Building the Brand You’ve Always Dreamed Of

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If you’ve been around the block even one time, you know how important branding is. You find brands everywhere you look – just drive down the busiest street in your town and you’ll see for yourself! As a small business owner, building the brand you’ve always dreamed of and establishing your market share is the key to your success!

Depending on the product or service you offer, and the scope in which you see yourself operating, you’ll need to make some big decisions on how best to position yourself. The more you understand your target demographics, the better you’re positioned to market effectively to them. By making the experience that consumers have with your brand more meaningful, customers are likely to be more loyal to your brand.

Selecting Your Name, Making a Statement and Building the Brand

If you are just getting started with your business venture, the first couple of things you need to do is decide what ‘name’ will represent your commercial efforts. There is no exact ‘cut and dry’ solution to selecting the ideal name for your company or Organization, so it is always a good idea to brainstorm some naming possibilities. Don’t be afraid to talk about your project with your business partners, friends and family members to drum up some ideas. If you are coming up short, working with a branding expert is another way to launch your brand effectively.

Measuring Your Brand

Once you’ve officially launched your brand, the next step is to measure your market share actively. These days, you’ll find no shortage of tools to evaluate and track the strength of your brand, as well as your brand equity. You’ll know you’ve reached the pinnacle of success when your brand name is used to replace the generic term for the product! Think Kleenex or Q-Tips. Obviously, this isn’t something that happens overnight, so if you are aiming for this business goal, you might have to use a long-term plan to get to this point, and your branding will inevitably be one of the biggest pieces of solving this business puzzle.

Promotional Products for Building the Brand’s Awareness

Nearly everyone appreciates getting something free from time to time. If part of your business plan includes being an exhibitor at local or industry-sponsored trade shows or conferences, investing in meaningful, personalized, promotional items is a cost-effective way to keep your brand name in front of people who could potentially be your customers. Things like Pens, Styli, USB Memory Sticks, T-Shirts, Water Bottles, Tote Bags, and Printed Materials with more information on your company are a relatively inexpensive ways to market your brand and build goodwill. Instead of attendees forgetting about your brand as soon as they leave the venue, they have something they can use with your brand name or marketing message imprinted on it directly, so they can refer to you when it is convenient for them. While they may not buy from you directly that day, they have a way to connect with you again at a later time when they’re ready to buy!

In the modern marketplace, companies of all sizes must compete against one another to garner the attention of consumers. Establishing your brand is critical to getting the coverage and business you need to succeed. The more efficient you are at providing a product or service that commands brand loyalty, the better! Once you’ve become a trusted provider, the higher your chances of repeat and referral business.

Digital Marketing and Branding Go Hand in Hand

Technology and the extensive use of Internet Technology have made it easier than ever before for people to connect and sell online. With the proper branding elements in place and a professional web presence that includes a branded website domain, a managed Social Media Presence and eCommerce capabilities, business owners and entrepreneurs can start on a level playing field, which was more than what was possible even twenty short years ago.

As a general rule, a website that supports your brand should be user-friendly and mobile-friendly to be viewed correctly on display screens of all sizes. These days, more and more people depend on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to access the Internet, so you’ll want to be sure that you have a responsive design in place to cater to website visitors who are using these devices to browse your site. Another technical aspect to have in order is having your site hosted on a fast web server. No one likes to have to wait for more than a couple seconds for a website to load, so every extra millisecond counts! All you need to do is think of how many sites you’ve hit the “Close” button on because it was taking too long, to understand what we’re talking about here!

Do You Need Help With Building the Brand and Putting It All Together?

There is no doubt that branding is a complicated process to put together on your own, especially if this isn’t one of your business strengths. But there is no reason to worry when you can work with branding experts like Colleen Eakins, who specialize in these aspects of business development. Head on over to the contact page to get in touch with Colleen and get started building the brand you’ve always dreamed of!

Your Stuff Cannot Stink – Prove Your Ability and Worth

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Yep, here we go again. Colleen is on a bit of a rant again today. What has my gears grinding today? Businesses that think they are illusionists and use smoke and mirrors to dazzle you into believing their claims. They use their messaging to tell you how great they are, but do not show you how great they are. In the past, it may have been enough to use frilly adjectives like “awesome,” “great,” and “best” to sell a product or service. However, today’s consumers are a bit more skeptical and you need to demonstrate or prove that you really are the best, great at what you do and have an awesome product.

To borrow a line from the movie Jerry Maguire, “Show me the money!” For example:

If you build “cutting edge” websites, but your own website looks similar to Berkshire Hathaway’s website or you are using the free version of Wix (that includes their logo and favicon), I’m not going to believe you. I probably won’t bother to take a look at your portfolio, because you have proved to me by your own site, that you do not know what cutting edge currently means when it relates to web design.

If you are a self-proclaimed social media maven or guru, I should be able to find you on every major social media network. Not only should I be able to find you, but I should be able to see your prowess reflected in the quality of your posts, engagement and following/fandom on those networks. I need to see you walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

SEO, SEM or PPC expert that gets great results? Show me with a few case studies that include mathematical figures and percentages of how you took a client from point A to point B with their goals. If you can back that up with a few client testimonies from real and verifiable business owners, I might just believe that you can improve my search engine rankings and boost my website traffic.

In a nutshell, your stuff cannot stink. Fluffy adjectives to describe yourself and your business/product will only get you so far. If you are truly as good as you say you are, you should be able to prove it.

 

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Directing Traffic:: Orchestrate Your Digital Marketing Efforts

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Have you ever sat and watched a police officer direct traffic? Although we may become a bit impatient with them while they do their job, our part in the matter is relatively easy. All we have to do is watch and act in the way they tell us to. They on the other hand, have to pay attention to what is going on in each lane; know who needs to turn; who is going straight; and pay close enough attention to keep traffic flowing and not get hit in the process. If they do their job well, they are met with a successfully executed flow of traffic.

I feel that digital marketing is similar in this way. Customers are like the sea of cars at that busy intersection. Some are going to go straight. Some will turn left, but they are all watching and acting in the way we ask them to. As a marketer, we have to give them that direction, because if we don’t, chaos will ensue.

In order to successfully orchestrate and direct your digital marketing efforts, you first have to ask yourself what it is that you want people to do? Do you want them to sign up for your new service, buy a new product, read your blog, or join you on a social media network?

Make that your target goal and work backward. How do you get there? What digital channels do you have available to you? Take stock of each one and its specific needs. You will need to tailor your approach on each channel, according to the strategy that works for you there.

Directing with your Digital Media

It may be helpful to create a flow chart or mind map to help you visualize your strategy. You may have a mobile app, email lists, a website and a couple of social media accounts like Twitter and Instagram. Let’s just say that your goal is to create awareness and sales for a new product.

In this example, we will pretend that you have had great success in the past with give away contests on Instagram, but not on Twitter. Your email marketing efforts have seen a high click-through rate to your website, but not a lot of conversions into sales. Your mobile app allows for sales, but so far it has only been downloaded by a few customers.

You have two direct ways that the product can be purchased: your website and on your mobile app. You need to direct traffic to these two using the other channels that you have available.

Since you have established a working strategy with contests on Instagram, you can use a contest and give away to highlight your new product. Include the link to download the app in your bio. Downloading the app and creating a new account can be one way to enter.

Use your email lists to announce the contest that is being promoted on Instagram as a way to direct them and potentially follow you on that network. Use this email to make them aware that they may be missing out on something if they are not following you on Instagram.

Later, when the contest is over and the prize has been awarded, you can see if the recipient would be willing to provide feedback about the product. If it is favorable (hopefully it is) use it as a product testimonial in another email campaign promoting the product.

On your website, you can create a landing page that is dedicated only to the sale of the new product. This is the page that any links in your email marketing campaign and social media accounts should use when promoting the product directly.

Directing with your Design

Yep, you read that right! You can direct traffic with the design of the media. Our eyes naturally move from the top of a page to the bottom, and from left to right when reading. When placing elements like text and images, keep this in mind. Place the things that have the most importance or impact, in the beginning of that route. You can also use this to somewhat dictate what a viewer sees/reads first and in what order.

If you want something to catch their attention, use color. Color can help to evoke certain emotions and feelings and call attention to something. I wish I could say that there is a magic color that will make people buy all of your products, but I can’t. However, I have found that a contrasting color to the overall color scheme of the site tends to work well. Just make sure the color is not obnoxious or that your use of color is not obnoxious. Hint: It helps a lot if it is readable.

Speaking of color, I’m sure you have heard the term “white space.” Some people hate it; some people love it. I’m one that loves it. In general, I like really clean design. Design that is uncluttered and one that feels like it can breathe and not have an asthma attack. White space helps to direct traffic. Your eye is drawn to the areas that have content, when there is a lot of area or space that is empty (white space) surrounding it. It makes it easier for you to focus on what the designer, marketer, business, etc. wants you to focus on. Use this to your advantage in your design.

By utilizing the digital channels that you have, you can direct traffic to where you want it and reach the goals that you set. Once they get to where you are leading them, use your design to help further direct them to the action you want them to commit.

 

 

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Playing with My Emotions: The Emotional Sell

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Piggy backing on what I wrote about earlier this week with “It Takes More to Keep Our Attention,” emotions are one way that marketers use as gateway into our pockets and hearts.  J  I know it works on me, so I will assume it works on others as well.

Make me mad and I want to fight and lead the charge.

Make me cry and I want to donate or help.  The meaning in the message will stick with me more.

Make me laugh and you make me want to check you out and know more.

Extreme emotions, extreme times because advertisers, marketers and PR representatives have to go above and beyond to reach consumers.

Do emotional marketing tactics work on you?

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It Takes More to Keep Our Attention

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Advances in technology and industry have made it harder to please people.  We are a society that is often distracted, busy, impatient and easily bored.  Look at how children stay entertained or at least what is manufactured and marketed to keep them entertained.  A long, long time ago, just a rock, forked twig and a rubber band could keep a kid entertained.  Then came hula hoops, toy cars (plastic and wooden), bikes and video games.  Video games are what brought kids inside and they too have evolved from a yellow blob that eats ghosts to interactive dances and internet connectivity to play with friends.

Connectivity through the internet has allowed us to consume what we want, when we want and how we want it.  If your favorite show is coming on too late; you DVR it or catch it later OnDemand or on HULU.  If you don’t want to see what your friend is posting about; you can delete, block or hide them and their posts.  Don’t want to see ads on your favorite game or app; you can pay a premium to make them disappear.  As a consumer, it seems like we have more choices that allow us to dodge and avoid advertisers; while at the same time being bombarded by them.

It is becoming harder and harder for advertisers to find ways to reach consumers.  Trends do not seem to stay trends for long.  The advertising world is moving just as quickly as technology.  Just as soon as a strategy works and is the “it thing” to do, “it” changes.  I think it is because of the connectivity and far reach of the internet.  An idea can spread a lot more quickly than it could back when print advertisements and media placements were the primary methods.  At that time, you were limited by the readership/viewership and frequency of a publication.  Today, you can post something online and potentially reach thousands in a few hours.

Consumers are also more savvy and adept and recognizing veiled sales attempts, pr stunts, and other marketing methods.  Partially because the word has spread, thanks in part to the internet…and Reddit.  So marketers are left with brainstorming and coming up with new and inventive ways to wow, shock, and reach consumers.  I’ve noticed more brands are trying to use humorous/wacky concepts or trying to appeal to a more diverse group of people. Check out the example ads below:

What are your thoughts on why it is getting harder to reach consumers?