Women of Rubies
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8 SIGNS YOUR PARTNER IS MATURE ENOUGH TO HANDLE A RELATIONSHIP

The beginning of a relationship can be a whirlwind of excitement. Flirtatious chats, all that intimate tension. Unfortunately, many of us have had these honeymoon stage feelings and only found out later that our partner wasn’t anywhere near ready to handle a relationship.

While the relationship can be fun and casual, you’ll also want to make sure that you know the signs of when your partner is really ready to take the next step into a mature and adult relationship. Some people just don’t have the experience, while others just aren’t ready to mature yet.

But how can you identify a mature partner?

“Many women talk about dating a “mature man”. What they’re really referring to is “emotional maturity.” An emotionally mature man is a man who won’t shut you out the minute things get stressful in his life,” says author Christian Carter.

Make sure you know the signs of when your partner is ready to take that next step with you.

Here are 8 Signs Your Partner Is Ready To Handle a Relationship

1. THEY’RE WILLING TO SHOW VULNERABILITY

If your significant other is flighty, cagey and doesn’t seem to want to open up, it may be a sign that they’re just not ready for a real relationship. After all, a key component of being in a relationship is the ability and the willingness to be vulnerable with your partner. Your partner should be willing to share their feelings with you, even when those feelings are upsetting or uncomfortable.

2. THEY’RE AUTHENTIC

Your partner should act and feel like a real person. You shouldn’t have to watch them put on a show for the people around you. If your partner is authentic, it means that they’re willing to stick to their core beliefs, and don’t feel a need to fake it around other people. Your partner should be entirely comfortable with who they are. If they aren’t, how are they going to be comfortable in a relationship?

If something comes up or things don’t go their way, they’re able to handle it with grace rather than throwing a fit. You want to be sure that your partner is able to go with the flow, because life and relationships are always going to be changing when we least expect it.

You don’t want a partner who is using you for financial gain.

“It is important that someone be able to take care of themselves emotionally and physically. If they can’t, they will never be able to provide the support they need to provide when that is called for,” says clinical psychologist and author Mark E. Sharp, Ph.D.

Having a partner who is flexible and easily able to handle change means that they’re definitely ready and mature enough to be in a relationship.

4. THEY’RE INTIMATE

Having a good sex life is a pretty important part of having a mature relationship. If your partner has troubles with intimacy, it may be a sign that they’re just not ready to take that step with you. And that’s okay! People move at their own pace. Your partner should always be intimate in ways that aren’t just limited to sex. They should be able to share their feelings with you, and share parts of themselves that they don’t with other people. That is an important part of intimacy.

5. THEY HAVE GOALS AND STICK WITH THEM

Having goals is good, but sometimes people just put them on a shelf and forget to actually try and achieve them. You want to make sure your partner has the ability to make goals and also follow through with them. If they want to lose a few pounds, your partner should have the control to change their diet or exercise in order to do so – instead of just saying they want to without doing anything.

5. THEY HAVE GOOD FINANCIAL HABITS

The hallmark of someone who isn’t mature enough to be in a relationship is their inability to handle their finances. They should be able to pay their bills on time without accidentally overspending on things that they shouldn’t. If your partner has good financial habits and isn’t constantly running out of money on things they don’t need, it’s safe to say they’re mature enough to handle a relationship.

7. THEY’RE A GOOD PERSON

Being a good person is a culmination of many things. How do they treat strangers, service workers, their friends and their parents? What are their values? How do they feel about helping others? A lot of being a good person is knowing when to be selfless. If your partner has a hard time thinking about anyone other than themselves, then they might not be ready to think about you.

A good person is one who has “respect and kindness in his words and actions. You don’t feel belittled or less than even if he isn’t happy with you. He stands with you and has your back when you are struggling. Your priorities become important to him,” says marriage counselor and author Lesli Doares.

8. THEY’RE SELF-AWARE

Your partner should be able to notice both their strengths and their weaknesses. You want a partner who has a balanced view of themselves. If they think too highly of themselves, they may not be able to recognize when they’re in the wrong. If they think too lowly of themselves, they may not have the self-esteem it takes to maintain a relationship. Keep an eye out for your partner’s self-awareness; it’ll be a huge indicator of when they’re ready for a relationship.

Lets me also add that a mature partner should respect your differences

Not only do they respect them, but they also appreciate them. Your partner should appreciate your differences, and respect you as a person enough to not try and change them. If you find that your partner can’t seem to see past your differences, it may be a sign they’re not ready to handle a relationship

Final thoughts

Making sure your partner hits these checkpoints of maturity is important to knowing whether or not they’re really ready for a relationship. But at the same time, it’s important that you can say the same thing about yourself, as well! Relationships take two people to work, and you want to make sure you’re not holding your partner to a higher standard than yourself.

– Esther Ijewere™©

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8 SIMPLE WAYS TO BUILD YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE

“Do you want to attract people to you effortlessly”?

“Do people warm up to you easily”?

If you have confidence in yourself and your abilities or you want to boost your confidence level, then this article is for you.

Read on….

With Confidence, you’re more likely to try different things and take risks—ask your boss for a raise or promotion, approach an attractive guy or girl in public, or start working out.

Confidence is something that is often easy to notice in people, but is difficult to figure out what exactly it is they’re doing that is making them so visibly confident.

Here are 8 things that confident people do regularly and that you can implement immediately to start building your confidence.

1. Listen

Confident people listen and hear what others have to say. This is a way to remain open-minded and understand others’ perspectives. One of the best tips I was ever told was to listen to someone’s viewpoint and wait at least three seconds to reply. If you reply too soon, you’re defending your response or replying with your own thoughts and it’s likely that you didn’t actually listen—you were concentrated on your perspective. As you wait to reply, the other person is also more likely to reveal more about themselves. Next time you feel the urge to reply immediately in a conversation, stop, wait for three seconds, and really let that other person’s words sink in.

2. Smile

Something as simple as smiling more can do wonders to improve your mood and stress levels. Smiling makes your brain feel like you are happy, which in turn projects positivity to the rest of your body. Next time you are walking down the street or around the halls at school or work, smile at the first person you see and notice the change in your mood.

3. Encourage others

Confident people are aware of their abilities and don’t feel threatened by others. Instead, confident people encourage others to be successful and inspire others to seek out beneficial opportunities. Next time someone approaches you—a coworker, friend, colleague—about an opportunity they have or are interested in, encourage and inspire them to go through with it.

4. Ask about others

Confident people don’t feel the need to talk about themselves every chance they get. Yes, they want to be heard, but they don’t feel a need to prove themselves. This confidence allows them to get to know another person quicker, as they are making that person feel like the most important person in the room. Next time you’re talking to someone you don’t know (or barely know), try to keep the conversation about them while being genuine. To do this, use a mental framework called FORGE: family, occupation, relationships, goals, environment. Once you find something that they seem passionate about or that you have in common, go further on that topic. Once a person realizes you’re genuinely interested in them, they are more likely to open up.

5. Think confidently

Thinking confidently may seem obvious or easy, but it’s important (and sometimes harder than you’d think). To think confidently, try remembering a time when you felt confident in a situation. Maybe after you received a compliment from someone after your last presentation, you felt great about yourself and confident in your skills. Before you give your next presentation or speech, remember how this felt, and remember that other people saw how well you performed previously—this lets your brain know you are more than capable of succeeding because you’ve done it before.

6. Dress for success

This may seem vain, but the way you dress impacts how you feel. Think about it— you don’t put on dress clothes to lounge around all day, watching Netflix. So, the same holds true if you want to feel confident. Next time you go into a situation where you need to feel confident (a presentation, negotiation, crucial conversation, etc.) wear clean, well-kept clothes that fit properly and notice how more confident you feel.

8. Meditate

Meditation is one of the best ways to improve your presence, and presence is one of the key contributors of charisma. Confident people have great awareness of the situation around them and they focus all their energy and attention on those they are talking with. Meditating opens your mind to feeling in the moment, and when you’re in the moment it’s easier to see your abilities and skills in action, which can help you to feel more confident in yourself. Meditating can improve your mindfulness and make you more aware of your own thoughts. If you can recognize your thoughts, you’re able to catch the negative ones before they manifest in your body and turn them into positive thoughts, which will help you to feel more confident.

– Esther Ijewere™©

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Woman Welcomes Two Sets Of Twins In Same Year

ALEXZANDRIA WOLLISTON SAYS THAT HER TWO SETS OF TWIN BOYS, BORN MARCH AND DECEMBER, ARE BLESSINGS FROM HER GRANDMOTHERS, WHO BOTH LOST TWIN BOYS AT BIRTH.

A Florida woman is now the mother of two sets of twin boys. The babies were all born in the same year, a pair in March and another in December.

Local NBC affiliate WPTV spoke to Alexzandria Wolliston about her remarkable deliveries. She told the outlet that she was surprised to find out that she was expecting twins during her first pregnancy of the year. Wolliston was even more shocked to find out on Mother’s Day that she would be welcoming another. The West Palm Beach mom says the boys, named Mark, Malakhi, Kaylen and Kayleb are her “jackpot.” They join a 2-year-old big sister Ar’Mani.

Wolliston was recently made aware that multiples run in her family. Both her grandmothers lost twin boys at birth. She now believes that her babies are blessings from above. “I always say that I feel like my grandmothers gave me their kids because two sets of twins and their twins passed away,” the 25-year-old shared with WPTV. “I feel like they just sent them down for me.”

Alexzandria Wolliston with family that includes two sets of twin boys.
ALEXZANDRIA WOLLISTON HAS STARTED A GOFUNDME PAGE FOR HER GROWING FAMILY THAT INCLUDES TWO SETS OF TWIN BOYS. PHOTO CREDIT: GOFUNDME

The University of Central Florida graduate says she was nervous at first about the news that two more boys would be joining her brood but now contends that she’s won the “twin lottery.”

In a YouTube vlog, Wolliston, who gave birth on Dec. 27, shares her excitement and admits to the surprising nature of it all. “This is going to be my second set of twins born in the same year. How crazy is that? Who you know have two sets of twins in the same year? I’ll wait,” she playfully says. “I need a TV show. Somebody call CBS. Somebody call NBC. Somebody call —put me on the news. I done broke history.”

Wolliston’s original due date was Feb. 5, with doctors hoping she made it at least to 38 weeks. That didn’t happen and now she’s adjusting to her new normal as her young boys make their way from the hospital. According to People, Kayleb was released from the hospital on Monday and Kayleb will remain in the NICU as he learns to eat on his own.

 

Credit: Essence

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How To cope With Parenting While Sick

  • It is definitely not easy raising kids already. But again, how does a mother cope when she feels really down health-wise? What can you do when you can barely keep your head up to do those house chores?

This seems like an impossible task. Yet mom from all around the world manage to keep themselves and their kids functioning during seasons like this..Hang on we’ve got some tips to help you moms!

Lower your dining expectations

kids would always eat something, they can’t afford to skip a meal. Make it easy on yourself by having quck and easy meal plan. Do not go worrying about real meals. You can pick out healthy fruits and vegetables as side menu, and consider meals like noodles which dont take long to prepare. For breakfast, opt for cereals.

Have some meals frozen before hand that your microwave can quickly heat up to feed the little ones. While you didn’t plan to get sick, if you have family and friends nearby, ask them to come by with a homemade meal — even better if they stay and play with the kids for a bit.

Ask for help

You do not have to hesitate to ask for help when you need to. Ask when you need it, especially when you’re sick and your kids are little. Let your husband understand the situation, so he can proffer solutions as well. If you have siblings and trusted friends nearby, why not have them help too.

Go easy on yourself

Finally, quit the idea that you have to do it all. Meals do not have to be as lavish as they were, your kids bedtime stories can be a little shorter.  You can also drop the kids with their grannies if that’s possible.

Rest, drink plenty of water, take a hot shower and do anything that helps you deal with stress. Taking good care of yourself would also teach your kids about self-care and therefore gives them examples of how to act when they’re adults.

These tips may not necessarily make you feel better, but hopefully, they’ll make being sick more easy to handle at home with the kids.

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ACTRESS TARAJI HENSON LAUNCHES HAIR CARE LINE

Taraji is an American actress who has starred in mutiple roles like Think like a man to The Empire amongst others. On wednesday night she announced her natural hair care line TPH by Taraji. She has been dropping hints about the new brand for months, about her plans to unveil it this new year.

So, she finally posted a short video about the hair care line on her instagram page.

“I created this hair care line because I wanted to maintain healthy hair [and] a healthy scalp while wearing wigs, weaves, or installs,” she said. “I realized a lot of women were putting weaves in their hair totally neglecting their hair. And I know the weave is fabulous honey, but you have to take care of that hair underneath. That’s what TPH by Taraji will give you—the most amazing, refreshing experience. This line is perfect for taking care of your natural hair.”

The line includes products for cleansing, hydrating, detangling, maintaining moisture,repairing, styling, and also laying those edges like an expert.

This brand is now available on target.com, and in Target stores beginning January 29. Prices start at $8.99. according to Essence.

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CHEF MARIYA RUSSELL BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO EARN A MICHELIN STAR

Mariya Russell, chef de cuisine of Chicago’s Kikko and Kumiko just became the first Black woman to earn a michelin star in the Guide’s 94-year history, Chicago Mag reports. 

The Michelin Guide is one of the oldest guide books, published by the Michelin tire company first in 1926, rating restaurants and hotels. The Michelin star is a mark of excellence for restaurateurs and one of the highest honors a chef can receive.

Russell is an Ohio native who found her passion for cooking early in life.

During high school, she enrolled in a culinary training program where she performed exceptionally well. She eventually moved on to culinary school, getting her first job as a line cook. She met Noah Sandoval, the owner of Kikko and Kumiko, when they both worked at another restaurant, Green Zebra. Sandoval went on to open several avant-garde restaurants including, Senza, a wheat-free restaurant which closed in 2014, and Oriole, an interactive upscale dining experience that runs customers about $215 per person. By the time Noah asked Russell to run a bar for him, she had already fallen in love with his inventive approach.

Kumiko found near instant success. The Japanese inspired dishes and omakase format were a hit with Chicagoans. Last summer, they separated the omakase tasting menu and a la carte drink and snack menus, making the tasting menu reservations-only, renaming that portion of the restaurant, Kikko. The omakase format of the bar means that everything is left up to Russell, including the dishes and ingredients served, and the alcoholic pairings, no substitutions. Every night, she greets the guests, encouraging them to ask questions about the food and reminding them to have a great time.

 

Credit: Because Of Them We Can

 

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6 SECRETS YOU SHOULD NEVER TELL ANYONE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

“Have you ever told someone more they need to know “?

“Have you had a phone conversation and right after you regret saying more than you should”?

Well, you are not alone….. This article is just for you,

Continue reading….

Truth is Lots of us have a bad habit of wearing our hearts on our sleeves. This can make us an open book even to strangers. We definitely don’t want that – mystery is the spice of life, after all. Keeping a clear distinction between your personal life and your professional life is a difficult (but very important) skill to master. You have to be very picky who you share your secrets with, because, unfortunately, not everyone has good intentions.

Importantly, you need to be careful to make sure that the details of your personal life can’t be used to hurt you. It’s useful to have a basic list of certain personal information you should never share with others. If you don’t know how to make your own list, we’re here to help. In fact, we’ve combined some secrets you should always try to keep to yourself, no matter how strong the urge to share them with everyone.

According to Joan Collins; “The secret of having a personal life is not answering too many questions about it.”

HERE ARE 6 SECRETS TO NEVER TELL ANYONE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

1. Past Resentments

We all have negative stories about our personal life to tell about people we don’t like. (Remember those schoolmates or former colleagues that you held a grudge against years ago – and maybe still do? Yeah, same here.) It’s always best to let go of these feelings and discuss them as little as you can in public. This is for you as much as for others, because negativity is exhausting. Not just to feel but also to listen to. People prefer communicating with positive conversation partners, those who have interesting insights to provide – not ones who gripe about some other people they don’t even know. Let go of whatever’s weighing you down. Try to focus on the present and you’ll find that more and more people will be keen to talk to you.

2. Material Belongings

As we all know, certain things in life are far more important than their cost. But sometimes, we can’t help but brag about the new car we have, or the new phone we just bought at an exclusive price. As much as Parks and Recreation might tell you otherwise, your colleagues don’t want to know about how you’ve been treating yourself. It can make you come off as arrogant and overly obsessed with the monetary value of things rather than their unique significance. Modesty is a wonderful accessory. You should try and spread it throughout your conversations.

3. Goals for the Future

You might find this unlikely, but there is actually science behind the fact that you’re much more likely to achieve your long-term goals if you don’t share them with others. When you tell others about your future aspirations, you almost feel as if the enjoyment of achieving the goal has been taken from you. As a result, you don’t work as hard towards it. If you keep your goals to yourself, however, you have a much higher chance of achieving them. And once you have done that, feel free to tell the whole world about it.

4. Your Income

Only one group of people should be allowed to know the details of your income: the people who work in your bank. Money is never a nice subject to talk about in public because you never know what anyone’s financial situation looks like. It may seem like you’re bragging without meaning to. Money – and knowledge about finances – can shift relationships irreparably. Once your financial situation becomes public knowledge, people just start looking at you differently without being able to help it. To save yourself from that kind of awkward situation, keep the details of your income to your bank statements.

5. Good Deeds

You may have heard that good deeds always attract good karma. That’s true, and you should never be discouraged from doing good – however, if you start bragging about it, it takes on a whole different perspective. Once you brag about something good that you’ve done, you’re making it all about yourself, thus invalidating the good that you’ve already created. Many of the greatest philanthropists in the world remain anonymous for a very good reason. When you do a charitable deed, you want the attention to be on the people or the cause that you’re helping and not on yourself.

6. Family Problems

Whether it’s your extended family or your blood relatives, keep the problems in the family. Don’t abuse people’s trust. You’ve been told those secrets because you are close to these people, but they haven’t allowed you to spread them around to everyone in your social circle. They confided in you, and breaking that confidence is the worst thing you could possibly do. Be respectful of other people’s secrets. In return, you can expect for them to treat you the same

– Esther Ijewere™©

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7 SIGNS SOMEONE IS JEALOUS OF YOU (AND HOW TO FIX IT)

“Have you ever felt like a friend or family is jealous of you”?

“Do you have friends who love to compete with you”?

Nothing feels worse than achieving a goal or becoming successful in an endeavor and discovering that the people around you don’t feel proud or positive about it – but rather, they feel jealous. A person’s jealous feelings can cause them to act unkindly towards us, especially in the face of our own achievements or success.

Everyone has felt this unpleasant emotion at least once in their lives, and most likely much more than that. It seems much harder to deal with when other people feel jealous towards us, though. After all, we can control how we feel, but we can’t control other people’s emotions. Recognizing the signs that someone is jealous of you can be the first step to fixing it.

Here are 7 signs if someone’s jealous of you ;

1. Downplay your Success

No matter what you achieve or how hard you worked to do so, jealous people will always try to make it seem like it was a fluke, or that you didn’t work as hard as you did to achieve your success. The reasons that they come up with may be rude or condescending. Rising to their bait will only make them more likely to talk poorly. Stay humble but firm in your achievements. If you brag, they may be more likely to stay jealous of you.

“People who will envy you the most are the ones who are in need the most of what you possess,” says M.Farouk Radwan, MSc.

2. False Praise

When someone is jealous of you, they’re often the first to give you a compliment that sounds sincere, or seems to be dripping with passive aggression. However, you’ll find that these people will be rolling their eyes the minute you leave the room.

They would rather pretend they’re not jealous than address the issue. One way to turn it back around is to give them sincere compliments when something good happens to them. It may help them see that you’re a genuine person, and help curb their jealousy.

3. Flaunting their Success

Someone who is jealous of you may be more inclined to flaunt their success more than it’s really worth flaunting. They may be more inclined to flaunt their own achievements while you’re celebrating your own. These are the type of people to get engaged at a wedding.

But why do they flaunt their success in the first place?

Because chances are, they’re not as successful as you are. Author Bob Bly states, “There are always people who are filled with negative thoughts — not only about others whom they envy (you) but also about themselves and their perceived failure to having achieved their goals (which are often to own their own business or be richer than they are).”

While it may be frustrating, getting upset is only going to make them feel more justified in their behavior. Instead, offer them sincere praise in their achievements. Leading by example is a good way to alter someone’s behavior.

4. They’re are Imitating You

Someone who is jealous of you alternatively wants to be better than you, and also be just like you. They may imitate the way you talk or the way you dress in order to feel better about themselves. Instead of allowing this to upset you, try to encourage them to go their own way. When they’re doing their own thing, give them positive reinforcement. Show them that they don’t have to be you to be great, and that they can be their own person.

5. They’re are competitive

Jealous people tend to be highly competitive, because they always want to be the one reaping the success or as clinical psychologist Melanie Greenberg says, they are “either insecure or arrogant and want to prove superiority.”

While it can be tempting to take them down a peg, refuse to make the competition unhealthy, or even refuse to participate. If they try to argue with you about a job promotion, just simply tell them: “It isn’t a competition.” Refusing to play into their game will make them less likely to try and continue to one up you.

jealousy

6. Celebrating your failures

Someone who is jealous is going to privately feel very good about when you make mistakes, or get reprimanded or corrected at work or school. While they may never show it, they’re often secretly enjoying your failures. Handle your mistakes with grace! You can always remind them that making mistakes are part of life and learning. If you’re not upset, they’re not getting the enjoyment out of it that they thought they would.

7. They gossip behind your back

Jealous people will always find a way to talk about you behind your back. It’s not fun, and the things they say can be malicious and hurtful. The best way to deal with someone who does this may be just to confront them directly.

Since jealous people don’t tend to be outwardly confrontational, talking to them seriously about what they’re doing may be enough to get them to rethink their behavior, or to get it to stop entirely.

My final thoughts

Dealing with someone else’s jealousy can be a tricky situation. You may feel the desire to just tell them off. But, dealing with a jealous person in a non-confrontational and positive manner is ultimately better for both you and the other person. They may feel a lot of self-esteem issues that they need to work through, and getting upset with them won’t fix or deal with their jealous tendencies. Knowing the signs of a jealous person will make it easier to fix and handle in a positive and productive manner.

– Esther Ijewere™©

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SERENA WILLIAMS WINS 1ST TITTLE FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A MOTHER

Serena Williams the world famous tennis champion has won her tittle since becoming a new mom. This happens to be her 73rd tittle and, first since becoming a new mom.

Serena proudly carrying her daughter

Williams hasn’t won a tittle since the birth of her daughter, Olympia. “Finally!” She gushed.
“Oh, it feels good!” said Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. “It’s been a long time. I think you could see the relief on my face.
“It’s pretty satisfying just to get a win in the final.
“That was really important for me, and I just want to build on it. It’s just a step towards the next goal.”
“You have to be your biggest cheerleader, especially if you’re feeling you’re not doing everything right — or even if you are doing everything right but things aren’t working out for you,” she added.
According to ESPN, “the 23-time major winner donated her $43,000 winner’s
she donated to the fundraising appeal for victims of Australian wildfires.”
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CAREER–Farida Yahya: Use These Methods To Create a Unique Brand Voice

This year, whatever brand tone you adopt, the most important rule is to ensure that your brand tone is authentic. Trying to fake your voice is like asking a goat to sing. You’re literally bleating and people can easily spot anything fake these days. As studies have shown throughout the years, consumers buy products from brands that they connect to on an emotional level. They also stay away from brands that they cannot connect with.

 As 2019 came to an end, a good number of startup founders took some time off work to do some introspection. What worked? What didn’t? How can they outsmart the competition in the coming decade?

In my limited interaction with all the sales and end of year bundle ads that flew around, I noticed a predictable pattern: most brands have lost their brand voice in a bid to cash in and stamp “sold out” across their social media pages. While that seems to work short term, it won’t be business as usual in 2020.

How do you keep your “I am different” slogan and still make some cool cash? I have four methods to share with you. But before then, let’s talk about marketing your new business.

New product idea? Check.

A good customer base? Double-check.

Before you proceed with marketing your new business, product or brand, you must define your ‘brand voice’. Your company’s brand voice is the heart and soul of your communication. It is the tone you adapt to speak and connect with your audience.

The absence of a brand voice means that you can’t create your blog, publish your first post, tweet or post a caption on Instagram. Your brand’s voice can range from being authoritative to fun, informative or witty. This year, whatever brand tone you adopt, the most important rule is to ensure that your brand tone is authentic. Trying to fake your voice is like asking a goat to sing. You’re literally bleating and people can easily spot anything fake these days. As studies have shown throughout the years, consumers buy products from brands that they connect to on an emotional level. They also stay away from brands that they cannot connect with.

So how do you make your brand’s voice unique enough to stand out from its competitors?

Build Prototypes

As you work on determining your brand’s voice, you must know who you’re talking to — beyond your audiences’ basic demographics. One trick to help you easily identify this is to pick a person from your target market (it could be the elderly, working mums, stay-at-home parents, bachelors, etc) to answer the following questions:

  • What does he or she look like?
  • What does he or she care about?
  • Where does he or she work?
  • What does he or she do for fun?
  • And, most importantly, what does he or she expect from your brand?

Answering these questions will give an insight into people’s heads and teach you how to attract them to your brand. Plus, it’s the first step to defining what brand voice to adopt.

Identify The Language Your Target Audience (Customers) Use

Pay attention to where your target audience gathers: online or in-person? Visit those places and observe the way they write and speak. See how they describe the challenges they face that your product or service solves and bring those terms into your official vocabulary. By using their words, you make it easier for potential customers to immediately understand your company’s value.

Answer These Questions

The next step is to answer the following questions:

  • I want my brand to make people feel _______ (happy, important, belong, create nostalgia, etc).
  •  _______ makes me feel this way.
  • I want people to _______ when they see my brand.
  • Three words that describe my brand are _______ , _______ , and _______.
  • I want to mimic the brand voice of _______.
  • I dislike brand voices that sound _______ (cliché, rude, angry, unsympathetic, and arrogant?).
  • Connecting with my clients and potential clients makes me feel _______.

Since your aim would be to adopt a sincere and natural brand tone, you must pay attention to the answers you get from the questions above. Should your brand voice be plain, witty, authoritative or funny? Is it rolling-on-the floor funny or laugh-out-loud funny? Should it be scholarly authoritative or I’m explaining something to a younger brother/sister authoritative? Take your pick!

Create a Test Group

Get a bunch of your closest people together (families and friends). Please note that these people should also represent your (proposed) target market. Ask for their opinion about:

  • What excites them the most about your brand?
  • What makes it unique?
  • What words describe your brand?

Based on their feedback, craft a 1-2 sentence mission statement in a few different brand voices. Then decide which one feels the most natural to you or excites you the most.

The answers you get here hugely determine the brand tone you adopt. Additionally, it’s okay to combine parts of the answers to the second question above to get the final product. Finding your brand tone can be likened to painting: sometimes, it requires adding a splash of this and that to get the perfect result.

In Conclusion

Finding a unique voice that your customers will love isn’t easy. It isn’t impossible either. With tons of commotion and unhealthy comparisons on social media, it’s hard to stand out and easy to get lost in the noise. However, remember that it’s very easy to create a bad or easily forgettable experience that will make your followers bored and press the mute or unfollow button.

When you develop and stick to a brand voice, social media interactions get easier. People easily identify your brand and know what to expect from it. Make sure to promote your brand voice and have a clear vision of how everyone sees your brand. Brand perception is extremely important!

Here’s to your success in the new decade.

Happy New Year

By Farida Yahya

Credit: Bellanaija

 

 

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