The spoiler alert you likely didn’t want: there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to marketing. 

Unfortunately no one, not even the most successful business owners or brands, can simply hand over their marketing blueprint and promise you the same results they’ve seen. 

Your business is unique. You are unique. What you do to grow your business should fit you, your business, the audience you want to attract, and the market you're in. (And no, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do things you don’t want to do to achieve your goals.)

Why following specific marketing guidelines doesn’t work 

You likely started your business because you saw a gap in the marketplace. You saw a problem, and created a solution. 

Even if you offer a “common” service or product, your unique experience, perspective, and values mean that the way you approach your solution will most certainly be different from any other company. 

So, if your offering is different, it follows that the way you promote this offer will also need to be different. 

Consider your brand personality 

Think of your company as if it were a person, with its own unique personality. What human characteristics would best describe your brand? 

More than ever, consumers want to feel a connection to the brands they purchase from. 

They want to resonate with your mission, and find themselves in your brand – whether they already have the characteristics of your brand or they aspire to develop them. 

For example, if you are an energetic, productive, generally ‘sporty’ person, you might identify with a brand personality like Nike. They’re fun, bright, enthusiastic and fit. You might also identify with Nike if you desire to have more energy, workout daily, get more done, or are on a health and fitness journey and want to “fit in” with the Nike lifestyle. Alternatively, if you have no interest in fitness, Nike likely wouldn’t be someone you would want to spend a day with.

In order to use this concept to your advantage, your unique brand personality needs to shine through in your messaging, content and marketing campaigns. 

Consider: 

• What is your company story? Values? Culture? 

• What business goals do you have for your business? 

• How does your brand feel? Or, how do you want it to feel? 

• What is your bigger vision? 

• Who is your ideal audience? 

All of these elements will play a part in your brand personality, and therefore how you market your company.

And because there are so many variables, cloning another marketing strategy (even if there is some overlap) won’t give you the results you’re looking for. 

How to start crafting your content strategy  

If you can’t “copy and paste” anyone else’s marketing strategy, how do you start to create your own? 

I like to use a filtering and refining system to create content, moving from initial ideas to an effective content message and consistent action. 

1. Ideas 

A great place to start is by simply writing down any and all ideas you have when it comes to marketing. 

Where have you heard you “should” be showing up? Where are you currently posting content? What are you posting about? What could you be posting about? What’s worked in the past? 

Think of this as a brainstorming session where anything and everything goes. There is no filtering at this stage because you simply want to get everything out of your head and onto paper. 

If you’re struggling for ideas, you can also always look to other brands for inspiration, as long as you don’t expect them to have all your answers! And, if you still need help, here are 5 other ways to come up with content ideas. 

2. Goals

At this stage it’s important to gain clarity on your goals as a company. 

If you don’t have a destination in mind, it’s very challenging to lay out a plan to get there. 

I’m a believer in setting two types of goals: 

• Business goals, which take into account the company as a whole (consider the overall direction of your business, your values, your mission, your “why,” and the impact you want to make on the world). These goals will likely be in the form of client numbers or revenue. 

• Marketing goals, which are specific to the marketing tactics you plan on using to gain exposure and bring in leads. 

Getting clear on both of these types of goals for your company will help you to begin filtering some of your initial ideas, laying a framework that makes sense for the trajectory you hope to see for your business. 

3. Audience 

Next, you really want to get clear on your target audience. The concept of “niching down” might sound like you’re limiting yourself, but in reality it allows you to create a much bigger impact. 

Remember, 

"When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one." - Meredith Hill

To hone in on your target audience, you want to consider your offering as well as who you want to serve. 

In addition to looking at data points like demographics, psychographics, and geographics, you want to consider more general, intangible aspects of this audience: 

• What are the pain points you’re helping to solve? 

• What is keeping your potential clients up at night? 

• What does their life currently look like? 

• What do they want it to look like? 

All of this information will support you in creating messaging that is relatable to this distinct audience, so they feel seen and heard, and are intrigued by what you’re offering. 

Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can likely filter through and weed out more of your initial content and strategy ideas. 

4. Message

Far too often, I see businesses using messaging that doesn’t speak to their potential customers where they’re at. 

Consumers want to know how an offer will change their life (not all the features and functions of your product). So, you need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Showing them you understand their pain and problem(s), and addressing what’s at stake if they don’t act.

In order to create content that resonates, your messaging needs to reflect and prioritize your ideal audience. 

What words are they using? What jargon do you need to remove from your content? Where would this message be most well-received? 

Take into account your brand personality here as well. How can you appeal to this audience while still showcasing what makes your company unique? 

This customer-centric approach allows you to develop a deeper connection with potential buyers. 

5. Action

Once you have all of these pieces in place and have filtered your content down to gain clarity on what will truly move the needle for you, it’s time to take action. 

Craft a strategic plan for your content for the next couple of months. Consider what platforms you’d like to test out, the messaging that you believe will be most effective, how you’re going to infuse your brand personality into your content, and the pillars of content you’d like to speak to. 

Know that this plan will most certainly change as you start to determine what is and isn’t working, and that’s okay! 

Your marketing approach should flow and shift based on the data you’re receiving. 

What you don’t want though, is to be consistently swayed by what others are doing, or to make impulsive decisions that aren’t aligned with your bigger brand goals and vision. 

While other companies can provide helpful inspiration, or general formulas, in order to see long-term success in your marketing you need to have clarity on what will create a deep connection and lasting impact with your audience.