branding - Pivotal

Business, PivotalU, PivotalU article, Story, Story, Success

Are you in control of your story online?

Who are you?

If someone wants to know who you are, they type your name into Google.

Before the meeting, you have been googled.

Before the interview, you have been googled.

Before the pitch, you have been googled.

What is Google saying about you?

What did you give Google to say about you?

It's an interesting exercise to Google oneself ... interesting and sometimes surprising!!

Right there is a little window into how people might be seeing you.

That is the story people are seeing and reading about you - your personal brand story, your business brand story.

Did Google put it there? No. But Google chose which parts of it to put in front of searchers as the first thing they saw.

Did other people put it there? Yes. Your clients comment on your business and connect with you. Your friends comment on you and connect with you. You listed yourself on other websites, and commented or interacted there.

So to some extent, this is happening without you.

Consider, though ...

You gave your clients something to comment on. What was that?

You connected with them. What impression did that give?

You gave your friends something to comment on. What was that?

You connected with them. What impression did that give?

You associated yourself with other websites. What impression does that give?

Everything communicates.

My mother said to me often and often, "Put your words on the palm of your hand before you say them."

She probably said that as I grew into a teenager with attitude, and not much thought for what I said, or what the consequences might be.

Everything communicates, especially words, but actions too.

So everything we do on the internet communicates something and it's not always what we might expect.

Google, and the internet as a whole, gives us an unparalleled opportunity to communicate, to share and to build a brand, and there is nothing so challenging, nor so rewarding as to to watch that brand build and grow.

Enjoy!!

Author: Bronwyn Ritchie.

If you would like help telling your story on-line, please contact me. I have a "Connecting the Dots" programme that helps my clients find the story they need to tell.

PivotalU article, Story

[PP Brand story] Bold provocative

The title of this post is PP Brand.

PP stands for Personalised Plate. Here in our part of Australia, and perhaps where you live too, when you register a car, you can have the registration plate combination of numbers and letters allotted to you, or you can pay more for a personalised plate.

There must be many reasons for acquiring a personalised plate, but when someone sees your plate, they see your expression of your identity.

When I was growing up on a farm, we (my mother and I) recognised the locals' cars by their number plates. These were not personalised. I don't know if the concept even existed then. But for majority of the locals, particularly of my father's generation there were two types of cars - Holdens and Fords and probably they could recognise those. These were the men who could articulate a wide variety of types of cattle, and a wide variety of the crops you would grow to progress any particular type of animal to its best.

My mother, struggling to identify one out of many in either car type, I suspect, identified the cars by their number plates - or maybe it was just a topic of conversation. The main two in our lives were ours and my aunt's and my mother referred to herself and the aunt as Mrs PIF and Mrs PEL because those were the letters in the number plates. Ours was PIF 917.

Number plate as identity.

And now we have personalised number plates, sure signs of identity and therefore, if possible, brand.

Some mean nothing unless to those who know the owner, but there are those chosen with a message.

The one that made me super aware of this phenomenon was stopped at the lights as I was waiting to cross the street in our CBD. It was on a low-slung, hugely expensive sports car, the motor purring as it sat there. The Personalised Plate held one word and that word was

HATE.

The car and the plate screamed brand identity.

What would you associate with that setup?

My first reaction was "In yer face" and this is what Google provided

Aggressively or blatantly confrontational
Marked by, or displaying, a boldness of character
Offensive, causing or eliciting a strong negative reaction
Forceful, or having an immediate impact

I have had fun writing imaginary brand stories that involve that car.

The Archetype? --- has to be --- Outlaw!!

PivotalU article, Story

What are you really selling?

What exactly are you selling?

What exactly is your client or customer buying?

The obvious answer, of course is, "your product or service".

And that is true,

until you actually have to persuade someone to buy,

until "sell" involves something more than the physical exchange of money or value.

Then it becomes fairly obvious that there is something more involved.

Let me say, right now, that what you are selling is a story.

A story is

the story of a change,

the change that your customer or buyer goes through when they use your product or service.

And that is the story you have to sell.

And while that change will have physical aspects and outcomes that might involve things like health, wealth, relationships; ultimately the result your client or customer wants is the emotion, the feeling. They want to feel free, valued, better than, at peace; all sorts of things. And they may not articulate that, but the want will be there.

There is a saying that people buy based on emotion and justify based on logic.

And that is why stories are so valuable. They can tap into the subconscious level of emotions. We are wired for story and stories are inherently built on emotion.

So your client story is vital in your marketing.

Where are you telling your client story - that story of change?

Business

5 Tips to Establishing Your Digital Identity

Nearly half the world has internet access, which provides a gateway for small businesses to now enter a global market. It is more important than ever before that businesses not only have a digital identity, but one that is present and relevant. In many cases, the digital identity will impact the success and longevity of a business. Here are five tips to consider when establishing your digital identity or enhancing your presence via social media platforms.

1. Research Platforms
Research the platform(s) you are considering, and the primary audience engaged with the platform. User demographics can be easily found for notable platforms. Due diligence in understanding the nuances of each platform is integral to your success. Do not simply learn about the demographics, you should also learn about the common trends and behaviors of the users. How often do users login daily versus monthly or weekly? How long does the average user stay logged in during a single sign-in? When using the platform, what features of the platform are used most? Are users more drawn to posts, updates, videos, or graphics? The answers to those questions and others, will assist in determining when a platform is appropriate for your business or personal brand, as well as how you can use the platform to its full potential.

Once a platform is chosen, exploring analytics options to track who and how people are engaging with you or your business is highly recommended. Many platforms will provide a range of analytics for free to all users, and have options to enhance the type and amount of information tracked. Free analytics, provided by the platform are robust in the information provided to users.

2. Know Your Purpose
While the platform may be a current trendy option, that cannot not be the sole purpose for a business to utilize the application. Some businesses will use certain platforms to be strictly informational and serve as one-way communication to their consumers, like utility companies.

In most scenarios it is in the best interest not to, but some businesses may choose to link their social media accounts, so that the same post will appear on multiple platforms. It sounds good in theory, but as you learned in step one, different platforms have varying demographics and behaviors. The deliverable needs to be presented in a way that resonates with users and aligns with the trends or behaviors of the platform in use. The appearance of being present and in the moment, is integral to the establishment of your digital identity. Often, viewers can see if a post was made from another platform and will choose to disengage with the content presented.

Expansion of consumer base is another common purpose for establishing a digital identity. The demographics of a specific platform are typically easily accessible, and can be used to target a new consumer audience. Businesses will also consider ways to enhance public relations through their digital identity. Professional sports teams and organizations may select to highlight their engagement with community and fans domestically and globally.

3. Voice and Content
Once you have selected the platform(s) of choice, consider your content and voice. The beauty of social media is that it allows people to be tangible and engage with others. Consider how you want to interact with your viewers and potential consumers. What type of content should you share and how often? Social media generally is most effective as moments are happening or shortly after. Limited posts or interaction with others generally will lead to a downtrend in followers and engagement.

Social media marketing campaigns and hashtags serve a dual purpose. Both are great ways to drive content that can be shared, and attract new users to your digital presence. The other way it should be used is to conduct market research within the norms or social activity of the platform. Voice is extremely important because it represents your digital personality. Explore your timeline or news feed to explore users that have an engaging voice. Consider being informative, diverse in content, and providing a selective amount of individuality. Voice and content should give the illusion that user interaction is with a person instead of an office or corporation.

4. Brand Alignment
Purpose, voice, content, and platform(s) of choice should align with your overall brand. Your brand is a holistic development strategy for the success of your business over an extended period. Digital identity is just one of the many components that comprise a brand. Colors, content, voice, shapes, sounds, logos, typography, and a host of other elements are all things that should be considered when establishing your brand and digital identity. Brand recognition is key! Think about major brands or fast food companies. Regardless of how and where their content is delivered, the viewer or user at some point recognizes the brand, whether it be by sounds, logos, colors, or other features.

5. Be Creative
Innovation is almost a necessity for the success of your business and its relevance. As technology continues to advance, so will your business' digital presence. Be mindful of the integral components, mentioned in steps one through four, which comprise your digital framework: platform(s), purpose, voice, content, and overall brand. Be open and willing to explore new platforms, and options within them, for the betterment of your business. Regular evaluation of your digital identity is essential to ensure that it is consistent and relevant to current standards. Explore effective ways to engage with your viewers and consumers that your competitors have not. Being an entrepreneur requires taking a certain amount of risk, and so will establishing a successful digital identity.

Technology is disruptive behavior that attempts to satisfy a want or need. It is no wonder that social media platforms are forever changing. The difficulty as an entrepreneur is identifying which platforms will set global or domestic trends over time and when that will happen. In my experience, small businesses and numerous entrepreneurs struggle to establish their digital identity, especially as popular trends change over time. Large companies generally will have branding, communications, or marketing departments that can better assess which trends are worth committing to and for how long. Countless individuals and businesses will struggle to reach the full potential of their digital identity.

Dexter Robinson is a higher educational professional, and the owner of multiple businesses. He has significant experience with conceptualizing and implementing digital identity, branding, and other forms of web or social engagement with organizations, small businesses, as well as departments within a university setting. Dexter is also currently enrolled in the Masters of Entrepreneurship Degree Program at Western Carolina University. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permissions as long as this article in its entirety, author's information, and any links remain intact.

Business, Magazine

Smart Ways to Use Your Business Card

Successful networking is "all in the cards" with these 4 strategies.

Your business card is one of the most valuable networking tools you have in your quest for increased referrals. Can you envision a reality where 20 to 30 people in your word-of-mouth marketing circle carry your cards and have them ready to hand to prospects they're actually qualifying for you? I certainly can, and am excited every time I hear someone say, "Let me give you my friend's business card; oh, and by the way, may I have him (or her) give you a call?"

The business card is the most powerful single business tool--dollar for dollar--you can invest in. It's compact, energy-efficient, low-cost, low-tech, and keeps working for you hours, weeks and even years after it leaves your hands!

Some of the things your business card does is:

Tell people your name and the name of your business
Provide prospects with a way to contact you
Give others a taste of your work, style and personality
It can be so unusual or attractive or strange or charming or funny that it sticks in the memory like a great radio or television ad
It can be reused, as it passes from person to person, giving the same message to each person who comes in contact with it

The two main functions of your card are to gain business from the person you give it to and to get your name out to other people with whom the first person comes in contact with via referrals. With that in mind, let's take a look at the most effective ways to use your business cards. (For a complete look at how to make an effective business card, read It's in the Cards).

Make Your Cards Accessible in Every Situation
In short, don't leave home without them! It's a great idea to keep a small box of your cards in your glove box, just in case you find yourself in a situation where you need more than you've carried in your pocket or purse. In addition to my jacket pocket, I tuck them away in my briefcase, wallet and computer bag, just to make sure I never run out.

Keep an eye on your supply. The time to reorder is before you're in danger of running out.

In addition to being sure you have your cards on hand, be sure that your networking partners always have your cards. Check with them regularly to see if they need more, and be ready to provide them with whatever quantity they say they need in order to promote you.

Seek Situations to Exchange Business Cards
There are many opportunities in which you can pass on your card to prospective clients and customers as well as referral sources you wish to develop. Some are obvious; others are not. Whenever you have a one-on-one meeting with someone new or someone you haven't seen for a while, give her your business card. At mixers and social events, be sure you have plenty of cards when you go in. These are good places to extend the reach of your network.

Conventions and trade shows are another great venue for exchanging business cards. The vendors at the trade shows are anxious for you to take their card--don't make that a one-way street. Be sure you give them your card as well.

When you visit a non-competing business that might attract the same people you would like to have as customers, ask if you may leave a supply of cards to be handed out or made available. In most cases, a business that's complementary to your own is always looking for a networking partner. An example would be a sports nutritionist leaving a stack of cards at a martial arts studio. Be creative and consider even bringing your own cardholder to leave out.

International meetings and events can provide an opportunity to give out your business cards. Consider having your card printed double-sided, with English on one side and the language of the host country of the event on the other side.

Contacts at a Distance
Whenever you communicate with someone in writing, send a card if it's appropriate to the occasion. Enclose several cards in every packet of sales material you mail out. Along with your thank-you note to the businessperson whose referral brought you a major contract, include a business card to replace the one she gave away, plus several more.

After any telephone call in which business was discussed, follow up with a letter outlining the main points of your discussion and include one or more of your cards. E-mail is a great way to follow up, but a letter will actually allow you to include your business cards.

Special Tricks of the Trade
When giving out your card, hand-write something on one copy, such as your cell-phone number, a secondary e-mail address, etc. This will give that particular card a greater chance of being held onto. Be sure you give a couple of "clean" cards to that person, as well, and ask your new friend to pass one on to a potential customer.

After you get someone's card and have ended your time with her, make notes on the back of the card to jog your memory about something special that'll help you remember her. Don't do that in front of her, or you run the risk of making the impression that you are "forgetful." If you need to record information immediately during your discussion, such as telephone numbers or other data not on the card, use one of your own cards. You don't want her to think you view her card as scrap paper upon which to take notes.

At a restaurant, leave your card with the tip and write a personal thank-you note on the back or pay the highway toll for the Mercedes behind you, and leave your card for the driver!

The main thing when handing out your card is to keep in mind what an effective tool it can be. Take maximum advantage of its full potential. And never, ever, be caught out without it. And if you need a referral to a great graphic designer and printer, contact me--I have just the card for you!

Dr. Ivan Misner is Entrepreneur.com's "Networking" columnist and a New York Times bestselling author. He's also the founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest referral organization with thousands of chapters in dozens of countries around the world. His latest book: Business Networking and Sex: Not What You Think.

Business, Quotations, Story

Branding quote from Scott Cook

Your Flagship Product

In a conversation with someone last week, the topic of a "flagship product" came up and I realized that I had never really talked about this before in More Clients.

What's a flagship product?

A flagship product is a product or service that you and your business becomes identified with. It's something that communicates a concept or a solution that people automatically and favorably associate with you.

What a flagship product does is give you and your business instant credibility. When people purchase your flagship product, they are more likely to buy other products and services from you.

A flagship product should have the following characteristics:

1. It provides a unique solution or approach to a problem and is seen as new and memorable.

2. It is the starting point for all of your other spinoff products or services.

3. It is branded in a distinctive way with a name and identity that is unlike other products or services.

What are some examples of flagship products by InfoGurus? Here are a few that immediately spring to mind:

Guerrilla Marketing - This book, by Jay Conrad Levinson, written in the 80's, has spawned a whole series of Guerrilla Marketing books and seminars. It's become a household name amongst small business owners.

Make Your Site Sell - An e-book launched in 2000 by Ken Evoy that established him as one of the preeminent Internet Gurus and was the genesis of several other e-books and online products.

The Millionaire Mind - Harv Eker's free three-day workshop on changing your mindset about money. Tens of thousands have attended and it's been a launching pad for his other programs.

The Wizard of Ads - The brilliant compilation of eZine articles was the first of three books in the series by Roy Williams, and the foundation for his 3-day Wizard Academy in Austin, Texas.

The InfoGuru Marketing Manual - The starting point for most of the customers and clients of Action Plan Marketing. Most people who take my workshops or Marketing Action Groups get this first.

Most of these are marketing-oriented examples off the top of my head, as that's the world I'm most familiar with. But if you look at your particular field, there are usually a few InfoGurus who are well known for some kind of flagship product.

I had been in business for 15 years before I launched my manual. Others take longer, some shorter. But however long it takes, it's a worthwhile goal to aspire to. It will give you leverage you can get no other way.

Your flagship product may be a book, an e-book, a workshop or training program. But it really has to be at the heart of the work you do and must have some passion behind it.

I once worked with a woman who had spent a year writing a book but who really didn't want to work with clients in that area. In other words, her flagship sank! There was nowhere she could sail it to leverage her own business.

Coming up with a new concept takes some time and creativity, but it's certainly worth the effort. Coining the word "InfoGuru" seemed like a gamble at the time (one of those titles that came to me in the shower) but I think it's better than many books or e-books that are completely generic and therefore unmemorable.

Not only has the manual served my business well in terms of being a foundation for all my products and programs, it has earned me substantial income over the past five years. A flagship product can create real marketing momentum.

Oh, here's another one:

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray. This wildly successful book on relationships was the first of many other Mars-Venus Books. In fact, every book John now writes contains that flagship identity. I'm waiting for "Marketing Secrets of Mars and Venus." I'll get that one!

What's your flagship product going to be?

*

The More Clients Bottom Line: The time to start working on a flagship product or service is NOW! It will make a huge long-term impact on your business. Find a way of developing something that stands out from everything else and you're on your way.

Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients
http://www.actionplan.com

Business

What Makes Your Brand Stand Out?

What attracts consumers to your brand and turns them into loyal customers are the unique qualities your products and services have to offer. You provide something that no one else does or in a way that no one else does. Otherwise, why would you be in business?

Your Brand Is Not a Cliché

Your products or services are unique, so make your marketing as unique. Don't package your marketing messages in clichés or overused phrasing that has lost its real meaning. It's not enough to say that your brand is "the best widget maker around." You have to dig deeper than that and get to the core of why your brand makes the best widgets. That why is what consumers are interested in and what will keep them coming back to your brand time and again.

Find Your Brand's Standout Power

Because you spend every day with your brand, it may not be obvious to you exactly what makes your brand so great. You just know it is!

Here are some questions to help you brainstorm what gives your brand its standout power:

How are you making life easier for your customers?
What follow-up or customer service do you provide?
Why do you stand above your competitors? Why would customers choose you?
What proof do you have that your brand is standout? Customer ratings or testimonials?
What stories can you tell about how your brand has worked for others?

Don't just ask yourself and your staff. Ask your customers! They can be the best resources for true insight into your brand. Send out surveys to your current base and see what they have to say. A lot of times companies are taken aback by the critiques and praises they get. You can use this data to mold not only your website language and images, but also your ads and the way you sell to you people. Remember to look for common themes within the surveys to address the biggest pros or cons of your business. Don't try to fix it all at once.

Remember: in creating your brand's promise for marketing messaging, don't just describe what your brand does. Describe what your customers get every time they choose your brand. Highlight the value you will bring to them with every interaction with your business. Remind them of this every time you get off the phone with them, obviously in a non cliché way, and your call backs or order times will improve.

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Personal Growth

The element of surprise

"A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless." - Charles De Gaulle

Michael Chang is in the record books as the youngest winner (17) of a grand slam, but his French Open triumph in 1989 is largely remembered for one extraordinary game changing moment against the top ranked player in the world, Ivan Lendl.

Injured and exhausted, near the end of the match, Chang broke two of the most basic commandments of winning tennis.

First, in a sport where powerful overhand serving is usually the key to winning, Chang served UNDERHAND, and the confused Lendl's returns went into the net.

Second, on the match-point, facing Lendl's 120+ mph serve, Chang moved CLOSER to the net and stood at the line of the server's box.

The bewildered Lendl double-faulted, producing one of the most memorable upsets in tennis history.

Challenging the conventional wisdom on these previously sacred aspects of the game - serving and returning serves - Michael Chang radically changed his strategy, surprised his opponent - and elevated his standing in the tennis world.

ACTION

As you prepare for the coming week, ask yourself...

"How can I use the element of surprise to break the rules of conventional thinking in order to make a breakthrough?

Think of every business and personal commitment you have in place for the week and determine how you can use the element of surprise to blow a few minds, and as Charles De Gualle so beautifully stated...

"keep your public excited and breathless."

Everything Counts!

Gary Ryan Blair

Gary Ryan Blair is a visionary and gifted conceptual thinker. As one of the top strategic thinkers in the world he is dedicated to helping his clients win big by creating focused, purpose driven lives.

Public speaking

Speaking and branding lessons from a sandwich board

I am writing this after a scrumptious dinner in a town in the north of our state called Townsville. I am looking out over moon-sparkled water and the dark mass of almost-tropical islands close off-shore ...

... a holiday-inspired article which nevertheless applies to all of us who speak and to those of us, also, who work on branding our businesses.

And I was inspired, today as we wandered down the main street of the town full of historical buildings and more modern businesses.

There it was. This sandwich board.

It caught my eye and then my imagination.

I had to go back and look again.

And what made it do that?

There are three reasons and they are all techniques we can use in our speaking and our branding to have people caught, intrigued and going back for another look (or listen).

1. She used Alliteration

All those Ps!

It's a beautiful rhetorical and literary device, alliteration, and it creates an effect called foregrounding

It creates a little hitch in the flow of attention, a little distraction. People might not even be aware that you used it, but they will be drawn to the words and their meaning. with a slight sense of intrigue.

If we count Pre-Push as one word, there is also anther device called the Rule of Three operating here. Create a list of three or a group of three and we have the same effect - that slight sense of interruption and something special.

2. She used Humour

(I'm using the word "she" because I met the owner of the establishment as I was taking a photo. She had a beautiful smile and very graciously and humbly accepted my exclamations about her marketing and my explanation that I wanted to use her work to share with you.)

I have never seen "Pre-push" used before.

Have you?

And even if you have, you have to admit it has flair.

It is a classic humour device - using the unexpected.

It made me smile and if we can make our audiences smile, we have them a little more open to feeling that we are likeable, that they can trust and believe our message.

3. She used an image

It's a subtle reinforcement, this image, of just what is meant by "Pre-push", and has a strong sense of the feminine, aimed, no doubt, at the target client, or perhaps her significant others.

We use images, too, to support our points when we speak. We don't need them to be distracting from our message, nor do we want them to be offensive.

(... and yes I have blocked out one of the words in the promotion in case you were offended or distracted by it!!)

So if you are in Townsville. Queensland, Australia and in need of some pampering, pre-push, I recommend you check out Bellanova.

And if you are in front of an audience, either presenting or online, I recommend you check out the lessons from her sandwich board, They are simple, subtle and powerful!!

Tag Archive for: branding