Photo by Dragon Studio
I hear this ALL the time. “There’s so many photographers…”, “there’s so many wedding planners…”, “there’s so many options…”.
Good. That’s my answer. Good. I’m glad that there are options. Here’s what you have to figure out: how do you set yourself apart? How do you show your client why they should hire you over the competition? What are you putting out there to make sure that you stand out above the rest? What are you doing that’s different? No one will ever care as much about your business as you – and your clients and fellow vendors need to feel that, because that should reflect in how you treat them.
There are misconceptions out there about the point of branding. Branding is who you are, your identity in your industry, the information that you put out to your client. What’s more important is your client experience – giving a consistent product, providing fantastic customer service, and continuing to be an expert in your field. Don’t conform to what everyone else is doing – find ways to continue to be better. Branding is a great buzzword, but what are you taking from it? Beautiful colors and imagery? Or are you taking it a step further and really pushing the envelope?
Guess what? There are so many options for social media companies. Know what I’ve got that they don’t? Me. I’m what sets myself apart from my competitors. Be confident in yourself and your clients will feel confidence in you. Vendors will refer you because they can pick you out of a crowd. Be real. Care to build real relationships with other vendors, with clients and potential clients. If the industry is really oversaturated, those genuine relationships will transcend that.
I agree branding is so essential to having a successful business.
Thanks so much!
This is great, thanks for sharing!
Thank you Samantha!
You raise a good point here: branding is important to any business, and for small businesses and solopreneurs, “YOU” often *are* the brand! Having confidence in yourself and the uniqueness that you bring to your work can really help you define your brand.
Exactly! Even for larger businesses – your values, what you stand for, what you put out to the world – YOU are your brand, your identity!
Great post! Now to share this with all my friends that think a Logo = Brand lol.
Oh, that’s a problem amongst a lot of businesses. Logos set the tone – you make the brand 🙂
Yes! Actually a saturated market is such a great indication that your services are actually needed.
An awesome point – people wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t necessary!
Couldn’t agree more, Misty! Clients love options, and if we didn’t have competition, how could our services stand out? Who would our prospective clients compare us to? Great post!
Such a good point! I love that you think that way, Shawn!
Not everyone is your competition either. In a world full of caterers, only a few actually compete with me and let me tell you – it’s because they are amazing, just like us. But our voice is different than theirs, and theirs is different than ours. Put yourself out there, and always be true to who you are. Don’t compromise that either for a client that doesn’t belong to you. If they should go with XYZ Caterer, send them that way and smile. Your perfect clients are out there and when you know exactly who you are, those perfect clients of yours will always find you anyway – like magic! <3