Stand By Your Brand!
By: Lou Bortone (see my bio)
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Each month entrepreneur Evan Carmichael creates “Top 50” Lists of movers and shakers to watch in various industries…
This month the website listed the “Top 50 Branding Experts to Follow on Twitter,” and I’m really excited to have made the list!
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pay any attention to top ten lists and Klout scores. (Mine is 64, by the way) After all, who doesn’t like a little recognition – and I have to admit: I do keep score!
In any event, the reason I got so excited about making this list is that it’s recognizing BRANDING experts. And whether it’s been in my television gigs, my jobs with national cable networks, or with my current video marketing focus, the one, common thread that has run throughout my entire career is branding.
That’s why I was honored to see my name on the “Branding Experts” list – Especially since I’m sharing the same list with heavy hitters like Chris Brogan (who tops the list at #1), author and marketing guru David Meerman Scott, bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi, and personal branding strategist (and my New Hampshire neighbor) Kirsten Dixon. I’m a big fan of these folks, and you should be following them, too!
But back to branding…
A lot of folks get hung up on branding because there are so many ways to define it. Yet in the hyper-competitive, information-flooded environment we live and work in, it’s crucial to develop a compelling and memorable brand. Building a brand for your business can be elusive, but the rewards of a well-defined brand are so worth it. Just ask Lady Gaga. Or Apple. Or ESPN. You get the picture…
One of the most important ingredients to creating a strong brand is personality. That doesn’t mean you have to be a personality, or be over the top like Lady Gaga – It just means you have to have a personality and own it. And I believe there’s no better way to share your brand personality than online video.
Think about it… More than email, more than direct mail, more than print, video allows you to truly express your brand and share it with a worldwide audience immediately. With video, you’re able to quickly and effectively show your personality and define your brand. It’s visual (obviously), it’s personal, and it’s powerful. Best of all, with video, you don’t have to create a personality, you just have to be you!
Sure, you can be funny or provocative or emotional, but you don’t have to be. You just need to develop an identity that’s unique to you and then be consistent. Again, video is the perfect resource for building your brand because it will get you seen and known faster than any other medium.
That’s why I find video marketing to be the single most effective way to “make a name for yourself” and build a compelling and memorable brand. So what are you waiting for? Fire up the webcam and start building your brand!
| Lou Bortone is an Online Branding Specialist who helps entrepreneurs and coaches build breakthrough brands on the Internet, so they can have more visibility, credibility and profitability. Lou’s clients get more business and make more money, because Lou assists them with innovative online branding strategies, including social media marketing and online video coaching. Lou is a former television executive who worked for E! Entertainment Television and Fox in Los Angeles. He is also an author and ghostwriter of six business books, a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach. |
