What is brand strategy?

There's a crucial element to that elusive success you're currently lacking online.

Missing this element is why you're here reading a snarky little article.
It's the reason you've tried everything you've seen out there and haven't had any real results.
It's the reason some win and most lose.

the crucial element you're missing is...

I was having a conversation with a social media manager who told me she was struggling to get results for her client. She knows the ins-and-outs of social platforms, is a whizz at content creation, super organized, and up-to-date on current trends and best practices. Still, she couldn't get traction.

I asked her what she's trying to accomplish.

She said, "I want to make a post go viral."

I asked, "why"?

She said, "so I can grow the account".

I asked, "why"?

She said, "so she can get her message out."

I asked, "why"?

She said, "so she can sell products."

Everybody is trying to do everything she said - nothing new there.

Then I asked her the question she wasn't prepared for:

"What's your strategy?"

Oh, yea, that element you're missing: it's strategy.

I wish I could say there's too much conversation going on around this topic, but, unfortunately there's not. The lack of focus on strategy is killing businesses faster than COVID shut downs.

The biggest problem is most people think they have one.

They already have an email strategy, a social media strategy, a content strategy...

On deeper investigation, these are rarely more than a loose collection of hand-me-down tactics cobbled together from an inordinate amount of Google searches using poor keywords.

strategy isn't tactics

First you have to make a distinction between strategy and tactics.

Let's say you're an expert getting into the digital space. What's the first thing you'd do?

I'll wait...

You'd probably pay someone to create a website or design a logo. Maybe start a Facebook page, or dare to explore TikTok. Next you'll throw out your calendar link and say, "open for business."

And no one will care. (You might know this because you might have already done this).

So you post a few quotes on your social media, share a meme or two, and redo your bio.

Nada.

Then you'll think, 'this is ridiculous, I'm an expert and everyone is listening to those influencers who've never even done this at my level.'

This is what most people do (and why they fail) when they take on the digital world: rely on tactics.

A tactic is an action you take to achieve a goal. Most people spend all their time on tactics without defining the goal and understanding what it would actually take to accomplish the goal.

This is why most fail in the digital space.

elements of a strategy

Ending the cycle of low-return tactics starts with creating a strategy. Here are 5 steps to create a meaningful strategy you can use today.

1. What do you want to be known for?

2. Break it down

3. Align your actions

4. Set a timeline

5. Stay the course

1. what do you want to be known for/as?

This is where strategy starts - it's the big purpose/vision/mission all in one.

First thing to know about this question: it's not asking what outputs you want to be known for. You shouldn't answer this question by saying, author, speaker, expert, leader, therapist.

This question asks about the transformation you provide.

Want to be known as a great author? There are thousands of great authors out there.

Instead, try being known for, "making readers experience every emotion on the spectrum" (Stephen King), or "breathe-taking beauty in brevity," (Hemingway).

The thing to remember is, what you do isn't what you do.

You're not a therapist. Maybe you help people take meaningful action toward healthier relationships.

You're not a coach. Perhaps you show people they deserve more.

I'm not a strategist. I uncover opportunities for experts to build online revenue streams.

Define what you want to be know as/for.

2. break it down

Once you have your thing, brainstorm what it will take to make that happen.

Back to our therapist example; if you want to be known for helping people take meaningful action toward healthier relationships, your strategy should revolve around action-oriented outputs.

Your social media posts should bypass theory and go right to practice.

Your newsletters should be immediately actionable.

Your DM's should send people to a next step.

How does what you want to be known for translate into every avenue of your business?

3. align your actions

Now that you see what your actions should look like, do a full audit of everything you're doing and make sure they align around what you want to be known for.

This is an opportunity for addition by subtraction. Or, as Seth Godin says, it’s time to kill your darlings.

You're probably doing way too many things already, and 80% of them (thanks Pareto) aren't helping you communicate your big idea to your audience.

Your audience should be able to parrot who you are, what you do, and why it matters to them. Every action you take needs to support and reinforce this. This Is how you become top-of-mind at buying time.

4. set a timeline

Now you're clear on what you want to be known for, you know what it will take to make that happen, and you've trimmed the fat of your outputs. Next step is to set a timeline for implementation.

The number 1 problem I see with failed strategies (besides have a poor understanding of what you're trying to accomplish), is pivoting too soon.

Strategy is a process. It doesn't work overnight.

I happen to like 1yr strategies broken down into quarters, months, weeks, and days. This keeps the strategy from becoming words splattered on paper.

5. stay the course

After creating a realistic timeline, ignore the metrics until it's over.

This is the only way to effectively measure the impact.

If you don't stick with it, it will not work. period.

next steps

If you're not seeing the success you want in the online space, I hope you're now seeing why.

If your strategy sucks (or is missing entirely) disappointment is inevitable.

Disclaimer: I'm not a huge fan of strategy for strategy's sake. I'd rather skip the tedium and just get after it - but that's tactics talking there.

Strategy is critical, but knowing HOW to implement it is the linchpin. Strategy without execution is just a waste of time.

If you're still reading, stop. Go back through the steps and start strategizing and implementing right now.

If you don’t have the time or are worried you won’t get the result you’re looking for on your own, let’s work on your strategy together.

Not getting my weekly strategy newsletter, Un-Suck Your Strategy with the best, proven strategies on the internet?

Get it here and you'll be on your way to building revenue streams by transforming your expertise into authority.