Ways to Give More Value as a Brand Strategist
By Levina Kusumadjaja
Let’s face it: it’s a lot easier to only do client work than to deal with the marketing, finances, legal, and other issues in the business.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that client work isn’t hard work, but it’s easier to just do the strategy and the craft without worrying about everything else that’s happening in the business. Finances, marketing, research, vision-casting, and all-that-jazz. Did you catch what I said there? That’s right, you are not just someone who does brand strategy. You are not just a person who works with clients to help solve the client’s problems through brand strategy, but you are a business. This means that there are many other things outside of client work that are just as important as doing the actual client work.
While it’s important for you to do client work and work in your business, it is also important for you to work for your business.
One of the things that get brand strategists stuck in where they are at is when they get too busy with client work and they ignore the other aspects of the business. If you are satisfied with where you are at and you’re not thinking about growing your capacity and impact, then you don’t have to worry about this. However, if you do want to find ways to give more value and to go above where you are now in your client work and beyond, you have to pay attention to the things outside of client work. You have to work for your business, not just in your business.
Working for your business looks like taking the time and effort to focus on:
Connecting with people in your communities
Engaging in social media platforms
Streamlining your working process
Spending time with your team members
Managing your finances
Sitting down to reevaluate your goals and strategy routinely
Reading books and listening to podcasts
Finding the right work-life balance to not be overwhelmed
And many more.
The examples above might be challenging because it’s more comfortable to do what you have always been good at doing: design and strategy. You might start doing brand strategy with little knowledge in financial management and social media marketing. You might have little clue how to get yourself known and how to set goals. And if that’s where you’re at, that’s okay—as long as you are progressing towards the mindset of seeing yourself as a business, more than just someone who does brand strategy. As long as you are learning to not just work in your business, but also for your business.
Cheers!
Levina
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About the author:
Levina is a writer based in Indonesia. Because of Melinda Livsey, she recognized the power of brand strategy for every creative. She is sharing about her learnings as she goes to help creatives have fun in their growth and journey of building brands. Connect with her on LinkedIn and say hi!