You know something needs to change when your “to-do” list directs you to another “to-do” list of things you didn’t finish before. Many business owners suffer from “shiny object syndrome,” collecting every shiny idea or trend and adding it to their to-do list, regardless of whether or not they actually need it. For many business owners, it is the lack of a clear brand identity to help dictate what the business should and shouldn’t do that eventually leads to burnout.
Why do your Customers Purchase your Goods or Services?
If your answer to this question is a list of features you offer, this shows that the motivations of your business are superficial, and you don’t have a clear understanding of your customer. This vagueness and lack of clarity are leading you to be everything to everyone, leading you down a path toward burnout.
A defined brand strategy is a plan detailing how and why your business meets the deepest needs of your customers. Understanding this keeps you on track to focus on what’s important, and easily avoid those “shiny objects.”
Here are 3 ways a brand strategy can help prevent burnout.
Avoid Following Trends
It’s critical to clearly understand your customers’ needs and where to meet them. You can only do this by putting yourself in their shoes, understanding their needs, and providing value like nobody else. If you don’t do this, you might end up making TikTok videos. Which is fine, as long as you know why you’re on TikTok. Never do things simply because others are doing them. Make sure you are strategic, not emotional.
If you understand what your customers need and where to find them, you don’t need to bow to the “musts” that trends demand. For example, everyone says you “need” to use social media to be successful. Although social media may be useful, maybe there are better ways to spend your time. Our business serves business owners, and business owners typically don’t sit on Instagram. Some agents serve customers that are on social media, while others might not.
Stop Chasing the Wrong Clients
As I mentioned before, if your main selling point is your features and services, then you are not addressing the root of your client’s needs. People do not buy a house because they have nothing better to do. Something bigger is happening in their life, that’s causing them to move. Understanding the pains and motivations of the customer is half the work. The real work begins in addressing those deeper needs of the customer in a way worth paying for. If you can demonstrate a deeper understanding of your client’s needs beyond price and features, you will stand out amongst competitors.
Do Not do Everything on Your Own
Many business owners struggle with delegating or hiring because “nobody can do the work like they can.” This arrogance leads them to do everything, leading to burnout. You can only do so much…until you can’t. A brand strategy helps clearly define what is important to your business when serving customers. For example, perhaps honesty is central to your business. If you fear your employee can’t be as “honest” as you, the problem may not be the employee, but rather your lack of properly articulating your brand values. As the business owner, ideally, you are the best example of the brand identity. However, if the values that determine the brand identity are in your head and not externally defined, it’s nearly impossible for others to embody them. Having a proper brand strategy that defines the values that drive your business allows you to essentially multiply your efforts through your employees, avoiding burnout and providing a better service.
Will having a good brand strategy solve all your problems? No. Brand strategy doesn’t guarantee success, but success demands a plan. Not all plans succeed, but all success is birthed from a plan. The lack of a plan may not be the only reason you are experiencing burnout, but crafting a plan is a large step in the right direction.
If you need help writing a brand strategy you can send an email to tim@orangevisuals.com, or click on the button below. Our mission is to help businesses visualize their values.