I’m not going to make you read all the way to the bottom is to see what this blog is all about.
So here is my big win for you this year:
The number one marketing tip for you this year is to tell your story!
Clients, consumers, customers, followers, fans, and so on are all the names we have for these people who we interact with as photographers. They are the reason our business is alive. But, they won’t keep giving us their valuable time if we don’t share something unique with them. What makes us most unique?
Us!
And our personal stories!
The community online wants to connect with stories, especially ones that make you vulnerable. The connections come from sharing things from your life, such as your successes, your best life tips and practices, your struggles, your thoughts, your fears, and so on.
People are wanting these different stories to be told to them. They want to feel a sense of value and purpose when they interact with content online. They want to be inspired by what and who they associate with. They want to find people to engage with.
They want to be shown what it means to truly LIVE and to BE ALIVE.
We each have a unique story to tell the world. This year, you need to find a way to weave your personal story into all you do for your business. You need to find a way to weave that into your branding. You need to find a way to tell it on all of your social media accounts you’re on.
I go into more depth about this personal branding stuff in my free 10 week marketing challenge. You can sign up for my emails there if you’d like to dig even deeper!
5 Tips to Create Your Own Personal Story & Brand
Here’s how I suggest telling your story (the one that is true and unique only for you)!
1. Write down answers to these 10 questions.
- What are three things that make you unique as a person?
- What are your favorite things to do in your free time?
- What is the hardest thing you’ve done in life? How has it built you into who you are today?
- If you could do one thing for a living and not worry about making money, what would that be?
- Who is your biggest inspiration and why? How do they inspire you?
- What keeps you motivated and driven?
- How did you decide to start?
- What is your favorite part about owning your own business?
- How did you build your business?
- What is the best piece of wisdom you have gained so far in life?
2. Compile these answers into a full story about you and your business.
You can do this by using ChatGPT if you’re struggling! You want to compile your answers to those questions above into your story. Do it in paragraphs and then break that down into small sentences and then into small power phrases. Then, finish off by writing strong brand words from those sentences. Then, you can have a bunch of ammo when creating content for your brand (social media, blogs, emails, print, ads, you name it!).
Here’s my example!
I’m Anna Loader, a photographer driven by passion and dedicated to capturing life’s magical moments. The decision to start my own business stemmed from a deep love for storytelling through photography. Owning my small business allows me the freedom to bring my creative vision to life and connect with clients on a personal level, which is my favorite part of this journey. Building my business was a journey rooted in authenticity and dedicating myself to learning best practices in my trade. I believe in the power of genuine connections and prioritize building relationships with my clients before and during our shoots. I value being organized and informing my clients well before their photoshoots so they’re prepared for our time together. One of the most valuable pieces of wisdom I’ve gained in life is to stay true to myself and my values, both personally and professionally. By remaining authentic and focused on my passion for storytelling, I’ve been able to cultivate a thriving business that continues to inspire and uplift others.
Now, broken into smaller sentences.
I’m a photographer driven by passion and capturing life’s magical moments.
I run a photography business for my deep love of storytelling.
I feel connected to authenticity and dedicating myself to learning best practices.
I believe in genuine connections and building relationships with my clients before and during our shoots.
I cultivate a thriving business that continues to inspire and uplift others by staying authentic and continually storytelling through my photos.
Now, broken into small power phrases.
I’m passionate and love capturing magical moments.
I have a deep love of storytelling.
I’m connected through authenticity.
I believe in genuice connections.
I thrive by inspiring and uplifting others.
I strive to storytell in my photography.
Now, my brand words.
Passionate.
Magical moments.
Connected/connections.
Authenticity.
Genuine.
Inspiring and uplifting.
Storytelling.
3. Create short sentences about different parts of your story that you can share on social media accounts at different times (rather than all at once).
This is the essence of your brand—your story.
Your brand story is more than just a narrative; it’s the heartbeat of your business, encapsulating your values, mission, and what sets you apart from the competition. Crafting a compelling brand story is about authenticity, connecting with your audience on a deeper level, and building trust.
4. Share this story everywhere!
Once your story is polished and ready to shine, it’s time to share it across the relevant social media channels (or the ones you’re comfortable with!).
From Instagram to TikTok, Twitter to LinkedIn, each platform offers a unique opportunity to showcase your brand story in a way that resonates with your audience.
By leveraging engaging visuals, captivating captions, and strategic hashtags, you can amplify your brand’s message and foster meaningful connections with your community.
5. Develop & refresh your story every six months or once a year!
There you go! These tips will craft your brand and your business into an engaging tale because it is something your people will relate to. They will be inspired by your personal story and want to keep following your journey.
I go into more depth about this personal branding stuff in my free 10 week marketing challenge. You can sign up for my emails here if you’d like to dig even deeper!
