Episode 56: Defining Your Brand With Lain Ehmann

On this episode Bella spends time with Lain Ehmann, Marketing Strategist at #FastLain. Lain Ehmann Listen in as they talk about the mistakes small businesses make on their websites, including telling a story that your audience wants to hear vs. telling the story you want the audience to hear. Be mindful of your audience. You will also learn how to make that message different between the mediums. In particular, be conscious of the frame of mind people are in when they are reaching out to you vs. when you are reaching out to them. Give them something they wouldn't expect. Don't sell them. Messaging, which is "communications branding", is critical to success. It is the message you are going to consistently send out to your audience that also helps you distinguish yourself from others in your niche. As a bonus, doing so may even allow you to charge more. "Messaging is a tool to do that by defining who you are, what the value is that you provide, and the audience you provide that to." - Lain Ehmann The next logical step in the process is helping customers see that you can solve the problems they have.  You can drive customer motivation by tapping into their "pain points". Bella recommends that you include the benefits of your online scheduling as part of your messaging.  Lain says that playing up your "secret sauce", that unique niche that  you have identified, will help you reach those who need that service and even build your standing among those who don't because they see how much you care. They  also recommend doubling up on your marketing. For instance, doing a Facebook live with tips about dog walking and then putting a link to that under your services page. Another common mistake Lain points out is that often business owners speak from their point of view and assume that the audience knows everything that they know. In fact, educating the audience should be an important part of your efforts. Make sure they understand the terminology and services you are offering. Lead them through your site to the call to action. About Lain Lain is a bestselling author and communications strategist, who specializes in helping six- and seven- figure entrepreneurs uncover hidden profits and potential – FAST.  Her superpower is saying what your customers and clients really need to hear, to get the results you want as quickly as possible. Links mentioned in this episode Get in the - #FastLain at http://www.fastlain.com. Free messaging guide: http://lainehmann.com/messagingdl Subscribe To The Show: Transcript: This is episode 56 of Bella in Your Business. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I have Lane with me. Lane and I actually met at a local conference where it just felt like everything there was lit up by the Holy Spirit. It was an electrifying time leading to electrifying relationships. Lane and I have only known each other a few short weeks, but after meeting her once, she was someone I was drawn to, and I just knew I had to have her on the podcast for you all. Lane is a bestselling author and a communication strategist specializing in helping six- and seven-figure entrepreneurs uncover hidden profits and potential fast. Her superpower is saying what your customers and clients really need to hear and getting the results you want as quickly as possible. She calls it getting in the “#FastLane.” Lane is here today to talk to us about the messaging we project to the world about our business and how we can become even more laser-sharp focused when landing the exact kind of people we want. Lane: Thank you so much. When I sent over my bio, I thought I didn’t add in my two dogs, because since this is a pet-friendly show, I figured I should mention them as well. I have a Yorkie Poo named Bogie, and we have a Shih Tzu Pug mix named Zeus. Bella: I love it! You just gave me the most fantastic idea. It took me 50-plus episodes to realize I should ask all my guests what kind of pets they have. Lane: So great idea. Thanks for sharing that. I’m so excited to be here. Bella: For sure. So why don’t you fill in the gaps a little bit and just kind of tell us a little bit about how you became who you are and exactly what it is that you do, and then we can get into the crux of it all. Lane: Sure. So I have been a writer my whole life, and that has taken different formats over time. I was a journalist for many years, I was in marketing communications for a company, and I worked in agency public relations. I had my own online business in the scrapbooking niche where I approached storytelling from a different angle. About two years ago, I wanted to do something completely different. People had always asked me, “Gosh, you do such a good job communicating with your audience.” It was one of those things where people always asked me about it, and I would just do it for friends. Then I thought, “Jeez, I would love to work with businesses in this manner.” So what I really do is help businesses tell their story in a way that their audience is actually going to resonate with. Bella: I love it. And you are fresh off of BlogHer Conference too, being a panelist there. So yeah, you get around, and I just want our listeners to know that you’re not some girl off the street. You know your stuff, and you’re in the fast lane. Lane: Totally. Bella: So tell me, what mistakes do you see small businesses making on their websites? Lane: There are a lot, but what I want to focus on today is really the idea of telling a story that your audience wants to hear versus telling your story that you want everybody to listen to. There’s a difference there. If you think about it in terms of—I’ve got kids, you’ve got little Olivia—and when they say, “Tell me a story,” they don’t want you to sit down and tell them the story of how the West was won unless you can put it in a way that they’ll enjoy it. So you always have to be mindful of your audience. You can’t just create a story in a vacuum and then blast it at people. That’s what I see a lot of people doing—not just on their websites but on social media. They come up with this “The Story” of their business, and it falls flat because they’re not thinking about who’s on the receiving end. Bella: That is impressive. I love that. And what I just heard you also say is that it’s not just a singular thing—it’s something that translates to Facebook, to your website, maybe even to your services page. Lane: Exactly. You can’t just take the same content you post on your blog and expect it to perform the same on Instagram or Facebook. The theme might be the same, but you have to adapt it for the audience and the mindset they’re in when they see it. Bella: Love it. That’s so powerful. Listeners, listen up—hear what Lane’s saying, because this is so true. We try to replicate the same thing on every platform and wonder why people don’t care. So how can we fix that? Lane: One of the big things is thinking about the mindset people are in when you’re reaching out to them versus when they come to you. If I do a Google search on “pet sitter,” I might find a dozen websites. I’m actively seeking that information—I have a problem and I’m looking for a solution. That’s different from someone scrolling through Facebook between memes and baby pictures. You’re interrupting them, so your message has to be more engaging and unexpected. You don’t want them to immediately think, “She’s trying to sell me something.” You want them to be curious and entertained. Bella: That’s so good, Lane. I want all our listeners to rewind the last five minutes and re-listen to that. It’s powerful because it’s simple. It’s a slap-your-forehead “duh” moment. We’re all on Facebook—we know why we’re there: to be entertained, to see friends’ updates. So how can we play into that? Lane: Exactly. Bella: You talked about messaging earlier. What is messaging? Lane: Messaging is like your communications branding. People often think branding is just visuals—colors, logos—but messaging is the consistent communication you send out to your audience. There’s a high-level message that defines who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique, and then there are sub-messages beneath that. Messaging helps distinguish you from everyone else in your niche. You don’t want to be treated as a commodity. Bella: Preach, girlfriend. Lane: Right? I was researching pet-sitting websites earlier, and so many read like, “We’ll walk your dog five times a week.” But what if you specialized in something? Maybe you work with anxious dogs, or senior pets, or multiple-pet households. I want to visit your website and feel like it was written for me. People think appealing to everyone is best, but that makes you a commodity. Messaging helps you carve your niche and even charge higher prices because you’re specialized. Bella: I love that. That was the value you provide, the market you serve, and what makes you unique. Lane: Exactly. I even have a free messaging worksheet people can download to help them identify those things. Bella: I love that. Okay, we’ll take a quick break, and when we come back, we’ll keep going. Commercial break. Bella: I’m here with Lane from the Fast Lane, and we are breaking it down. Lane, we were just talking about messaging and unique services. Could this also be about solving problems? Like, “Do you work long hours and hate leaving your dog at home?” Lane: Yes, that’s really the next step. Once you define who you are and the value you provide, you can think about who that appeals to and what their pain points are. Maybe your service solves loneliness for pets of busy owners. Those emotions—guilt, worry, stress—drive people to hire you.