Girl Next Door?

so you’re the

YOU MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THIS ABOUT YOURSELF FOR AGES, OR IT COULD BE A TOTAL SURPRISE.

Either way, before we dig into the specifics of what this means for you and your business, I want to give you a quick overview of what an archetype actually is…

Woohoo! Good for you!

An archetype is universally familiar character or situation that transcends time, place, culture, gender and age. It represents an eternal truth.

- John Howard-Spink

Basically, an archetype is an element of the human experience that’s so universal, we all relate to it without even thinking.

These archetypes are deeply embedded in our psyches – so much so that we’re often not even aware that they’re influencing our thoughts and feelings.

That’s when you consciously anchor your brand to one of these deeply embedded universal themes.

AND WHY (THE HECK) WOULD WE DO THAT?

Well, when your brand is in alignment with who you are as a person – i.e. your true archetype – your business starts generating momentum and attracting customers on a level that previously seemed unattainable.

It’s also a way to get your brand to do all the heavy lifting for you – so that you can show up as your true self, and start making the kind of impact (and income) you want, without feeling like you’re pushing a big-ass boulder uphill.

A Brand Archetype?

So without further ado, LET’S DIVE INTO HOW TO MAKE YOUR BRAND ARCHETYPE WORK FOR YOU…

03

Your archetype is part of a family.

Your archetype does not define or limit you. Rather, it’s a lens that can help you better understand yourself and the people who are attracted to you and your work.

It can also help you avoid common challenges that may crop up, and help you feel less alone in your struggles.

02

There are HEAPS of different archetypes.

More than 60 in fact. But broadly speaking, they can be broken into 12 ‘families’ – The Adventuress, The Mischief Maker, The Lover, The Sage, The Alchemist, The Creatress, The Girl Next Door, The Queen, The Badass, The Heroine, The Pure Heart, and (of course) The Nurturer.

01

You can have more than one archetype.

In fact, most of us do. You’ll usually have one main archetype that serves as your primary category, then some secondary and tertiary ones. We’ll be delving into your primary archetype today.

A few quick facts…




What it means to be

the Girl Next Door...

YOU’RE AT YOUR BEST WHEN:

You’re helping people fit in and feel comfortable; you’re capturing their hearts with your ‘down-home’ charm.

YOU’RE DRIVEN BY:

A desire to connect with others and feel like you belong.

YOU LIKE TO:

Fit in. Be relatable. Be seen as ‘down to earth’.

WATCH OUT FOR:

Trying to fit in so much that you blunt your own edges.

Your Archetype family

Famous girls next door

Barack Obama

Likeable, charming, diplomatic, and an underdog – all hallmark characteristics of the Girl Next Door, and all embodied by the former president.

Tim Ferriss

With an empire built on self-experimentation, Tim puts himself forward as a ‘normal guy’ doing extraordinary things.

Ron Weasley

(From Harry Potter) The friendliest, most relatable ginger-ninja at Hogwarts.

Friends

The quintessential 90’s TV show, which was all about hanging out with people who love and accept you, quirks and all.

Masterchef

Along with many other reality TV shows, Masterchef is filled with ‘girl-next-door’ and ‘average Joe’ types, who are given the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Girl Next Door

as a business owner

ABOUT YOU, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR:

YOU’RE DRIVEN BY OLD-FASHIONED VALUES.

Honesty, decency, common sense… they’re ingrained in you, they’re how you run your business, and your customers love you for it.

Don’t get caught up in thinking that you need to be edgy or to reinvent the wheel; your customers appreciate your steadfastness and old-school charm.

YOU’RE ‘JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE’.

Which means your achievements are truly inspiring to others, as they demonstrate what’s possible for an everyday person when they simply set their mind to something.

For this reason, consider sharing your difficulties and challenges with your audience. They make you even more relatable, and enhance the transparency factor (which your audience digs so much).

YOU’VE GOT A GREAT WORK ETHIC.

You take pride in what you do, and always strive to deliver on your promises.

This builds great trust in both your customers and your employees/team members – they know that you’re someone they can rely on, and you’ll get the job done.

YOU LIKE BEING LIKED…

Which is great. But remember that old saying, ‘You can’t please all of the people all of the time’? That’s a truism every Girl Next Door should scribble on a Post-it note then affix somewhere prominent. (Your forehead, perhaps?!)

It might kill you that some people just don’t get you and your brand. (After all, you’re so damn likable… what the frick is wrong with them?!!)

But trying to make everyone happy will just water down your essence and make you mediocre… which is something you are definitely not.

My heroes are just everyday people who work hard, are honest and have integrity.



- Jordin Sparks

ABOUT YOUR PEOPLE:

Like moths to a flame…

The types of people who are organically drawn to you, as a Girl Next Door, value trust, reliability, honesty and goodness.

What this means for you:

  • Building trust with your audience is super important, especially when you’re selling to them. So consider offering generous money-back guarantees and plenty of trust symbols on your sales page.

  • Connecting with your audience on social media is especially effective for a Girl Next Door, as it allows you to talk to your people in your most natural, colloquial voice about everyday issues. (So if you’re yet to experiment with Instagram Stories or Facebook Live, give them a whirl! No fancy set-up or outfits required, by the way – your natural self is what your peeps want to see!)

  • Your people value truth, honesty and transparency. So avoid making any gratuitous claims or hyping things up in your marketing.

KNOWING WHAT YOUR ARCHETYPE IS ALLOWS YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU’RE PERCEIVED BY OTHERS, HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL TENDENCIES (NOT AGAINST THEM),

AND HOW YOU CAN CREATE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN YOUR INNER TRUTH AND YOUR OUTER WORK.

How to weave the Girl Next Door Archetype into your branding

ABOUT YOUR GIRL NEXT DOOR BRAND

WORDS THAT WILL TURN YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS ON INCLUDE:

FRIENDSHIP EQUALITY EMPATHY CAMARADERIE CONNECTION SISTERHOOD WHOLESOME UNDERDOG VIRTUE COMMON-GROUND AUTHENTICITY SIMPLICITY EVERYDAY EMBRACE COMFORT LIKEMINDED LOCAL RELATABLE CHARMING VALUES MATES INSPIRATION UPLIFTING ENCOURAGE REAL RAW LIKEABLE WELCOMING INVITING PERSONABLE FRIENDLY WARMTH GENUINE DOWN-TO-EARTH BESTIE

Don’t be afraid to weave the above words into your About page, your Home page, your bio… anywhere where people are looking to find out more about you (and by extension, themselves).

The Copy

Adventure and authenticity are your (gooseberry) jam. And your community is craving those qualities from you.

So rather than seeking to follow trends, or imitating the looks you see online, take the time to delve within and figure out what genuinely resonates with you on a heart-and-gut level.

The Look

AS the girl next door, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF DRAWN TOWARDS LOOKS THAT UTILIZE:

The Feel

ie: The Customer Experience

A massive part of branding is how your customers feel whenever they interact with you – whether that’s through a random email, a visit to your website, or as a paying customer.

As a Girl Next Door, the people who are attracted to you want to feel welcomed, comfortable, and ‘at home’ with your brand.

THIS COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE:

Personalise as many of your communications as possible – newsletters, emails, the works. And steer away from stock-standard greetings and sign-offs. Ditch “Kind regards” for whatever you’d say to your real-life bestie.

Feeling welcomed is super important to your community. Perhaps you could create a digital ‘welcome pack’ for subscribers to make them feel special, or send all new clients a small gift to welcome them aboard.

Pay particular attention to your home page – the metaphorical ‘welcome mat’ for your business. Ensure that it’s as inviting, warm and appealing as possible. (A good designer can help you nail this oh-so-important aspect of your website.)

Responsive, friendly customer service is especially important for your archetype. Treat others how you would like to be treated (an approach that comes naturally to you anyway!)

you now know:

What your True Brand Archetype is and why it’s so important to your online presence.

How to amplify your natural strengths (and avoid the common pitfalls that keep so many Sages stuck).

Why you’re motivated by some things… and totally turned off by others.

And how to use your archetype to ignite your brand and attract your ideal customers – specifically through how your website looks, what you say on it, and how you make your customers feel.

Your next steps…

Flourish Online has been glowing-up brands for women for over 10 years

Enter your glow era

and now it’s

your turn

Or chat to a branding, website & integrations specialist to discover how Flourish can help.

Book a

call

Share your results

with your friends

I’m the
Girl Next Door

And proud of it!

Did you enjoy the quiz?

Invite your friends to take the quiz to find out their Brand Archetype

Thank you so much

For taking the Brand Archetype Quiz!

Fist bumps to you, friend, for daring to play bigger, aim higher, and dig beneath the surface.

Over the coming weeks, I’m going to be popping into your inbox with more insights as to how to make your brand archetype work for you, so keep your eyes peeled!

‘Til next time,

- ELLISSA

Want to Dive Deeper?

SCHEDULE A 1:1 BRAND ARCHETYPE CALL WITH BRANDING EXPERT ELLISSA, AND GET CLEAR ON WHAT HAVING THIS ARCHETYPE ACTUALLY MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.

(As well as a bunch of other tangible, implementable and strategic advice)

HERE'S WHAT IS INCLUDED:

60 MIN ONE ON ONE BRAND STRATEGY SESSION WITH ELLISSA - On this one-hour call, we’ll get to the heart of who you are, the look and feel you’re going for, and where you want to be in 6 months. Use this session to pick Ellissa's brain on your Archetype and get clear on where to focus your energy.

BRAND VISION MOOD BOARD - We'll create a mood board just for you based on your Archetype and Business, including a colour palette, font selection and style/image examples to get the right vibe for your Archetype. Use it for a DIY job or put into a brief for your designer.

15MIN WEBSITE REVIEW (RECORDED) - We’ll review your website and let you know where to focus your energy ASAP and quick tips for tuning into your Archetype Strengths.

For just $297

(+GST for Australian Residents)