How to make your value clear when the tools keep changing.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear about another AI tool or something someone has done with it.
“I created 50 pieces of content.” “I edited all my videos.” “I’m making a million dollars using this.”
And honestly, it can be crippling.
You start thinking, “Should I be doing that? What are they doing that I’m missing? How am I supposed to keep up with all of this?”
Then it turns into, “Is AI going to take my job?”
Or you go the other direction. You avoid the whole thing, keep your head down, and carry on doing what you do.
I get it. All of those reactions are understandable.
As designers and marketers, we’re used to having to pivot
I’ve experienced this in different forms throughout my career.
Computers and software getting better. More templates becoming available. Canva and DIY tools making design easier and faster. We’re used to having to pivot, and we’re used to people thinking they can do our jobs themselves.
We’ve had to keep growing and showing people the value of working with us.
Sometimes I think we should call it the practice of design, the way we say the practice of medicine or law. You keep learning. You keep applying what you know. Your understanding grows as the work changes.
That’s a useful way to think about your own craft right now. There’s no end point. You’re practicing, evolving, and continuing to grow.
So what do we do about it? How do we keep evolving and standing out when creating content is getting easier, but knowing what to create feels more complicated?
Here are three things you can do to make your value clear when the tools keep changing.
1. What do you want to be known for beyond what you do?
“Bookkeeper” tells someone what you do. “She helps me understand my money so I can make better decisions” tells them why they’d want to work with you.
That’s what I mean by going beyond what you do.
What do you do well, and how does that help your client? Do you take something stressful off their plate? Help them make a decision they’ve been putting off? Give them back time they’ve been losing trying to figure it out themselves?
Look at what clients thank you for. What do they say when they recommend you?
Use that language in your marketing. Give people something they can understand, remember, and tell someone else.
When someone recommends you, can they explain how you’ll make that person’s life or business better?
2. Who needs you most, and why are you the right choice?
Who is dealing with the problem you have the experience and ability to solve?
Get specific about what’s happening when they need you. What are they struggling with? What have they tried? What is that problem costing them in time, money, or stress?
Then look at what you bring to that situation. Your experience. How you work. The things you notice and the questions you know to ask.
Connect those things for them in your marketing. Help them recognize their problem and understand why you’re equipped to help.
That gives someone a reason to think, “This is who I need to talk to.”
Can the person who needs you most see why you’re the right choice to help them move forward?
3. Lean into what comes naturally to you
Think about how you naturally help people. Are you the person they come to for an explanation? Do you help them feel comfortable asking questions? Are you good at challenging them to take action?
Those are things you can build your marketing around.
Take the Sage archetype. If you naturally help people understand something complicated, lean into that. Explain a confusing decision. Answer the question your clients are afraid to ask. Show them what to look for so they can make a more informed choice.
Someone who feels overwhelmed gets to experience what it’s like to have you explain things. They leave understanding more, and they have a reason to come back to you when they need help.
That’s why I have people start with learning their brand archetype. It helps you understand how you naturally communicate, how you make people feel, and what they connect with in your approach.
You can use that to guide your words, visuals, content, and client experience. Instead of wondering how you should show up every time, you have a foundation for making those decisions.
What comes naturally to you that helps your clients feel understood, supported, or more capable?
Marketing backed by the basics
The tools keep changing. The basics still apply.
People want to feel understood. They want help with something that matters to them. And they want to feel confident choosing the person they’re trusting with it.
Your personality is part of how they recognize that person in you. The way you explain something, respond to a concern, or make them feel comfortable reaching out gives them something to connect with beyond a list of services.
That’s marketing backed by the basics.
How we use this at VidaHue
Every brand we build starts with the three questions in this post: what you want to be known for, who needs you most, and how you naturally communicate. We answer them in The Brand Spectrum before any design work begins, then carry the answers into your messaging, visuals, and client experience. See our branding packages for what that looks like.
FAQ
Will AI replace designers and marketers?
AI changes how the work gets done. Strategy, taste, and knowing which questions to ask still come from people. Designers and marketers have pivoted through better software, templates, and DIY tools before, and the ones who keep learning keep finding new ways to help.
How do I make my business stand out when everyone uses AI?
Get specific about what you want to be known for, who needs you most, and what comes naturally to you. Then use that language in your marketing so people can understand you, remember you, and recommend you.
What is a brand archetype?
A brand archetype is a personality pattern that describes how your brand naturally communicates and what people connect with. Knowing yours gives you a foundation for your words, visuals, content, and client experience.
How do I find my brand archetype?
Take the free brand archetype quiz. You’ll get messaging examples, visual suggestions, and practical next steps.
Next step
If you’re spending time creating content but struggling to connect with the people you want to hire you, start with your brand archetype.
Discover how you naturally communicate and what people connect with in your approach. You’ll get messaging examples, visual suggestions, and practical next steps to help you build your marketing around those strengths, so the right people can recognize why they’d want to work with you.
Take the free brand archetype quiz
Book a Fit Call
A free call to talk through where your brand feels off and what kind of support makes sense.
Keep reading: Good, fast, and cheap. Can we finally have all three?
Talk soon,
Julie Garner
Owner, VidaHue Creative
P.S. You don’t have to keep up with every new tool to stay valuable. Keep practicing your craft, and keep making it easy for the right people to see what you do for them.