Hello everyone, I’m Philippa Channer, your host for the “Marketing 101 for Small Business Owners” podcast. Today, I’m excited to share with you the insights from our final episode of the series on brand awareness. I had the pleasure of hosting Katrina McKinnon, a seasoned marketing expert and owner of Copy Smiths.
The Importance of Brand Awareness
Katrina and I delved into the significance of brand awareness, especially in the coming months. We both agreed on the crucial role of authenticity in building brand awareness. In this digital age, it’s essential for businesses to represent themselves accurately online. We noted that people prefer buying from other people, and content created by individuals with an authentic voice resonates with audiences.
Google’s Misrepresentation Policy and Brand Awareness
We also touched on the evolving landscape of brand awareness, particularly Google’s recent update to its misrepresentation policy. This policy underscores the importance of maintaining a consistent business identity across platforms and being transparent in business practices. Showcasing expertise, authority, and trust is key to building brand awareness.
Consistency is Key
We emphasized the need for businesses to maintain a consistent online presence and provide a seamless experience for customers across different platforms. By doing so, businesses can establish trust with Google and increase their brand awareness in search results.
The Role of Tone of Voice and AI Tools
The conversation took an interesting turn when we discussed the growing importance of tone of voice in content and strategy work. We mentioned that AI tools are now capable of scraping podcasts and YouTube videos to understand how people speak and the words they use. However, we stressed that while AI tools can be helpful, they don’t automatically make the writing or content resonate with the audience. Maintaining an authentic tone of voice is crucial to effectively communicate a brand’s message.
Standing Out in a Crowded Digital Landscape
Katrina shared her insights on the challenge of standing out in today’s crowded digital landscape. She believes that having a strong visual identity, like her own company’s bold colors and quirky illustrations, is crucial for grabbing people’s attention. She also advised small businesses to focus on one platform or channel and become really good at it, using AI tools to create content efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Fear of AI and Competing Against Larger Brands
We acknowledged the fear of being replaced by AI but emphasized that it’s not about AI replacing people, but rather people who use AI effectively replacing those who don’t. We also discussed how small businesses can compete against larger brands with more resources. Katrina suggested that small businesses can find success by focusing on building a community of loyal customers. She referenced the concept of “1000 true fans,” which suggests that if a business can find 1000 people who love their product, they will have a dedicated community that will support them.
Finding Your Passion and Cost-Effective Strategies
Katrina emphasized the importance of finding a passion for solving a problem that resonates with the business owner. By genuinely connecting with their audience, small businesses can attract a loyal following. She advised small business owners to find their “fire hose,” which could be social media, podcasts, or any other platform that consistently brings in their target audience.
She also suggested cost-effective strategies for small businesses, such as hiring affordable employees from different countries and utilizing AI tools to streamline their go-to-market strategies.
The Challenges of Running a Business
We acknowledge that starting a business is easy, but maintaining profitability and understanding the intricacies of running a business can be challenging. Many businesses fail within the first few years, but those who succeed are the ones who understand the importance of running a business beyond just delivering the product or service. I expressed my commitment to helping small business owners navigate these challenges and reach the ten-year mark.
You can follow her on her social media platforms to connect with Katrina and learn more about her expertise. I hope you found this conversation as enlightening as I did. Remember to subscribe to our podcast for future episodes. Thank you for your support!
Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinamckinnon/
Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6973448907196420096/
Direct email: katrina@copysmiths.com
