What happens when you launch a new business, providing a specialist service that nobody’s ever heard of? You have the double-barrelled hurdle of raising awareness not just of your business and services, but of the benefit you bring. You don’t know what you don’t know, right?
Today’s Blue51 Show and Tell shares the process by which an incredible woman with a much needed service told her story to grow her business with beautiful communications.
The project:
A Communications Kickstart to detail the key strategies to enable and compel ideal clients to connect with a message to build an ongoing relationship and develop and maintain brand recognition, and most importantly, increase sales enquiries to grow the business.
The client:
AJ Stafford Property Services is a property business like no other. Launched by Real Estate Agent, Vendors Advocate and Property Stylist Lisa Stafford, the business provides a seamless, one-stop process for people selling property from the decision to list through to settlement and beyond.
Selling a property is stressful at the best of times. At the worst of times (separation and divorce, death of a loved one) the stress can feel overwhelming. Lisa created her unique sale management system to support and guide a client throughout the entire real estate process; planning, preparation and presentation of properties and well as agency selection. By removing the need to work with real estate agents, AJ Property Services makes a frequently fraught and distressing process much more positive and minimises the stress associated with selling a property.
The client’s target audience:
Lisa’s audience focus is actually quite broad but falls into two categories:
Vendors:
- Downsizers and retirees
- Upsizers
- People going through a divorce or separation
- People with Enduring Power of Attorney needing to sell loved ones’ properties.
More specifically, the vendor target audience is someone who:
- Finds (or expects to find) dealing with real estate agents stressful and unsatisfactory.
- Someone who, whilst at a potentially distressing and overwhelming transition point in their lives, needs a supportive, knowledgeable and kind property specialist in their corner who is committed to getting them the best possible result for their circumstances.
Aligned businesses/professions:
- Real estate agents (to a lesser degree)
- Family law professionals
- Probity law professionals
- Aged care providers
- Mediation professionals
- Practicality service providers- storage businesses, professional organisers and declutterers, painters, cleaning agencies, painters, rubbish removalists.
The approach:
At the core, AJ Stafford Property Services provides a better experience to people selling their home. Lisa is often witness to the profound effect, negative or positive, that the sales experience has on people, and her business is built around providing a better way.
The communications approach focused on the messages and tactics that would illuminate that better way. Lisa and I developed a multifaceted communications plan that aligned key messages to business gaols and her audience. We focused on a social proof strategy (critically important with both an audience potentially in distress) and in an industry with a history of mistrust. We wanted clear, consistent and beautiful brand identity including messaging. Content marketing became the central pillar of the communications, with a video strategy across platforms, blogging, a social media strategy and email campaigns. Lisa also utilised alliances, collaborations and joint ventures (including guest blogging and events) as a means for sharing her incredible work with the world.
The results:
AJ Stafford has a robust, coherent and cohesive communications plan to tell her story and grow her business with beautiful communications. I love watching her share her expertise across my social media feeds and I love the incredible feedback she’s receiving from people for both her services, but her ridiculously helpful, kind, and considerate content.
Tell me, do you tell the story of your business services, the value you offer, the benefits you provide effectively?
Communicating your services beautifully is one of the writing for business concepts I cover with my work with clients. I’d love to work with you on your business writing projects, please get in touch.
I have more unabashed bragging on my Facebook and Instagram feeds. If there’s something specific you’d like to know, please shoot me an email or give me a buzz, and I’ll do my best to help.