Category: Branding

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Branding

The Secret Behind Successful Branding (and No, It’s Not About a Logo)

Of all the different marketing tools out there, the most nebulous, and also the most misunderstood, are these two — branding and positioning.

And since they’re misunderstood, they aren’t used correctly, leading to all sorts of problems.

Branding and positioning are extremely powerful. Used correctly, you will magically attract your ideal clients to you. Used incorrectly, and that same power can destroy your business.

So, let’s talk definitions. First, branding. No I’m not talking about logos, colors or slogans. Yes that’s a part of branding. But branding is a lot more then that.

Branding is really about your business’s core identity. (Not your personal core identity, your business’s core identity). That’s probably the easiest way to explain it. And yes I’m simplifying it some — but hang with me.

Branding is what your business represents. What your business is all about. Once you know this, and you have a strong core identity, the logos and colors and slogans all fall into place. But you need to have that core identity first.

Your positioning is how you stack up in the marketplace. How your ideal clients describe you and how you compare against your competition.

Your branding comes first. So the first thing you need to do is figure out your business’s core identity.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Okay let’s start with a quiz. Have you ever found yourself thinking —

* I don’t know what makes me different

* I can’t describe what I do for my clients

* I’m not sure why my clients hire me instead of my competition, but I know they love me — I get great testimonials from them

* I’m not sure and/or I can’t describe what my strengths are

* I’m not sure what I should be offering

* I don’t do anything different than what my competition does

* I can’t compete — I don’t know why anyone would hire me over my competition

* I never know what to say at networking events

If the answer is yes, you have a core identity problem.

So, how do you fix this? Well, I’m going to give you a few tips to get you started.

First off, write down everything your business represents to you. What you do, why this is important to your clients, what your vision is, what you feel your gifts/brilliance is, etc.

Next, write down what you want your clients to think of when they think of you. Write down everything, not just “good service and high quality.” I want you to write down things like “trustworthy, high sense of integrity and honor, expert in the field.” Things like that.

Now, I want you to go talk to your clients. Ask them why they hired you. Ask them how they would describe you to someone else. Ask them what they would say if they were recommending you to someone else. Ask them how they differentiate you from your competition.

Now compare the lists. What do you like? What don’t you like? What “feels” right? What doesn’t “feel” like you or where you want to go with your business?

Once you get a handle on this, you can take that and start building your business around it.

 

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Branding

What Do You Stand For? What is Your Brand?

Building Your Brand

A brand is a promise of the value your prospects/customers will receive. In today’s complex and competing world your customers must not only acknowledge but support the promise of your brand if you wish to get the position or contract you want with the firm you want to work with.

To become a brand, you’ve got to become completely focused on what you do that adds value. Do you deliver your commitments on time, every time? Do you anticipate and solve problems before they become crises? Do your stakeholders save money and headaches just by having you on the team? Do you complete projects within the allotted budget?  Do you create value in your relationships with others, from the top leader to the person at the reception desk?
Every person needs to evaluate his/her brand identity against the following criteria:

Relevance to the Market

A brand must stand for something that is meaningful to your target market. Your brand encompasses the total experience of knowing you and/or doing business with you.

Consistency of Behavior and Habits

People must be able to depend on the brand to deliver the same experience every time. Because your stakeholders experience your values through you, the only way they will truly become loyal to your brand is through your dedication and consistency. In other words, walk the talk.

Relationship-Building

A brand is not a logo or an advertising strategy. The strength of your brand is in the relationship between you and your customers. The stronger the relationship, the more business you will do together, and the more likely it is that your customers will refer you to their friends and business associates.

Loyalty To The Customer Is Returned

The test of your brand is, in fact, the strength of loyalty it generates. If you have  strong relationships with your target audience, then you have a strong brand.

Reputation Is Priceless

The only way to be successful in business is by establishing a good reputation. Your reputation works by communicating the relationship you have with people who’ve done business with you, and your target market in general.

Good brands stand the test of time. To develop a brand that will last a lifetime, go beyond what you do right now. Most executives today will have multiple positions, in multiple organizations, as they continue to contribute. Will you be remembered by the positions you had or the personal brand you brought to each? What more could you do for the people in your life be they friends, family or customers?

If you establish a place of trust and relevance in peoples’ minds, you’re already in the door. The more people believe in your brand, the more it will spread throughout your life without your pushing. If your brand is clear, distinctive, and easily understood, and expresses a unique, compelling benefit that people believe in, it will bring you all the business you can handle and an abundance of positive relationships.

About the Author:

The Balanced WorkLife Company is dedicated to helping the best get better while they enjoy the journey. Our programs give you access to tools and methodologies that allow you to break through the barriers and achieve your goals while also helping you enjoy a balance between and within your job, your career and your personal life. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career, the Balanced WorkLife Company can help you achieve your ultimate potential. To learn more, visit www.balancedworklife.com and download our free report “The 16 Most Common Networking Mistakes to Avoid,” which is jam-packed with information to help you develop and build long-lasting business and social relationships.

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Branding

Building Your Social Media Trust Factor

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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.
RachnaJainPhoto.jpgDr. 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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Branding

How Strong is Your Customer Loyalty? What AT&T and Apple Can Teach You

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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.

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Branding Business Ideas Customer Service How-To Guides Online Business Sales & Marketing

Making the Most of your Online Marketing Efforts


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.
MerrinMuxlowPhoto.jpgMerrin 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.