Things That Should Be On Your Radar!

There are plenty of tools on the web that you should be investigating to better your business opportunities. I speak to groups of business professionals and what I thought was common knowledge is completely new information to
many. That realization led to this week’s tip - put these on your radar:






• Blogging - great for building your "expert profile" and reaching out to a global audience with your opinion

• Blog Commenting - Google blogs in your industry and comment on them, leading readers back to your websites and blogs

• Blog Writing - Discover significant blogs in your industry and offer to write for them, leading readers back to your websites and blogs

• eMail Marketing - build a list of potential customers and put a message directly in front of them, (this weekly Branding Tip for example)

• Public Speaking - a great way to show your expertise and gain warm leads

• Skype - use the web to speak to long-distance customers for free or close to it

• Webinars - hold classes or virtual conferences to sell your services

• Free Analytics - track the success of your websites, blogs and email marketing efforts

• eBooks and Newsletters - offer them for free to build traffic or sell them online

• Online Payment - use Paypal's donation code to build a simple pay area for customers to easily pay you, (great for non-profits)

• Video/Audio Podcasts - record tips on what you do and offer them for free to readers of your websites and blogs

• Virtual Networks - join online networking groups to build relationships

These dozen should keep you busy. All of them can be done for FREE if you tackle them yourselves.

I Love Sales People.

I can't tell you how many times I've been interrupted during my early evening hours by the voice of a telemarketer on the telephone trying to get me to purchase their wares. Being an entrepreneur and small business owner, I can appreciate how difficult it is to sell. It is my policy to listen to their pitch and then express my desire to purchase or not. Of course most times I will never purchase as I don't like buying without doing my own research.

What I do though, is listen and learn who has the better approach to getting my attention. The vast majority are simply reading off a script, these people lose me instantly. Every once in a while, you will get the one person who is convincing in their delivery. This person has the magic of salesmanship. This person leaves me with a tip or two.

I also observe customer service when I shop. What intrigues me and what disgusts me. I find I am always aware of the sales activities all around me. One simple technique which is sage advice is to use the person's name if you can. A restaurant server makes huge points when they remember a patron's name, and uses it throughout their visit.

Watch and learn the next time you leave your office. Give the sales people you come in contact with a break, and just appreciate that they are trying to earn a living as well. Even if their delivery is bad you will learn a tip from them as well.

Increase Brand Recognition With An Icon

What do the MacDonald's, Nike, Apple, KFC and Allstate brands have
in common?


VISUAL BRAND ICONS.

Brand icons are sensory symbols that represent the corporate brand.
As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." You are better able
to remember visuals than even the spoken word. Many companies
have even dropped the text part of their logos in favor of their icon.
The most obvious of these is Target department stores.

Do you have an icon in your brand image? If not, you may be wise to
consider one. Icons can even be a scent (Cinnabon) or a sound
(Harley Davidson). Improve the memorability of your brand image
with an icon.

Job Hunting With A Personal Brand

Are you using a basic resume to get the attention of the HR person at a company you like to work for? Draw positive attention to yourself through your personal brand. Taking a page out of branding 101, build your expert profile and prove to your potential employer that you are the expert they would benefit from. Start a blog and post a number of articles on the field you are applying for. It doesn't matter what that job is; you have the expertise in your past experience.

Go to the blogs of companies that you would enjoy working for and leave comments. Make sure that your comments reflect positively on you. Be sure to strongly emphasize your blog address in your resume. Don't just rely on a traditional resume delivered in email or snail mail. Take a critical eye to your social network postings to be sure that your personal brand is not taking any negative hits (even in good humor). Be sure that any photo of yourself is friendly and flattering. Your bio is your chance to brag a little.

Get that job that you'll love doing!

Light A Flame Under Your Leader Brand!

As the head of your company are you exhibiting the traits of a leader? You will command more respect if you position yourself as a definitive decision maker. Wishy washy gets you no points in the decision arena. Your employees are looking for you to lead. Even when your decisions are tough ones, stake holders appreciate the difficulty in your choices.


A company leader who actively builds their brand based on a powerful strategy will inevitably attract valuable talent to their firm. If you wonder at times why the competition consistently attracts top talent it is because their brand attracts them like mosquitos to a flame. It is within your grasp to extinguish their flame while sparking renewed life in your own. What will it take to become an inspiration to your stakeholders and admired by those who would wish to be a part of your team?

A strong brand leader can accomplish all this and MORE.

Opt-in Email - The Perfect Crop!

Now that you have your lure in place, ie: an eBook, or video, white paper - something of value to your audience, you are ready to make it available for FREE. If you are using an email service such as iContact or Constant Contact, you can get the sign-up code to paste into your html page. Now on your landing page, you would promote this lure or (email harvester). You would have a text link or button leading to the sign-up page. Once submit is selected, their email goes into your database and they are delivered the FREE document. As time goes on and your list grows; you will see your private marketplace expand. It is your job to go out onto the web and spread the word of the availability of your free information. Not only do you benefit from a growing list, but it compliments your expert profile.

The fact that audiences are a diverse group, it would be recommended that you have multiple email harvesters all emptying into the same database. You could segment them to track which product interested them.

Share Your Expertise And Build Leads.

The hardest realization for any small business person is to come to grips with the fact that they are experts in a given area. It's not that they don' t think that they are knowledgeable in the category; it is just that they are modest about their achievements. They have been instructed since they were very young, not to brag. Now here is the Branding Expert telling them to do the opposite. If it is of any consolation, I am asking you to deliver your knowledge in a digital format that provides expertise your target audience can use to make their lives better. Determine what information would be very valuable to your audience and deliver it as a PDF file.

When you design the look of your eBook, make the cover very interesting. It is no different from a book on the shelves of a brick and mortar bookstore. Your cover has to be compelling to the reader. On the inside be sure to use your brand logo on every page. Reinforce your brand image consistently through out the entire eBook. Make any web links in your eBook live. You want it to be very easy for the reader to connect with you once they've had a chance to read it.

Once your eBook is written and turned into an interactive PDF file, its time to leverage its value as an enticement to register with you. Readers who sign-up at your website to get your free eBook, are providing you with an opt-in point of connection. Think of this growing list as your own personal marketplace. Use it with respect, but to be sure - use it!

Next ... How does an Email harvester work?