Aren’t there a lot more important things for busy entrepreneurs to do than write blog posts? I suppose you could say yes, but on the other hand, if you want to utilize the Internet to help market your business and your brand, you need to create content. It’s the currency of the Internet. It buys you some attention in a very noisy world. In this episode I share 10 ideas to crank these posts out. Listen closely because there are a few suggestions how you can systemize the process so you can semi-automate the publishing process without tech involved. Key…

Make no mistake about it – the design and branding elements of your website matter. Without a quality design you’ll lose potential customers, as new visitors quickly click away from your site. And without strong branding elements it will be difficult for visitors to remember your site once they leave it. Design and Branding Support Your Bottom Line All this doesn’t mean that you should put all of your time and energy into your website design and your online branding efforts. Design and branding shouldn’t be business goals in and of themselves. Rather, design and branding are techniques matter only…

Return on investment or ROI can be realized in any number of ways. As a starter, one good way is to have a look at the brand as it sits today – before the branding process. What ever that perception is, it’s the reality of the brand. Then when the process is complete – maybe six months to a year out, evaluate the perception again and see what the difference is. Any positive bump contributes the brand’s ROI. A lot of companies headed by boomers are looking at the future and their place in it. They are using branding to…

Never before has community been so useful to help small businesses build their brands. This is always a fascinating topic because if you can pull it off, a loyal community will spread the word and defend you when you hit a rough patch. This week, we talk to Lain Ehmann of Layout a Day. Listen to her talk about how she built a loyal following and a fantastic brand from something she enjoys doing – scrapbooking. Key Takeaways Find your unfair advantage and leverage it. Be intentional. Find ways to bring your identity to life in every piece of communication.…

In today’s world, branding your website and branding your business are not much different, so the branding steps you take on your website are going to be strong branding aspects of your overall business. With that in mind, here are five important website branding elements to consider. 1. Your Name Your business name is likely to be where all your branding efforts start, as it is likely to be the foundation for all “higher level” branding efforts that you undertake throughout your website. The name you choose should be memorable. In many instances a potential customer will come across your…

There are many good reasons why a company might want to re-brand. Entrepreneurs by their nature see the benefits in upping their game. Constantly raising the bar within their category keeps the competition on edge. They spend more time keeping up or as I like to say, “Following, not leading.” A common mistake you’ll see all around you is companies who think re-branding is changing their logos and marketing materials. Without a doubt this may indeed happen with are-branding, BUT it is by no means the definition of re-branding. You would want to re-brand if you are looking for positive…

If you’ve been in business for a while, you’d probably think. Nope, not me. I don’t give up easily. My question to you is, are you sure? As someone who is very driven, the last thing I’d say about myself. It’s not possible. In fact, someone once sent me a card commending my determination. However, thinking back, there are lots of things inside our business itself that I’ve given up on and many of them – now I realize, far too quickly, much too easily. Listen in as I unpack this. Key Takeaways Don’t stop promoting. If you don’t talk…

With the Kindle revolution these days, it seems like everyone has a book. Does it even mean anything anymore to be called an author? The truth is, it still is very much a big deal to be an author of a book. It’s great for business and it can do wonders for your brand if done right. Our guest Kristen Eckstein talks to us this week why you don’t want to publish on the Kindle only, when is the right time to choose Kindle, and a lot more. Key Takeaways Books help you reach new people Books strengthens your authority…

[slideshare id=26455561&doc=6297-top-50-megatrendsv3-130923073055-phpapp01] Very well done presentation here. What I find most interesting is the data on Mobile and Apps. To me, the message is loud and clear. Mobile integration is already a big part of consumer’s life. If mobile isn’t in your radar in some way shape or form you could be left out in the cold in just a few short years.

If you have a world-class brand, are you showing world-class quality at every turn? Is your brand involved in on-going training? It’s not just about customer service and brand awareness. It’s not that everyone knows your brand, it’s what their perception of your brand is. Here are 3 areas where a brand might drop the ball to save a few bucks? Organizational communications is sadly lacking in a good many companies. With most of the companies I’ve had the pleasure to assist in their branding, communication is a major hurdle. This one area would catapult your brand if you found…