Today’s consumers are particular about where they spend their hard-earned dollars.
Thanks to our current economy and the pandemic, consumer behavior has shifted, and people value their time and money differently. Clients no longer want to spend hours at the salon or settle when it comes to seeing a stylist.
They want the best value of their time/money, or they’re not interested…and some clients are leaving their stylists over it.
The best way to show clients that you are the best value is to streamline one thing: your brand message.
Let’s dig into what it means to have a streamlined brand message on Instagram as a stylist or salon owner!
Wait, what’s a brand message?
Is a brand message a slogan? A tagline? An Instagram handle?
Glad you asked!
According to Hubspot, “brand messaging is the way your brand communicates its unique value proposition and personality through verbal and nonverbal messaging.”
This message can inspire and motivate them (a.k.a., make them want to buy your product). It’s how consumers have a relationship with your brand… And friends, we’re in the relationship industry.
In other words, it’s not what you do. It’s how you do it.
With a brand message, you’ll look more appealing, making clients feel like they get more for their money and time.
Define Your Brand Positioning
Ready to dive into creating your brand message? First, let’s define your brand messaging. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your value proposition?
- What do you bring that nobody else does?
While answering, remember that the following no longer resonates with today’s consumers:
- I’m a great listener
- I’m trustworthy
- I’m kind/caring
- I’m professional
- I’m talented/experience
- I’m educated
While these things are important, they can be said about 99% of the professionals in our industry. Instead, consider what makes you unique. Think about your X factors and Zone of Genius (not sure what these are? Check out Thriving Stylist Method!). Hone in on what you do that nobody else does.
Give yourself time to work through these questions. Dig deep, get outside your comfort zone. That’s where the good stuff is.
Complete a competitor analysis
Once you uncover your brand positioning, it’s time to figure out what you’re doing that your competitors aren’t.
Again, go deeper here than the surface level. Great head and neck massages are nice, but chances are, there’s at least one other stylist in your town doing the same.
Review your competition. Look at their websites, their services, their social media. Then look at your own online presence and offerings. Where are the gaps that you could fill?
Develop your unique brand voice
Brand voice is how you deliver your brand message. It is the unique personality that your brand presents to the world. It would ideally attract your dream clients and repel those who do not align with your business.
Your brand voice must be consistent through all communication, including social media, website, blog posts, emails, and ads. No matter who handles which communication channels, that brand voice must not change.
A good way to keep your brand voice consistent, especially when you have other people using your brand voice, is to make a brand voice guide. This can be a simple document or a Google Sheet that lists:
- Things your brand voice says
- Words/phrases it doesn’t
- How you address your audience (“Hey,” “Hello,” “What’s up”)
- How you close out communications (for example, the Thrivers Team writes “XOXO, The Thrivers Team”)
You can add more or less, depending on how much detail you want included on your brand voice guide. And remember, this is a document that grows with your business, so don’t worry if it isn’t complete yet.
Decide what to include and exclude
Developing your brand message also means defining what parts of your life you want to add.
Let’s use Britt as an example. She is a mom and wife, and has talked about being both on the podcast. But if you look at her Instagram grid, she doesn’t show pictures of her husband or kids often. They’re important to her but, since she doesn’t teach how to make easy school lunches, they’re not a part of her unique value proposition.
Could she show her family to be authentic and vulnerable? Sure, but it has nothing to do with the brand message.
Not showing these things doesn’t mean you’re being inauthentic. It means showing the pieces of your life that are most critical to the consumers you’re trying to attract.
But there is such a thing as overexposure. Don’t be so transparent that you’re almost naked. That level of authenticity also doesn’t support your brand message.
The key is to show who you are but also that you’re the unique value proposition that your dream clients want to see. Ask yourself what do your clients need to see to know your competence and the value you provide.
Your brand infusion plan
Ready to put all the pieces together? Ask yourself these questions to get started:
- How will you use visuals to get this good work across?
- What messaging will you need to share?
- What vibe do you want clients to get when they see you?
- What values do you want to show?
Use all the work you’ve done in the previous steps to answer these questions to create your brand infusion plan!
Take your time to think your brand message and all its pieces through. Make sure you’re being consistent, authentic, and YOU.
Need help building your brand message or any other brand elements? Click here to learn more about how Thriving Stylist Method can help!
