At some point in life, many people experience a struggle to be confident in who they are and the direction they are headed. Who hasn’t wondered if they were doing the right things and putting the right message out into the world? Having a wise and compassionate counselor or friend can help with navigating through the process of figuring it all out.
It’s also common for businesses to go through an identity crisis. Perhaps you entered with one plan, but you’ve had to evolve as the market for your product or service changed. Or perhaps your dream was broad and it was necessary to refine your product or service into something more manageable. So many things can bring about the need to pivot: rapid growth, changes in the economy, a change in staffing or location, a global pandemic…the list goes on. With every pivot comes an evaluation of the business’s identity, and with every modification to the identity, new marketing needs come into play.
A company that pursues marketing efforts without a well-defined identity will face problems. It’s much like building a beautiful house on no foundation. It may look nice, even amazing for a while, but it won’t stand for long.
Discover and define your foundation.
No matter what changes around us, there are things that remain the same: our personalities, core values, and most important goals. Let’s begin by answering a few important questions:
- What are your core values?
- What is most important to you?
- How do your most loyal customers/clients describe you?
- What are your three biggest long-term goals?
Take your time. Mull it over. Write it down! Ask a trusted friend or colleague to read over your answers and provide feedback. Come back to it after a few days and revisit and revise.
The building (or remodeling) begins.
From the foundation, there is freedom to build. Though core traits and values remain stable, the expression of those traits and how we achieve those goals will change over time as we learn, grow, and encounter new obstacles and opportunities.
Where are you in this process?
If you know who you are and where you’re going, don’t tune out – in the next Marketing Therapy blog, we’re going to dive in to address common specific marketing and social media issues that you could be facing.