When you put brand values and archetypes at the core of your business, you always have an anchor point to refer back to. A place that feels like home. A sanctuary you can return to and weather any storm from. Especially when you’re at ‘no next step?’. The answer in that unknown place is - next step, make business decisions with brand values and archetypes.
Situation: No next step?
When you’re first starting out you have no idea of who you’ll help and how you’ll help them. You just know that it’s time to help. There’s a fire in your belly and a deep desire that you have something that will mean easier, freer, and less struggle for people in times of transition, change and transformation.
But how do you make the next step from idea to hanging your shingle up to annouce that you’re open for business?
Likewise if you’ve been in business for a while but your offering is just not meeting the market where they’re at and you’re feeling like you need to start again. Great news though. You don’t! What you can do is refocus your brand and products to meet people where they’re at, and in the language that feels safe and comforting to them - their language!
When you’re status ‘no next step?’ Make business decisions with brand values and archetypes.
Make business decisions using Brand Values
When I started to design the enlightenly platform I wondered what industry 'vertical' I should niche with. Then I realised that the people, businesses and brands that would be most attracted to and benefit from our platform would not have a 'niche' in common.
In fact, there can actually be an active aversion to the word, and the idea of fitting inside a niche.
It was the same when I felt into who would buy from the people and brands that we would support on our platform. Then it hit me. What they have in common is values!
Personal values. Business values. Brand values. Values are an anchor point in their life. Ironically my personal value for values made values an anchor point for the way we make business decisions in enlightenly.
Decision Made!
It clicked into place. The decision was made! The action was taken.
We did this by making the brand values for each Shop Kiosk searchable. The value of valuing values was baked into the platform. Seekers could now easily find a brand, products or a founder they align with. Where no matter what circumstances they face, they appreciate the perspective they both value.
At enlightenly we also encourage you to translate this into your brand, product journeys and customer experiences.
Here’s a situation we regularly see play out -
Say you and 20 others all have the modality of ‘hypnotherapy’ as a service. You know it's in how you apply it for your customers that offers them the unique experience you offer that no one else can. An experience that your customers and clients who have chosen to work with you know is not able be replicated by anyone else. In fact, it’s this that your customers and clients actually refer you for.
But for new customers to hypnotherapy, how do they know which practitioner to go with when they're scrolling on social?
The answer is showcase your values! They offer you a shared language and have your audience viewing your product from the perspective you both value. Values boost trust at customer touchpoints and impression points. It’s just a fact. They create instant affinity with your potential customer or client.
And when coupled with language common to your audience archetypes, they also transcend time.
Make business decisions using archtypes
Archetypes are ancient collective consciousness understandings, that you'll find layered in storytelling throughout history.
The Marketing Archetypes
If you don't see your brand reflected in these archetypes, then there are 8 others you can consider words from. There's 12 in total known as the 'Marketing Archetypes'. The others include -
- The innocent
- The explorer
- The lover
- The jester
- The citizen / 'everywoman'
- The magician
- The rebel
- The hero
For enlightenly’s Audience Archetypes of Creators, Caregivers, Sages and Guardians, the constant they share is change.
They value change.
They also value change in the contexts of transformation, conscious consumerism, and following an idea or seeking information to move them toward what they want.
How can archetypes help you to name your 3 brand values? Here's a tip.
When I considered the archetypes for the audiences with enlightenly there was 1 standout.
Creator.
The 3 things we all seem to have in common and that our brands represent are - inspiration, expression and daring. I believe we're daring when it comes to offering your inspiration and expression of your work that will heal the world, to the world! It takes a daring person to do that!
And 3 main supporting archtypes or perspectives that the Creator archetype can be seen as within the enlightely platform.
Caregiver.
the nurturer and the natural healer. Providing compassion and care through the Products they offer.
Sage.
for those sharing knowledge, teaching and wisdom.
Guardian
for the collective of people, planet, profit, movements that are changing the world.
No next step? Give this a try!
Archetypes are a great place to start with considering your 3 brand values.
Quick tip: Take a values list and write out the words that catch your attention onto Post It notes. Then group the words with like words until you feel there are 3 standout words.
Decision made! These are your new brand values.
Flick through the carousel to understand more about enlightenly’s brand archetypes and the commonality of language we share.
Decision made!
As Emma Veiga-Malta says “your niche is visual, not verbal”. You can see from the carousel about that this way your message can have the freedom to iterate and change, depending on who your audience is and what stage of their transformation they’re finding you at.
No next step? Make business decisions with brand values and archetypes.
Does it align? Nope -> move on. Yep -> go for it!
Post any questions you may have in the comments, and I'd love to see your 3 brand values here in the comments when you have them!
Or click below to share them with us in the “running a business selling products you love” enlightenly business product support group.
