What do you want to be known for? The first step in figuring out your brand position is clarifying your message, your offer or your service. This trips so many of my branding clients up, as they have multiple revenue streams. They consider themselves multi-passionate entrepreneurs. I get it! I photograph three different genres of portraits (head shots/branding, family portraits and senior portraits) and, yes, I had to decide which one I wanted to be KNOW for (Branding has my heart).
Bottom line – to have a clear brand, you need to choose one zone of genius and craft your message or brand position around that. Let’s take a deep dive into defining your brand position!
What’s your zone of genius? Defining your brand position.
As Greg McGowan states in his book, Essentialism, if we could truly be excellent at one thing, what would it be? Basically, what is your best yes? This may take some time as it took me five years in the photography industry to really be selective on what I wanted to position my brand around. Sometimes it feels as if you’re constantly reinventing yourself, but in reality. you’re evolving. With each choice you are learning what makes you different and better than the competition. Greg recommends that you ask yourself these three questions. 1. What am I deeply passionate about? 2. What talents do I have to offer? 3.What meets a significant need in the world? Those are the questions that will help you narrow your focus and start to define your offer.
Discovering what you are all about. Your brand position journey.
My own personal journey took five years of diving into a variety of genres of photography. This was necessary, but I was still asking myself those questions along the way. My insecure self fumbled through a lot of them as I learned what I liked, was good at, and what I really didn’t care for. The hardest part was watching my friends, who started at the same point in the journey that I did, begin to really blossom in their zone of genius quickly. I still felt like I was out there searching and couldn’t get traction anywhere! If you are there now, I promise you . . .there is light on the other side! Just stay hopeful and keep up the good work. Keep showing up every day. Have confidence in knowing that every time you may find something that you’re not good at, there’s something you’re equally amazing at on the other side.
Discovering your best yes.
Once I really sat down and worked through those questions, a light bulb went off. I found myself working on my business in my spare time and implementing various marketing/branding strategies that most photographers do not have any interest in. I actually love the business side of photography as much as taking pretty photos.
What if I combined my passion for business with the photography skills I had developed to provide brand strategy and high-quality branded images to other small businesses? It was my light bulb moment. I realized right then and there that my one thing was to be a brand consultant and do branding sessions. I wanted to help small businesses tell the story of their brand through high quality imagery.
It was in making that one choice that a thousand other decisions were made. So today I encourage you, what do you want to be known for? What is your zone of genius? How can clients come to you for help? This is the first step in formulating your marketing message and defining your brand position. Write it out, record a video and send it to me so I can hear. I will be your accountability partner as this is such an important step on your journey, and just so you don’t have to go first, I’m including my video below.
SENIOR | FAMILY | TEENS | BRANDING
Shelly Niehaus Photography is a Boise, ID-based branding and headshot photographer. Shelly specializes in professional headshot photography, personal branding photography, and lifestyle photography. Shelly serves the greater Treasure Valley area including Boise, Meridian, Eagle, and Nampa.
