Art of Marketing You- First Impressions Part II

 SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

I know you all ran out and got a new haircut, changed your closet, and started working out, right?  Maybe you just got the personal SWOT done on your personal appearance?  That’s a great start.  If not, I encourage you to reread that post and take 15 minutes to try the SWOT exercise.  After a closer inspection of the first impression you give of your brand, I’m sure there were some ah-ha moments, right?

Now that we’ve pondered a little about our personal appearance, how many of you began to think about the first impression your site (web, etsy, etc) or your booth gives first time viewers?  Does your website speak to your brand and it’s style?  If your work is tribal, does your website have that flavor?  Do the colors repeat and are memorable?  Do you have a logo or type font that belongs to your style?  Does it ALL promote your story?  You want everything to be about the story of your brand.

Seth Godin defines a brand like this:

“A brand is a set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.  If the consumer doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.”

First impressions are also important with your booth display.  If you sell recycled or upcycled work are you using commercial jewelry displays, polyester table cloths, and plastic baggies?  Or do you have displays made from rubber, paper mache, table covers made of natural materials, and bags made from interesting and clever recycled or natural materials.  

Do you begin your impression with your story and end it with your story (packaging)?  When they get home from the show you want your packaging to remind them of your business, for them to keep it around, to have that repeat recognition.  Did you include a care card with each purchase so they keep in in their jewelry case to remind them how to clean and care for it, but also to remind them of you and your brand.  

Yes, impressions also include the papers, flyers, cards, and materials you include with each purchase.  How does your message or story come thru with your promotional materials.  Not just with what they say but with the texture, the material, the color, the type font.

Remember that anytime you involve the 5 senses you create a memorable experience.  Of course, those senses are tied to your story of your brand.

Now what are you waiting for?  Divide that piece of paper into four columns.  Take a good look at yourself, your picture of your past booth or at your website/etsy site.  Evaluate all of it as an outsider would.  Nit pick, find that thing that irritates you and ask yourself what kind of message it is sending.  I’m sure you’ll find at least one or two ah-ha’s.  It isn’t about what you are doing wrong, but about what you could do better.   

24/7 You are a business of one!