Better Your Business By Blogging

If you run a small business, chances are you are wondering if blogging is worth the time and effort. The short answer is a resounding YES! Blogging on a frequent basis is a relatively easy, inexpensive way to enhance your inbound marketing efforts, drive traffic to your site, and attract more perspective customers.

Once you attract them, it’s important to engage with your consumers online.  Consumers are learning about services and products through social media and search. Your online marketing and brand strategy cannot rest on logo and trademark alone. Regular blogging about relevant issues in your field will increase your visibility. Once someone relates to a blog you have written, it can go viral increasing your audience and potential consumers.

Blogging also allows you to put forth a more authentic voice behind your logo, trademark or website. In a blog you can provide analysis on the specific benefits of your products. Also, including the latest research or cutting-edge matters in your field will distinguish you from your competition and will build your credibility as an expert.

Still Not Convinced?

Here are some of the most important benefits of having a blog for your business (multi-level marketers and agents within a business too):

1. Boost Search Engine Optimization-Search engines love fresh content. What better way to provide frequent content than with blog posts. By blogging consistently, you give Google and other search engines new content to index and you create opportunities to plug in those all-important keywords to increase your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPS).
   
   
2. Develop Relationships with Potential and Existing Customers-Blogging allows you to connect with your site visitors. This can be accomplished by asking your readers questions at the end of your posts to get the conversation going or by simply allowing comments and feedback. By reviewing and responding to readers’ comments, you can create a rapport with your audience, build trust, and gain valuable insight into what your customers are looking for.
   
   
3. Establish Your Business as an Industry Leader-No matter how small your business is, you can build trust and clout within your industry by providing valuable, expert information in your blog posts. Over time, you become a “go to” resource for helpful, informative content, which can ultimately lead to higher customer conversion rates. This is especially important for small businesses looking to gain credibility to compete with larger companies.
   
   
4. Connect People to Your Brand-Blog posting allows you to show a personal side of your business that perspective and current customers won’t see through outbound marketing techniques. Blogging gives others a sense of the corporate standards, vision, and personality of your company.
   
   
5. Create Opportunities for Sharing-Every time you blog, you create an opportunity for your audience to share your blog with others. Whether they link to your blog post, tweet it, or email it to others, it’s free marketing and it further validates you as a credible business.
   
   

From a practical standpoint, blogging just makes sense. With minimal effort and expense, you can build credibility, boost search engine rankings, increase website traffic, and foster relationships with potential and current customers. This is an opportunity no small business or individual agent should pass up.

If your writing isn’t stellar or you’re not sure where to start or what to write about, we can help!  Don’t just write to write.  Write to educate.  Write to inspire.  Write to drive business. If this is not your cup of tea – it’s okay to hire the experts!  www.stonekingconsulting.com  

Attention Millennials: What You Post Online Becomes Your Brand

We often think about branding as something done only by large corporations, but everyone has a personal brand.

Think about your friends; there are probably a handful of ways you could describe them. Those words are probably part of the individual friend’s brand for why you like him so much.

While branding used to only apply to your regular social circle, the Internet now means that everyone carries an online persona that is part of their brand. This is both good and bad. If you go on a racist rant on Twitter, that rant will become negative branding and can hold obvious consequences.

There’s a lot you can do to improve your online brand beyond obvious tips like “don’t go on racist rants.”

Here are a few small things which can help you stand out from the crowd with your online brand:

1. Know your strengths and apply them.

A brand is a fundamental reflection of your personality. If you’re not funny in person, trying to be funny online is going to look strange. You have to identify what you’re good at in personality and skills, and make it part of your brand.

Identifying your strengths is much harder than it sounds because people are far more generous, kind and intelligent in their own minds than in reality. Instead of trying to identify your strengths yourself, contact people who know you in a wide variety of settings — from professional to personal — and ask them to tell you.

Discussing your strengths with many different people can give you a better picture of what your strengths actually are.

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2. Too little is better than too much.

No one has the time to be active on every social media site out there. Pretty much everyone has a Facebook account, but what about other websites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram?

No matter the outlet, remember that your online brand relies on regular, interesting updates. Even posting about something as mundane as what exercises you did over the weekend can help elevate your brand and humanize you.

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3. Clean up your social media accounts.

If you have a successful brand, people are going to look you up. The more successful your brand is, the deeper people are going to look.

That can be a serious problem. Even if you aren’t serious about building your brand, remember that certain photos or Facebook posts can be a serious detriment to your work or relationships.

Employers look at social media accounts of potential workers and more than 80 percent of them have said they are less likely to hire someone with an unprofessional account. They are also just as willing to fire someone who they catch making unprofessional posts.

So, take a moment to clean up your Facebook. Also, Google your own name to see if anything unsavory comes up. It’s better for you to do it than your boss, or friends.

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4. Don’t talk about only yourself.

The entire point of building a brand is so that other people become interested in what you have to say. But, it’s a reciprocal relationship. If you aren’t interested in other people, why should they be interested in you?

While your brand should be about yourself and what makes you special, don’t hesitate to give shout-outs to others. If people have comments or questions, answer them.

Always look for a chance to make a friend online. More friends means more links which results in a bigger online brand.

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5. Don’t give up.

Building a brand is something we do every second of our lives, so creating a new one can be challenging.

But don’t give up. Keep tabs on the progress you’ve made, and pat yourself on the back when you’ve accomplished something. When you look back on your hard work, you can feel proud of how you managed to present yourself online.

What you post should be relevant.  What you post should be authentic.  What you post is a clear reflection of your true personal brand.  If you need help determining YOUR brand and how to set yourself apart (in a positive manner) from the crowd, contact us!  

Marketing for Introverts

In the workplace, part of having a successful career often comes down to personal branding. While stepping outside of your comfort zone can be scary, it’s important to take some risks and forge connections with others in the industry. This can be really tough for introverts who often crave alone time and tend to be shy. If you’re an introvert, you may have searched for ways to promote yourself without being annoying.

Personal branding can be really intimidating when finding yourself in a professional world where you’re forced to work alongside extroverts who are usually very sociable. The workforce does not have to be overwhelming for those who are not comfortable spending a lot of time around others building their personal brand.

Here are six tips to help introverts make their way down the path to personal-branding success:

Don’t be shy to talk about your accomplishments.

Oftentimes, introverts fail to get well-deserved recognition because they don’t promote themselves or bring attention to themselves. Many people don’t know the ways to brag about your accomplishments without coming across as arrogant. It’s not smart, though, to rely exclusively on others to talk about your accomplishments. Letting them go unnoticed may get in the way of promotions in the workplace. Take the time to decide just what you want to say about your accomplishments to make sure you receive credit where credit is due.

Work hard to forge strong relationships.

It’s typical that introverts seek a mentor to help them find success, especially because introverts may not know who, when and how to ask for referrals. Forging strong relationships with people will speak up on your behalf can be valuable when you need a person to vouch for your skills and abilities.

Share your ideas.

You don’t have to turn into Chatty Cathy, but feel free to open your mouth and talk about a new idea or opinion you have. Doing so is a way to help ensure a boss or manager will be aware of your contribution to the organization. If this is a struggle for you, mentally lay out what you plan to say prior to saying it.

Do not over-analyze your performance.

It is common that introverts are hard on themselves because they tend to become really self-conscious when in the limelight. Don’t beat yourself up over your “mistakes.” Instead, concentrate on your successes.

Rehearse before situations that make you nervous.

If you have a presentation around the corner, practice for it. Utilize a mirror or entrust in the help of a friend to make yourself more comfortable. The more times you do something, the less foreign it becomes.

Always have a plan.

If you have networking events on your calendar, take a moment to lay out a plan. Have a few conversation starters in mind, such as comments about things many people can easily discuss, like current events or movies. Small talk flows more naturally for people when you find things you have in common.

Introverts often say they feel more comfortable communicating online instead of in-person. Personal branding is important, and introverts should make sure to take advantage of the various online networks for young professionals, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, to gain more contacts in a less stress environment. The professional world can seem daunting to introverts, but any person out there can learn proper networking skills to boost their personal brand.

If you need help building your confidence or just coming out of your shell, we can help!  The more confidence you have in yourself and your brand, the more adept you will be at talking about it.

Multi-Platform Branding is Essential to Your Business Success

Creating, and maintaining, a brand across platforms can be a challenge, particularly if the idea of cross-channel marketing and multiple platforms leave you scratching your head. In fact, what do those terms even mean, and where do you start?

Branding is about so much more than a logo or recognizable imagery these days; it’s about engaging customers at every turn, establishing relationships, and encouraging loyalty. In short, branding is everything. The way you approach cross-channel marketing, and interact with each platform available defines your brand and determines the successes and failures of your business.

Branding is more than advertising; it’s used to express your company’s voice and relay its message, and to create an identity by which you’ll forever be associated. A strong brand will carry your company well above its nearest competitors, reach out to customers, and attract their loyalty. More than that, branding is essential for personal identity. In understanding, creating, and maintaining your brand you ensure that all employees, no matter their job description, comprehend where the company has come from, what its main goals are, and where it’s hell-bent on going.

The evolution of branding

While branding once revolved around a company’s image, color schemes, and logos, print and television advertising, these days there are multiple platforms on which customers can be engaged.

Cross-channel marketing, or multi-platform branding, encompasses a variety of mediums. Rather than relying upon a single method of marketing, such as print media, multi-platform branding can be adapted to embrace all kinds of platforms, including targeted pop-up adverts, social media pages, viral videos, mobile apps, and websites and e-commerce. It is essential that you realize your brand identity is just that; the ‘face’ that customers will recognize instantly, and engage with.

Rather than waiting for customers to come to you, or stumbling across your marketing material by accident, multi-platform branding allows your company to step out of its comfort zone and engage with potential customers like never before; Social media and SEO (search engine optimization) are vital when it comes to cross-channel marketing; these days it’s all about being seen.

Ensuring branding success

Understand your customers: Before you begin the task of creating a brand it is essential to get to know your customers, their spending habits, and how they’ll access your marketing material. How do they use and interact with technology? Where are they most likely to come across your brand? The age and web habits of your clients will say so much about where your brand needs to go.

Define and create: First thing’s first; while understanding the platforms you’ll be accessing is essential, it’s also important that you stay true to your brand. Don’t plan a campaign around the media, but allow it to work for you. Have an idea of what you’d like your brand to stand for, and achieve, and create something that defines your business’s story; who are you, what do you stand for, and where are you going? Your brand should be fluent, and recognizable across any platform.

Voice and communication: The tone of voice your brand uses is vital; it must be unique and specific, able to stand the test of time and the domination of the crowd. Be sure to communicate your brand clearly and honestly, making sure that it is reflective of the products and services on offer. A brand isn’t a smokescreen to trick customers in, but a means of introducing the service you deliver.

Consistency: Perhaps most important when it comes to branding is consistency; try to avoid repetition, but ensure the image that you’re delivering is the same across all platforms. It must be recognizable, regardless of how customers are choosing to engage with you. Remain focused on your brand and its message, use tools and resources wisely, and don’t waste a second of exposure. Finally, use your brand to inspire customers to feel a certain way about your business; ensure they know who you are, and what you’re able to offer.

When it comes to branding across multiple platforms there are three ‘C’s that you must remember, without which many marketing attempts prove futile. They are courage, commitment, and communication. It takes great courage to think outside of the box and to push your business further than ever before, commitment to ensure that your brand remains consistent and accessible, and communication to convey that message in the first place.

It’s also important to remember that these platforms will continue to evolve. Already we have seen so many changes to the ways in which companies market themselves and engage with customers. As a business you must be prepared to accept your growing brand as an ongoing concern, and to develop it as the times change. How you move with those times will depend entirely upon you, but be sure to listen to your customers, as they’ll be your biggest fans, or critics.

Branding. Marketing. Selling. Oh My!

Sales. Marketing. Branding. If these words all sound the same to you, you’re not alone. A lack of familiarity with the particulars of each, combined with the fact that, frankly, they are all closely related, means many companies, small businesses and individuals view the terms as interchangeable.

What’s wrong with that? Well for starters, if you don’t know where one ends, and the next one starts, you’ll struggle to determine what is (and can) driving your results, and what is just costing you money and resources without improving your bottom line.

First comes the branding.  If you don’t know who you are or what you’re selling, others won’t either. In order to be an effective salesperson or savvy marketer, you must understand the value of personal branding and how to make it a part of your work.

Things to keep in mind about branding:

» Regardless of what you sell, everything is easier when you have a great personal brand.

» If you have a widely recognized and highly respected personal brand, your voicemails and emails are more likely to be returned.

» All sales professionals should seek to become celebrities in their own spheres of interest.

» Excellence is not enough. In a competitive marketplace, talent and hard work are simply expected.

» You are not just a human being. You are an entity, a business of one, a business unto yourself.

» You are in a lifelong series of “campaigns” trying to be “elected” to whatever matters to you. Think like a politician (I said THINK, not ACT).

» Live actively and focus externally. In order to become a celebrity in your sphere of interest, you need to be seemingly “everywhere.”

» Develop an area of self-marketing expertise, something related to what you do but is fascinating to people who do not do what you do. This is what you talk about when you network.

» Don’t network just for the sake of networking. Focus on results.

» Put on a show. Don’t be someone you are not, but play up your strengths and put forth your best image possible.

» While you are portraying yourself in a positive light, keep it real. Your prospects can sense authenticity as well as a lack of it.

» Never go back on any promise made to any prospective client during a networking or potential business encounter.

If you are unclear of your personal or company brand, we can help!  Don’t start your marketing or selling strategy until you understand your brand! www.stonekingconsulting.com.  

To Brand or ReBrand, That is the Question...

Companies are always looking for ways to increase sales and enhance market awareness. Sometimes this involves rebranding, which can make sense – companies that are willing to adapt tend to remain relevant within the market. But sometimes, rebranding can fail to meet expectations or may even do damage.

BP: Controversy Over the Logo

Many companies do not wish to rebrand but do so to combat modern day issues or crisis they face. The rise of issues such as green energy, expansion into other markets and recycling has had an effect on numerous brands. In 2000, in light of numerous PR disasters and a rise in the awareness of green energy, BP rebranded their logo of more than 70 years to the “Helios” logo.  The logo, representing the Greek word for the sun, was to symbolize and represent the company’s green growth strategy. 

However, there is nothing clean or green about drilling oil, and it appeared that BP was trying to provide connotations of something they weren’t. Shortly after the rebrand, the company caused global outrage with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill – the largest marine oil spill in the history of the industry. Green Peace challenged BPs logo and insisted that they change it to one that did not imply renewable or clean energy. They were unsuccessful in their campaign with the environmentally friendly logo.

Some Branding Tips: What is Needed to Successfully Rebrand

When rebranding, it is important to know what you are and what your company does and represents. Like the BP example, there is no point in trying to paint a picture of something that you aren’t. Changing brand personality can be rash and confusing, and although it can grab headlines, it can prove to be detrimental. If you must change something, know why you are doing it and justify it to your audience. Finally, change is not appreciated by a lot of people, but if you believe your company must rebrand and the rebranding is appropriate for you, have the courage and commitment to see it through.

Knowing when and if to Rebrand

Whether you are developing a brand or a rebrand, the process is very similar.  In order to be successful, all stakeholders need to be on board.  It’s important to remember that consumers drive market.  Their input is, most times, more important than the business owners’ desires.

                                           

1. Be Ready for the Change.

Change is very important to the future success of your business. As markets and attitudes change (very quickly), your customers’ needs and expectations also change. So it's vital to keep your communications relevant and appealing.

2. Understand your Brand.

Re-branding your business involves understanding your current strengths and weaknesses and identifying what and why you think things need to change. What are the problems and opportunities of your current brand? 

3. Know What your Brand Communicates.

How is your brand experienced by potential consumers through your current communications and how do you feel these should be developed or improved? It can be useful to ask customers and other stake holders their views and opinions. 

4. Know your Customers.

Who are your customers and what do they need? Do you want to attract new consumers, as well as retain existing ones? In what ways do you think your brand needs to adapt to address these goals? Understanding exactly who your consumers are and what they want is key in determining what you need to communicate to them.

5. Brand Distinction.

With ever-increasing competition and a proliferation of communication technologies, it's difficult to stand out from competitors. Does your brand have unique characteristics that sets it apart?

6. Know your Competitors.

It's important to understand how your competitors behave and present themselves, so that you can deliberately create the differences that will set you apart and give a competitive edge.

The decision to rebrand your company can have a profound effect on your existing customer base. Newer startups that make their pivot early on likely don't have much of a "legacy" to hold on to, but for an established company with a strong following, changing a key element of your brand may come as a shock to your core audience.

Therefore, it's critical to consider the way your past and current customers will react to such a shift when changing something as big as your product offerings, logo or name. Failure to do so could lead to a drop in your brand's recognition, reputation and trust among the people who know and love your company.

If you or your business needs help branding or rebranding, contact us! 

If You Don’t Know Your Brand, Others Won’t Know Your Brand

The importance of branding is well known, yet it is also quite easy to get it wrong. For branding to be effective one must first understand what it is and to what end it is directed. Branding refers to the unique image an individual (yes, each of us has a personal brand) or company wishes to attribute to itself in a manner that the company and the brand become synonymous with each other. Good branding ensures longevity, customer loyalty and a unique identity in the market. In many ways branding is a delicate balancing act wherein the company or individual has to position themselves in a manner that is most consistent and easily identifiable to their target audience. Several factors

determine how it is done.

Visual branding is very important and can work wonders for a brand. Look at McDonald’s, Google and Apple. Their logos are very identifiable.  And people mostly associate their visual brand with a good or happy experience. Good and fulfilling user experience and customer to company interaction is also vital for good branding.

In order for a customer to fully identify with a brand, several factors play a role. Innovation and being the first in the game plays a definitive part. Every company dreams of a situation where the brand becomes the name for the product itself for the general population. That is branding at its most absolute. Think Xerox, which became synonymous with the photocopy industry to the extent that many people in office setting refer to the Xerox machine when making copies (even if they use a different brand).  

One key enabler of good branding is the emotional connect between a business/individual and its customers – current or potential. Today Apple is a lesson in wholesome branding for several other players. Apple’s branding strategy is rooted in emotions and the experience it brings to its customers at a lifestyle level. When Apple entered the market it marketed itself as a company that was challenging the existing thought and mindset. It’s branding was based on the company being a challenger that would bring new and innovative products to, essentially, the world. That emotional experience has remained embedded in our minds - across generations.

Apple’s successful branding strategy also brings us to the debate of brand evolution. A brand must be able to display both consistency and evolution.  While this may seem like two contradictory ideas, they actually are not when it comes to brand placement, especially in the tech sector that sees progress and evolution all the time. While Apple was first marketed as a ‘device company’, it has successfully moved beyond that branding to include digital content services (with iTunes, app stores etc) as well. However, its key brand philosophy that is simplicity, innovation and hassle free design for the everyday man remains consistent at its core.

While there are several examples of successful brands what are the essentials that must be kept in mind when developing one?

Brand equals experience

No matter how well a company markets itself visually or otherwise, at the end of the day a brand equals the experience it gives the customer. If the experience is inadequate, the brand is inadequate as well.

Product design is also branding

How you design your product will become synonymous with the brand. If product design is unique, the brand will remain imprinted in the user’s mind for a long time. When it comes to designing a product there should be a definitive end that leaves more than a superficial impression. Think about Apple’s designs - that is one of their principal branding strategies. Apple promises users hassle-free products that stand out for their minimalist designs. Unique product design is branding in itself.

Standing out is important

That is the entire point of branding. If you are standing in, you are invisible and therefore, not taken into account in the larger picture. Branding differentiates the brand in the competitive market and good branding gives an edge over others in the race.

Unique but rooted to its customer base

While the branding must be unique, it must also not lose sight of who their target customer base is. Several companies get carried away by the idea of a good concept and lose sight of customer expectations. Be it a motion advertisement or a newsletter, the brand must be easily identifiable to the customer.

Consistent, yet evolving 

In order to ensure customer loyalty and longevity, a brand must evolve with times to accommodate the shifts in consumer patterns. However, this need not happen at the expense of its core branding strategy. It is in fact, the consistency of a brand to deliver exactly what it is expected to do that ensures the most loyal and consistent customer base.

If you are a job seeker or looking to start your own business, remember, you have a personal brand too!  What is it you want people to know about you?  Can you deliver on your promise?  What sets you apart from others in the market?

If you need help with your personal or business brand, contact us!  www.stonekingconsulting.com