Being found is only useful if people can understand what they have found.

Someone can land on your website, social media profile, Google listing or booking page and still be left wondering:

• Who is this for?

• What do they actually do?

• Is this the right fit for me?

• What kind of experience can I expect?

• Why should I choose this business over another?

That is where identity matters.

Identity is not just what you say your business is. It is what people understand, feel and expect when they encounter you. It is the clear sense of who you are, who you help, what you stand for and what kind of experience people can expect from being in your world.

When we think about identity as humans, we often think about how we see ourselves, how we move through the world and how other people may perceive us.

We try to give the best impression to the people we are drawn to, whether that is in friendships, relationships, work, community or business. We learn very early that how we show up affects how people respond to us.

How we are raised informs a lot of these elements. Nature and nurture both play their part, and many of us were raised to be polite, kind, respectful, punctual, well-mannered and not too disruptive.

If you are part of my generation, that will be Gen X, you were probably also told to only speak when spoken to.

Manners, yes. But that mindset can leave a mark.

It can leave a whole generation, and sometimes the children of that generation too, holding back, softening their message, over-explaining, trying not to offend, and making themselves less clear than they need to be.

That might keep the peace in some areas of life, but in business it can create a problem because people cannot choose what they do not clearly understand.

The human side of business identity

So why is the human side of identity relevant to business? Because how we show up as ourselves is often an integral part of the identity of our business.

This is particularly true for solo businesses and small teams where the owner is an active part of the service, the client experience, the decision-making or the face of the brand.

Our values, beliefs, standards, preferences and personality will show, unless we are very good at hiding them. And let’s face it, no one can hide who they are permanently. Just look at reality TV shows. People may begin by performing a version of themselves, but over time the slips appear and the real person starts to show. It is no different in business.

If you present yourself as an organic, eco-conscious business, but someone sees behind the scenes and finds piles of unnecessary plastic, wasteful systems and disposable choices that do not match your message, they are likely to lose faith in you very quickly.

Not necessarily because you are imperfect. We are all imperfect, but because the identity you presented and the reality they discovered do not match.

As small business owners, our personal identity and business identity are often more blended than we realise. That does not mean we have to share every detail of our private lives. It does mean we need to be honest about the values, standards and experience our business is built around.

If how you are in reality does not match how your business shows up, you will spend unnecessary energy trying to keep the mask from falling.

Using identity to get found and chosen

When people are searching for their next service, product or professional, your identity is part of what welcomes them into your world.

They are not just seeing your logo, colours or latest post.

They are seeing the manifestation of your personality, branding, offer, message and opportunity.

They are taking in the words you use, the way you present yourself, the feel of your website, the clarity of your services, the quality of your images, the tone of your reviews and the sense of whether your business feels right for them.

In previous articles, I have spoken about brand and recognition. Brand helps people understand what you stand for. Recognition helps them connect the dots and know it is you. Identity helps them decide whether your business feels like the right fit. It pushes the connection further. It can welcome the right people closer, and it can also push the wrong people away.

That is not a bad thing. In fact, it is useful. I have written before, and will revisit again at some point, about the anti-ideal client. They are a real problem. Until you have experienced one, you may think they are like fairies and merely a myth. I assure you, they are not. When one arrives in your business, the last thing you want is for them to become a regular fixture in your week.

A clear identity helps reduce that risk because it gives people a stronger sense of whether they belong in your world before they step fully into it.

When identity attracts the right people

Let’s return to the organic, eco-conscious example.

When someone has made a moral, ethical or personal choice to live and experience life in a certain way, they will often seek like-minded businesses, services and products that support that view.

If you are a small business with genuine green credentials, I would expect to see that through your branding and identity. Not just in one line on a website. I would expect to see it in your messaging, graphics, product choices, packaging, suppliers, language, actions and possibly even your website hosting.

I work with a website designer who specifically provides eco website hosting and design. It is a great niche, and one that I am sure will continue to grow as the environmental impact of AI data centres and the wider online space becomes better understood.

The point is not that every business needs to be eco-led.

The point is that if you claim something as part of your identity, people will expect to see it reflected across the business.

That is how identity builds trust.

Wearing an identity mask

So what happens when a business fakes it? Or perhaps more gently, what happens when the identity being presented does not match the reality being delivered?

• You may initially win clients.

• You may create interest.

• You may even build momentum.

But how sustainable is it? Long term, can you keep the facade up? If you have a team, are they on board? Do they understand the same values? Do they share the same standards? Are they delivering the experience your marketing promises?

I spend time judging business awards within my key sector, and I have seen many examples where the message being shared is not always matched within the business.

A business may market itself as providing excellent service through attention to detail, high professional standards and an exceptional client experience, but when you scratch the surface, it does not always follow through.

Sometimes the slips are minor. We all have bad days, and no business is perfect, but should we publicise the moments that damage the very identity we are trying to build? I am all for authenticity, but if your version of authenticity undermines the trust you are asking people to place in you, it may come with a heavy price tag.

This is where alignment matters.

If you say your business is calm, high-end, professional and detail-led, but your public content shows chaos, careless language, poor attention to detail or a very different energy, people may question which version is true.

That does not mean every business needs to be polished, quiet or formal.

If your business identity is bold, loud, sweary, relaxed, rebellious or deliberately unfiltered, and your ideal client loves that, fantastic. Own it! But make sure your online identity clearly shows that this is the kind of place people are stepping into.

The issue is not whether a business is formal or informal. The issue is whether the identity being presented matches the experience being delivered.

If there is a mismatch, the right people may not stay long enough to become treasured.

Identity and Found | Chosen | Treasured

This is where identity sits so clearly within the client journey. At the Found stage, identity helps people understand what they have discovered. They may find you through Google, social media, a recommendation, an article, a directory, a podcast, an event or a post someone else has shared, but once they land in your world, the question becomes:

Can they quickly understand who you are, what you do and whether you are relevant to them?

At the Chosen stage, identity helps people decide whether you are the right fit. They are looking for clarity, reassurance and a sense of connection. They want to know whether your business reflects what matters to them, solves the problem they have, and offers the kind of experience they want.

At the Treasured stage, identity helps the experience remain consistent after they become a client. If the experience they receive does not match the identity that attracted them, the relationship can weaken. If it does match, the trust deepens.

That is why identity is not just a branding exercise.

It is part of the whole client journey.

A recent reminder from my own business

I have recently rebranded and clarified my own business identity and last weekend, which also explains the lateness of this article, I had my first expo space since making that shift more visible. I was really pleased that so many delegates approached me with the right questions. They were seeking my thoughts on the client journey, visibility, how businesses are experienced and what makes people choose one business over another.

That told me something really important:

• There were no blurred lines.

• No vague “I do a bit of everything.”

• No confusion around what I was there to talk about.

It was clear.

Professionally led client journey strategy was available there, with a bright shining light.

That is what clear identity can do. It does not mean everyone will understand you, want you or choose you. It means the right people have a much better chance of recognising that you are relevant to them.

A simple identity check

If you want to review your own business identity, start with a few simple questions.

Open your website, social media profile, Google Business Profile, booking page and latest offer.

Then ask:

• Is it immediately clear who this business helps?

• Is it clear what problem, desire or need it supports?

• Is the tone consistent across the different touchpoints?

• Does the business look and sound like the experience it claims to provide?

• Would the right client recognise that this is for them?

• Would the wrong client have enough information to self-select out?

• Is there anything that creates confusion, hesitation or mixed messages?

Fundamentally, if someone found you today, would they understand you?

Final thoughts

Being found matters, but being found is not enough if people cannot make sense of what they have found.

Your identity should help the right people understand who you are, what you stand for, who you help and what kind of experience they can expect.

It should make you easier to understand.

Easier to trust.

Easier to choose.

And for the right people, easier to return to.

So the final question for this article is:

If someone found your business today, would they understand who you help, what you stand for and why your work matters?

Sue

If this has made you wonder whether your own business identity is clear enough, take five minutes to look at your website, social profile, Google Business Profile and booking page side by side.

Ask yourself: would a new client understand who I help, what I stand for and why my work matters?

If you would like support looking at your visibility, recognition and client journey with fresh eyes, you can find out more at www.sue-davies.com.

Subscribe if you would like to keep exploring the touchpoints that help businesses become Found | Chosen | Treasured.

When business owners hear the word recognition, they often think immediately about logos, colours, fonts and templates. Those things matter, but they are only part of it. Recognition is about creating enough consistency in your marketing and the experience you provide, that people can connect your posts, website, profile, emails, offers, language and real-world presence to the same business.

It’s not simply about someone remembering your logo. It is about them recognising your thinking, your message, your values and the experience they associate with your business.

What else is memorable about your business? For me, it’s how it makes me feel, what thoughts seeing that brand evokes on sight or more importantly, how I feel when I’ve been in the presence of the business as a user.

As a salon and wellness professional, everything I do within that side of my business is about how I make people feel. What I leave them with - a feeling of nurture, relaxation, restoration, rebalance, all in the guise of making them want to return for another experience with me.

As therapists, we literally touch people, and that leaves a sensory mark on many levels which relates back to our branding. That touch can extend into most of the senses, including feel, smell and sight. These are the elements we want to impact as business owners because that’s what is triggered when they see us scrolling past. They’ll remember the aroma of the products used, the sense of calm they left with, and the way they felt when they looked in the mirror after we’d worked our magic.

We want people to remember and then recognise that feeling when they see our branding. The way our brand speaks, the tone it uses and the problems we solve, the way they feel they’ve arrived home or look in the mirror, all create recognition when the trigger is prompted, and they feel the connection between themselves and you that choosing you brings.

We put a lot of weight behind the visuals of our brand, and that visual consistency helps, but recognition is bigger than just appearance.

As business owners, we need to consider whether:

• we’re looking consistent but communicating inconsistently.

• we’re using the same colours everywhere, but still not clear what we offer.

• despite having a polished logo we’re giving mixed messages.

• different parts of the business are reinforcing one another.

• repeating our message often and remembering it’s not boring when it helps people understand and remember you.

• We’re constantly changing your message, which can stop people from connecting the dots.

Brand is about understanding, recognition is about connection

A recognisable business gives people enough familiar clues to join the pieces together. They do not need to start again every time they encounter you. Once someone has experienced your business, the branding has done a lot of its work, and it becomes more about recognition, as they can then reflect on their product or service. The dots are beginning to connect and when recognition soaks in, it helps with the final connections to make a solid line.

Brand is about what people understand about you. Recognition is how quickly they know it is you and can draw on the memories of seeing, experiencing or connecting with you previously.

Brand, as I spoke about last time, is your opportunity to share more than just your colours, fonts and logos. It’s also:

• what you stand for

• what you are known for

• who you help

• what makes your approach distinct

• what people expect from you

• the feeling associated with your business

Recognition happens when people encounter one of those clues and connect it back to you. When you’re being consistent and providing a solid and consistently good experience, someone will know it’s you from:

• a phrase you regularly use

• a colour or style associated with you

• a particular topic

• a type of advice

• a familiar tone of voice

• an offer that fits your wider message

• a real-world sign, leaflet, stand or event presence

They should be able to think:

“That sounds like Sue.” “That looks like their business.” “That is what they are known for.”

Being found through recognition

Being found is not only about appearing in search results or social feeds. It is also about being correctly identified and understood once you appear. Brand and recognition are closely tied and as people need to have multiple contacts with your business before they commit, the brand strength will help people remember you over someone else and recognise you on their feed on or mapping platforms.

If you are inconsistent in your branding, messaging and tone, you won’t be memorable. Not being memorable is not an option in business. You have to stand out, you have to make a connection, you have to come to mind when that person wants what you offer.

Think about whether your website, social media and Google Business Profile all look and feel the same. Being an excitable owner on one platform but all business on another means that one of those viewers is going to be in for a surprise when they show up with you, and what they saw online that connected with them isn’t the real you. Be authentic, honest and transparent about what you provide and why. If you have different profiles, question why this is and whether the branding matches across them. Each profile should not be a completely different personality. Your profiles and platforms should be identical with nuance if necessary, but with the same themes running through them.

Getting chosen through recognition

From the client’s perspective, recognition creates reassurance. If they’ve been considering using your business or other businesses like yours then building a fast level of trust is possible when you regularly show up with the same message encouraging them to choose you. They’ll be looking for green flags to help them make their decision on which business they’ll go with. They may think:

“I have seen this business before.”

“I recognise that name.”

“I remember them talking about this.”

“This looks like the same person I found on Google.”

*I believe what they’re saying.”

“I’m ready to commit.”

The key takeaway here is that recognition leads to familiarity. Familiarity can reduce uncertainty. Certainty leads to bookings.

At the Found stage of client journey, recognition helps people realise that the different pieces they are seeing belong to the same business and add to the green flags of reassurance meaning you are more likely to be booked. Being chosen is rarely the result of one perfect post. It is more often the result of several small moments that leave breadcrumbs in a potential clients memory so making sure you repeat the message highlights the breadcrumbs and keeps those green flags building.

Recognition and becoming treasured

The Treasured stage is not only about loyalty schemes or rebooking reminders. It is about maintaining a familiar and consistent experience for your clients. If they arrive as a new client and you fall at their feet and overdo the welcome and you win a returning visit from them. The worst thing that can happen is that the new client excitement has gone. This can happen for both parties. As the business owner, you may take a step back from wanting or trying to impress. For the client the shine may be lessened as they settle into your ‘normal’ service level. And you thought the hard work was in getting found and chosen!

Keeping clients on board is the only way to create a sustainable business. Clients come and go always, but as a business owner the key is trying to keep them with you for as long as possible. A monthly client spending £80 has an annual value of £960 and if you can win 10 of those - the maths is clear - £9600 p.a. This is when the results of being found, chosen & treasured start to stack up. However, stop the consistency, make your business feel unfamiliar, give clients the opportunity to not experience what they came for in the first place means they stop recognising your value and will quietly leave through the back door, often leaving a short history of cancellations, no shows or what we see as flaky behaviour. We should always evaluate why a longer term client leaves our world. What changed? What became unrecognisable to them? Why didn’t they value you or maybe feel valued as a client? Did you recognise their commitment and let them know you saw it?

Clients need reciprocal recognition after purchase so they feel:

• reassured

• remembered

• confident they made the right choice

• connected to the business

• more likely to return

• able to recommend it accurately

Recognition should not stop once someone has booked. The experience they receive needs to feel connected to the business they thought they were choosing.

Recognition across your touchpoints

Every touchpoint of your client journey needs to be connected so that there is a flow. Leading your potential or existing clients through from your online spaces of websites, social media, Google etc. All of these platforms pick up clients who locate you in slightly different ways and at different points for their recognition journey. On Google they are likely to have searched with intent and so will be a warmer prospect who then may visit your website for clarity. If they find you on Facebook, it maybe in their scroll and it will take many repetitions before they connect the dots and reach out. With so many ways to connect you may want to consider the following touchpoints:

• social media profiles

• posts and graphics

• website

• Google Business Profile

• directory listings

• email marketing

• booking system

• enquiry responses

• pricing documents

• consultation forms

• appointment reminders

• packaging

• signage

• events

• treatment or service experience

• aftercare

• follow-up

• review requests

Think about all these places that you lay breadcrumbs and consider:

• Does the language remain recognisable?

• Are offers described consistently?

• Does the visual presentation feel connected?

• Is the same promise being made across platforms?

• Does the real experience match the online one?

• Would a client assume all these touchpoints belong to the same business?

Consistency does not mean every touchpoint must look identical but they should feel related. For anyone who’s a beauty or brow pro - you know the analogy here - they should be sisters not twins.

We know that the different social media platforms work slightly differently so we often adapt our posts/captions etc to shorter form from Facebook to Instagram. Across platforms the visuals will do a lot of the talking for you, but ensure that the underlying messaging remains consistent.

A quick recognition check

Open the following side by side:

• Instagram or Facebook profile

• website homepage

• Google Business Profile

• latest email

• current offer or booking page

Then ask:

1. Is it immediately clear that these belong to the same business?

2. Is the business described in the same way?

3. Are the same core messages or themes visible?

4. Is the tone recognisable?

5. Is the next step clear?

6. Would a new client understand what the business wants to be remembered for?

If the answers to the above include a few No’s you may want to look at what’s happening a little more closely as if you’re seeing disconnections and you’re wondering where that regular feed of clients has gone, you’ll find the answer there.

Final thoughts

There’s a difference between visibility, recognition and memory that all business owners need to be aware of:

* Visibility helps people notice you.

* Recognition helps them connect what they see to you.

* Memory helps them recall you when they are ready to act.

Recognition isn’t about forcing people to remember every detail. It is about leaving a clear enough impression that the right things stay with them and you come to mind when they’re looking for the service or product you provide.

Being recognisable does not mean becoming repetitive, rigid or predictable. It means giving people a clear and consistent set of clues. These are the green flags that help them recognise your business, understand what you stand for and remember why you might be the right choice when they are ready.

What do you want people to remember about your business? And are the touchpoints across your client journey reinforcing that message, or making it harder to recognise?

If this has made you look at your business differently, take five minutes to compare your website, social profile, Google presence and latest offer. If you want support with your online visibility and how that can help grow a sustainable business visit www.sue-davies.com

Do they all help someone recognise the same business?

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One of the things that we hear again and again is about being consistent. For many people, this is perceived as showing up consistently, every day, every Monday evening and sharing what you do time and time again. However, in reality, consistency is something we need across the whole of our business and is something we should be striving for, not always perfecting, because perfect is not always good for us or good for getting ourselves out there.

In this article, I’m going to talk about brand consistency, as this is often the first contact your audience has with your business.

Within my Business Brilliance Methodology, client journey is built around three pillars: Found, Chosen and Treasured. Underneath those sit the practical elements that influence how people discover, evaluate and experience your business. These are grouped into three frameworks: BRIGHT, FACETS and SHINE.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be exploring each of these in more detail, but today we’re starting at the beginning with the first element of BRIGHT: Brand.

Brand covers many elements of your business, and when it’s off it shows and can be a disconnect.

Brand is not just how your business looks. It is how people recognise, understand and remember you across the whole client journey. So what is your brand about? Take a moment and think about it. Is it your colour scheme, your fonts, an avatar or vector or your logo? These are definitely what appear on your brand palette, but brand is also represented by the following elements:

• how you express yourself

• the type of images you opt to use

• the language you choose

• who you surround yourself with

• the tone you share your thoughts in

• who you serve and how they talk about you

• the vision for your business

• your values and ethics

• your position in the marketplace

The list can go on longer, but I feel that these are the biggest ways we can share what we do in a positive way.

CLIENT ATTRACTION OR REPULSION
My world circles how businesses get Found, Chosen & Treasured, and branding flows through this from beginning to end. The simplistic elements of brand, and those that sometimes we can get a bit hooked up over - the colours, fonts, logos - are the visual elements that will often be what first catches a prospective client’s eye. The colour will appeal to the style of the logo. It’s a complex part of branding, which is why many of us go down the rabbit hole in tonal variations, font pairings and more, but for some of our clients, those elements will be the first Yes/No they have to go through in their decision of are you right for them or not. We know, for example, that uses vivid colours that scream out are not for everyone and may be less suitable for certain business sectors or ideal client markets. We know that we need to hit the psychology of colour and the right tone, and font styling will attract and repel in equal measures. Emotional connection is everything in a service-based person-to-person business.

WHEN YOU MISS THE SPOT
If you don’t get that ‘a-ha’ moment with your ideal client, something is amiss. This could be that you aren’t aligning with current cultural values, they don’t see relevance or may be showing up as a little off trend or out of touch. If your business has been established for a long time, it’s easy to stick with what you know. Sometimes that means our branding, messaging or imagery no longer reflects the people we’re trying to attract today.

We all know we can put out one post that literally soars and brings a lot in, take time to break down these moments and see what happened, what did you do differently?

If you get a flood of the wrong type of client, what I often refer to as the anti-ideal client, it’s worth asking what changed. Did you alter your messaging? Run a promotion? Post in a different group? Often, the clues are there if you’re willing to look.

In branding, understanding what’s on trend is critical because a brand must align with current cultural values to feel relevant; it risks looking outdated or out of touch.

WHAT IS YOUR AUDIENCE SEEING?
The one thing we can never truly do is see things from our clients’ eye view. We can only ever guess at what any other person is thinking or perceiving. We can lay the breadcrumb trail to our door in a way we think is attractive and will lead our ICA straight to us.

We can give visual triggers, emotional triggers, solution triggers, transformational triggers, tone or language triggers and a few others too. Where the consistency needs to lie is within these elements. If we have a soft, organic, green background with jagged, bright orange text, it doesn’t come across as calm and soothing, so it would be really out of place for a business that offers something to ease stress and calm the client. Equally, a soft pink background with a cream calligraphy-style font leans far more into feeling like a big hug. Not great for an all-action fitness centre. I can hear you say, “ That’s obvious, Sue!” However, it’s not always clear to everyone, and sometimes we lead with our own heartfelt loves rather than what’s good for our businesses.

When it comes to tone, language and values, these merge a lot as we give away a lot in our words. We have to remember that if we have ‘public’ personal profiles, our private lives are there for all to see. Selecting to share your more intimate or personal views with our Friends Only on Facebook will give you more freedom to separate your business values from your personal values if they are intrinsically different. Failure to do this could lead a prospective client to find a major switch off.

PREVENTING MOMENTS OF HESITATION
Part of what I do with businesses when I assess their client journey is check for areas like this. It’s one thing for a client who is established with you to come across something that they may find shocking, but someone that’s never met you will walk away. We all love a rant, but doing this on a platform where your prospective clients can see you and use it as part of their decision-making process is a mistake that can be avoided. Let’s face it, new clients can be a little judgmental, and that is the way it should be. They are building trust, and if they’re not finding it, they’ll move on. So the rule is, make sure your values are clear, your language is clear and is the right language to welcome the ideal client of your dreams.

They need to see themselves in the mirror that your business reflects to the world. If there are cracks in your mirror, they’ll move on until they find the mirror that gives them a perfect reflection.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS CAN BE UNFORGIVING
We generally get only a few moments to show someone that we understand what they need and that we’re the right person to help. Those moments - the now infamous 7 seconds - although there is some evidence that in today’s high-speed world it’s even faster, and that the 7 seconds relate to in-person connection. In the online world of websites and social media, we are looking at a fraction of a second for someone to decide on whether what you are offering aligns with their desires. This is according to research carried out at Carleton University by Gitte Lindgaard et al found that, it took less than 50 milliseconds to decide if you like a website or not. The study found that these immediate, visually-driven gut impressions (the “Halo Effect”) are incredibly stable. Even after spending much longer on the website, viewers rarely changed their initial microsecond opinion.

THE TAKEAWAY
With information that studies such as this provide, we need, more than ever, to make sure that we deliver an immediate, relatable image that gives everything to the viewers’ subconscious mind in less than the blink of an eye. So making that screen size information impactful, accurate, tonally right, and with a great call to action is imperative.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
In closing, think about how you make your brand feel connected across the places people find you. We’ve seen the data shows we have to make an online impact in less than 50 milliseconds, so making sure that if someone is looking across your socials, website and Google profile, that everything matches, and that in that mix there’s not a crack in your mirror.

The signals we leave behind matter. Whether those signals are being interpreted by AI, Google or a prospective client, consistency helps people understand who we are, what we do and whether we’re right for them.

If someone asked AI about your area of expertise today, what do you think it would say you’re known for, how you solve problems, or how your business can provide what they need?

And perhaps more importantly, would the answer be accurate?

References
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220208334_Attention_web_designers_You_have_50_milliseconds_to_make_a_good_first_impression_Behaviour_and_Information_Technology_252_115-126

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4616700.stm

Yesterday afternoon, I’d been on a coaching call where I’d mentioned, that as I’m in a place of refreshing and rebranding what I do, that I had felt I was starting again from zero and had a lot of building to do. I was reminded, that I most definitely wasn’t starting from zero, but was in a place of existing experience and knowledge that should be celebrated and that this was my starting point. Sometimes you need to hear the message that you can’t or don’t see yourself and gratefully accepted that truth.

Shortly after this call I picked up my phone and checked my messages and found one from a fellow industry pro and salon owner who I’d not had contact with since 2020 when we were doing more together due to the pandemic and the lockdowns. She’s based in Scotland and I’m based in Norfolk, a fair few miles between us and this means that there’s no recent breadcrumbs between us online and our paths hadn’t crossed in 6 years.

She shared that she’d been doing some with work Gemini AI and was in the process of writing a publication to help new beauty professionals take their next steps. When she asked Gemini to create a mock-up cover it provided one for her, and here’s the bit that caused her a bit of confusion - I was the author given on her book cover. She was concerned that I might have something published, and so asked for a fact check and Gemini gave her it’s reasoning. She then decided she should share it with me as she’d want someone to share the same with her, and also to double check that I hadn’t already created what she was looking to do.

Initially, like her, I was a bit confused as, at this point the book I’ve got in me has yet to make even a outlined plan on paper, but here was Gemini stating I was author of this virtual book. Anyway it was a bit of a WOW! moment as it became apparent why I was there. For someone that loves tech and the inner workings of online visibility it even brought a happy tear or two to my eye. I won’t share the images or titles as that’s my friend’s IP.

But when my friend messaged me to say, “This may sound a bit weird, but...” it validated every conversation I’ve been having about online visibility and meant all the hard work I’ve done over the years has been recognised and put on a book cover, even if it is only a virtual one

Below is the description it gave so you can see why I was so blown away as it was 100% accurate in the reason it selected my name when she queried it.

“...it pulled a random, realistic industry name from its dataset to fill the space. However, Sue Davies is very much a real, highly respected powerhouse in the UK beauty industry. She is a multi-award-winning former salon owner, business mentor, host of the Inspiring Salon Professionals podcast and founder of Salonpreneur Magazine. Because she focusses heavily on salon operations, client journeys, and industry standards, the fact that AI automatically associated this specific book concept with her name is a huge compliment to the blueprint we just built..”

I don’t know how you’d feel about this if this was written about you, but I’ll take that thank you very much lol!

So the question is - what’s happening here? We should all be familiar with, or have least heard of, SEO and the importance of being found on Google, but AI is now building its own understanding of who people are, what they do and what they’re known for. This is GEO doing it’s thing and is something we should all be considering in our future brand positioning.

Generative Engine Optimisation: The digital marketing practice of optimising online content so that AI chatbots and search engines (like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI) cite your brand when answering user questions.

Every article, review, website page, podcast appearance, interview and social post leaves clues behind. I do a lot of this which is why I stood out for the AI dataset. I know not everyone can get on podcasts or write in magazines etc, but locally, which is where you need to be shown, it comes down to your Google Business Profile, your website, utilising the blog fully on your website, directory inclusion and having as many links with associated SEO/GEO words scattered throughout as well as useful social media content, which is achievable.

All of these elements create digital breadcrumb trails that the indexing crawlers scan in milliseconds and are what placed my name on the front of my friends mock book and gave me a moment of unbridled joy.

Closing Thoughts

The thing that stayed with me wasn’t that Gemini used my name. It was what that image represented to me at this point in my journey.

Years of showing up, contributing, supporting others and sharing knowledge had left enough of a trail for AI to make an association without being asked.

As business owners, we spend a lot of time worrying about algorithms, followers and engagement. Yet the real opportunity may be to focus on consistently building a body of work that helps people understand who we are, what we stand for and how we help.

The technology will continue to evolve. The platforms will change. New tools will appear.

But humans will still be looking for the humans that do what they need.

The question is whether the breadcrumb trail you’re leaving behind is helping them find you.

If you are in business your goal should to be the person/brand that Gemini suggests at the top of Google. So here’s a couple of thoughts to consider:

If someone asked AI about your area of expertise today, what do you think it would say you’re known for or how you can solve their problem or how your business can provide what they need?

And perhaps more importantly, would the answer be accurate?

How overwhelming do you find social media?

There is a particular part of visibility that leaves business owners exhausted and overwhelmed. Posting because they feel they should or need to be there 24/7, showing up because everyone says consistency matters, but maybe not realising that consistency isn’t quantity. Creating content, checking reach, and wondering why the effort is not turning into enquiries becomes part of the pressure. I know I’ve been there and some days still am. It’s a tough call not to get invested in whether someone has engaged with your hard work.

Let’s talk about the difference between activity and progression. Are we being busy or effective? For many small and solo businesses where the owner is responsible for all the hats, it can become a fire-fighting mission to ‘keep visible’. But we need to remember the following:

• Posting more does not automatically mean being better understood.

• Being active online does not always mean being findable.

• More content does not always create more trust.

• Visibility needs to lead people somewhere.

• The goal is not just to be seen, but to help people move closer to choosing you.

Visibility is not the same as noise

Visibility is an essential part of your marketing strategy. You need to be present without frustration, and that frustration often creeps in from being present on social media at all times of the day and night. We need to be a clear and present brand where people are looking, not part of the noise. My husband is a tradesman, and in the building trade, there are hundreds of potential service providers, so when a potential client pops a post on to a local group asking for a service or recommendations, what happens? 50+ local business providers all raise their hands at the same time. That’s noise! How can the OP choose from them? There are a few possibilities here - who answered fastest will get a lot of attention, but more powerful are the recommendations with examples and the businesses that engage fully with the OP. Dropping a tag to a profile/page just means more research, and you’ll be up against a high number of other tag droppers. How can you stand out in that melee? Deliver who you are and what you do in that reply comment. It begins their client journey with you a rung or two up the ladder. You’ll be slightly ahead of the other 49 in service delivery.

“Hi Jane, we’d love to help and can arrange for a call when it suits you in the next few days. We’re an established business of 30+ years, we’re fully insured, and DBS checked where required, so you can be assured of a professional service.”

That says so much more than @johnsmithbuilders.

We need to escape the noise, and on social media, that is a difficult job. People are not searching with intent. They may post for a recommendation with intent, but then you are in a barrage of businesses all fighting for the opportunity to serve.

Visibility should help the right people move closer to trusting you. Consider the following:

• Being visible does not mean shouting louder.

• It does not mean being on every platform.

• It does not mean posting for the sake of posting.

• It means creating enough clarity for the right people to recognise you as relevant.

• It means being present in the places people are already searching, comparing and deciding.

Visibility is not the same as noise. It is not about being everywhere, saying everything or constantly trying to keep up with every platform. Useful visibility helps the right people recognise that you are relevant to them. With this in mind, where do we need to show up? We need to show up where they are searching with intent. And, surprisingly to many, that is not social media.

Attention

Talk about attention as the first stage, but not the whole goal

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Attention is the first stage, and, yes, social media assists here, but it is not the solution; it is a part of the solution. People need to notice you, but attention alone does not build a business, and this is why social media is not the sole answer. It helps with clarity and messaging.

Attention helps people become aware that you exist. It can come from social posts, Google, recommendations, podcasts, blogs, lives, reels, directories, events or collaborations. You can see there are a large number of things here that push a potential client in your direction. Without attention built into these areas, your clarity may not be landing.

Attention should make people want to look a little closer at what you do; it should make them curious. If they are already looking for your products or services, they need clarity to know you should be their optimum choice.

If they see you float past on a social feed, they may have seen you, but did you make an impact? Did you compel them to connect? Did you help them understand anything useful about you or your business?

Attention is often the first step. People cannot choose a business they have never noticed or forget as soon as the doorbell rings. But attention on its own is fragile. It can disappear as quickly as it arrives unless there is something clear and useful for people to connect with.

Intent

Visibility works better when there is a clear intention behind it. Every piece of content or touchpoint should have a job to do.

Intention is what turns our online content from a random activity into part of a journey. Instead of asking only “what shall I post today?”, we can start asking “what does my future client need to understand next?”

Intention to connect meaningfully with a business is not fleeting. When someone is actively looking for a product or service, Google is still one of the main places they go. Research referenced by Semrush suggests that around 75% of consumers use Google when looking for local business information, which is why relying only on social media can leave a gap in the client journey.

So, why is everyone so hung up on burning out on socials? What is needed is a consistent platform that doesn’t rely on your input daily, hourly or under pressure. When people have an intention, they want to know who will provide the best result or outcome for them. Who can create the transformation they are looking for? It’s hard to fit that into a social post with all the details their enquiries will want answered. Even on your business page or grid, it’s hard to keep all that information available and accessible at a first glance. You need to answer their questions in a clear and simple way that Google and its indexing crawlers can see and serve up to the intentional searcher. The easiest way to do this is with a static platform like Google Business Profile and a well-worded website. These considerations need to be considered when building them:

• Who is this for?

• What do they need to understand?

• What questions am I answering?

• What doubt does this reduce?

• What step does this help them take?

• Is this building awareness, trust, clarity, confidence or action?

This is part of the work I now do through Client Journey Strategy, helping businesses look at the route from being found to being chosen.

Trust

Trust is the bridge between being found and being chosen. In those moments after they’ve been attracted by something about you and ‘noticed’ you, they still need enough reassurance to take action. If they are investing with you in themselves, their home or something important to them, they will be looking for trust markers. Sometimes this is subconscious, sometimes overt. They will be looking for confirmation that you deliver what you say you do. This can come through the following routes and is what matters to the human at the other end of the internet:

• Reviews, testimonials, case studies and examples

• Tone of voice

• A clear website

• An up-to-date Google Business Profile

• Professional but human communication

• Clear, current and connected content

• Showing you ‘get it’

Someone can notice you, like the look of what you do, and still not feel ready to take the next step if the trust signals are missing. Mismatching elements will raise an amber or red flag to their subconscious, often, without them even being able to explain why - something just ‘feels off’.

Touchpoints

Touchpoints are where the client journey comes alive. There’s been talk for many years in the marketing world about how many times someone needs to hit a touchpoint before buying. There is no exact magic number, because every client, service and decision is different. But DeltaPoint Partners summarises common sales and marketing thinking by noting that 6 to 8 meaningful touchpoints are often cited as an average, with higher-value or more complex decisions needing considerably more. This matters because it reminds us that one post, one profile visit or one quick look at your website is rarely the whole decision. So, having somewhere that is always available with the information they need and an opportunity for them to subscribe and connect for further information has to be relevant in today’s noisy world. This shows that social media alone cannot work, as you are in the hands of the ever-changing algorithm, and the chances of you showing up again in a person’s feed are less likely than your website showing up on a Google search. When social media is your only visibility strategy, you are setting up shop on rented space. It can change, restrict your reach or disappear with very little warning.

Social media is just one touchpoint, not the whole journey. Your touchpoints of the client journey should include all of the below as a minimum.

• Social posts

• Website

• Google Business Profile

• Reviews

• Email

• Booking system

• Enquiry replies

• Pricing information

• Consultation process

• Service experience

• Aftercare

• Follow-up

• Rebooking

• Referral and review requests

Touchpoints are the places where people meet your business. Some are obvious, like a social media post or website. Others are less obvious, like the speed of a reply, the ease of booking, the clarity of your prices or the way someone feels after they leave.

From found to chosen

Being found matters, but it is only the beginning. The journey needs to help people feel confident enough to choose you and valued enough to return.

Being found is about your discoverability.

Being chosen is about trust, clarity and connection.

Being treasured is about the experience, the care and inspiring loyalty.

Visibility should support the whole journey, not sit separately from it. A business is not built from random posts, disconnected platforms and hopeful visibility. It is built through a connected route that helps people move towards you. Visibility doesn’t end once the service or product has been delivered. You need to choose how you remain visible to them to ensure you remain on their radar.

Closing reflection

So perhaps the question is not “am I posting enough?” Perhaps the better question is - Is my visibility helping the right people find me, understand me, trust me and know what to do next?

Because visibility that leads nowhere can keep you busy. Visibility that forms part of a clear client journey can help you become chosen.

If this way of thinking resonates with you, you are welcome to subscribe and follow along as I explore the touchpoints that help businesses become found, chosen and treasured. You can also explore my Client Journey Strategy resources and support here.

And before you move on with your day, perhaps ask yourself:

Is your visibility creating movement, or just keeping you busy?

If you aren’t in the right spaces, it is hard to be on the selection list for prospective clients and buyers. Being good at what you do matters, of course it does, but it does not automatically mean people will find you, understand you, feel reassured by you, or know what to do next.

I’ve learned that it is not just about the service we deliver, or the customer service we are proud of. Good customer service matters, but it is rarely enough on its own to make a business truly memorable. The real difference is often found in the full client experience and how what we offer makes people feel.

We all know when something feels off. We also know the impact that has. Usually, it leads to a decision not to repeat the experience.

So what defines how we get found, chosen and treasured?

If it is not just customer service, and client experience only forms part of the magic, what is the complete picture?

That complete picture is the client journey.

It includes marketing, visibility, booking, satisfaction, results, rebooking, referrals, reviews and, ultimately, long-term loyalty. It is not one isolated moment. It is the route someone takes from first noticing you to deciding whether they trust you enough to buy from you, book with you, return to you, recommend you and stay connected with you.

I’ve been in public and client-facing roles since I was about 12 years old, when I used to help out at my great aunt and nan’s wool and haberdashery shop.

That was where I first learned how to serve, help and engage with customers. I still remember some of them now. They used to humour the 12-year-old Sue, and looking back, they became some of my first opportunities to learn about human interaction outside of my friends and family circle.

Over the years, I’ve built a bank of experience across corporate, hospitality, NHS and manufacturing before arriving in the salon sector in the early 2000s.

That background has included a variety of roles. Some were career-defining, some fitted around the kids, like working in the VIP area of a local cinema, but the one thing they all had in common was that there was always someone I was serving, supporting or keeping happy.

In more recent years, I’ve taken that experience into becoming an award-winning salon owner and industry advocate, training and education, nail competition management, judging industry awards and competitions, owning and editing industry trade magazines, hosting a successful podcast, and going on to build an education software platform.

In the last couple of years, I’ve been focusing more deeply on what makes clients find us, choose us and keep coming back.

That is where my mantra comes in:

Found | Chosen | Treasured

This Substack will be about the touchpoints that make that happen.

I use my Business Brilliance Method, which is made up of three pillars:

BRIGHT | FACETS | SHINE

Through BRIGHT and FACETS, we look at everything from how you show up to where you show up, before exploring the experience and perceptions your clients have. The final pillar, SHINE, is about the areas we often talk about less, including the behind-the-scenes elements, standards and compliance.

Because your business is not built from random social media posts, disconnected platforms and hopeful visibility. It is built through a journey that helps people move from noticing you to trusting you, choosing you and staying with you.

That is the work I love. Helping people understand and improve the route their clients take towards them. I work predominantly in the salon and wellness sector, however, what I talk about translates into most service-based businesses and also to smaller product-based businesses.

As we move further into a technological age that will be built hand in hand with AI, I think we need to remember something very simple.

If we are operating a business, we are dealing with humans.

And often, we forget that.

It is all about the feels. Not in a fluffy, vague way, but in the real human sense of whether someone feels reassured, understood, confident, safe, valued and ready to take the next step.

So, as you move through your daily world, it is worth asking:

Are you making other humans feel more human, or less human?

I still work face-to-face in my wellness practice, so I never want to lose that human-focused side of my work. Fundamentally, I am one human helping other humans feel more human.

And that is where client journey strategy begins.

If you’re building a business that serves real humans, not just algorithms, I’d love you to follow along.

I’ll be sharing thoughts, prompts and practical ways to look at the full client journey, from being found to being chosen and, hopefully, treasured.

For now, perhaps start with one question:

If someone found you today, would they know why you are the right choice, and what to do next?

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