As more and more individuals and businesses invest in the social media space, there will come a crisis of trust.

With so much access to so many resources, it will become more difficult to decide who to connect with, and who to do business with.

It’s a given that we all want to do business with people we like and trust. The part that is not so clear is how do we know who to trust in the first place?

At first glance, this is easy- we are naturally going to trust those people we know offline, and with whom we’ve built some kind of relationship.

These may be clients, friends, business partners, colleagues- anyone we have a real-life connection with, as well as on online one. These people move to our first circle of trust.

You can think of the circles of trust as a series of concentric circles, gradually becoming larger and larger and moving further and further out from the center.

The second circle of trust is built by friends of friends: people who have been recommended or endorsed by those in our first circle.

The third circle of trust is made up of people you would be friends with, if you could connect with them.

The fourth circle of trust is made up of people you would never connect with, even if you could.

To generate the greatest reach in social media, it is important to cultivate contacts up to, and including, your third circle of trust. This will give you the greatest range of outreach for your expertise and your message. There is inherent value in building up your social network.

Here are some strategies for building your social media trust factor:

1. Be consistent. The human brain responds to repetition. As I say, “Repetition is Reputation”- which means that what you continually repeat is what people will remember about you. Make sure the messages you send out are what you want to be known for.
2. Don’t participate in social media when you’re stressed, angry, or having a bad day. An ill-timed (or ill-considered) rant can undo all your relationship building efforts. Have your opinions, of course, but find other places to blow off idle steam.
3. Do what you say you will do. If you promise to assist someone with a resource or a lead, follow through. Don’t offer if you aren’t going to do it.
4. Be what people expect. If you have given some thought to how you want to be perceived, you should strive to be what people expect. You must carefully nurture your social media brand, just like in any other interaction.
5. Be congruent to your message offline as well. If you are presenting yourself as an expert with specialized knowledge- look the part in person, too. Never give people a chance to wonder if you are really what you say.

Building trust in social media takes time. But the more you repeat consistent, brand supporting messages, the more likely people will be to notice you.

And getting attention is the first step to making anything happen.

Dr. Rachna Jain is Chief Social Marketer at The Mindshare Corporation. Rachna works with speakers, consultants, authors, and small business owners to develop and execute effective social media marketing strategies. Her proprietary persuasive social media process (sm) focuses on building influence, credibility and visibility online. This translates into greater recognition, increased website traffic, faster lead generation, a shorter sales cycle, and more opportunity for her expert clientele. She blogs regularly at The Mindshare Blog

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Apple or AT&T?

I've recently run into an interesting dilemma -- will my loyalty to Apple win out against my disgust with AT&T?

I admit it. I'm been a lifelong Apple lover. My parents bought the family an Apple 2E in high school. (Remember those)? The first computer I bought was a Mac Classic. I own an iPod, not a MP3 player.

It's Apple all the way. There's been no turning back for me.

So of course I've been salivating to get my hands on an iPhone. However, to get an iPhone means I need to do business with AT&T.

Hence my dilemma.

I actually tried to order the iPhones and had such a horrible experience with AT&T's customer service what I really want to do is cancel the entire order and do something else while I wait for Apple to (hopefully) open the iPhone to more carriers.

So this ends up being an interesting business lesson. Will my loyalty to Apple win out? Or will my anger with AT&T win out?

But the real question is where are YOU with your business? How loyal are your customers to you?

And what kind of experience does your customers get with you? Are they happy or just putting up with you?

Clearly the idea here is to build customer loyalty like Apple and avoid customer service issues that turn you into AT&T.

So how can you be like Apple? Well one (big) way is to give your customers what they want.

Apple's customers want cool. They want innovative. They want a product they can rely on. Apple gives them all of that and more.

Your customers may not want cool and innovative (although I'm sure they want to rely on it). I mean, a computer company should be innovative, right? If you're not a computer company then innovation may not be at the top of your customers' list.

Your job is to find out what your customers want and give it to them. Do that, and you'll be on the first step to creating powerful customer loyalty.

Now what about the flip side. How do you NOT create the AT&T experience? Well, amazingly enough it's the same as creating customer loyalty -- listen to what your customers want and giving it to them.

When you boil it down, people aren't getting what they want from AT&T. What do they want? To make it easy to do business with them. Right now, it's not. You have a problem and it's very difficult to get it resolved.

How easy is it for your customers to resolve problems with you? Do you listen to them? Are you hearing the same problem over and over again or is it always a different problem? If it is a different problem, what is the common dominator?

And, most importantly, if you KNOW that, what steps have you taken to fix it?

It's a 2-step process. First, find out what your customers want most and give it to them. Second, find out what your customers AREN'T getting from you, and fix that. That's how you can create an amazing experience for your customers and have them keep coming back to you again and again.

About the Author
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com.

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If you’re starting a business right now, marketing can be one of the first efforts to take a hit. After all, why should you market products aggressively to customers who aren’t ready to spend?

Cutting back on marketing efforts right now is actually a pretty risky move- studies show that companies who increased or maintained marketing budgets during lean times are rewarded with more sales as the economy begins to pick back up. According to McGraw-Hill research, companies who increased or did not change marketing budgets during the ’81-’82 recession saw significantly higher sales growth within five years- over twice as much as those companies that chose to cut back.

So how do you design and implement an online interactive marketing strategy on a shoestring budget? What can you save on when contracting for services? Here’s a quick primer on choosing an online marketing company and forming the contract you want- at a price that’s within your budget.

Evaluate your requirements.
Do you already employ online marketing strategies such as email blasts, customer follow-up emails, or search optimization strategies? If you’re already working with an online marketing firm and are unhappy with the services you’re receiving, the price you’re paying, or both, figure out exactly what you need before you switch or begin to negotiate. Do you want to build relationships, increase brand visibility among certain customer groups, or stay in touch with existing clients? Evaluate your needs before choosing- or choosing to stay with- a company: List the services you want and how much you’re willing to pay.

Re-negotiate.
If your current online marketing firm is meeting your needs, you can still negotiate on price. Most of the time, this means contracting for additional services or a longer term- a better deal in the long run if you’re working with a reputable company. You may be able to get discounted services simply by asking, especially if your contract is about to expire. Trying to re-negotiate your existing contract- if you have one- is a step you should take before looking for a new provider.

Use smart bargaining tactics.
If you’ve narrowed down the field of providers to a few worthy contenders, try to negotiate with each to get the best deal for services. Most vendors are a bit more flexible and open to bargaining near the end of the month or the end of a sales quarter. You can ask for more services, an extended agreement, a payment plan, or any other compromise that reduces your out-of-pocket-cost. Up-front payments (retainers) are usually not negotiable- most vendors will require some monetary outlay before beginning work.

Get a written estimate or service quote.
These usually serve as previews for the final contract. It should be specific, but not too specific- it can be a good idea to split projects into phases if you’re using several different strategies. You should have access to all necessary information (graphics, advertising agreements, affiliate information) in the event that you ever decide to use a different company for later efforts. Make sure that you compare several different service quotes to get an idea of the “going rate” for services- this places you in a better position to negotiate.

Make sure you can track efforts.
Make sure you know how results are tracked. Will you be able to monitor key information (web traffic, conversions, etc.) yourself? Make sure you know how results of the marketing strategy will be measured.

Online marketing is one of the most effective methods of sales generation. Make sure you shop around for a company, compare price quotes, and ask for references. A good firm won’t ever “guarantee” a certain search engine result or output, but will be able to accurately track the results of their efforts. Spending on marketing is effectively investing in future sales- make sure you invest wisely.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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One way to gain recognition for your community and build visibility for your business is by earning business awards. Many are self-nominated and fairly easy to apply for. Here’s a quick guide to a few of the best business awards for 2009:

Businesses that have helped jump start our economy by maintaining growth over the past three years are eligible for the Inc. Magazine 500/5000 award. Winners are invited to attend the nationally recognized Inc. 500/5000 conference, and are featured in future magazine and online stories. This award is a great chance to gain visibility for your company and to represent your community- past winners have included social mission companies, tech startups, and beauty product lines- companies in all industries with over $2m in sales for 2008 are encouraged to apply.

For those still working on breaking the $1m mark, the Make Mine a Million $ Business contest, sponsored by Count Me In, is a great way to gain the support you need to meet this benchmark. The contest operates as a “race” to the $1m sales mark, and most participants see sales increase at least 40% over the duration of the competition. The M3 race is open to women owned businesses in one of 15 categories.

Businesses already on the fast track to earn $1m- those with $500,000 or more in sales for 2008, are eligible to enter the Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Contest. Similar to the 500/5000 conferenceInc. contest, businesses are featured in a future magazine issue or online story. Entrants are also featured on the contest website- a great way to increase visibility for your business even if you aren’t chosen as a winner.

The Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award is given annually by international accounting and consulting firm Ernst and Young. Award recipients may attend special conferences and are invited into a network of past winners and prestigious entrepreneurs. The award is internationally recognized as a great achievement- check out the website and contest rules for more details.

If you don’t have the time for a lengthy application, or don’t have the sales revenue to qualify for one of the larger contests, consider Business.com’s “What Works for Business” contest. Applicants write a quick essay about a challenge they’ve overcome. Any small business owner that has overhauled their website design implemented a new online marketing strategy knows that the small things can sometimes be the toughest to take on- here’s your chance to let other entrepreneurs learn from your success. Prizes for the top essay are awarded monthly.

Finally, Ideablob.com allows you to test out business ideas for the chance to win a $10,000 award. Award money goes toward the costs of implementing the idea- if you need to purchase inventory, equipment (such as a credit card terminal) or business software to get your business off the ground, here’s a great place to get started. Awards are given monthly, and are determined by votes from members of the site’s online community.

Whether you’re a brand-new business or a seasoned business owner, there’s a contest out there for you. Most of the above have spring deadlines, so get going- apply for the award you deserve. Good luck!

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Article Contributed by Marcel Sim

Corporations and companies today spend millions of dollars on corporate branding. Why is corporate branding so important that it attracts so many businesses, big and small, to invest much time and money on it? Effective corporate branding can boost the bottom line of your company significantly; it has the ability to equip a new product or service with instant credibility and value in the market. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that for any serious corporation that wishes its product offerings to be successful, corporate branding is an essential and vital tool to project a strong brand and identity.

What’s in a brand anyway? I looked it up on Wikipedia, here’s what the site has to say about branding: A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it. A brand often includes a logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols, and sound, which may be developed to represent implicit values, ideas, and even personality.

Whenever we talk about branding, we almost always think of logos and slogans. See the curved tick on your running shoes and apparel, and you’ll recognize in an instant the famous Nike “Swoosh”. What comes to your mind next? “Just Do It”. But do you know that branding can also take place at a personal level?

With personal branding, you’ll rely less on logos, slogans and sounds; it’s more of your individual values, qualities, personality and vision. In today’s business world, it’s important for you as an entrepreneur to learn to promote and market your personal brand. To gain an advantage over the competition, you need to stand out in a crowd. Here are four simple personal branding tips on how you can become your own brand:

1. Develop your own personal marketing plan.

Include your personal mission statement: what on earth are you here for? What do you hope to achieve in your lifetime? Specify your short-term and long-term goals, and plan your timeline to achieve your goals. Include detailed strategies and action steps, and don’t forget to review your personal marketing plan quarterly.

2. Build up your credibility

In whichever field or industry you’re in, aim to be the best you can be and to offer the best you can give. Make use of every opportunity to learn and hone your skills. Become the expert whom people in your professional field go to for help and advice. Give a lecture, contribute advice and articles to an e-zine, or go join your local community organization.

3. Develop and present your “elevator speech”

An elevator speech is a short, succinct description of what you do, how you do it differently from the others, and the benefits you’re able to provide to your customers. Develop yours today and present it to prospective clients whenever opportunities arise.

4. Contribute your time, talent, and money to charitable causes

Find a charitable cause which you are passionate about and is related to your particular field of expertise. Give it back to society for the help society has given to you. Donate your time by volunteering to do work for free for a local charity. Give your expertise and advice or even donate money to a charitable cause. By doing all these, you’re reinforcing your personal brand and establishing your credibility.

Your personal brand, if managed and developed properly, can become your greatest business asset. Decide today to build up your personal brand, and it’ll go a long way in your entrepreneurial career.

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Most entrepreneurs and executives really want to become a published author, but few have the time or resources to write their book. Writing a book is a big commitment, and many aspiring authors just can’t seem to get started. If you fall into that category, you may decide that you need a ghostwriter or a writing coach. On the other hand, you may just need a gentle nudge to get started.

If you’d like to make this year the year you finally write your book, these 10 tips to getting your book done can help:

1. Make the Commitment – In order to write a book, you really have to decide to do it. Make the commitment to begin. Write it down as a goal with a deadline. Be intentional and take action!

2. Write One Hour a Day – Every day, make time to write – even if it’s only an hour a day. Get up a little earlier to establish a set time daily. Carve out an hour and do nothing but write!

3. Blog Your Book – If you want to chunk down your writing and make it less intimidating, try “blogging” your book. Start a blog and post your entries every day or so. Before you know it, your blog content will grow into the chapters of your book!

4. Write What You Know – Make book-writing much easier on yourself by writing what you know. Use your background, expertise and experience to create the content of your book. When you go with what you know, the writing will just flow!

5. Repurpose Existing Content – If you’ve created a seminar, speech, article or e-book, then you’ve already got some content for your book. Be sure to review your existing materials – from blog posts to e-courses - and recycle what you can.

6. Write Fast, Edit Later – Set a timer for 30-minutes and just write. Don’t put too much thought into it, just get the words down. It’s a lot easier to re-write than it is to write, so write first and edit later.

7. Develop Your Structure – Don’t jump blindly into writing without an outline or chapter structure. You may change it on the fly, but working without an outline is like working without a safety net!

8. Break Through Writer’s Block – There are many tricks for overcoming writer’s block, but most of it comes down to discipline and determination. If you’re stuck, take a break; do something different; then come back at it with a vengeance!

9. Use Writer’s Groups – Joining a writer’s group gives you accountability partners and support. Take advantage of the power of groups, whether it’s an online group or an in-person group.

10. Get Some Help – If all else fails, enlist the support of a writing coach, a collaborator or even a ghostwriter. You may want to explore the possibility of working with a co-author to split the work and make the journey more enjoyable.

Whatever tactics you choose, make this year the year you finally write that book!

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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One of the very first things you learn in the Guerrilla Marketing Coaching Program is that EVERY contact with your customers and prospects is marketing. Each and every point of contact – from the way you answer your phone to your e-mail signature to your website to those goofy photos you posted on Facebook – makes up your personal brand. All of it! If you don’t believe me, just Google yourself and see what you’ve put “out there.” (You can be sure that everyone else who is considering working with you is already Googling you!)

Okay, now as soon as you pull those not-so-flattering New Year’s Eve party photos down off of Facebook or Flickr, take inventory of your personal brand to ensure that you’re sending the right marketing message. How are you putting yourself out there? Is your marketing consistent? Is it intentional? Is it professional? Is there continuity in all of your marketing materials?

If you’re a copywriter and your e-mails are riddled with typos because you were just “zipping off a casual note,” what kind of message does that send? If you’re starting up a business but your e-mail address is still “Schmoopie102,” who’s going to take you seriously as an entrepreneur?

In the age of viral videos and social marketing, we’ve got to be more vigilant than ever about how we brand ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world. Obviously, this applies to our print materials, business cards, products and packaging. But it also goes for the way we act, communicate and conduct ourselves. (Jamie Lynn Spears, are you listening? So much for your “Britney’s sweet, squeaky-clean little sister” brand!)

You’ve got to guard your personal brand like you’re in a casino with hundreds of cameras trained on you. Think back to that scene in the remake of “Oceans 11” with Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. Casino mogul Terry Benedict gets caught on camera betraying Tess and he loses her, because – in the casino - “someone’s always watching.” Same is true on the wonderful world wide web, so mind your brand!

Oh, and please don’t visit my Facebook page until I have a chance to pull those photos!

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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In prior posts I’ve mentioned my audio product launch on Halloween, Transform Your Fear into POWER. Part of my marketing strategy was to form joint venture partnerships with other business owners to help promote and market my program. You’ve seen these campaigns for years and probably received many emails inviting you to buy a book, audio, or program and receiving special bonus gifts with your purchase.

Most campaigns invite each partner to contribute a bonus gift, and become an affiliate to earn passive income in return for agreeing to send out an announcement on a specific date to their email lists and community. It’s a great marketing strategy (for everyone involved) when every partner follows through.

One of my partners didn’t. It took me over a week of sending emails requesting confirmation of their participation before I was finally told, ” Sorry, I was just too busy and have too much on my plate to support you as I had agreed.” Not the actual words. No offer to send an email out at that time to at a future point. Nothing at all.

I had been warned about including this person in my campaign because of a negative reputation and I opted to include them. Sometimes people will surprise you.

Your reputation is part of your brand. Keeping agreements and promises sends a message to others about your integrity, professionally and personally. That message tells others who you are and what you stand for. We pay less attention to what people say and more on what they do. Congruency….

* How often to you drop the ball in following up with others?

* Do you break your agreements and promises?

* Do you say yes to things you really need to say no to?

* How often do you make excuses for not following through?

* What justifications do you use? In other words, what do you tell yourself that makes it ok?

People talk. A negative comment to one person can snowball into multiple conversations. A message can be sent over the internet in a split second.

You cannot insure that no one will ever spread a rumor or have something negative to say about you. You choose to be a person of integrity in thought, feeling and deed to the best of your ability. And when you are not at your best, you show up and take responsiblity for your actions (or non-actions). Look for ways to make amends so that you can to restore your integrity and reputation. In that way you show up for yourself and the relationship or situation. Win-win.

What might you need to clean up to restore your integrity and reputation?

How do you want to be known?

Cheers!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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British singing sensation Amy Winehouse may be the best musical marketing story since Madonna. In case you weren’t paying attention to the music scene – or to the tabloids - over the last year or so, Amy Winehouse is the 24-year old singer, songwriter, (and the latest celebrity train wreck) who sings the hit “Rehab.”

If you’ve heard her sing, you’d know her distinctive style in an instant. And if you’ve ever seen the singer, I guarantee you’ll never forget her. Covered in tattoos, with heavy eye-makeup and her trademark beehive hairdo, Winehouse is impossible to miss.

Sadly, her enormous critical acclaim and six Grammy nominations have been overshadowed by her public self-destruction and reckless drug and alcohol abuse. She’s a favorite target of the tabloids and is right up there with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan when it comes to personal train wrecks. In fact, People magazine calls her “a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control.” Amy Winehouse makes Janis Joplin look like a saint. Let’s just hope she doesn’t share Joplin’s fate.

What’s any of this got to do with marketing, you ask? Consider the fact that in the cutthroat music industry, the chances of stardom are one in a gazillion. And when someone bursts on to the music scene like Amy Winehouse, you have to sit up and take notice. Her unique, soulful singing style, her distinctive looks and, yes, even her wacky behavior, create a remarkable brand identity. In “Sethspeak,” Winehouse is a purple cow in a huge herd of me-too musical cattle.

Sure, she’s immensely talented, but so are thousands of other performers. What makes Amy Winehouse stand out is that she’s so… Amy Winehouse! She’s carved out an unforgettable image and an unmistakable identity. Unfortunately, her personal turmoil is now part of that image but, if it doesn’t kill her, it definitely keeps her in the news.

Minus the drama, marketers should learn from Amy Winehouse. I’m not suggesting that you don a beehive wig or run out and make a drunken spectacle of yourself. But you do need to develop a brand. You need to be distinctive. And you need to decide what you stand for. Does Amy Winehouse stand out in a crowd? There’s little doubt about that. But do you? If not, what can you do to grab your share of the spotlight? (Preferably, without breaking any laws!) What can you do to make sure that you’re not singing the same tune as your competitors? Think about it, then go forth and build your brand!

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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It's a dilemma that most small businesses and startups face: You must market and advertise, but you're strapped for cash. Fortunately, ideas, energy and imagination can make up for meager marketing budgets. Whether you're an established company or a nascent business, the marketing formula is the same. You'll need to start with:

1. The right message
2. To the right audience
3. At the right time

Here are a few ideas for stretching your marketing budget:

Maximize Internet marketing opportunities

The Web has opened up a world of low-cost marketing opportunities, from email and e-newsletters to blogs and podcasts. Also, consider search engine marketing and programs like Googll Ad Words, which charges on a pay-per-click basis.

Ideas and Resources: If you want to send an e-newsletter or conduct a low-cost email marketing campaign, try ConstantContact.com (as low as $15 per month). To build a list of prospects, sign up visitors to your Web site (a no-brainer) by offering a gift (a short report, 10 tips from an expert, or something humorous) or rent a targeted email list at Postmaster Direct.

Seek publicity

Send out press releases and look for "hooks" to get your company covered in print or on TV or radio. Also, make the most of trade showsby speaking on industry panels to position yourself as an expert in your field. (Speakers and panelists at trade shows often receive free registration.)

Ideas and Resources: PR Newswire.com details the components of a press release and offers other tools for publicizing your business. MarketingSherpa.com also features many publicity tips.

Adopt Guerrilla Marketing techniques

Guerilla Marketing is described as "a proven method of achieving profits with minimum money." After 14 million books in 41 languages, Jay Conrad Levinson's low-cost tactics are still going strong. Some of his tried and true tips include writing a column for your local paper, sending "off-season" cards (instead of holiday cards), and even slipping your business cards into relevant books at the bookstore or library.

Ideas and Resources Learn more about Guerrilla Marketing at www.gmarketing.com.

Harness the power of Word of Mouth marketing

Word of mouth, or buzz marketing, has been generating buzz of its own as a powerful and inexpensive marketing discipline. Create your own customer evangelists and let them spread the good word.

Ideas and Resources: Visit Bravenet.com to add a free "tell-a-friend" tool to your Web site, e-newsletter, or emails, or try the low-cost Tell-a-Friend Wizard. For more ideas on how to generate buzz, visit www.womma.org, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

Consider low-cost, "do-it-yourself" media options

Before you invest in an elaborate direct mail campaign, consider sending less expensive mail such as postcards or birthday cards to clients. Piggybacking on existing community promotions such as participating in town days, and developing loyalty or frequent-buyer programs are other "frugal" methods.

Ideas and Resources: Try a low-cost postcard service such as Modern Postcards.com. Your business can join an existing loyalty program such as MyPoints.com or establish a custom loyalty program with companies such as Maritz. Find dozens of frugal marketing tips at FrugalMarketing.com.

Additional Tips & Tactics:

* In a world of spam and impersonal emails, try sending personal, hand-written notes.
* Find a related but non-competitive partner and join forces to share marketing efforts.
* Do "grassroots" marketing research by talking to your customers one-on-one.
* Join newsgroups and online discussion groups to position yourself as an expert.

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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With the advent of broadband Internet access and the proliferation of free video hosting sites like YouTube, Blip.tv, Revver and Veoh.com, today anyone with a camcorder and an Internet connection can produce a video and share it with the world. Producing video for the Web can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Some benefits include:

1. Free or low-cost publicity and exposure for your company
2. Instant access to a worldwide audience on the Web, 24/7
3. The ability to use your video hosting site’s HTML code to add the video to your own Web site

Here’s a step-by-step guide for getting started:

1. Produce a short video

“Short” is the key word here, for several reasons: First, online viewers have a much shorter attention span when watching video on the Web. Second, longer videos mean larger file sizes. Most free video hosting sites have a 100MB limit; some even less.

Additional resources: For great, do-it-yourself, online video tools, visit Serious Magic and look at their inexpensive “Vlog It” software. Videomaker magazine also features tips for creating online video.

2. Output your video for online viewing

Once you’ve got your video, it still needs to be encoded and compressed to make it “Internet-friendly.” Video files can be enormous, but compression software shrinks the video file size so it plays more smoothly on the Web. Remember to save or export your file to an online-compatible size, which is 320 X 240 resolution; and compress it so it’s under 20MB, if possible. Be sure to save your video file in a format that most video sites accept, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), a Windows movie (.wmv) or Flash (.flv) file.

Additional resources: QuickTime Pro (for Windows or Mac) is ideal for compressing your video and transferring it to whatever file format you prefer (Windows, Flash, MPEG). The software is about $30 (US) and is worth its weight in gold when it comes to converting files for online video.

3. Upload to several free video hosting sites

Now comes the fun part – You get to upload your video and share it with the world! Most of the popular video sites have relatively easy upload instructions: First, you’ll have to create an account for each site. The video hosting sites usually have a two or three step process that allows you to browse for your video file on your computer; add a title and description; and then click “upload” to post your video file. Most sites will also give you options for adding a thumbnail photo, selecting your genre or category or, in some cases, signing up for revenue sharing. (Don’t expect the money to start pouring in unless you’ve got a wildly popular “viral” video!)

Additional resources: Go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Yahoo, and upload your video to some of the newer, more feature-rich sites such as Veoh, Revver, VideoEgg and Stickam. Visit the individual sites for easy upload instructions.

4. Promote and share your new “online TV channel”

After you’ve uploaded your video, these free video hosting sites provide the option of “sharing” your video by giving you a link/URL that you can e-mail to your contacts. Most sites also include a great feature that allows you to copy the HTML code and “embed” the video into your own website or blog. Simply cut and paste the code provided into your own site. Finally, use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to offer “subscriptions” to your online videos.

Additional resources: I find the most “user-friendly” sites to be Blip.tv and VideoEgg. Sites like these and Brightcove.com tend to be geared toward businesses and a bit more professional. Popular (and free) RSS feed providers include Feedburner and Mefeedia.

Finally, keep in mind these special considerations for web video:

• Since your screen is typically much smaller on the web, avoid wide shots with a lot of people in them. It just doesn’t translate well on the Internet.
• Avoid pans and zooms. Rapid movement is harder to watch on a smaller screen.
• Keep it simple. Don’t go crazy with a lot of titles and graphics. They may be too small to be effective.
• Keep it short – Less is more on the “short-attention-span” Internet!

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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Producing a television ad can seem a daunting and expensive task. Fortunately, with today's easy access to TV production tools, creating a TV spot is well within your reach. One caveat: While making a TV ad can be relatively easy, producing a GOOD one is much more challenging. Don't get so caught up in the production process that you lose sight of your advertising objective – it's not creative unless it sells! With your advertising message in mind, the three critical stages of video production are:

1. Pre-production – Planning, writing, scheduling, location scouting and all of the preparation and details before a frame of video is ever shot.

2. Production – The actual video shooting of the ad. Depending on your needs and budget, this could be anything from a one-camcorder shoot to a multi-camera Hollywood extravaganza. For this reason, it's hard to generalize about how much a TV spot will cost.

3. Post-production – While on the shoot, you may hear the common refrain, "We'll fix it in post." Post is where everything comes together to produce the ad – editing, graphics, music, titles, voice over, special effects and, eventually, a "final cut."

Here are 8 steps to producing your own television ad:

1. Set clear goals and a budget
Know and communicate your marketing objective. Determine your budget and develop a plan. What do you hope to achieve with your TV ad? Where, when and how frequently will it run?

Links and resources: Ad placement can affect your overall production budget. Consider low-cost options, such as cable or the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS. Or find your local cable provider in the CAB directory and contact the advertising sales division for rates.

2. Determine your target audience
Television is still a mass medium, but you'd better know your target before you shoot! Who are you trying to reach, and will your message resonate with your intended audience?

Links and resources: For a reasonable monthly fee, DemographicsNow.com offers access to comprehensive market data to help you understand your customers.

3. Write your script
Craft your message and determine your content. Be sure to refine your script and storyboard — a visual representation of each shot in your ad — until you're convinced the commercial is ready to shoot. If you're not a scriptwriter, consider hiring an ad agency or a freelance writer to craft your ad.

Links and resources: NationalTVSpots.com offers scripting services as part of its TV ad production packages. Find screen and scriptwriters at Guru.com.

4. Plan the shoot
You'll need to decide on the "creative" for your TV ad. Considerations include tone, pacing, mood, style, music, etc. Should it be humorous? Dramatic? Animated? The clearer your vision before the shoot, the better television you'll produce.

Links and resources: Cheap-TV-Spots.com, which specializes in producing low-cost spots for entrepreneurs and small businesses, will help you focus your TV ad on what makes your business unique. Spring for a full-service production firm, such as BluelinerMarketing.com, if you want professionals handling all the planning as well as the execution of your commercial.

5. Consider ready-made video
Cut production costs dramatically by using existing advertising video footage and simply adding your audio message to it.

Links and resources: For about $500, SpotRunner.com lets you choose from an extensive library of high-quality ads that you can customize with your own message.

6. Use cable production services
Many cable companies and network affiliates offer production services to small businesses. If you're going to place your ads with them, you may be able to negotiate deep discounts on production costs.

Links and resources: Contact a local cable company, such as Time Warner Cable, to inquire about their production services.

7. DIY
Cut costs and maintain total control by shooting your ad yourself.

Links and resources: Software called "Visual Communicator" from Serious Magic allows you to create pro videos with just a Webcam and some pre-packaged graphics and effects.

8. Fix it in post
Post-production is "where the magic happens." Edit the footage from your shoot, adding music, graphics, effects and finishing touches. If you hire a production company, they should handle this for you.

Links and resources: If you're taking the DIY approach, use a simple program, such as Apple's iMovie or Final Cut Pro.

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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FoundRead: We like Harvard Working Knowledge, and today we picked up another quick post by marketing guru, John Quelch. It’s billed as “How To Build a Global Brand,“ but we think his five simple rules for how to brand effectively are applicable to any startup trying to establish its name and image — globally or not. The good news here is that Prof. Quelch is cutting down your workload — in branding, it turns out that what matters most in the message are simplicity and consistency.

Professor Quelch compares the (lately) poor branding practices at Ford with the highly successful practice at Toyota to illustrate “the power of a single global brand” and how to get there.

1. The same positioning worldwide. (For F|R: this means in every market.) This provides a combination of functional product quality and innovation with emotional appeal. Think Coca-Cola.

2. A focus on a single product category. Think Nokia and Intel.

3. The company name is the brand name. All marketing dollars are concentrated on that one brand. Think GE and IBM. (F|R: Hewlett-Packard learned this the hard way!)

4. Access to the (global) village. Consuming the brand equals membership in a global club. Think IBM’s “solutions for a small planet.” (F|R says: replace “global club” with social network.)

5. Social responsibility. Consumers expect global brands to lead on corporate social responsibility, leveraging their technology to solve the world’s problems. Think Nestle and clean water. (Or F|R might say: think Google.)

5 Simple Rules of Branding [FoundRead]

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Entrepreneur Daily: Sports fans of all ages have plenty of team memorabilia to help them root on their favorite players. But what about the increasing number of grown-up gamers? How can they show off their gaming pride? Before G8 Brand, there weren't too many options. But now, this lifestyle brand hopes to change the public's perception of gamers and their sense of style. "I always wondered why nobody had ever done an apparel brand for gamers," said Tony Crisp, owner of G8 Brand. "What Quiksilver has given to surfers and what Volcom has given to skaters is what I want G8 Brand to give to gamers … a brand to call their own."

The first collection of t-shirts consists of high-fashion prints inspired by gaming designs and classic video game imagery. As for the future, the brand plans to launch a special artist series of tees, in addition to a signature series with some of the world's top pro gamers.

New Brand Targets Gamers [Entrepreneur Daily]

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Small Business Branding: Consumers are exposed to over 3,000 marketing messages a day. TV spots, radio ads, billboards, logos on t-shirts, packaging labels, coupons in the mail, pop up ads on the internet, kids selling cookies at the door – they are everywhere.

And yet you think the consumers you want to talk to are going to filter through over 3,000 messages a day – just to find yours. And because this task alone is not daunting enough, most businesses decide to make it harder by hiding their messages. If you are not consistent in ALL your marketing materials, you are wasting thousands of dollars and losing potential customers every day.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself to check your brand’s consistency.

- Are you using just one logo? Is it always in the same color?
- Are you consistent with paper stock – color, texture and weight?
- Is the tone of all your communications pieces the same – is it in one voice?
- Does that one voice match the personality and soul of your company?
- Do your sales, recruiting, internal documents, and other communications match your marketing materials?
- Do your ads reflect the same look, feel and voice?
- When you do your radio/TV ads – do you use the same talent for the voice of your company? Is he/she also on your answering system?

Do a Quick Brand Check [Small Business Branding]

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This is an article submitted by Ken Wisnefski. Submit your article! Find out more.

Introduction

Do you think there is a corner in the world where you can find a computer user who does not know of Microsoft? Is there anyone in the world who looks for information on the Web and has never heard of Google? These names are indelibly ingrained in our brains. Did you ever think of why?

Both companies are world renown. They have molded a brand name that is synonymous with success. Most experts will tell you that you need experience, excellent service/product, ingenuity, and commitment to become a success. These are all ingredients in becoming successful, but more help comes from customers than most think.

You need to provide optimal services or products to become popular with the public. Most celebrated companies will be happy to sell services and products and hope their acclaim continues. Some of the best companies do not realize their satisfied customers can become their most powerful marketing tool.

The customer knows best

It is important to foster a rapport with your customers, regardless of the size of your business. Experts in customer management will tell you that ideally, you want to make the customer-to-business relationship as personal as possible. The dynamic should be comparable to that of a mom and pop shop located in a remote, small town with their second to third generation customers.

How can you inspire this relationship? Listen to your customers. Comprise a customer testimonial page on your Web site. Customer testimonials can be incorporated into newsletters and fliers, but it will be seen by most on your Web site.

Promote testimonials

For most, the customer testimonial page (if there is one) is usually discreetly showcased, accessible through an obscure link somewhere on the bottom of the home page. This is a mistake.

Positive customer feedback needs to be exhibited as strongly as other content on the site. Browsers will come across testimonials and relate to the authors. Those who testified were once like them – looking for a provider of goods/services.

Good testimonials should be completely overt and conspicuous for all to see. Everyone knows that each business will have positive things to say about themselves through their content, but the customers can give unbiased, objective information. This is what a potential customer wants to see – no inside advertising, just the facts.

Building the Brand

Once a business has accumulated and read a large number of testimonials, they can begin to see patterns in responses. What exactly about the products/services is so appealing to the customers? What products/services get the most positive feedback? What (if anything) needs to be improved? What separates the company from the competition? Finding the answer to these questions will begin to shape the image of your brand.

Most companies believe that they choose their brand. They believe the public at large will accept what they are told. There is too much competition for people to be persuaded into accepting something before they have proof of its veracity.

Testimonials can aid in building the brand of your business. A “brand” is about perception and your testimonials are just that – the perception of your customers. Word-of-mouth is the greatest marketing tool imaginable, but costs a business nothing in advertising costs. The investment comes from having an excellent product/service to provide.

The dynamic of the interaction between a business and its customers is the “brand.” If a business has customers that have positive associations towards the business, this equals the “image” of the business. The image is shared by the existing customers and is to be potentially shared by new customers.

Getting Practical

Thus far, it may seem that we have been speaking theoretically, and not about how to come up with a physical brand (logo, slogan).

Working with a graphic designer can ameliorate the process of composing a logo. The logo should originate from the feeling that comes from the customer feedback.

Collect the testimonials and survey them for likenesses. What adjectives are used to describe your business? What analogies or references are made in relation to your business? Is your business prided on speed? Is it prided on efficiency? Is it prided on customer service? Create a symbol based on a conglomeration of the feedback. This will be your logo.

The same process can be used for a slogan. A slogan usually will have something to do with the mission statement or the ideology of the business (Ex: eBay - “The World’s Online Marketplace”), but it can be a combination of this and the relationship with the customers (Wegmans – “Everyday You Get Our Best”). It is best to combine the company’s mission with what it can provide for its public. The choice is yours, but the latter seems to make more of a connection with the customer.

Ken Wisnefski is the president of VendorSeek.com, a site that specializes in connecting business consumers with qualified vendors from an Approved Vendor Network that provide competitive price quotes for their specific service category.

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Mind Petals: Business brochures and commercials that ridicule their competition, insult customer intelligence. I don’t want to buy a car from a guy who tells me why everyone else in his field is unworthy of my patronage. I do want to support companies who state examples of why their “unique” strategies work better. We’re not stupid consumers. We don’t expect companies to endorse their competition. So, as entrepreneurs, we need to advertise as consumers.

If there’s something you don’t like about what your competition does – set yourself apart by showing how your system exceeds their quality. Nothing portrays this better than testimonials from satisfied clientele. Your customers are more apt to believe in your product if they see results from their peers.

Post testimonials on your site and brochures. Beat your competition without spitting a negative word their way. New businesses successfully beat the veterans all the time. Just remember that how you choose to run your company now – sets the tone for your permanent professional image.

Dis-count the Competition? [Mind Petals]

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Entrepreneur: It's a brand new work world. And I do mean "brand."

It used to be that only large businesses worried about branding. To thrive, they had to distinguish their company from the competition. This meant carving out a niche based on competitive advantages and specific corporate attributes. They crafted and maintained a strategic brand--a unique, useful promise to current and prospective customers--to gain brand equity and loyalty. This was business, after all.

But things have changed. The 21st century is the age of free agents and custom ringtones. Nike doesn't just sponsor Tiger Woods; Tiger Woods sponsors Tiger Woods (check out the personal logo on his cap). Today, branding occurs at the individual level. This is especially noticeable in service industries, but increasingly in others as well. Everything about you, from the type of cell phone you carry and the vocabulary you use, to the brand of coffee you drink, says something about who you are and what you can do for the rest of us.

In business today, your most important job is to promote yourself. You probably won't work the same job from graduation until retirement. More likely, your future depends on leveraging your strengths along a winding career path ripe with possibilities. To take advantage of these opportunities, you need to stand out in a crowd. You must become your own brand.

Know - and Brand - Thyself [Entrepreneur]

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FORTUNE: Lingerie retailer Bare Necessities spiced up sales by making it easier for women to find undergarments that fit online.

When we last met Bare Necessities, the lingerie seller, based in Avenel, N.J., was profitable but battling a personality problem: It lacked one. Enter FSB's Makeover artists - five experts from Frog Design, the product design and branding firm known for its work with Apple. The Frog team led company employees in creative exercises that sparked fixes, which CEO Noah Wrubel says boosted growth.

"Business is unbelievable," he says. The family-owned firm won't give figures, but an industry magazine pegged its 2006 web sales - now about 90% of revenue - at $26.2 million, bringing total sales for that year to around $29 million. In 2005, Bare Necessities had total sales of $21 million. This year sales should hit $35 million.

The Makeover revealed that many women find buying underwear tedious and ego-deflating. Guided by the Frog session, the company revamped its branding and website (barenecessities.com) to change that. Now the site gives advice on fashion, quality, and, most important, fit. To execute this work, the company set up a new web-focused creative department and hired Victoria's Secret veteran Jessica Jackson as vice president of E-commerce, a new post.

Move over, Victoria's Secret [FORTUNE]

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Influx Insights: One of the secrets behind the new premiums was that they didn’t rely on advertising, instead they found a way to get the bar staff and bar tenders on their side and used the power of recommendation.

Even though the brand's owner, the Swedish government is due to sell its prized asset, early in the year, Absolut broke a new ad global campaign and yesterday launched a fascinating new initiative.

Absolut is known for its bottle, but also its flavors, at one moment in the late 90s, it seemed like the brand was launching a new flavor a week. The brand is now taking its flavor story in a new direction by launching flavors named after locations with specific recipe designs.

The first one out of the gate is Absolut New Orleans- mango flavor with a black pepper kick. The new flavor will be limited to a run of 35,000 cases.

This is a very interesting development for a brand trying to escape from the tyranny of ubiquity by becoming more local and limited. It allows Absolut to be relevant to important drinks markets and gives them the opportunity to create a new conversation with bar tenders.

Absolut Local [Influx Insights]

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BusinessWeek: Just because there is no one selling a particular product or service doesn't mean it's automatically a good idea to try. Conversely, a competitively crowded industry shows that demand exists, as well as a viable market. The key to business success isn't finding an empty field, but defining your company narrowly—no matter how crowded a marketplace you're entering.

There are many ways you can differentiate your company, says Reid Carr, president of Red Door Interactive, a small Web development firm based in San Diego. "You can choose to sell to different people, such as small businesses; you can find new distribution channels; you can stratify the industry's price points by introducing a luxury class; or, you can redefine your selling proposition," he says, noting how Starbucks (SBUX) revolutionized the coffee shop by selling an experience rather than just a beverage.

However you choose to be different, you must be great at the basics and exceptional at your defining factor, Carr says. "The key here is to know who you are and who you are not." Another way to get a toehold in a mature market is to watch for change or stagnation in that industry and capitalize on it. "Even in highly competitive industries—perhaps even more so than in noncompetitive markets—there are external and internal market forces that will create change in the dynamics," says Eric Basu, president and CEO of technology firm Sentek Consulting in Mission Hills, Calif. "Successful companies and entrepreneurs aspiring to enter a competitive market will observe the winds of change and seize opportunities arising from changes. A successful entrepreneur will often have prepared for entry into the industry by securing capital, establishing connections, possibly occupying a sentry position, and otherwise laying the groundwork for opportunity."

Starting a Business in a Crowded Market [BusinessWeek]

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Inc.com: Whether it's quality, selection, product knowledge, or customer service, small retailers can leverage a stronger brand identity to take on big-box competitors. For far too many large corporate retailers, their primary strategy is to build sales through low prices, to leverage their sheer size into economies of scale that drive down their costs and allow them to offer the lowest possible prices. Their entire business model is built on volume, and the primary tool of choice in their toolkit is price promotion. Sales, circulars, coupons, special events -- however the promotion is structured -- the offering is built around price.

Building brand equity for your store is a critical element in maintaining pricing integrity, protecting margins, and assuring long-term profitability. Building brand equity requires clarity of purpose. When customers think of you, they will focus on the one thing at which you excel. Focusing yourself and all of your people like a laser beam on that one thing, whether it be quality, selection, product knowledge or customer service, and building everything you do around that core mission, is the key to building retail brand equity.

Building Brand Equity [Inc.com]

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