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Recommended
Brand Building Articles |
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It is easier than ever now to start your own business, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and attract attention. So how do you compete? Holly Chantal explains that the important thing to remember is that while your specialties are similar, there is always something you can do differently or position in a strategic way that makes you unique.
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In this noisy, competitive environment it’s so important that you identify what makes you unique. What is it about your approach, perspective or even personality that allows you to shine? Cindy Schulson shares 6 tips to help you communicate your message simply and powerfully.
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Do you know the difference between your logo and your brand? If you’re not sure, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Most people use the words logo and brand interchangeably. Your brand is much more than just your logo. Yes, your logo is PART of your brand. And it can be an essential part. Kelly Eckert shares a few important steps to take while creating your brand.
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When you think of branding, chances are your mind goes immediately to your website and logo. Traditionally branding has been thought of as the visuals that are associated with your business, but your brand is so much more than that! Holly Chantal lists 4 aspects of your brand perception and any one of these can either make or break your chances with a prospect hiring you.
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This article is about how we define “authorities”, “experts” and “masters”. After all, I call myself a “Small Business Growth and Marketing Expert” and it got me to wondering if I’ve earned the title.
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Being consistent with your online marketing will help your followers remember you and associate you with the solution you provide. Nancy Marmolejo gives you 3 places to start in order to stay consistent with your online visibility.
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Do you feel invisible within your business? Kendall SummerHawk shares a checklist of simple steps you can take to stop being the brilliant-but-invisible entrepreneur and to start owning your gifts in a public - and profitable - way.
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You’re a business owner. You want more clients and more sales. You want to make more moolah. You know you need to differentiate yourself. You want an edge. So you create a marketing plan or you launch a referral campaign, or you do a joint venture with someone who serves the same market you do. This is all good stuff. But you are missing one key thing.
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Social media has turned out to be one of the most powerful branding mediums in today’s digital age. When social media first came on the scene, both major brands and small businesses were hesitant to get in the game. But today, just about every business — big and small — is leveraging this powerful tool. These are the five rules of using social media for branding.
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Selecting the right business name can make a tremendous difference in attracting the right clients. A well-crafted name also helps communicate what you do quickly, making it that much easier to let people know how you can serve them.
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You already know that each and every day more businesses are opening up and competition, if it hasn’t been already, is getting fierce. Combine that with the fact that potential customers are holding onto their money more carefully, it is making it more difficult than ever to stand out and profit. In order to thrive, you need to get an edge over the competition.
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There comes a time in an entrepreneur’s life where a certain restlessness sets in. You’re bored. You don’t like the type of clients you’re getting. People pigeon-hole you into a certain category. There’s more to you and you know it, but your current branding doesn’t say that. Your message no longer reflects the depth and breadth of your brilliance so you realize something’s got to change. It may be time for the big scary REBRAND.
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The dictionary definition of relevant is “bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.” It’s all about what people need NOW in an ever changing world of tactics, strategies, and solutions. The good news is, you don’t have to go into fear mode to address staying relevant. It’s an ongoing job of seeing where you are, where your prospects are, what the winds of change are blowing your way, and of course where your passion is directing you.
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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.
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Every day I meet another business owner who isn’t putting herself out into the world because she isn’t sure about her niche market, her tagline or her company name. Can you relate? Do you find yourself avoiding networking events or not talking about your business at parties or events because you aren’t quite happy with the name of your business or you aren’t totally sure who you serve? Let Monica can help you make a decision and move forward so you can concentrate on the important things, like getting new clients and making more money.
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Friends, colleagues, fellow time-challenged entrepreneurs: Stop wasting valuable time and effort! Take it from me... I am a professional procrastinator, and I can piss away time with the best of them. Maybe it's my short attention span or my need for constant creativity. (What was I just talking about?) Still, there is a far more egregious sin than procrastination: Wasting your time by waffling on your online brand. You could be suffering from that silent business killer: A.O.B.D. - "Ambiguous Online Brand Disease."
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Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, the stepmother was ugly but good, and the princess was beautiful but mean! Why is storytelling experiencing a dynamic revival and how is that relevant to coaching and what is the role of storytelling in coaching and why is it becoming such a hot topic in business?
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Once upon a time…a long, long time ago… Tell a few more lines and then look carefully, what’s happening to your listener? What happens when we tell a story. It’s a kind of magic really, and amazingly, it happens from the very first few words.
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We are all storytellers. We tell the stories of our lives all the time. It's not necessarily the profound, live changing stories, but the everyday ones. Where we ate the day before, how we got to work, the person we met outside the store, the strange email we received; these are the stories we tell, they are the day to day stories of our lives.
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Here are some coaching tips to help you drop the fear, stand out from the crowd, and really be the one people remember.
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If you’ve been in business on the Internet for any length of time, you are probably coming to the conclusion that the same old, same old just doesn’t sell the way it used to anymore.
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For better or worse, every business out there has a brand and without a strong brand, you’re going to struggle needlessly trying to grow your business. So how do you know what’s going on with your brand? Ask yourself these questions.
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Lately, there’s a lot of people in the Internet marketing world who seem not to care about their credibility – or their brand. Some are bold face lying to keep up appearances. Others, it seems, are so caught up in their emotions they forget who they are online. Here’s the reality folks: you are being watched.
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There’s a good chance your business might be hiding out and you don’t even realize it. There are 5 big ways that entrepreneurs stay hidden. And if you’re a business owner whose business is built around your expertise, this is particularly for you!
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What does this sushi dinner have to do with your marketing? Surprisingly - a lot! Read on and find out!
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You aren't really in business if you aren't selling. The transformation is actually IN the sale. I know many people are really concerned about feeling pushy, hard, or aggressive. There is one easy key that makes sales fun, easy, and profitable - LOVE!
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There was a time in my career, when I did think that using your picture was an exercise in ego-stroking and that too often people used their photo – taking up otherwise valuable marketing space – in ads and brochures and on business cards, when they could have used that space to add more words to describe the benefits of their products and services or to show the actual product itself. Not any more. Now I encourage people to use their photo everywhere that they can reasonably do so.
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When we start off in business we all have visions of who we think we need to be in order to please (or convince) our clientele and colleagues. We decide what we should look like, how we should act and dress, what our websites and marketing materials need to say—or not say; we envision our model of business success, and we chase that model to the extreme exclusion of our own true selves. We create a disingenuous version of ourselves, and our businesses suffer for it. In reality, none of this is what our clients want.
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Do your potential clients like you? Do they perceive you as likeable? And I mean really likeable. The fact is that if they don't, none of the rest of your efforts to establish yourself as a category authority will matter. When you get right down to it, Sanders points out, life is a series of popularity contests. You may not want to admit it or believe it. In fact, you've probably been told it ain't so, but ultimately, if you're well liked, if your likeability factor is high then you're more likely to be chosen and to get booked solid.
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It's never been more difficult to get your message heard above all the noise online... If you hope to make your message "stick," here are a couple of keys to keep in mind.
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If you're an entrepreneur or small business trying to survive in the midst of worldwide market turmoil, it's more important than ever that you have a strong, well defined brand. Without a breakthrough brand, you might as well be invisible! Discover how to build a powerful brand using Web 2.0 technologies like online video and social networking.
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With so many people talking about getting powerful messages out to the world, chances are something in you is awakening. It’s not always easy to navigate spiritual, social, and emotional channels around marketing, so read these tips to take your message out to the world in a powerful and meaningful way (that does your business good, not harm!)
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Consumers always have a decision to make: Keep the crumpled bill in their pocket, or hand it over. Hire the healer, coach or heart-based entrepreneur, or limp along without guidance. How do your prospective clients make their decisions, and how can understanding that process move you toward your small business success?
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To help you get your next three clients, fast, here are three simple tips taken from the same system I used to leap from frustrating 5-figures to what is now a multi-million dollar coaching business in just a few short years. Truth is, I STILL use this same system, so you know it works!
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Here are some ideas about mistakes folks make when digging into the question of just what to name their brand.
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Are you like many online business owners who are confused or stuck when it comes to creating a unique, memorable, and authentic brand? If so, read this issue's article to see if your brand is missing one or more of the three critical foundational pieces.
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Are you feeling like you've lost your calling in all this marketing madness? I understand. Reconnect with you special gift by following my quick fix tips for the marketing weary!
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As you start your business telling your story is very powerful - it's what really enables you to connect your clients. Read on for more.
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Did you know there's a super-simple way to leverage your gifts, talent and know-how into lucrative, highly leveraged income streams? It's your Signature System, and it's your step-by-step formula for multiple streams success. So, what exactly is a Signature System?
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YOU are a gift. A gift to share with others. And if you are standing knee deep in your own worry, fear, self-pity or disappointment, then you are not living your highest purpose. It breaks my heart when I get emails/calls from people who are bursting with possibility and purpose, yet they can't make the quantum leap. Their reasons are always the same....
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If you are going to try and be someone else, behave like someone else or do it the "right" way, building a business is going to be a struggle. When I decided to be ME in my business, everything changed. Read on for some tips for your own authentic marketing.
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One of the most important points I learned, when building my first business, was I needed to make myself stand out and FAST. At least this is what I realized for myself, but I then soon came to understand this is the case for all entrepreneurs.
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Just as in life, our brands can reach a state of “mid-life crisis”. You look at your business one day and feel like everything is wrong, outdated, unappealing, and that your cherished ideal clients and leads are going to run off with the 22 year old neighbor.
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What’s Love Got To Do With It? Only everything… but, you might ask, isn’t being in business just about business?
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No matter how much a Soul-Preneur™ loves what they do, if they can’t figure out how to TALK about their services they’ll never attract better, higher paying clients. Okay, sounds good but HOW exactly do you do that?
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You've probably heard a lot of marketing folks talk about "growing your list." I like to think of this more along the lines of "building a community." It's a reminder that for each email that is on your on-line list, there's a person behind it.
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Did you know that on Coca-Cola's balance sheet more than 90% of their value is represented by their "brand equity"? If building a unique brand is good enough for them, don't you think it could do some good for you?
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Your business card is one of the BEST and easiest marketing tools you can (and should!) use to stand your business out from all the other businesses that are doing what you do.
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Find out how to continually create client attraction and turn prospects into clients!
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Branding has always enjoyed a certain elusive mystery. Is it a logo, a tag line or a color theme? Is it what you stand for or are known for? In a word, the answer is, "yes!" Unfortunately, most small business owners get the cute logo graphic, then quit there, thinking they're "branded."
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When I first started my career as a solo entrepreneur, I hired a web designer to create my website for me. He was awesome, and I loved his work. When I received my first bill, it included a contact email address for his "support department" and "billing department". I was a little curious about who those other people were! Later I found out it was just him...he was ALL of those departments -- design, support, billing, the works! A true case of putting lipstick on the pig. Learn why pigs shouldn't wear lipstick?
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Recently I needed to tell someone that I was sorry ('Sorry for acting like a jerk' would have actually been the best phrase). You would've thought I was about to be executed the way I was dragging my feet. No matter how hard it felt I knew I needed to do it because not speaking those words would have toxic energy over-spilling into my body, my business and my success. That's a price I'm no longer willing to pay.
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There is what I call a “Hierarchy of Connection” – the higher the level of your connection, the more credibility you have and the more likely prospects are to turn into clients and refer others to you – think of this as the “know, like and trust” factor you hear so much about.
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How many times have we heard “Xerox this“ when the copier involved may not be a Xerox brand at all? What brand do you think of when you hear the words “Just do it“? Branding is a powerful tool in our business lives. Here is a seven step formula that will give you a great start toward establishing yourself as the brand of choice.
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Madonna, Britney Spears, and now Amy Winehouse. What do they have in common? All three are memorable (for better or worse) music brands.
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One of the very first things you learn as a Guerrilla Marketing is that EVERY contact with your customers and prospects is marketing. Each and every point of contact - from the way you answer your phone to your e-mail signature to your website to those goofy photos you posted on Facebook - makes up your personal brand.
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Learn why you should add personality to grow your business.
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Take a look at the superstar women entrepreneurs in your industry and you'll see that they aren't wall flowers. Especially when it comes to flaunting their quirky personalities’ strengths in their marketing strategies. You can start to infuse more personality and style into your marketing strategies with these three simple tips.
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One of the things that always comes up when I coach clients is the question of a logo. It’s only natural – we’ve just defined their business, created their brand and their unique position in the marketplace. So isn’t a logo the next logical step?
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Get better clients by engaging your hero archetype.
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Explore and learn how to brand your business with the power of the Alchemist archetype.
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When a brand understands its archetype, and adheres to it, it creates harmony and clarity, both for them in their marketing and for US as their customers.
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I’ve dealt with a few criticisms about including my personal story on my website, but more importantly, for every skeptic I’ve had at least 10 people tell me how much they admire what I share and how it resonates with them (and those folks usually end up coaching with me). So why share your personal story? Because it’s going to be one of the fastest, most genuine ways to connect with those people that you are meant to serve in your business.
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What is an archetype and how is it important for a successful business?
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Just to clear up any confusion once and for all about whether branding is just baloney, here is a quick checklist to make sure YOUR brand is authentic, persuasive, pushes the right emotional hot buttons and is memorable for more than just a fleeting moment.
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Assess WHAT message you send and HOW it is received.
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What motivates people to hire YOU?
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Here are five strategies to turn your talent into a highly profitable business that lets your passion run free.
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Okay, so you've been in business a while. You have a few different services you offer. You have regular clients who know, like, and trust you. So now it's time for me to ask you, do you have a signature line of products and services, each one feeding into the other?
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Learn how easy it is to be bold, stand out from the crowd, and reap the rewards you want.
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When you "live your brand" you tap into a source of power, energy, and clarity, that breathes passion and focus into your business. Learn more.
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Some say that if a person provides more than one type of product or service they should have an additional website. However, if you're trying to brand your name or your business name, aren't you going to dilute the process by having an additional website for it? Read on for the answers.
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Learn the mistakes folks make when digging into the question of just what to name their brand.
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Whether you're just getting your business started or you're thinking of a logo facelift, you'll want to consider these tips before you proceed.
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Have you ever noticed that certain movies, books, or songs seem to instantly touch a cord in you? You naturally resonate with the characters. Their story is one that in some way, you feel you've lived yourself. The same is true for your brand. It's not just a fancy logo that sparks recognition. It's the emotional appeal it creates. A brand rich with personality and magnetism tugs at our heart, stirs our imagination or tickles our funny bone.
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Are you ever frustrated or hesitant when you talk to prospective customers because you can't readily explain why they should come to you rather than go to your competitors? Sure, you might have your 30-second elevator speech, but then they ask you that dreaded question, "So what makes you different?" Then, all those self-doubts creep in, and you just aren't sure what to say. Differentiation can boost confidence--yours in yourself and that prospective customer's confidence in you!
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