I know, I know. The phrase 'building your brand' probably makes some of you desire to crawl into the fetal position and stay at that place until the sun rises again. But honestly, it doesn't accept to be intimidating. In fact, its not even all that difficult if y'all just stick to a few cardinal practices.

So how can you build you make (i.east. your business) from null to one hundred? The answer is probably not the 1 you lot are hoping to hear. Simply, hey, at least I am keepin' it real. I'll give you a moment to process the fact that I just used the phrase "keepin' information technology real" in an article about marketing. Gear up? Okay.

The truth is, it takes time to build a make and create a successful business. The exact amount of time it volition take is dissimilar from person to person, brand to brand. For me, it'due south taken two and half years to become where I am. 2 and half years to become to a point in my business organisation where a handful of magazines and authors are coming to me for ideas, not the other manner around. And so, the point here is, there is not a quick fix. You're going to have to put in the effort. In that location is no magic potion that is going to do it for yous. Simple every bit that.

And the journey never ends. You'll, most probable, always want to be a trivial further along than y'all actually are. And that's okay. Only the thing that you want to retrieve, and the adept news to this reality is, if yous are willing to put in the time (and the effort), and your production is actually worth selling (i.e. worth buying), you can build a brand that people will connect with and purchase from over and over again.

The key to building your brand is accepting this simple idea and implementing it:

Your brand is you lot. This is especially true of small concern owners and solopreneurs. When yous call back almost it, this makes a lot of sense, right? Later on all, you put your blood, sweat, and tears into the products that you lot create, and you accept a connection with those products. And so, for the purposes of this give-and-take, that explains how you lot, equally a person, and you, as a brand, are i in the same. And because you are man, you have a personality. And again, for the sake of this conversation, let'due south hope yous take a slap-up personality. So, if you lot show your awesome brand past leading with your crawly personality, people will like yous (i.e. people will like your brand). And estimate what? People like to buy from people they like.

So, in order to build your brand, you lot need to build yous: What I mean is, you need to build yourself up within your niche / your community. Okay, so how do y'all that? There are countless means, honestly, only I won't go in to them all. Here are four steps to assist you build your brand, or build yous, every bit I like to call information technology.

one. Create a community of like-minded people and form authentic relationships. Creating positive connections with people who share the same mental attitude and interests can be huge for your business. Remember when I said people like buying from people they like? Well, this tip direct relates to that philosophy.

And edifice a community is not as hard as you think. Hither are a few ideas: 1) Respond to people who comment on your blog. Ask them questions, send them encouragement, etc. 2) Don't shove your links downwardly people'south throats on social media. The central to success here is balancing praise for others with praise for yourself. Over again, start a dialogue with people. This is especially like shooting fish in a barrel to practice on twitter. So, become to information technology. 3) Comment in forums and kickoff discussions in your niche categories. Many people accept gained a loyal following from steadily providing answers in forums. Go out your blog or website link in your signature at that place. If you are providing practiced info, people will accept note.

2. Get yourself noticed. A simple way to get yourself noticed is through invitee posting. This is something that I know quite a bit about, considering I am a regular weekly correspondent on iv other blogs, in add-on to my own. And I've also written posts for Decor8, Whip Up, Bloesem Kids, 100 Layer Cake, and more.

The tendency, nevertheless, when I recommend guest posting to people, is to shoot for the stars and immediately email the biggest proper noun they tin can think of. And that's great, merely sometimes yous need to retrieve a little more outside of the box than that, because chances are, lots of other people are doing the exact same thing. And that superstar blogger can't say yes to all of you.

So, what's a girl (or guy) to exercise? Reach out to smaller blogs in your niche (and fifty-fifty outside of your niche as long as your tin tie what you do dorsum to it loosely) that are just below super star status, or maybe even fashion below, and build a relationship with those people. Hey, that'due south tip number one. Meet what I did there? As they soar, so will you. And yous'll exist developing your writing skills for when you approach those huge blogs in the future too.

3. Requite kicking-donkey client service every fourth dimension. This truly is a gift to people who buy from you. And, I detest to sound cheesy (oh, who I am kidding, I love to sound cheesy), only it is a gift that will keep on giving to you equally well. Why? Because customers who receive great service will likely come back and purchase from yous again. If y'all don't believe me, just remember most your favorite foods.

Let me explicate. Ane of my favorite lunchtime meals is the grilled craven sandwich with feta from Zoe's Kitchen. It is about every bit good for you as information technology is delicious, and I just dearest it. Just more than importantly, still, is why I keep paying 8 dollars for this particular lunch. And the answer is that I know exactly what I am getting whenever I order it. No matter how many times I have eaten this sandwich, information technology tastes the same. Damn good every time. Which is exactly why, for one week straight, I bought this sandwich every single day without even giving it a 2nd thought.

The fact is, we are creatures of habit. So, make something good and give good service, and people will come back. And, oh yeah, they'll tell their friends besides.

4. Find people who can assistance you lot grow. In business, you lot'll hear a lot of people say, 'its all near connections'. This can audio a little douche, let's be honest. Only it doesn't have to be. Connections are important to expanding your business organisation, and the sooner y'all realize that, the sooner you will be on your way to building a successful brand. Sorry, simply no man is an island. Anybody needs a little assist at present and and then getting where they desire to go.

Then, seek out people who are slightly ahead of you. Bloggers and business owners that you admire, and ones that accept been successful in their business thus far. They don't have to be mega millionaires. Much like guest posting, you don't take to immediately go for the biggest fish in the sea. They are decorated, remember? They merely have to take a little more knowledge than you practice in your niche. If you manage to develop a genuine connectedness with these people, they can aid you lot. I hope. Only only if the connection is authentic. Don't just ship i e-mail and wait them to mitt over all their secrets to a complete stranger. Start commenting on the person'south web log and chat via twitter and facebook. Eventually, you'll develop a close enough human relationship to experience comfortable reaching out via email. And sometimes, you lot might merely reach out to someone who is willing to requite you lot a niggling free advice or help give you a nudge in the right direction. This won't work every fourth dimension because you tin't exist friends with everyone. But it does happen. So instead of being  jealous of other people's success, attain out. Its a lot easier on your soul and it can help your business large time.

Nonetheless, another route for finding people to help you lot abound is paying people who tin can assistance yous abound. No 1 works for free, right? So, finding (and paying) a coach or a pr person who already has connections tin aid likewise. Just do your research outset. There are lots of other options as well. E-courses and e-books can teach yous how to marketplace your work online, better your concern, and create goals for the time to come. And fifty-fifty something completely unlike, like an exhibition site such as papernstitch (sorry for self-promotion but hey, its true), can help yous promote and market your work and put you in bear on with potential buyers, brick and mortars looking for wholesalers to work with, magazines, and of course other blogs and sites.

So, the adjacent time you are feeling overworked and under appreciated when it comes to your business, think the unproblematic tips that I've shared hither and carry on. Its never as difficult equally it seems. And who knows, you might simply get a superstar.

This post is function of the Brilliant Marketing Tricks series over at Heartmade Weblog . You tin c heck out the introduction on heartmade, notice all the posts from this serial, and run into the full list of participants.