can you start rolling out these changes?

Having a plan is really powerful, even if it needs to change and adjust at least you know which direction you’re headed.

If after you dive into these questions you still feel lost and a little overwhelmed. I always encourage people to get a step-by-step plan. My course You! Branded gives you the pieces to finalize your purpose, mission and so much more to build a strong brand and business upon.

You can learn more about You! Branded and the work we do around niching down, ideal client, messaging, offers and emotional branding at youbrandedcourse.com

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

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- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

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MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

How to Message Your Brand in a Time of Crisis

How to Message Your Brand in a Time of Crisis

BY MICHELLE KNIGHT

If you prefer to watch a video version of this post, which is highly recommended, you can do so below.

As I write this blog we are in the middle of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic in the States.

It’s a difficult time for many small businesses and online entrepreneurs as their business has been impacted. But, more than anything so many owners are feeling lost.

What do we do in a time of crisis?
How do we respond?
How should we show up for our online communities?

Whether you’re reading this blog because you’re asking the same questions right now, or you’re circling back to learn how to be prepared for a potential future crisis, I hope this blog will offer you advice on selling, messaging and branding your business during a time of crisis.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

I’m an online branding consultant and marketing strategist helping online female entrepreneurs grow their business online. I’ve been running my business for four years, and before that, I spent years in Public Relations and Communications.

I spent time working in crisis communication for nonprofits and took the training in school. Today, I’m pulling that all together to support you in moving forward with your mission and message.

Handling a Crisis as a Personal Brand or Small Business

There is a lot we can learn from large corporations when it comes to crisis communication. Typically large companies and firms have a complete crisis communication plan, so if something happens the company as a whole is prepared and on the same page.

One of the best takeaways from a PR approach is to be active, rather than simply reactive.

When the recent Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic hit a lot of brands started to panic. Understandably so, there really isn’t a rule book for this. But, we can learn three important elements from a crisis communication plan and apply to our small business and personal brand.

#1 BE HUMAN

If you follow me on social media or have read any of my blogs you know that what I teach around branding is centered on human marketing - that should always be the top of your mind. 

But, in a crisis it’s very important. Tapping into the fact that our audiences are REAL people, we need to be compassionate and we need to be empathetic. 

We need to let people know that we are here to support them. During the Coronavirus, you probably got a surge of emails, from companies and brands.

As soon as this thing happened everyone went into addressing the issue, and that’s a good thing (more on that later), but what so many of those emails were lacking was compassion.

Many of the emails I received felt so dry and as if they had been copied and pasted from a template - it felt like everybody was sending the exact same email. 

This is an amazing example of incorporating more story, compassion and empathy to differentiate yourself from others talking about the same thing. 

The more you focus on what your audience needs to hear today, the more thankful they will be of your outreach.

I recommend adding more story connecting on a human level and focus on giving, giving, and giving some more. Find a way to say I’m here for you and I understand what you’re going through.

#2 TAKE ACTION - DON’T WAIT

When you're in a crisis, you have to take action. The worst thing that you can do is sit back and do nothing. If you’re being handed bad press, the last thing you want to do is say nothing. If it’s a situation like the Coronavirus it’s important to take action and pivot.

During a time of crisis, it’s important to modify your messaging, make small adjustments to your offers (if needed). 

Sitting back and waiting for things to be “normal” will not help you advance your business. You will grow more from gracefully handling a crisis than you will from sitting back and doing nothing.

#3 DON’T IGNORE IT

Along with taking action, it’s also important to not ignore it in your messaging. Ignoring a situation can make your brand irrelevant in a time when your audience needs you to show up. 

Don't pretend like it's not happening. It doesn't mean that every single post needs to be about the crisis, but let people know that you understand what’s happening and address the situation.

In times of crisis, it’s the brands that step up, are of service and show up for their communities that make the lasting impact.

How You Need to Show Up During a Crisis: Branding + Messaging

During a crisis, it’s important to focus on the big picture of your brand.

You might not have the best sales at this time, especially if what you’re experiencing is worldwide, but that doesn’t mean it’s over.

Remember, your brand is not the single product or service you offer - it’s the overall experience, mission and values.

During a crisis, it’s important to gain clarity on these pieces so you can continue to move forward.

How can you use this time to grow your audience, build brand awareness and be of service?

Is there a new way that you can show up for your audience and deliver content? During the Coronavirus and quarantine, more and more people were online.

During this particular time creating a podcast, writing blogs or activating Facebook ads are a great way to reach your audience and build brand awareness.

Even if that doesn’t directly relate to sales now it will in the future.

When it comes to a crisis, like the current Coronavirus, it’s so important to serve your audience with your messaging.

Think of different gifts and resources you can provide your audience that again build trust, build community, but also offer support.

People will remember how your brand responded during a crisis - make sure it’s authentic and of service.

YOUR CONTENT

When it comes to the content you create during a crisis it’s important to show up. As we’ve already covered, you’ve got to remember your audience is human.

How can you create content that connects deeply with your audience?
How can you create content that brightens their mood?
How can you create content that tells the story of your brand?

Now more than ever these pieces are so important.

BE OF SERVICE

Your main goal during a crisis, like Coronavirus, should be of service.

If you show up and you are of service to your audience and to people who have no idea who the hell you are, then you will see it will pay off in the long run.

It’s just another reminder that you want your brand and business to be in for the long game.

One of the lessons I shared in my video below, as it relates to the Coronavirus was the idea that there is still time.

It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel during a crisis, but in the current pandemic, it’s important to remember that we still have 75% of the year left.

And most businesses make the majority of their revenue in Q3 and Q4 typically. There is still so much you can do to hit your goals.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Being of service doesn’t mean giving everything away for free or heavily discounting your services. You’re still running a business. There is a way to be of service and give to your community while still making money.

STEP UP

I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions…

How can you step up and serve your ideal client? 
What is the mission behind your business? 
What is the impact that you want to make with your brand? 
How can you do that now when people are looking for that support more than ever?

Remember that being of service proves in the long run, that the sales will come. 

#1 CRISIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TO AVOID

In my opinion, during a time of crisis fear-based marketing is a no-no. 

We know statistically people respond to pain over pleasure when it comes to your messaging. That’s because it’s much easier to say, “I want to avoid x, y and z,” then it is to say, “I want that!”

But, in a time of crisis, some people can go a little too far in addressing the pain. A general rule of thumb is that if you are exploiting a situation or the fears that people are experiencing, it’s not a great branding move.

Remember branding is the long game. It might seem like a great marketing move right now, but in the long run, the chances of it paying off are slim.

In times like this, it’s important to focus on the joy, pleasure, desire and how you’re helping people grow overall.

We’ve talked a lot about showing up for your audience, but when it comes to messaging your business and focusing on the benefit, remember you’re stepping into your role as a leader.

During a crisis is an amazing time for leaders to rise up.

If you don't do anything, you won't rise up.
f you're not showing up, you won't rise up.
If you're trying to go viral or pick up on people's fears or insecurities, you won't rise up.

CONCLUSION

Remember, the top tips for your brand during a time of crisis are:

Increase your brand exposure: Create content, tell stories and show up. If business is slow during a time of crisis, use that time to introduce yourself to others.

Build a warm audience: Along with building brand awareness you can also use a time of crisis to build trust with your audience and move them off of social media into an email list. This growth will support you during the long game.

Be human. Above everything else remember that your audience is human. They deserve and need compassion and empathy, especially if what you’re experiencing is collective. If the crisis is internal to your business, it’s just as important to show up as human and take responsibility.

Get creative and create new solutions. A crisis might require you to pivot your messaging or your offers. Take the challenge and make the change. In times of crisis, great leaders are born.

Be of service. Show up for your audience and give back. Remember, that giving will come back to benefit your business in the long run.

I hope these tips were helpful for you today.

If you’re interested in learning more about building your brand and strong message online, be sure to check out my signature course You! Branded.

Learn more at youbrandedcourse.com

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- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -

DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES

START HERE ↠

LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS

START HERE ↠

MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR

START HERE ↠

---

- READ THE LATEST POSTS -

---

MEET MICHELLE

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.