Relevant to all aspects of your business – what makes you different? Ask your ideal clients about gaps in existing services. Look for ways in which the competition can improve. Look to current technological advancements and consumer trends to determine where the market is going and position your brand in its path.

2. Identify your target audience
Who is your message and story meant for? Who needs your brand the most? What are their age, income, habits, interests & favourite social media? Unless you get solid answers to these questions, you will have no idea to whom you’re speaking, and without knowing that, you can’t know what to say or how to say it.

3. Identify your target media 
What publications are catering to your target audience? Business experts tell us that we must go to the places where our ideal clients are gathering, to put our brands in front of them. Otherwise, we’ll never gain the visibility necessary for growth. Remember this as you look for ideal media outlets. Choose journalists who share your target audience, because what your ideal clients need to experience is what their ideal clients need to hear.

4. Carefully select your key message and story ideas
Use what you’ve learnt in the previous points to build a message that will grasp the attention of your target audience: a message that will run through all your communications. This message should demonstrate your brand’s core values and let your audience know ‘what’s in it for them’