Ok: you’ve got the technique, you’ve got the look, and you’re
getting the jobs... so how do you take your career to the next level?
Branding,
marketing and promotion.
Most dancers are pretty savvy when it comes to promoting
themselves, but branding often eludes them. As a performer, you are selling a product-you. In order to sell that product efficiently, you have to think like an executive, and develop your personal brand.
Wikipedia
defines Personal Branding as “the process whereby people and their careers are
marketed as brands…leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely
distinguishable.”
Did you ever notice that how after Starbucks became a hugely
popular worldwide corporation, other businesses selling coffee began using the
identical font on their signage? It was almost as though that particular font
was synonymous with a strong cup of freshly brewed coffee. This is an example
of branding.
As dancers our talent and persona are our brand. And as a business professional, you’re promoting your product, which is you! Branding isn’t
some difficult mystifying process; it’s more like presenting a product in an
identifiable way, to the people who are likely to enjoy that product. In marketing terms, a magnetic brand is
a brand that attracts- and that’s what you need to do: attract students,
workshop sponsors, restaurant or night club owners, workshop sponsors, members
of the press and people to come to your shows.
The easiest way to develop your brand is by
highlighting your unique personality. Think about your assets and talents, and
figure out what makes you special.
In my
case, when I started dancing almost 23 years ago, I really wasn’t like any of the other belly dancers around…I was a crazy rock‘n’roll
chick that laughed really loudly and liked to wear a lot make up. I adored retro
anything and wore lurid animal print costumes
before they were in style. I also didn’t know jack about branding- and it might not have even been a
concept then! But instead of
trying to conform to the “standard” belly dance image, I decided I would be
myself. I sent my webmaster
to a variety of belly dance websites so he could see what they were like. Most of them had hieroglyphics, pyramids, camels, and other
desert-y exotic images as their
graphics.
“Oh,” he
said, “Now I get the idea!”
I
answered,
“Those websites
are all really pretty, but
not my taste. I want something that’s completely the opposite of that, so it
stands out.…I want MY website to look like a crazy “I Dream Of Jeannie” leopard
print, psychedelic, Bollywood explosion!”
“Ok, you got it,” he replied, “But one
question: What the hell is Bollywood?”
Once I
explained it to him, he went to work, making the colorful extravaganza I desired.
I wanted my website to be different, I wanted it to stand out- but I
also wanted it to reflect my personality…I figured I couldn’t be the only dancer out there who looked and acted this way! I
also thought that people who liked the same things I did would relate to me
if they saw me in person, in
pictures or on a video…and it turned out, I was right. I didn’t even know what
branding was, but apparently,I was doing it!
Most
commercial brands appeal to the public by presenting images that they desire,
want to emulate, or have an affinity for. Unconsciously, I was building my
brand. Years later, I found out
from marketing maven and belly dancer Julie Eason, that what I had done is a
valid marketing technique called USP, or
Unique Selling Position.
After you’ve decided on your USP and which aspects of
your image or persona you want highlight, then you need to present your brand by using colors and images that can be
associated with you, and being consistent with smaller things, like fonts and
your logo, if you have one. Think of corporate logos and how identifiable they
are, and you’ll start seeing the big picture.
Make sure all your promotional materials, your ads and your website tie in together to sustain your brand. Experts say that it takes a person at least three exposures before they start to recognize a brand, so select your theme and be consistent with it. This is good branding…and a great marketing tool.
Make sure all your promotional materials, your ads and your website tie in together to sustain your brand. Experts say that it takes a person at least three exposures before they start to recognize a brand, so select your theme and be consistent with it. This is good branding…and a great marketing tool.
