Build a customer base that loves not just your products, but your brand
Brand values are like a secret sauce that makes decision-making, communication, and behavior a piece of cake. They’re the glue that brings the company’s internal and external stakeholders together, united by a shared set of beliefs.
TLDR; why brand values are absolutely crucial:
Stand Out from the Crowd
In a sea of competitors, brands must break through the noise. Brand values become the unique DNA that sets them apart, positioning them as the shining star amidst the crowd. By defining and displaying your unique brand values, you’re setting yourself apart and giving your brand a personality that people can’t ignore.
Build Trust Like a Boss
Customers crave authenticity in their interactions with brands. By openly sharing their values, brands build a bridge of trust, letting customers know who they are, what they stand for, and what they promise. And when they know what you stand for, they’ll feel at ease and confident in doing business with you.
Cultivate Loyal Fans
Think of brand values as the seeds of customer loyalty. When your brand’s values align with your customers’ values, magic happens. Suddenly, they transform into loyal advocates who can’t stop singing your praises. They’ll recommend you left and right, stick around for the long haul, and forge a strong emotional connection with your brand.
Be Consistent, Be Unforgettable
Brand values are like the North Star that guides your brand’s messaging, tone, and behavior. A steady heartbeat, pulsating with consistency. When you’ve got crystal-clear values in place, it’s a walk in the park to maintain a consistent brand voice on every channel. And that consistency? It reinforces your brand’s identity, oozes trust, and makes customers feel right at home.
Empower Superhero Employees
Brand values aren’t just for show—they have the power to inspire and supercharge your employees. By harnessing the power of belief, they’ll rally behind your brand, motivated to deliver exceptional experiences to your customers. This results in higher employee satisfaction, off-the-charts productivity, and retention rates that skyrocket.
They’re the secret ingredient that makes your brand irresistible, draws customers like moths to a flame, and keeps your team fired up.
Embrace them, nurture them, and let them work their magic!
Now a Quick Story
My friend Shauna was building an online business as a freelance graphic designer.
She loved that she got to be there for her kids, but she was struggling to grow her client list and earn an income that would support them comfortably.
Not really having an ideal client, she took pretty much any project that came her way, and her portfolio was a mishmash of various projects with no clear theme.
After consulting with her mentor he advised her to define her personal values so she could use them as a filter to find people with shared values to work with.
Shauna decided to do the same thing for her business as well, so she sat down and explored what values her brand stood for.
The more she thought about her values and non-negotiables, the clearer she became on who she was excited to serve and how she could best help this target audience.
She began looking exclusively to work with these types of clients and turned down projects that weren’t a good fit for her.
In six short months, Shauna turned her struggling business around.
She had a portfolio filled with exactly the type of projects she wanted to work on, and she was beginning to gain a solid reputation within her online community.
At first glance, getting clear on your core values may not sound like it’s that important.
In fact, you may have it tucked away on a to-do list somewhere with plans to get to it one day.
But the more you know about your core values, the easier it is to make decisions that are in line with your brand, your goals, and your principles.
“When you realize your values, you understand what sets your brand apart. It’s easier to market once you know what you stand for.”
Use Core Values to Choose the Right Opportunities
Your core values can serve as the foundation and compass for crucial business decisions, such as choosing which projects to pursue and which ones to decline.
For example, if you know one of your core values is integrity…
Let’s say you have the option to partner with another entrepreneur on a joint venture. This entrepreneur is well-known for hugely successful launches…but they also have a tendency to release shoddy products and avoid customer support issues.
Knowing that your core value is “integrity” can help you see the opportunity in a different light.
It might mean that you can refuse to work with the other entrepreneur or that you put safeguards in place to guarantee the final product is high-quality and customer support issues are resolved in a timely manner.
Simplify Decisions by Knowing Your Core Values
Use your values as a filter.
An excellent quote for entrepreneurs to keep in mind when choosing core values is this one: “When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.”
The idea behind the quote is that not everything can be of equal importance. If it is, making decisions quickly becomes difficult and frustrating.
But when you have core values to guide you, decisions are easier.
That’s because you’ve clearly defined what matters most and you can focus exclusively on that and filter out the options that don’t serve you.
For example, if the major value behind your brand is “personal growth through learning” then it makes sense that you’ll need to leave space for you and members of your team to experiment, try new things, and even fail occasionally.
Let Your Principles Inspire Your Team
Just as core values can help you see who a clear fit for your business is, they can also be incredibly powerful at inspiring your team.
That’s because your crew isn’t just looking for another paycheck—they want to work on projects that excite them for a brand that stands for what they believe in and is an amazing fit for their skills.
Over 60% of employees state that they do not truly embody or fully understand the purpose or values of the organization.
One story I came across that illustrates this perfectly was about Sarah, a body-positive influencer and blogger.
She has a large following and gets asked on a regular basis to partner with beauty brands.
In one particular instance, she was approached by two very similar brands to promote their products to her audience.
The first thing she did was to try to understand their core values and how they do good in the world.
One company defined its core value as being “non-judgmental and inclusive of all body types”.
The word non-judgmental resonated in Sarah’s heart and aligned with her worldview.
She found it so inspiring she opted to work with that brand over the other, despite the fact they could offer her less compensation.
Attract Your Ideal Clients with Your Core Values
As you get clear on what values your brand stands for, it also becomes easier to attract your ideal client.
That’s because you’ll naturally begin to showcase testimonials, content, and case studies that appeal to your target market.
That’s what happened to Shauna, our graphic designer friend…
Once she defined her values as “confident and creative self-expression”, she updated her website and marketing materials to reflect this. Within just a few short months, she was attracting the type of clients she’d always longed to serve.
Build An Energized and Aligned Team
It’s not just ideal clients that are attracted to you once your principles are clear – it’s ideal team members and job candidates.
You’ll find it so much easier to form a team that works well for your brand when you communicate what you believe in and what your stand for.
For example, if you know your most important value is “taking action” then you’ll empower your team to make decisions on the go and encourage them to boldly innovate.
As a result of knowing this core value, you’ll begin to evaluate potential team members through this lens.
Even if you’re just looking for a virtual assistant to work part-time for your business for a few hours, understanding your core values can simplify your search and make it easy for you to determine if you’ve found the right person for the job.
Core Values Unite Your Team
In an ideal world, every person working on or in your business would get along perfectly and be pulling in the same direction (your vision).
They always understood each other and knew exactly what to do to keep things flowing smoothly.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
There will be disagreements and controversy at times. The best way to deal with this conflict is for team members to focus on what they do agree on, namely your core values.
For example, your core value might be “creating outstanding customer experiences”.
Now your team members might define that “outstanding customer experience” differently but if they both agree that it’s the essential ingredient to doing business then they can come to a place of mutual respect because that’s what’s best for the customer.
Encourage Customer Loyalty with Your Values
Some entrepreneurs believe you must choose between making a buck and making a difference in the world. But there are hundreds of businesses proving that’s not true every single day.
One of these brands is TOMS.
The popular shoe company has a “one-for-one” policy. For every pair of shoes purchased, the brand gives a pair to someone in an impoverished country that would not be able to afford the shoes otherwise.
By doing this, the business doesn’t have to make a choice between turning a profit and giving back.
The most exciting part of this is that customers are not only supportive of this business model—they’re loyal to the brand as a result.
Your Principles Make Your Business Stand Out
Sometimes, it can be difficult to decide on your core values.
It might be tempting to look around at what other businesses are using and borrow from their ideas. But this does the opposite of what you’re trying to do…
This is blending in, not standing out. Your business becomes lost in the crowd and just another me-too offer.
What makes your business different is exactly what’s going to resonate with your ideal customer and inspire them to choose your brand over your competitor’s brand.
Understand that Core Values Can Change
As your brand grows and evolves, you may find that the core values that fit it perfectly three, five, or ten years ago are no longer relevant.
Don’t try to hold onto these values that aren’t serving you, your business, your team, or your customers any longer.
Just like we grow as humans as we gain experience your business will likely need to adjust over time too.
So instead, be willing to step back and look at what you really want to stand for now.
You may find that your most important value now is creativity and innovation. Or you might discover that your most important value is transparency and communication.
Remember that there are no right or wrong core values. It’s just about expressing who your brand is and sharing that with your customers, your team, and ultimately, the world!
If you’d like help discovering and defining your core values you can download our free guide or book a call with me to see how we can work together.
Ready to Get Started?
Starting at just $349, you can get a custom website and managed online presence for your business plus incredible support from a real web pro that has your back.
Get Started Today
What is it about a bonfire?
