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BRANDED may not be for you.
Branded May Not Be Right For You
I bet you never expected to hear me say this.
I’m not sure if you should invest in Branded. Don’t panic! Let me explain what Branded is and why it might not be right for you.
The short explanation: Branded is a year-long, immersive experience made up of four photoshoots that will change your biz for the better.
And the long explanation: Branded is a year-long, immersive experience that combines marketing strategy with branding photography. Over the next 12 months, we will:
- Engage in 5 quarterly brand strategy calls
- Develop 4 moodboards to inspire your vision
- Spend 13+ hours in photo sessions
- Capture 700+ photos to use
- And. So. Much. More.
It sounds amazing, right? That’s because it is. But the truth is, all these amazing things will do NOTHING for you if you don’t have this little thing figured out…
Your brand.
“Okay duh, Lily.” But seriously, knowing your brand is what ACTUALLY makes Branded valuable! Does the word “brand” feel vague to you? Sometimes we throw the words “brand” or “branding” around without really defining what they mean. So let me stop and define for you.
A person could have a business, a brand, or both. Not all businesses necessarily have a brand, nor do all brands have to be businesses. So what’s the difference?
A business sells products or services.
A brand is the personality behind the products or services.
Personal branding is the art of using your personality as a foundation for building a business that customers and clients can know, like, and trust.
When you combine a strong business with an active brand, you will be in the best seat for selling because your community has the opportunity to know you, like what you have to say, and trust your opinion.
They understand you, they understand your offers, and they understand why you believe your offers hold value. So what does this mean for you?
It means that Branded is perfect for you if you feel in tune with your brand, if you understand who you’re serving and what benefit you bring to the world with your offers.
If you have that deer-in-the-headlights look while reading the sentence above, then maybe we need to pump the brakes before you invest in Branded.
The good news is, I’m still here to help you! I’ve been where you are. I haven’t always been the branding queen I am today. I’ve walked the ups and downs and I’m sharing what I’ve learned so hopefully you can avoid some of those downs.
If you’re not ready for Branded, here’s where I recommend you start:
- Get familiar with your ideal client
- Lean into your personal strengths
- Make a marketing plan
Get Familiar With Your Ideal Client
Who is your ideal client? Before we can answer that, let’s define what an ideal client is. Your ideal client is the person whose problem you solve with your services.
For example, I’m Lily, a branding photographer. My signature offer is Branded: a year-long experience with 4 photoshoots that will change your business. I specifically created Branded to help women build empires with their brands. So, my ideal client is a female entrepreneur looking to scale her business. She is a go getter, driven, and isn’t afraid to set big goals + take risks. She loves what she does and understands the power of attraction. She won’t be defined by others, but values her time, wisdom, and offers. She has a definition for her business mission, but needs the tools to activate her clients and create a community. She could have a start – up, or an already established authority. She values social media and understands the importance of high quality content AND is ready to lock in her strategy for advertising.
So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to think about your best offer. Are you a photographer? Are you a social media manager? Are you a makeup artist? And then I want you to think about who you serve best with your offer. Are you a photographer for small families? Are you a social media manager specifically for wedding photographers? Are you a makeup artist for red carpet events?
Use these questions as a way to backwards-answer the main question: who is your ideal client?
Lean Into Your Personal Strengths
I’ve learned the hard way with this one. Back in the old days when I barely had a brand together, Lily Notz was a minimal, neutral brand. We had our whites and our tans because I thought “neutral” meant professional. I was convinced that I needed to look how everyone expected me to look in order to see a conversion. But that wasn’t the real me.
The real me loves being bright, bold, daring, exciting, and my heart CRAVES colors.
The funny thing is, my brand finally exploded when I decided to design my brand around the real me.
So I want you to try something fun. Grab a piece of paper and a pen, or pull out your notes app, and answer this question for me:
How would your besties describe the real you?
Are you sassy and fun? Down to earth and thoughtful? Perhaps you’re the mom friend, or the party friend, or somewhere in the middle?
So what did you write down? Your answer to this question is super important, because this is the starting place for your brand identity. Your answer allows you to see what strengths you carry.
If you’re the mom friend, your strength may be bringing a nurturing, compassionate tone to your brand. If you’re the party friend, you might bring a wistful, energized tone to your brand. Get the picture? Use your personality as an asset to strengthen the relationship between you and your audience.
Make a Marketing Plan
So maybe you’re thinking, “Yeah Lily, I already have those first two things down but I’m still not making sales!” I hear you, sis. And here’s the thing. If you understand your brand identity but you’re not seeing those dollar conversions, then it’s time to evaluate your marketing plan.
A marketing plan is NOT saying “Let’s make a post on Instagram today and hopefully we’ll get a client.” Nope. That’s not going to work. How do I know? Because that used to be MY plan.
I used to hit post with random photos and half-baked captions, hoping that a client would magically appear. I was sorely disappointed time and time again. Things didn’t turn around until I started looking at my content as the ingredients for selling my offer. I needed the right ingredients to make my offers sweet enough to sell. And my secret ingredient? A booty-kicking marketing plan. A chef doesn’t reveal her most-secret ingredient, but for you, I’ll allow a little taste:
- I look at my content on a quarterly schedule
- I accumulate the photos I need to fulfill (not FILL) my schedule
- I serve up the best content my brand could ever deliver!
If you’re clutching the screen saying “YES LILY, I need this,” then we need to chat. Like actually chat, in person, with coffee, with my camera, and with a mini shoot.
So maybe you’re not a completely-established brand that’s ready for Branded (yet!), but you’re still going to need the right kind of content. In fact, you’ll NEVER be ready for Branded without the right kind of content!
That’s exactly why I offer mini shoots.
Mini shoots are sessions with a low investment cost and a high return of value.
They allow you to introduce the personality behind your business so you can grow that knowing, liking, and trusting with your audience.
They give you the chance to treat your business like a business by planning an important event in advance.
They serve you the photos you need to purposefully fulfill your schedule.
They deliver the BEST content possible that will allow you to announce to the world, “Here I am, and I am a brand owner!”
It would be a dream come true to be with you from the very beginning, to help you establish your brand presence; to help you start your branding journey strong.
So here’s what you should do!
- Send me an email or a DM on Instagram
- Say, “Hey Lily, I’m ready for a branding mini session!”
- And I’ll reach out to you with my availability and important information!
Are you ready to do this, girlfriend? Say yes, and instantly you transform yourself into a branding QUEEN! I’ll be waiting for you!
