You can’t cater for everyone, and you definitely shouldn’t waste your time trying to. Whilst a household name like Coca-Cola might appear to be aimed at everyone, the health conscious stay well clear, and the company’s history of unethical behaviour has the younger generation of planet and people conscious consumers running for miles.
Positioning ensures that products are targeted at the right people, for the right price and seen in the right places. And you’re influenced by marketing constantly, even when you don’t realise it, your subconscious is ticking away picking up on little details and storing them up until you’re ready to take the leap and make a purchase, sign up to that thing, or go and visit that place.
The average person influences 1,000 people in their lifetime, and people take note of the tiny little details you hadn’t even stopped to notice. Every single action and choice you make has the potential to have an influence on others, and it’s completely unavoidable. So, with that said today I want to talk about:
The Power of Internal Positioning
By now I’m sure you’re aware of personal branding, there’s been an influx of Personal Brand Managers popping up on LinkedIn, and the overnight TikTok gurus have surfaced to dish out their tips.
The term goes way back, and was first coined in 1997 by a bloke called Tom Peters. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept or need a refresher, here’s Wikipedia’s definition - “Personal branding is the conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, widen their circle of influence, and have a larger impact.”
These days personal branding is heavily associated with social media and online reputation. If you head over to Twitter you’ll likely scroll past dozens of threads with repeated industry insights and tips. And, you probably know a pal or two who has, or is thinking of starting a podcast.
Whilst this is about personal branding, the focus of this email isn’t going to be about influencing those outside of your organisation, instead we’re focusing on the people inside your business.
If brands position themselves to appeal to the right consumers, why not position yourself to appeal to the people in your business? If you’re in it for the career and want progression, your reputation is everything so start building a great one!
Here’s a dozen ways you can improve your influence and climb up the ranks of your business:
Live For Positivity: Be the type of person that lights up a room and brings up the vibe. Focus on being positive and optimistic, and leave any negativity outside of work. Being negative brings everyone down with you, so be your best and do it for the team!
Dress For The Job: When I worked in the beer industry I really had to switch up my style. I’d often go from flogging IPA in a cap and t-shirt round craft beer boozers, to sporting a shirt and shoes on the top floor of a luxury skyscraper (that really tall glass one in London) selling Pilsner in champagne-style bottles. If I’d worn the outfits the other way round I wouldn’t have been successful in either environment, so wear what’s appropriate for your job.
Do More: Stick your hand up and get stuck into projects and opportunities outside of your day-to-day. Share your knowledge and skills by training the team. Suggest a new process or idea.
Help People Out: Offer your support when others are struggling with a task. Help out colleagues when they’re presenting by asking questions, giving feedback, cracking a smile and engaging to show you really care. If it’s virtual, stick your camera on - go on it doesn’t hurt! (presenting to dead air is my one of worst fears, absolutely hate it)
Escape The Gossip: You don’t build trust or loyalty by talking behind others backs, spreading rumours and mistruths, or sharing secrets. So stay well clear of gossiping circles, and just focus on doing a great job.
Use The Right Tone of Voice: Talk like a real human, not a robot. Yes there are times where you’ll need to be a bit more formal and that’s cool, but keep well clear of jargon, buzzwords and acronyms. Despite the myth, using big words won’t make you sound smarter (ironically a person who does this is called a Sesquipedalian)
Upskill Yourself: If you don’t know how to do something, take the time to learn. I went into the beer industry not knowing much and came out as a Beer Sommelier. When I started in this role, I’d never written any SEO Content before and now I have high ranking pages and have published an eBook on writing an SEO Content strategy (you can download that here btw 🔌). Everyone starts somewhere, putting in effort and being consistent will get you there!
Do It Yourself: Instead of bringing problems, bring solutions - “I’ve noticed ____ and I suggest we do ____” or “I’ve noticed ____ and we've done ____“. (btw if you don’t know the answer to something just ask)
Be a Promoter: Shout from the rooftops when your team has achieved something great. Post about what you're proud of on your socials. Big up your company every once in a while (Marketing people like me live for it!).
Like/ Share/ Engage: If your business or a colleague post something online, give it a little like, or even better write a comment and share. We’re all on the same side here, start rooting for your team!
Show Face: Face time is massively important, and whilst I’d advise everyone to get into the office regularly (if you have one), in 2023 with remote working in the mainstream, that’s not always going to work. If you can’t show up IRL all the time, show up in Slack channels, get active on social media, share insights and learnings, and get involved in whatever you can from afar.
Work Hard: This one goes without saying really, but put some effort in. Give it your all to hit deadlines and reach your goals each month. Sure there are times when things are out of our control and we don’t achieve those goals, but our hard work will still be noticed none the less.
Remember Internal PR is powerful, so make sure people are saying the right things about you!
If you think this email could help your friends or people in your business then please recommend us, forward on this email or share this link:https://wearenorth.uk/friends-in-the-north/
I love chatting to passionate people about marketing and creativity, find me on LinkedIn
Thanks for reading, this issue was written byDominic Apes (NORTH - Senior Marketing Manager). If you fancy a chat, then please reach out!
N21, Silverbean, Ortus and NORTH, 166 Brinkburn Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
