Welcome to another episode of the Marisa Raider show where we are going to be deep diving into the world of branding. And I'm going to share with you practical insights and proven strategies to help you create a strong and unique brand identity. I'm your host, Marisa Rader. And today we're exploring how to create a brand that truly connects with your target customer base. Get motivated and inspired to take your business to the next level with a Marissa Raider show. This podcast was created for female entrepreneurs who want to manage the juggling act of successfully running a business and raising a family, hosted by mom, wife Ceo and breakthrough coach Marissa Rader. The show features topics such as effortless goal setting, forming successful habits, reducing stress levels, starting your own business and more. Take your business to new heights with Marissa's expertise on how to be an empowered woman in charge of her career. By understanding how both sides can be equally important.

You will learn how to make amazing things happen while also balancing home life. It is absolutely possible. Listen, now, as Marissa helps give you the insight and guidance that you need to reach all your goals. Check out our website at www dot Marissa Raider dot com or follow along on Instagram at Marissa Raider coaching for tips, tricks and motivation to unlock the secrets of success in all aspects of your life. Hey, hey, welcome back. I am so glad you're here today. I want to talk about creating a powerful and unique brand identity because it is crucial for any business, a strong brand, not only sets you apart from your competitors, but also helps you establish trust and credibility with your target audience. And in this episode, I'm going to guide you through the process of discovering your target customers, understanding their key values and crafting a brand strategy that resonates with them. And to top it off. Later on this month, I am going to be bringing in a brand photographer who's going to dive even deeper into this topic.

So stick with me on this episode and then come back for more at the end of the month when my friend Maddie comes on because we are going to make you experts at your own brand by the end of the month. So let's get started. The first thing that you need to do is to really discover your target customers and their key values. I talk about knowing your core values or key values all the time, but it's also so important for you to know your customers. So the first step in creating a brand that connects with your target audience is to identify who they are, what they like and what they value. Start by doing some market research and analyzing your existing customer base. Look for common demographics, interests and their pain points. Once you have a clear understanding of your target customer, you can begin to craft a brand message that speaks to their needs and their desires because we've all heard that saying when you market to everyone, you really are marketing to no one.

And this is going to keep you from doing that. And let me tell you at the beginning of my business, I spent way too much of my time in that space and the further I niche down and got to know my exact target customer, the faster my business grew. So let's talk about an example here, Apple has built a brand that appeals to customers all over the world. But what do those customers have in common? They value innovation, simplicity, design and by understanding that and that that's their priorities. Apple has been able to create products and marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with their consumers. Have you ever met somebody that runs only on Apple products? And you suggest that maybe they should switch to an uh a Samsung or a different brand. They look at you like you are absolutely crazy. And I would too, I run on all Apple products.

I have a pro um ipad Pro. I have my phone and I have my Macbook Pro and that's because they all communicate and talk with each other and it makes my life simpler and I can get work done faster and be more productive. And that's what I'm looking for. So, has Apple won me over? Absolutely. They have for my customers. When I look at my product based business, my brand says it right in the title. It's the inspiration Haven. I target to women who are looking to either create positivity in their life or share positivity with others that want to use their daily products to inspire them and are generous because a lot of my items are things that you can gift to other people. And so I know that those are core values that my customer base has and that's what I market to. The next step is crafting a brand message and a visual identity, your brand message and your visual identity should reflect the core values of your target audience.

So consider the tone of voice, the imagery, the colors, the typography, the fonts that will best represent these values. So for example, a company targeting ecoconscious consumers might use a natural color palette, organic shapes and a friendly tone of voice in their message, Tesla, for instance, has successfully created a brand that embodies innovation, sustainability and luxury. Their sleek minimalist design and focus on clean energy have made them a top choice for environmentally conscious consumers who also value high performance vehicles. Let's dive into a more realistic business as we're talking about small business examples here. Let's dive into how I developed my color palette and my fonts. I am my own target customer. I was looking for these products. So when I wanted to create a product based business, I thought to myself, what kind of businesses or small businesses do I like to purchase from?

I like ones that use soft colors, earthy tones. I like clean, clear fonts, but I also like a little bit of fancy. I'm kind of a font snob. So I do like a little bit of script in there. And for me that imagery when people walk into my booth at a market or into a space that sells my products, I want them to get that feeling of peace and calm. And a lot of times women have chaos in their lives and when they're trying to build in positivity and they're trying to build in intention, they need that calming factor in their lives. And I want that feeling to be portrayed when they see my brand, when they see my social media post, when they see the type of content that I'm producing, I want them to see that it's aesthetically pleasing and just brings that calm to them. The next step is that you need to choose the right marketing channels and messaging.

Once you have a clear brand message and visual identity, it's time to select the marketing channels that will best reach your target audience, consider where your audience spends their time, whether it's on social media, blogs, podcasts or other platforms, then craft your messaging to speak to their values and their needs. So for example, Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and gear company. They've built a strong brand by focusing on environmental activism and sustainability. They've leveraged content, marketing, social media and partnerships with like-minded organizations to share their mission and connect with their target audience. So for me, in my business, what does this look like as a little bit more down to earth example, where does my target audience spend their time? They're starting to move away from Facebook because it's not the most productive place for them to hang out. They aren't really into the whole tiktok thing, but Instagram seems to be a pretty awesome place for them to be.

They're getting to pick and choose the type of content they consume. They're getting that mix of being inspired along with learning things for personal development, but still getting that entertainment factor in there. So for me, most of my time is spent on marketing on Instagram because that's where my clients hang out. The other place that I really have started to spend time on my podcasting my youtube channels because that's where people want real information to come from when they're looking for real answers to their problems in their business. Those are the type of channels that they're going to. So would you want to start a podcast if you're product based business who is target market? Is tiktok? Probably not. It's gonna be really hard to get your tiktoker to go over to a podcast knowing your audience and where they hang out is key when it comes to developing your marketing channels and your messaging.

The next thing that we need to talk about when you're building your brand reputation is using community management and customer service. Your brand reputation is critical in establishing trust and loyalty with your target audience. Engage with your customers through social media, online forums and community events. So those markets that you're in and those different shops you're in engage with your customers, build that reputation of having the customer service that's going to bring them coming back to you. If you prioritize excellent customer service and be transparent about your company's values and practices, it's really going to help boost your brand's reputation. Companies like Zappos and Warby Parker have built strong brand reputations by providing exceptional customer service and fostering a sense of community among their customers. This approach has helped them create loyal customer bases that continue to advocate for their brands and that's what we want for you and your brand, whether you're marketing a service or you're marketing a physical product.

I recently had a mishap in my physical product business. I had the wrong label on the wrong box. So two separate customers got the wrong product. The one reached out and said, I think that I got the wrong gift sent to my business partner. And I immediately apologized. I did not make any excuses for why it happened. I simply said I am so sorry, I'm gonna make that up to you. I will get the correct item sent out tomorrow morning right away. And if you want to go into my shop and pick a couple of extra stickers to go in there for your business partner, I would love to include those as well. Along with an accessory that matches your gift that you've given, she came back and messaged me and said, I absolutely love your stickers. You have gone above and beyond and I will make sure that I come back to buy more gifts for my other employees.

It was that simple. Yes, it cost me extra to ship it, but I needed to do that anyway. So total right there. That cost me about $12 total to resend that gift to her employee or her business partner that she was sending it to $12. Did it cost me that? Yeah. But if she appreciates my customer service so much that she's going to come back and continue to buy the gifts that she needs from my store, that's priceless right there. It will pay for itself hands down in no time at all. It was totally worth building that reputation with her because guess what, not only is she continuing to purchase from me, but she's continuing to give my products to other people. And that means that it's getting into more hands and when they need a gift, guess what they're going to do, they're gonna come back and they're gonna buy for me also.

That's the hope. But that wouldn't have happened if I would have just said, oh, you know what? I was in a hurry that day. Um I just couldn't, I'm sorry, you know, let me send the new cup out and all she heard was an excuse and that she's finally getting the gift she wanted to give only even later than she had originally wanted. It. Being able to stand by my brand and offer exceptional customer service is the only way to go. And the last thing that I wanna talk about today is ongoing brand monitoring and refinement. It's essential to continuously monitor and refine your brand to ensure it stays relevant and resonates with your target audience regularly gather feedback from your customers and analyze market trends to identify areas for improvement. Because the last thing that you want to do is to keep doing the same thing over and over again.

Once it quits working, we've all seen trends come and go and some last a lot longer than others. But a lot of times small businesses don't know when to pivot and don't know when to expand into new markets. And that keeps them stuck. And eventually they just think. Well, I'm done. My business is done. People are no longer buying what I'm offering. So you need to refine your brand and ensure that you stay relevant because the key here is to continue to resonate with your target audience. So, creating a brand that connects with your target consumer base is a multi fast process. It requires a deep understanding of your audience, a clear and compelling brand message, strategic marketing efforts and ongoing monitoring and refinement. By following these steps and learning from successful brands, you can create a brand identity that resonates with your target customers and sets you apart in the marketplace.

I want to thank you for tuning into this episode of the Mercer Raider Show. Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss future episodes and please share your thoughts and questions with us on Instagram at Marisa Rader coaching. And until next time I'm gonna be here cheering you on. Thank you for joining us for another episode of the Marisa Raider Show. Our goal here is to support and encourage female entrepreneurship along with managing the everyday chaos. Life throws our way. We strive to help women who want to take their lives and business aspirations to the next level and that takes focus, dedication and hard work to get there for more great content for Marissa. Be sure to check out her website www dot Marisa raider dot com. Or follow her on Instagram at Marissa Raider coaching. See you next time on the Marisa Raider Show.