Something that always attracted me to the PEDESTRIAN.TV brand was the founders’ story – two young dudes, Chris Wirasinha and Oscar Martin, putting an idea out there and hustling to make it a success. If I didn’t know the names and faces behind the brand, it’s anyone’s guess as to how differently I may have felt.
On the flip side I’ll never buy one of Kylie‘s lip kits because I can’t stand the girl. Point is, personal marketing can be just as important as marketing the product itself. In 2019, you can indeed use your fine self as a platform and leveraging tool (what a time to be alive), and this article is going to show you how.
LIVE & BREATHE THE BRAND
There’s nothing worse than someone who isn’t passionate about their work (I mean, other than climate change and famine, of course). The same thing can be said for people who own a business they couldn’t give two shits about. Why would I want to buy a product or service that even the business owners don’t believe in? It’s so, so important for the top dawgs to live and breathe what they’re selling.
This one time a hotel manager took me for a spontaneous tour of a hotel. When he was telling me about the history of the building, the origins it came from and what it stood for, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He was so proud to be a part of this hotel’s present and future and I’ll tell you what, I’ve never been so excited to stay somewhere, and I’ve told everyone who’ll listen. What an authentic way to market something. Passion doesn’t cost a thing.
HAVE A FOUNDER’S STORY
As you’ve probably already figured by now, I’m a sucker for a founder’s story. I love toggling to the “About” section of a website. Tell me who’s behind this! Tell me when it happened! Please confirm you were not an overnight success! There are a few reasons this is important to me.
First, it personalises the product – it reminds you that somewhere, somehow, this successful product you’re buying into ’twas but a dream, and someone had to work bloody hard to make it a reality. Secondly, it can create a level of accessibility. If they can do it, why can’t you? Voila, all of a sudden you’re inspired, and what an emotion to connect to your purchasing behaviour around this certain brand. You feeling me?
PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE
No one can market a product or service like the person who created it. If that’s you, be present. Put yourself out there. Say yes to speaking on panels. Say hell yes to guest lecturing at universities.
Get people associating your product with a personality, and don’t ever shy away from an opportunity to get your product in people’s minds, no matter how small the pool is. Are you ignoring cross-promotion and collaboration opps? Don’t do that.
BE SEARCHABLE
If you’re not already on every social media platform, make that happen, because you want to be able to be found, discovered. LinkedIn is a no-brainer, but even the hyper-personal accounts like Instagram and Facebook should have a mention of your brand or service, preferably in your bio. Putting that on Tinder? Up to you.
This will help your google presence, because when people google you at the moment, what do they find? They should discover your business as a byproduct of searching your name, and if they google your brand, they shouldn’t have to search high and low for how this business came to be, and who the mastermind was who thought it up.
While leveraging your personal brand is a brilliant sales tactic, it’s not the only box to tick when it comes to marketing your business.
Platforms like Mailchimp tick a shit-ton of boxes in one fell swoop. On top of what you know and love them for (eDMs), you can use Mailchimp for insights and data that’ll help you understand your audience better – helping you shift, and perfect, your marketing approach.
You can also flex your design skills to match your brand personality, create ads true to your DNA and push out announcements your audience cares about via multiple platforms.
Using yourself is great and all (you go Glen Coco), but there are many other fish to fry when it comes to being a roaring success.
