When I launched MIK & Co. Ventures, I had a clear vision: to empower entrepreneurs, especially women, with the tools, resources, and support they needed to launch, grow, and overcome business challenges.
I focused on creating valuable services, a supportive community, paid and free resources, guidebooks, and business planning focused masterminds designed to help entrepreneurs succeed. However, as I prepared for my launch, I overlooked one of the most important elements for any new business: building brand awareness.
The Misstep: Overlooking Brand Awareness in My Business Strategy
Like many entrepreneurs, I invested a lot of time and energy into developing my business. I made sure my offerings were impactful, my business plan was strong, and my website was professional. I assumed that my passion for helping entrepreneurs in business would naturally attract my ideal customers.
However, I didn’t fully grasp the importance of brand awareness in the overall business strategy. I had the right services, but without strong brand recognition, potential clients didn’t know who I was, what I offered, or why they should choose me to help and support them, over other options. I realized too late that creating brand awareness is not just a step in the process—it was an essential part of my foundation that I needed to support every other aspect of my business.
The Wake-Up Call: Why Entrepreneurs Can’t Afford to Skip Brand Awareness
As I began rolling out MIK & Co. Ventures, it became clear that my audience wasn’t engaging with my brand. People weren’t flocking to purchase my guidebook, signing up for my business accelerator community, or downloading my free customized templates I worked so hard to create. It wasn’t because my services lacked value; it was because my target market had no visibility of my brand.
Entrepreneurs often focus heavily on developing their products and services but underestimate the importance of creating brand awareness first. Potential customers weren’t seeing my business as the solution they needed because they didn’t know my business existed. I realized that I needed to pause my launch efforts, pivot my strategy, and build brand awareness to ensure that MIK & Co. Ventures resonated with entrepreneurs.
Pivoting My Strategy: How I Refocused on Building Brand Awareness
Recognizing this gap, I made the difficult decision to step back and concentrate on establishing brand awareness before pushing forward with my services. Because I knew personal branding and marketing were not my strongest area, I hired a great creative team to help me through the process. Here's how we adjusted my approach:
1. Re-Evaluating My Brand Message and Identity
We took a hard look at my brand’s messaging to ensure that it was clear, consistent, and aligned with the needs of my target audience— it wasn't just entrepreneurs but specifically women entrepreneurs juggling multiple roles. I refined my value proposition to ensure that it addressed their unique challenges, such as balancing family and work while building a successful business.
By focusing on what makes MIK & Co. Ventures distinct—affordable resources, no upselling, practical guidance, and a supportive community—my team and I started crafting messages that would resonate deeply with my audience.
2. Leveraging Content Marketing to Educate and Engage
Instead of jumping straight to selling my services, I shifted my focus to creating high-value content designed to educate and engage. In addition to writing blog posts like this one on business tips for entrepreneurs, I got behind the camera and started my YoutTube channel filming videos on topics that resonated with my target audience, and sharing free resources on social media that addressed common pain points.
Content marketing I came to realize is a powerful tool for building trust and establishing your brand as an authority in your industry. By providing valuable insights and actionable advice, I was able to connect with my audience and slowly build brand recognition.
3. Utilizing Social Media to Build My Community
Social media platforms are invaluable for entrepreneurs looking to build brand awareness. I used Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook not just as promotional tools but as spaces to tell the story of MIK & Co. Ventures. I've shared my journey as an entrepreneur, showcased testimonials from women who had benefited from my resources, and created interactive posts to stir up discussion and connect with folks.
By showing the real, relatable side of my business and myself, I began to foster a sense of community and build trust with my audience—an important step for any entrepreneur looking to expand their reach.
4. Partnering and Collaborating with Influencers and Industry Experts
Early on, I didn't realize I was doing this already by bringing on network partners into my community, but in doing so I quickly realized that one of the best ways to build brand awareness is to leverage the credibility of others. So I began engaging more with influencers and industry experts across social media and their content who had already built trust with my target audience in their area of expertise.
By sharing their content on my platforms, I was able to reach a larger audience of entrepreneurs looking for guidance all over the world! This strategy and partnerships were instrumental in establishing social proof, showing potential clients that my brand was trusted and valued by leaders they already respected.
5. Developing a Focused Brand Awareness Strategy
Finally, working with my creative team I was able to developed a clear, actionable strategy to build personal brand awareness for myself which intern benefits my business MIK & Co. Ventures. This strategy included setting specific goals, identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) such as social media engagement and website traffic, along with creating a timeline for achieving the objectives we collectively set.
I also used search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure my content was discoverable by entrepreneurs searching for business resources online. By optimizing my blog posts and social media content with relevant keywords like "business planning for women entrepreneurs" and "resources for female business owners," I improved my brand’s visibility in search results.
Building Brand Awareness Should Be Every Entrepreneur’s First Step
Reflecting on my journey, I realized that many entrepreneurs, myself included, underestimate the power of brand awareness. It’s not enough to have a great product or service; your potential customers need to know who you are, why your brand matters, and how you can help them achieve their goals.
Brand awareness is about creating a connection, building trust, and ensuring that when someone thinks of a business solution, your brand is top of mind. It’s the groundwork that makes everything else possible.
Moving Forward: A Brand Awareness-First Approach
Deciding to pause my launch efforts wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. By focusing on building a strong brand presence first, I’m now in a position to re-launch my brand with the recognition and support it needs to succeed. For other entrepreneurs, my advice is simple: prioritize brand awareness from the beginning. Build your audience, tell your story, and give people a reason to care about your brand before you ask them to buy.
Now, with a renewed focus on brand awareness, I’m more confident now that this personal brand awareness it will not only reach my target audience but also inspire and empower the very entrepreneur I set out to help. Brand awareness isn’t just a step in the process—it’s the foundation of business success.
It’s never too late to build the business you’ve always wanted—start now with clarity and confidence. Here are a few ways you can take action today:
Join my T.R.E.I.© Business Accelerator Community – Connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and access the tools and support you need to launch and grow your business.
Start my course: Profit Pursuit – Dive into my proven system to help you refine and launch your business with clarity and confidence.
Grab your copy of Profit Pursuit: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business – This guide will walk you through the essential steps to build a successful business.
Follow me on Instagram – Stay inspired and connected for tips and insights as you grow your business.
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel – Get valuable video content designed to help you navigate your entrepreneurial journey.
Learn more at www.lusiadonovan.com – Explore everything I offer and find the resources that can take your business to the next level.
Oh, and don’t forget to bookmark my blog, The Launch Pad, for all the latest updates and strategies to fuel your success!