“Before you send a lot of traffic to yourself, make sure you know exactly who your dream client is. Second, I always like to make sure you have some sort of remarkable offer. The third thing is to make sure you know what sets you apart. Before you start spending all this time and money and resource trying to get attention, make sure that when you are going to get attention on your business, there is a unique tilt that you offer.”
When founders think about marketing, they often begin to visualize their websites and social media pages. Still, it is equally important to think about who you are, who you want to be, and how you will show up for customers once they find you.
In July, our Startup Women Podcast host Kayla Isabelle sat down with Meaghan and Marie Wright, co-founders of Mirror Image Media and Marketing Coach Kelsey Reidl.
How does knowing who you are help you attract dream clients and customers?
Kelsey Reidl: When you define your core values, you end up attracting clients that have the same core values. And that’s when you’re working with Dream clients, right? So the more you can share what those values are and not be afraid to make them public and have them shine through in all you do, you end up looking at your clients going, oh my gosh, we all share a similar set of values. And that’s because I established them and wasn’t afraid to showcase them.
Meaghan and Marie Wright: We are queer twin sisters, this industry is completely dominated by white cis men, especially in Nova Scotia. We want to make an impact. Being women and being queer and making documentaries about social-environmental impact stuff is what fuels us and we were so afraid in the beginning. But it’s ironic because here we are doing this and now we are known for this thing. And when organizations need videos and commercials and documentaries, they think about us because it is what we have been promoting.
Can you be too narrow or too niche? How do you know if you are?
Kelsey Reidl: You will know if you’re too narrow because you won’t be attracting clients, or maybe you’re just not connecting with anybody. But usually, it’s not that you are too narrow, it’s that you are using the wrong words. Sometimes we put our marketing into words when we should be thinking, what would this client be complaining about if they were out for a beer with their best friend?
How do you find a balance between your personal brand and your business brand? Are they the same thing?
Marie Wright: There is a choice whether you want your brand to be at the forefront. I think it’s pretty common with most smaller businesses, because like you are where the brand starts. We post a lot of behind-the-scenes content and when we look at the analytics on Instagram and Facebook of what is getting the most traction, it is always the photos of the two of us, of us holding cameras or equipment.
Want to continue learning from Kelsey, Meaghan, and Marie? Listen to the full episode to learn about authentic storytelling and its longstanding roots in the world of marketing.