Today’s consumers are highly motivated to find companies that align with their personal values and ethics, creating a wonderful opportunity for businesses to attract like-minded clients. However, it’s essential to remain humble and sincere while showcasing your brand’s integrity. Here are some strategies to conveying your brand’s integrity without bragging or seeming too preachy.
Crafting a Sincere Brand
When prospects are deliberating whether to use your service, they’ll usually scour your website to craft a first impression. Communicating a clear and concise brand that includes your target market and your area of specialization is an important first step in the articulation of your brand. From there, you will want to include your brand message to give prospects a clear sense not only of who you are, who you serve and also what you are committed to for them overall. To make these future clients get a clear sense of your values, it is essential to express why you are focused on this group, why you are an excellent fit to serve this clientele and how your background, education and experience sets you up to be a natural fit for this focus. This complete message sets you apart from the competition and helps your clients to determine whether you’re the best fit for their ongoing needs. You want to stand out from the crowd and setting the groundwork to support clients at specific life stages will support your brand messaging. This is a great time to incorporate your “why” and explain what motivates you to work hard for your clients every day. How did you first get into your field? What most excites you about your work? What are your plans for the future? Answer these questions in a compelling narrative to create an immediate connection with your prospects.
Show, Don’t Tell
The easiest way to convey your brand’s integrity is to ensure it seeps into every
interaction you have with the public. If you’re constantly highlighting your excellent customer service, ensure that prospects aren’t spending a lot of time on hold when they dial in. Remind your team to maintain a friendly and welcoming tone throughout their interactions with the public, even if it’s just someone who only stopped in for directions. You may even want to enlist the help of friends and family to pose as new clients and report their first impressions when interacting with anyone in your office. Conducting these quality checks will help you catch any potential issues early and ensure you’re putting your best foot forward!
Highlight Your Volunteer Work
One of the best ways to grow your presence in the community is to volunteer for causes you support. Having a company presence at major charity events that are in alignment with your brand allows you to network while giving back to the community. To create the greatest impact for your marketing, choose an organization that speaks to your values and your clients’ priorities, allowing you to integrate your knowledge and passion to create a better world. For example, I am at the Financial Planning Association Day On The Hill event in Washington DC, which allows me to meet likeminded people while supporting legislation that will improve the lives of families across the United States. To maximize your influence, you should post pictures of these events on your website and social media pages. Becoming a donor for charity events that you are aligned with is another way to put your marketing budget to good use, as you will often get a company logo in the event fliers and social media posts.Related:
How Advisors Can Keep Their Motivation Going Long Term Be Consistent
As consumers go out of their way to support ethical companies, they will also do preliminary research to ensure their brand statement isn’t just lip service. I recently stumbled across a company that touted their commitment to diversity throughout the site but had a C-Suite team comprised completely of white males. Take the time to think through your company’s day to day conduct and ensure you’re committed to those core values.As consumers become more socially-conscious,
it’s more important than ever to highlight your brand’s integrity. Taking the time to craft a brand statement, portray a friendly demeanor at all times, and highlight your commitment to the community will help you attract like-minded prospects.
