As a small business founder, you have put a huge amount of time, experience, hard work and money into your company. You may have started your business as a passion project, side hustle or a solution to a problem you have spotted and no one was addressing.
Whatever your backstory is, one thing is for sure – your business exists for a reason – it has a purpose, mission and ambitions, and with your determination, you can make them a reality. With deinfluencing on the rise, now can be your big opportunity to show your passion, skills and expertise, unlocking your company’s sales potential.
It’s only been talked about in the business and marketing world in recent weeks, deinfluencing started on TikTok in January 2023, where posted videos of featured social media users questioned the problem of false recommendations of viral products usually promoted by influencers. The aim of deinfluecing is to discourage unnecessary overconsumption. With its rising popularity, nearly every niche has deinfluencing posts and videos. From beauty products, fashion to homeware trends, wedding and gaming, deinfluencing captures the attention of conscious consumers who care about our planet and people.
But as a founder, you can do the opposite. You have an opportunity and can embody your brand and act as a “caring” influencer to show how your business is unique and why it is purpose-led. One of the ways you can do this is through founder-led marketing. If you’re an introvert, don’t worry, founder-led marketing doesn’t have to be all about sharing yourself with the world. It simply means becoming the voice of your brand. From sharing your brand story and mission to leveraging your expertise and knowledge of your products, services and market you can become the trusted thought leader your audience and customers will look up to and admire.
One such example who does it well is the Creative Director and Co-founder, Rupert Kingston, of Delilah Cosmetics. From sharing the Delilah’s brand story on their website to product demos on Instagram, Rupert is able to channel in the brand’s essence and capture the brand’s audience with his charismatic personality and a very approachable, friendly tone of voice. The brand is therefore given a human touch and realness, in marketing terms it is called “humanising the brand”, a rarity in the beauty industry.
WHERE TO START WITH FOUNDER-LED MARKETING
Founder-led marketing is a no-brainer from the sales strategy point of view, but where should you start? The most obvious place is your website. I’ve come across some really fantastic founder videos on About or Our Story pages. The best founder’s videos tell the brand stories in authentic ways, avoiding promotional, corporate-like approach.
Start with a short introduction, describing your mission, philosophy and values. Talk about your brand’s vision and how it solves your customer’s problems. Focus on the emotional benefits rather than product features. With customers who don’t know your brand that well in mind, back up your story by mentioning your expertise, knowledge and anything worth mentioning to them which will immediately create trust e.g. winning awards or previous career achievements.
From there you can leverage social media platforms and podcasts, and in the physical world you can create opportunities to share your story through themed events and talks.
TOP TIPS FOR FOUNDER-LED MARKETING
Professionalism is key. Show the human side of you but keep it within your brand’s values. Don’t get influenced by latest trends, just be you and tell stories you want to tell.
Don’t play it safe. Be bold and highlight issues that need resolving in your industry. This shows that you care, and helps to reinforce your mission and vision.
Inside our KNOWLEDGE SHARE membership we delve into specific ideas for communicating your brand’s message, giving you the tools, templates and processes which you can apply in your business straightaway. If you want to find out about it more, please click or tap here.
