Getting your PR and marketing right is tricky. You know it’s important, but finding the time to make things happen isn’t easy.
You need a simple recipe for success – which you can readily apply to your business – to improve results from your PR, marketing and communications activity.
But what’s the secret ingredient?
Your 'DNA'
What is your DNA?
Just like every person is unique – even identical twins – so is every business. Your DNA – or ‘secret sauce’ – is what makes you stand out and gives you your competitive advantage. It underpins all that you say and do as an organisation. It distils your culture and drives your brand message.
If you were in a lift, and you had just 20 seconds to tell someone about your business, what would you say? How would you capture their attention and emotion quickly to make them want to find out more?
Whether you’re meeting someone at an exhibition or event, posting on social media or sending an email campaign, you need to stand out. You need to cut through the noise with a compelling message.
The method for strong marketing foundations
Your DNA is the foundation for all of your PR and marketing activity. It’s built up of your vision, mission and values:
- Vision – why you do what you do. The driving force behind your business. (It’s not about making money – that’s the result. Think about why you choose to make money in this particular way, what are you trying to achieve?)
- Mission – your USP. How are you different from your competition? What is it that you’re doing better or differently. This should be sustainable. (Keep away from statements like ‘we offer the best service’, it’s not specific to you, and many of your competitors will say the same).
- Values – your code of conduct. How do you do things your way? What are the characteristics that everyone working at your business upholds? Your values also set out a clear standard of expected behaviours for your team.
Building your DNA
Your DNA is unique to your business, so there’s no set ‘formula’ to follow here. We’ve outlined some questions below that can get you thinking about your individual brand DNA:
- Think about your delighted clients - What made them so happy? Did they come back for more? What made them use your business again? How did it make you feel?
- What drives you and your team? Why do you get out of bed in the morning?
- What impact do you have on your clients? How would you like this to change in the future?
- What do you want your customer reviews or testimonials to say about your business?
Then use your thoughts to answer, the deceptively simple, questions below:
- 1. What do you do? (Your descriptor)
- 2. Why are you in business? (Your vision)
- 3. What do you do better or differently than any of your competitors? (Your mission)
- 4. How do you do things your way? (Your values)
Putting it into action
Your DNA is your guiding hand for everything you say and do as an organisation, and it underpins all of your marketing activity.
You don’t need to use your DNA word for word, you can use it to build brand messages that will inform every piece of content you prepare – whether it’s internal communications to boost team engagement or a social media post to build prospect relationships online.
Commit your DNA to heart so it’s top of mind to use in all you do, including:
- Marketing activity
- Business decisions
- Objective/goal setting
- Team appraisals.
Test your DNA
Once you’ve built your DNA – test it. Does it really make you stand out online? Will it boost your marketing activity?
If you’d value an external perspective, book your free communications review with Kinetic here:
