This is not Brand Marketing Advice.

I am not a Brand Marketer.

This is not Brand Marketing Advice.

I am not a Brand Marketer.

But…..

I can tell you as someone who makes their living helping start-ups scale, one of the most common mistakes startups make is neglecting to lay the groundwork for their brand before trying to scale.

Every start-up I meet with wants to scale and grow fast. The problem is many of them try to do it before they establish a strong foundation for their brand.

In the early days, it's tempting to focus on tactical marketing efforts such as launching ads on Linkedin or developing catchy copy. However, without a clear understanding of your company's purpose and product positioning, you won’t see the results.

Tons of failed campaigns, missed opportunities and an eventual realization that you need to get the foundation of their brand locked in before you can truly grow fast.

So what do we mean when we say brand?

In the early days of any company, building a strong brand goes beyond visual elements like logos and colors. In fact I would argue those might be the least important components of you brand at that stage.

The biggest thing you need to nail early on is you messaging and positioning, AKA - how you talk about the product.

Why are you here, and why should people care?

Many founders struggle to define their company's purpose in a clear and compelling way. They try and mirror the leading companies in their space. They end up with a collection of catchphrases that lack meaning and fail to inspire action.

Here are the 2 rules I follow to avoid that:

1) Define your target audience, how you are different from the competition and why they should care?

You should be able to paint a detailed picture of who your ideal customer is. This isn't just demographics either; it's about understanding their behaviors, needs, and pain points.

Think about their daily challenges, what solutions they currently use, and what might make them switch to your product - what can you offer that others can't? This could be innovation in product features, customer service excellence, pricing models, or even your brand story.

People don't just buy products; they buy into the problems they solve.

Your messaging should articulate not just what your product does, but why it matters. This involves connecting your differentiators to the real-life benefits for your target audience. How does your product improve their life or work?

Use storytelling to make this connection, showcase real scenarios or customer stories where your product made a difference.

2) Prioritize Clarity over Clever.

When crafting your messaging, it's essential to strike a balance between emotional and functional benefits. While it's tempting to focus on emotional appeals, especially when you're passionate about your product, early-stage startups should prioritize clearly communicating their functional benefits.

You are not the established player. No one knows what you do, so tell them.

If I can’t tell from your homepage what exactly it is your product does, no amount of growth tactics will save you.

A good framework to lean on is the Feature-Benefit-Feeling Framework: For each feature (what it is), clearly articulate the benefit (what it does) and then link it to a feeling (how it makes the customer feel). This framework helps ensure that your messaging captures both the logical and emotional appeal of your product

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So before you try and hit the accelerator on growth, make sure your brand's foundation is rock solid. Without it, you're likely to find yourself spinning your wheels.