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…

If you’re spending a lot of time working, are the stuff you working on the things that matter or are they small stuff that don’t bring in the bacon? Though the small things still need to be done for your business to run smoothly, we’ll talk how to effectively hand them over to someone else. Key Takeaways Train your people Create good training that doesn’t require you to be present Don’t keep all your knowledge to yourself Creating training is an investment [display_podcast] Resources DIYPLR – step-by-step illustrated user guide content with private label rights. WebCamp Live in Las Vegas…

[slideshare id=26311770] Besides being a great presentation, I love how short and sweet this is on its own. Short is good. I think #2 is not always possible but good to attempt to do when you can and #4 is probably my biggest challenge. What is your takeaway from this presentation?