Ever since I launched my business 12 years ago, I have always had the age-old question from clients “Our competitors are doing this… Does that mean we should be doing it too?”
My instinctive answer is always NO! Why? Because your marketing and strategies should be built around YOUR business ethos, your team, the clients and the culture you’re wanting to cultivate for everyone who has an experience with your brand.
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than replicating the idea of someone else, for the sake of FOMO. This doesn’t mean you stand still and never evolve, if there are new platforms to play with, jump in! If there are new content concepts to explore, then make them your own. But replicating or for lack of a better word “copying” is really uncool.
The reason I am asked this question so frequently… “Should we be doing that too”, is because brands don’t really understand their own core values and brand principles. If you take the time to consider or perhaps even reconsider what your brand represents and what you want people to experience, your answers become clearer and your path to create that brand experience unfolds.
For example, think of how your brand values reflect in varying aspects of your business:
1. Client Facing: How do you want clients to describe your brand to others? 2. Salon Culture: What do you want your team to say about the culture you have curated in the workplace? 3. Brand Values: What are the most important business messages for both staff and clients? Is it sustainability, is it the internal workspace and environment, is it education?
Years ago, I heard the quote “Comparison is the thief of joy”. It has always stuck with me. Every time I have felt disappointed, disillusioned or unmotivated Its because I have created a comparison it has led to a place of emotional fatigue. When the narrative becomes about what you DON’T have you move away from all the amazing things that you DO have.
My friend Mia De Vries said to me a few years ago, “I just stay in my own lane” and I thought, YEP! That’s what I need to do. Just focus on me, my business and what’s important. What my competitors do and what my client’s competitors do isn’t on my radar. It’s not that I am ignoring what’s going on around me, but rather I’m sticking to a formula I’ve developed for each business that is completely bespoke and curated based on THEIR needs.
If your marketing and social media are getting left behind, the answer isn’t to look to your neighbours and replicate what they’re doing. The better strategic angle is to redefine your needs, wants and culture and make changes and amendments to what you do based on that. branding questions we have created in the Brand Considerations Workbook, just scan the QR and download the eBook.