“The vibes in your business are loadbearing.”
That’s what my new biz bestie and brand designer Sharon Wagner of Swail Studio said on this week’s bonus episode of Personal Business – and it’s been rattling around in my head ever since.
Here’s what I mean.
My family group chat is bumping this week because we’re currently in the market for monument (i.e. gravestone) engraving.
I promise, there is a marketing lesson here - just stay with me!
It’s not a fancy or special purchase – just a job that needs to get done.
So as my dear brother-in-law gathers quotes after googling “monument engraving near me,” we’re mostly interested in one thing: who can do it at the lowest price.
I couldn’t tell you anything about the logos or the website or the brands of any of the companies we’ve considered – because for this type of service, it kind of doesn’t matter.
But chances are if you’ve found your way to my corner of the Internet, your clients and customers aren’t just price shopping.
They’re shopping for vibes.
Joining your group or working with you one-on-one or purchasing your product is about more than price or proximity.
It’s also about alignment – on values, on vision – and often they have to be in the right place - physically, emotionally, spiritually. Timing? Essential.
Sometimes it also means introducing new possibilities; a different way of doing something or being and showing them what’s possible.
That’s what Sharon meant when she talked about loadbearing vibes.
And marketing that kind of business isn’t just about showing up in search results.
It’s about establishing an incredible amount of trust; cultivating safety and security that when they work with you, they’re in good hands.
Often when I see small business owners and creative entrepreneurs struggling with their marketing it stems from a blind spot around their customer’s journey or decision making process.
Where are they when they come across your business or brand? And what factors go in to their decision making: price, proximity, vibes, all three and more?
Ready to buy, like today because they need that monument engraved before there’s snow on the ground?
Just checking out options?
Or, as is often the case when it comes to a vibes-based business - they’re just going about their day and then something you said on a podcast or in some content or wherever piques their interest...
And into the funnel they go.
Customer journey mapping and market research to cultivate a deep understanding of your clients and customers’ purchasing behaviour are two key components of the Decelerator, my 10-week marketing strategy program and business accelerator.
More on that soon (the next cohort starts October 5).
For now, I want to know how you think about the vibes in your own business:
| Are your business ✨vibes✨ loadbearing? |
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Cheers,
Amanda Laird
Growth Marketing Strategist
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Personal Business
A ✨BONUS✨ Unbranding episode with Sharon Wagner, Psychic Creative Director at Swail Studio.
We chat about knowing it's time to rebrand, stepping in to new identities and expert tips for working with a designer for the first time.
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