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February 25, 2013 by 17 Comments

You’ve Been Voluntold!

confusedIf you’re anything like myself – you do a great deal of local networking. At least two or three days a week, you might run into me at some event or another. Some are professional groups where my target customers lurk and others are general professional organizations local and national. In a few of these organizations I play a managerial role, (one I’m the president). As you may well understand this takes a great deal of commitment and effort. I absolutely believe that these groups help get my brand in front of the right people who desire what I’m offering. I have a strategy for my efforts and all involve being in control of my efforts. I’m proud that my brand commands the respect of my peers and as such I never have to suffer the the terrible affliction of being “voluntold.”

If you’re on a committee or two but fail to show up when you’re needed to participate, you will fall fate to joining efforts you are unaware of at the time you were induced. Some describe it this way – ” the fasted way to getting the worst job on a committee is to not show up at an important meeting.” At that critical meeting your brethren will take great pleasure in volunteering you, and if this happens – brother you’ve been VOLUNTOLD!”

Being Voluntold is the scarlet letter of organizations. If you’re Voluntold too many times your personal brand is going to take a beating. For the sake of your brand, be aware of the importance of meetings and your responsibility within a group.

You’ve been warned.

File under: Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Marketing, Personal Branding, Products & Services
November 17, 2012 by

It’s Not A Book, It’s A Brochure!

If you been following some of the posts here, you would have noticed that I have been promoting my new book, “101 Branding Tips.” (Shameless plug) What you may not know is that I, under no circumstances actually believe that I will become the next business best seller. My motivation for the book was to expand my audience. It was to bring to the attention of a wider market, my opinion. In doing this, I could potentially increase business.

Every book has all of my contact information. Each book, whether it is the hard cover or Kindle version, places this information into the hands of individuals who for some reason or another is seeking tips of branding. That said, writing and distributing a book is a novel way to promote your personal and corporate brand. It absolutely expands your expert profile. Having a book in your profile is impressive on many levels. People treat you different. I can’t say why this is so, but there is definitely buzz to it. Locally, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been approached for an autographed copy. I’ve been approached by an international business organization to distribute it free to their thousand members and a local company who bought thirty to hand out to their customers. Like everything else, that puts my name and contact info into the hands of another 1,300 businesses. Let’s face it my book is more like a 114 page brochure. Readers will really get where my head is at as far as branding goes, and it further increases my credibility.

Hits on my website are up, comments to my weekly tips are increasing, and a general awareness of me is also improving. I’ve been approached for interviews both on and off line. I’ve developed a presentation on the theme of the book, and so far it’s been keenly accepted. This past week as part of Kindle’s techniques to promote Kindle books, I gave away 871 Kindle versions. That’s 871 business aware individuals that never heard of me prior to their free download. This can only lead to better things.

Maybe it’s time you considered a book as part of your marketing efforts. It will do wonders for your attitude and influence. It has a major positive vibe attached to it. There’s no brochure like it.

File under: Branding, How To, Marketing
November 13, 2012 by

Positive Strategies for using Social Media to Leverage Your Business

English: Infographic on how Social Media are b...

English: Infographic on how Social Media are being used, and how everything is changed by them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is the number of “likes” you see on a company’s Facebook page sincere or purchased? According to a report by Garner Research, up to 15 percent of all social media reviews in 2014 will be fake. With a few dollars, you can purchase as many as 500 Facebook likes and just as many Twitter followers.

However, the social media accounts that are on board with this practice may not be ones you want associated with your brand. With the integration of social media in website marketing, businesses can easily lose focus on what matters. The number of likes or followers you get doesn’t necessarily translate to increased traffic, leads or sales.

Social Media Strategy

Social media and its various networks make it simple for businesses to get caught up in trying to be popular. What companies need to remember, however, is that website marketing needs as much planning and research as traditional marketing. This planning and research includes defining and knowing the target market; effectively solving a problem for this audience; understanding the lifestyle and purchasing habits of the target audience; and understanding about the competition. Without a concise marketing plan, social media strategies may be heavy on promises but often lack clarity in regards to the problem your company is solving for others.

When developing a website marketing plan that includes social media, you can make more effective connections with the following practices:

Communication. Genuine, quality followers want to know about your brand and how it can help them. By using the right social media channel, you can communicate with your target in the manner they prefer – with short bursts of information or in a responsive, public dialogue.

Lead nurturing. Posting pictures of cute cats or clever observations won’t convince your target customers – those who are most likely to spend money – to trust your brand. To increase conversion rates, make sure the content you post is valuable to your target, addresses solutions to their needs and nurtures them through the buying process.

Lead generation. Social media is a tool you can use to meet new prospects. By having meaningful conversations with prospective customers, you can generate new leads. For example, a wedding photographer may join a social media group for brides and post helpful tips.

Build a community. A social networking community should be like an email list that receives your company newsletter – the followers are interested in your brand and want to learn more. When those who “like” or “follow” your brand are genuinely interested, your communications and promotions will be more effective.

Leverage keywords. Search engine results often lead to a company’s social media page. By using appropriate keywords and creating content that produces inbound links, quality leads will come your way.

Monitor conversations. When you create a professional social media account but ignore the chatter on it, you can miss out on valuable feedback. By monitoring and being responsive to communications posted on your page, you can enhance your customer engagement and support services.

Follow other conversations. Your target customers have a set pattern in regards to how they use social media to learn and communicate. By studying the actions of these consumers on social media networks, you can learn more about their behaviors so your content stays relevant.

Fight the temptation to be a social marketing “cool kid.” By devising a website marketing plan that’s goal-oriented and has a clear tactical path, your efforts will bring you quality leads and the highest return on your marketing investment.

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File under: Blog, Marketing
October 28, 2012 by

10 Things I Hate About Branding

ONE:
Frankly it takes a lot of work to stay on top of my brand. If only I could just push a button like the Staples “Easy Button” ( which I have on my desk). I hate that I can’t!

TWO:
I hate having to remind businesses that their brand is more than their logo. I have every design shop and ad specialty shop to blame for the mis-information I guess. (I could be painting with big a brush too)

THREE:
I hate companies who don’t realize that branding is a top down initiative. Without the captain on board, who’s piloting the brand?

FOUR:
Just too many great books to read. I’m stuck on historical fiction right now and so slipping in books on branding is a tight fit – I hate that.

FIVE:
I hate those who confuse their brand message with their slogan. There is a difference. I guess since they are both important, I should be happy that they have anything.

SIX:
I hate followers. Why do some businesses still feel they must follow the leader in their category? A commenter to one of my articles recently lamented their displeasure at businesses who copy the leader’s image almost to the letter. Sheesh!

SEVEN:
I also hate people online who make the simple complicated in an attempt to screw a few dollars out of your pocket, only to reveal the obvious. If you see something online you want to get into, email the author – I’m sure they’ll help you.

EIGHT:
I love it when someone says, “Hey, you’re the branding guy!” I hate that it took so long.

NINE:
Sometimes I hate that consistency is worth so much to your brand. I get the itch like many of us to change things up a bit. BUT, my better judgement knows that that would diminish what I have achieved so far.

TEN:
Sometimes I hate focus groups when judging brand image. By their nature they look to criticize regardless if it is even necessary. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Was your brand built on consensus or instinct?

Thanks for letting me vent a small bit, I hate keeping it bottled up inside

File under: Branding, Business, How To, Marketing
October 19, 2012 by

Get Your Expertise Out There

We are all experts in something. You might be humble in your discussion of your expertise, but be assured that you ARE an expert. I think that it’s imperative, that you share that expertise with your audience and allow them to benefit from with their exposure to you.

October has been a good month for exhibiting my expertise. On Tuesday past I spoke to 120 women leaders when I presented to Athena International in Chicago. Yesterday I was interviewed on List Builder Tele-Summit, an initiative spear-headed by Donna Ward and Rodney Rich. Next week, I’m featured at the grand opening of The new Windsor Small Business Centre at the University of Windsor signing my new book, 101 Branding Tips.

All three events were opportunities to expand my reach and profile my expertise. In all cases, it’s a great way to meet new people and see how I can potentially help them with their brands. In every case I am providing opinion free of charge to help those in attendance. It defines my brand, and in turn provides me with the opportunity to develop new leads. What do you do to share your opinion? It’s a great way to show your expertise in your category. It’s very much a three dimensional form of marketing your brand.

Challenge yourself to stand up and express your leadership topic. Put yourself out there and I can assure you that you WILL benefit from the effort. Outside of self-promotion another worthy effort is to mentor younger people with your expertise. It takes a leader to recognize the value in helping others grow. It’s rewarding on many levels.

File under: Advertising, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, How To, Marketing, Personal Branding, Services
October 11, 2012 by

How To Deny Your Competitors The Opportunity To Define You

Has your competition ever accurately described what you do to a potential customer? My guess is not so much. Most promotional activity among small businesses in my experience does little to define a brand but does plenty selling clever slogans, flashy images, real estate and special offers. To ignore your brand position is to deny yourself the corner of your customer’s mind that tells them why you are the go to people for what they are looking for. Without a defining brand position you are among the gray matter all of your competitors are fighting for. The quick fix, the sound bite, the mediocre message, the viral anything that everybody in your category embraces.

A competitor can only define an opposing brand when that opposing brand denies themselves the opportunity. Most brand positions when done correctly puts a brand out on a limb. The differentiation is clear and often intimidating to a competitor. Your goal in positioning is to resonate with your audience. First you must discover why they love you, then deliver a position that compliments what they love, builds on it and surpasses it. Positioning is not a slogan, it’s a promise to deliver and if you’re good at it – over-deliver.

File under: Branding, Business, Employer Branding, How To, Marketing, Personal Branding
September 14, 2012 by

Tips For Improving What You Already Have


As entrepreneurs, we often rush to get a project out and to market. Even though some parts of the process may not be complete but because they are not critical to the brand nor for sales, we launch the product with the intention of coming back later to complete or improve it. The problem is, later almost always never comes around and before you know it, we’re off to a new project or some other priority comes up.

However, growing a business doesn’t always mean creating new things. It also means making what you have better. The thought of going back and looking at everything you have seems like a rather daunting task and it can be. To get you started, the following are some pointers to get you going.

Promoting Yourself More

This is more of a problem for websites than actual storefronts if you have one. Take a good look. Do you have banners or clips that lead people to areas of your e-store or deeper into your content? If not, add them. They can be traditional banner ads that promote your own inventory or special offers. Or, they can be blurbs. In short, keep people clicking around your site for as long as possible.

If you’re on social media, take some time to review your own stream as well. What have you posted in the last 7, 14 or 30 days? It’s OK to not be self promoting on every tweet or post because social media doesn’t work that way BUT, if all you are posting is other people’s blog posts, funny stuff, personal references and so on, that’s not going to work either.

Go through old posts on your blog and pick out those that have done especially well and re-post them to your social networks. Make sure you update your post to have a call to action to join your list or buy your products too.

Implement split testing

When sending out email campaigns or advertising online, it is very easy these days to test out two or more versions of your ads and emails. Doing this will quickly tell you which headline or ad copy gets more attention, more traffic or more sales. You’ll also stop wasting money on ineffective advertising too.

Update literature and autoresponders

Things change over time and you may have new hours, new products, discontinued ones or simply information that is not relevant anymore in your communication. Update them and while you’re doing that, ask yourself if the designs can be updated to look more current, to reflect your brand today. Do you need to do it?

Make your sales process smoother

If you have a service business, is the process for taking a lead to a customer and completing the project fluid? Do you have all the contracts ready and/or do they need updating? If you sell online, is your ordering and delivery process confusing? Do customers tend to get stuck in one area regularly? How can the process be smoother and easier for your customers so they have the best experience as possible?

Qualifying your leads

Building a list can be an expensive, resource intensive process. You want to make sure you don’t just end up with a list of names, but one that is ultimately responsive. One way to guarantee that is to build a more qualified list. There are many ways to qualify people before they get signed up. Through the proper advertising copy, even your offers. If you use WordPress to manage your website, consider a plugin like Survey Funnel. It leads prospects through a series of easy questions and subscribes them to different lists based on their input. This way, you can always craft your message so they are highly relevant to the reader.

File under: Business, Marketing
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