Ever heard of the "know, like and trust" factor in business? It's the idea that you will be more successful as an entrepreneur if your customers know, like and trust you. To achieve this, according to copywriter Laura Belgray, you need to infuse your personality into your marketing.
It's not enough to use traditional marketing to advertise your business. Don't expect your product to instantly draw undying interest and loyalty this way. People fall in love with brands more than they fall in love with products. Make this work for you by creating a personality-based business even as a beginner. This strategy has allowed Belgray to charge $950/hour for her copywriting services. She shared her top four tips for doing this:
Show off your expertise
Share your tips, opinions, point of view on platforms that give you authority: Speak on stages and podcasts, contribute to respected online publications or blogs (the ones with impressive logos), write your own blog posts, post tips on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Even if you don’t feel like an expert, remember that the majority of people don’t know what you know -- and the act of sharing that knowledge or idea set with confidence and your unique point of view will help brand you as a straight-up maven.
Have a “catch story”
A catch story is a go-to personal story -- an origin story for your business or big idea, a personal triumph over challenge, or an embarrassing anecdote with a moral -- that people look forward to hearing from you again and again. Don’t be afraid that you’ve told it too much. Instead, think of any personal hero of yours, and the story you’ve heard them tell over and over. Don't you love to hear it again like a favorite movie that you can’t help watching and reciting every time it reruns on cable? The more people know about you by heart, the more they’ll cite you in conversation and view you as a thought leader. More visibility, whether online or offline, upgrades your brand to a premium status.
Create your "coat of arms"
You’ve seen a coat of arms or family crest before, right? It’s an old-fashioned design, originally on a shield, that used a few significant symbols of a family’s history.
What would be on yours? In other words, what are your recurring themes? What are you obsessed with, what do you love? Pets, spouse, kids, favorite shows and foods, strongest beliefs and biggest pet peeves -- those are your personal trademarks; the ideas and things you’d go to battle for. Make a point of regularly mentioning them and working them into your stories. They’ll become a sort of insider joke for your audience, something they’ll identify with you and connect with, which is what makes them feel close to you. (And, want to work and buy from you.)
Keep it real
Many new business owners and entrepreneurs make the mistake of staging their lives as a perfect sequence of events. They tend to lead with a narrative that doesn't include hard times or financial struggles. Meanwhile, we all know no one's life is problem-proof. So give people things they can relate to (stories of failures and ways you've overcome them). In your emails, social posts, and any other content, be open about your insecurities, your struggles and even small things (Do you keep forgetting to set an alarm? Blush when you meet someone new?). Show people the real you, the version they share things in common with and they will fall in love.
