4 ways "Community" can build your business

"We don't have to do it alone...we were never meant to"-Brene' Brown.

Running a small business is...hard af.

Budgets are tight, and there's always the "Unexpected" (read dumpster fire) to make things even more challenging.

So even the thought of a marketing strategy can make a #founder break out in hives.

But what if it wasn't so hard?

What if your "help" was closer than you think?

Let's discuss the power of a "Community".

Oftentimes, the hardest period in a business is at startup. Nobody knows you, and even if they did, it takes a while before they're convinced enough to try your good or service. This is where building a "community" comes in - persons who already know. like and trust you - and who'll encourage other like-minded souls to do the same.

But where will you find them?

And how will you recognize them as "Allies"?

Here's five "ways" to get you started:

Way #1 : Start a Blog.

You know so much more about your business and your industry than you're currently sharing on your "Socials" (of course you do!!). But with 150 characters on Twitter, or a TikTok dance or voiceover, your "ideal client" may never have the opportunity to find out.

You're a makeup artist? write a blog about:

• Why it's important to keep your tools clean;

• The Pros and Cons of brushes vs, sponges for flawless coverage;

• How to create the perfect winged eyeliner:

• Makeup hacks you wished you'd known.

Even if you're not the "best" writer, There's lots of how-to's out there-so get started!

Way #2 : Be authentically you.

People love to root for the "underdog". The little engine that "could".

Want to create a "Community" around your brand?-Humanize it! Go ahead and share YOUR "superhuman story". You know you've got one.

When you're creating content, when you're showing up on any of the platforms your target customers are hanging out; turn up as you-or as close as possible.

Move from "selling" to "serving".

Some areas that will create interest includes:

• Challenges you faced at start-up; and what you've learned.

• Your values-and how they've helped you to build a business around them.

• A typical day in the life of an entrepreneur;

• Your pet peeves/your secret crush/the one thing you can't live without.

Share a little of yourself-and watch them share right back!

Way #3 : Choose Quality over Quantity:

Content creation is the "Bread and Butter" of any small business owner's marketing efforts.

But it ain't easy- especially with so many different platforms competing for the same customer.

And let's face it- Even C-Suite wants a piece of the action-and they have the "deep pockets" to take a sizeable slice of the pie.

So how do you survive?-You survive (and thrive) by creating "quality content".

That means you'll:

• Post content that's interesting to your readers;

• Give them content that'll give them a laugh-or two;

• Share something they can use-make it "actionable";

• Educate them with content about changes in your industry;

• Inspire them-or at least make them feel better;

Let's face it-the "7-second attention span' is now a fact of life-and of business.

Want to stand out?

Give them a reason to care-about you, your product or service,

Way #4 : Use branding as a Community Creation Tool:

Your brand-its voice, tone, identity and personality will become one of your business's greatest assets,

Consistent and proper branding builds trust and customer support- your "community" will become evangelists for your products and services.

Your brand assets: logo, color palette, fonts, graphics, and imagery all help support the relationship you're building with your customers-and more importantly, how you're showing up in the world.

Want to give them "All the feels"?

Start by:

• Knowing who you're serving-who's your "Target Audience";

• Knowing what they're interested in;

• Knowing their challenges;

• Knowing what they're aspiring t0-in other words, what does "Success" look like to them?

An easy way to do this by creating an "Onliness Statement"- one that helps you define what you're offering-allowing you to establish your "Strategic Position" in the market.

A quick and dirty way to do this is shown below:

I, [profession/business niche], help [target audience] solve [problem] to achieve [benefit]

So here we are: 4 ways having a "Community" helps to build your business.

There's a few more tips I'd love to share with you-book a discovery session and let's get started!