In response to the articles

All the articles gave good pointers on branding yourself and/or company. The second article caught my attention the most because it focused more on getting personal with the people you are trying to attract. The author was stating that one should really interact on blogs and networking sites such as facebook and youtube. I do realize that is very true. When you create a profile or put a video up people respond and get develop some kind a view about you. Whether its good or bad.

Branding comapny benefits

Business large and small should consider hiring a professional branding company. A branding company brings a lot to the table. First and foremost they bring a third party objective point of view that a business is unable to obtain. The old saying holds true, you can’t see the forest through the trees. But how do you choose the right branding company? Ask yourself these questions. How do they promote themselves? Are they calling themselves an advertising agency that also does branding? If so, they are not a true branding agency. An advertising agency has a hidden agenda, to sell advertising. A branding company does not favor one tactic over another so they should not and would not promote advertising unless it is the right direction to go in. Be careful of these ad agencies that say they do branding. It is much easier to use a buzz word like branding then to actual know how to brand properly. Are they a web design company that says they do branding? These are the absolute worst offenders of not being a branding company. Ask them simple branding questions like what is positioning or explain the difference between brand identity and brand image. Most will not even know the answer. Then you can ask them a trick question like define brand equity (currently there is no definitive answer). Web design companies are well, web designers. They are not strategic branding experts by any stretch of the imagination. Are they a marketing company that says the do branding? Be very careful of marketing companies as they are the sneakiest offenders of all. They will talk strategy and integration but they know little about internal branding. They typically promote external branding tactics like direct marketing, logo design, advertising etc. Marketing companies do marketing not branding. Are they a direct marketing company that says they do branding? Boy oh boy, these companies are so far from true branding they wouldn’t know it if it hit them in the noggin. Direct marketing can be a great tactic but branding it is not. True branding companies only promote direct marketing when the return on investments warrants it. The average return on investment with a direct mail piece is a half to a full percent. Personally I think that is a small return for the investment required which is why direct marketing is typically used as image building with branding companies. Are they a search engine optimization or internet company that says they do branding? Internet marketing is one of the most effective returns on investment in the business today. Search engine optimization is probably the best single tactic for building brand awareness and sales and is the reason we hired a staff of SEO gurus. But when it comes to branding they will fall very short in planning, strategy, creative and many other areas. Are they are branding company that really does branding? Unfortunately we have seen a lot of companies call themselves branding agencies but in all reality they are not. So how do you know how to choose the right branding company? Ask them the following: What types of services or programs do they have established for internal branding? Internal branding is often overlooked by every other type of company out there. It is a great indicator that you are not really dealing with a true branding company. Sure external branding is exciting and fun but if employees do not buy into it or unaware of it you are going to find yourself in big trouble as well as having wasted tens of thousands of dollars on your external campaign. Look inside yourself and make sure you have set up the right policies and procedures that best leverage your brand identity and positioning. For instance, Volvo the automobile is clearly the safety car company. Their employees should eat breath and sleep safety, safety features, safety technology etc. They should know their brand promise and how it relates to their customers. This is why even though Volvo is probably not the safest car on the road they are perceived to be. Ask ten people what’s the first thing they think of when it comes to Volvo and the answer will be safety. Once you have confirmed that the branding company does instill internal branding practices then you can move forward with them on strategic direction and planning. Look for companies that only recommend tactics that will obtain the best return on investment and not canned specific tactics like advertising or direct marketing. You want open objective strategies and tactics to move your brand forward which is why choosing the right branding company is so critical.
By Scott WhitePublished: 6/11/2007

Branding

If you are wanting to be successful in the internet marketing field, then you are going to have to stand out from the crowd...and let me tell you, that crowd is a multitude!
Whatever it is you are selling, whether it be a product or information, there are literally thousands upon thousands of people who are selling the very same thing as you. How are you going to attract people to you and your website? How are you going to make them choose you over the next person? The only way to do this successfully is by branding yourself.
The meaning of 'brand' in the Webster's dictionary, is a mark made by a hot iron, a trade-mark or a mark of infamy. We are all familiar with the process that takes place in branding an animal. This is done so that the animal is permanently identified as belonging to a specific owner. Fortunately for us, we don't have to go to that extreme to brand ourselves! However, we do have to take some type of action to permanently identify ourselves and what we stand for. This is certainly going to be a lot less painful that hot iron branding but it is also going to be more time consuming.
We should first of all do some soul-searching and self-analysis. Ask ourselves these types of questions.... what are our goals in life? What lasting impression do we want to leave others with? And are we willing to stay the course and be true to ourselves? These are just a few of the questions that will help us get to know ourselves better. This is very important, because once we have done the branding for all to see, it will be very difficult to make major changes. If people catch us out in inconsistencies, then they will look for someone else to relate to and follow.
Once we have decided on what is going to make us unique and make us stand out in the crowd, we have to find a way to be seen and heard. The hottest way to create an identity and a following right now is through the Social Media. Twitter seems to be No. 1 at the moment with Facebook and YouTube following closely behind. It's necessary to have a presence on all three of these sites and by branding yourself as only you can, you will be recognized immediately because of your authenticity.
It is crucial to interact with others. You want people to get to know you as a person....someone they come to like, trust and ultimately follow closely. Make sure you reply to any messages that people send you. Acknowledge them and thank them for wanting to be your friend on Facebook or for following you on Twitter. If they leave a comment on your latest video, send them a thank you posting. You would be surprised at how many people are so wrapped up in themselves, that they never acknowledge these people that are seeking a relationship with them. Folks, this is called 'social networking'! It's all about getting to know people and helping them whenever we can.
I can assure you that if all you have in your head is dollar signs, then that will eventually became evident and people will drop you like a hot potato. They have literally thousands of others to choose to follow and they will go where they can get some of their needs met.
Don't rush into branding yourself. Take the time to think about how you want to come over to people. You obviously don't want to copy the next person....you want to be a unique, interesting individual. I'm sure you will agree, the most successful internet marketers all have a very distinct personality. They are absolutely not clones of each other. Be warned, you cannot build a presence like theirs overnight, but you absolutely can do it. If you read the life stories of these people, you will find that their success was not handed to them on a silver platter. There was a lot of hard work, struggle and sometimes heartache involved. However, they kept their foot on the gas pedal and not on the brake, and they are now reaping the rewards for all their hard work.
There are no two people alike in this entire world. You have to really get this!! You are going to strike a chord with people that relate to you and you alone. They want to follow you and be taught by you. This way you will gradually build up a following. These people will become your 'list' and will be happy to check out whatever it is you recommend, once they have come to know and trust you. You don't want to be one of the crowd, you want to stand out from the crowd! It is possible, just find your own uniqueness.
Jan Shimano was District Manager for Health & Welfare Canada for many years. She was also self-employed as a Nutritional Consultant and a Master Herbalist. She is currently a Business and Health Coach and operates her own internet marketing company from her home on Vancouver Island. Jan invites you to learn more about her at http://www.WealthyHealthyLiving.com and also at her YouTube channel

Differentiate Yourself Using Personal Brand

Differentiation for a self-employed service professional is a clear statement of why your ideal prospects should choose to do business with you rather than any other equally qualified practitioner. To do this, start with your personal brand.
If your ideal prospect is a serious cyclist and you are a chiropractor who specializes in issues unique to cyclists, your brand might be something like:
I help serious cyclists who are training for challenging rides and races to minimize their downtime due to injury during training, so they can ride as many days each week as they choose to. I do this because I'm a serious cyclist myself. I enjoy supporting my fellow cyclists in achieving their cycling goals.
This is a clear statement to serious cyclists as to why they should choose this chiropractor. He's a serious cyclist. He understands their problems and specializes in solving them. He may belong to the same cycling clubs, race at the same races, he may post on email lists they subscribe to, or even be a friend in their online social network. Serious cyclists may travel significant distances to get to his office because they want his services rather than the chiropractor in their neighborhood, who is not a cyclist.
Differentiating Yourself By Being Memorable
Once your ideal prospects know about you, how can you stay on their radar so that they remember to book an appointment with you when they really need your services?
The cycling chiropractor may want to develop specific packages of services for cyclists to support their training for specific events.
He may want to do regular talks or a blog about problems he helps his clients to solve. He may want to offer a calendar or a cycling oriented chotchke that everyone will use regularly that has his name and contact information on it. He may even sponsor cycling events for young people who may also need his services. Even simple things like a bicycle-oriented logo on his business card or a good email signature that gives complete contact information and his brand, will keep him visible every time he hands out a card or posts to a cycling list.
When your target client group knows who you are and why you're an ideal choice for them, staying visible and memorable is the key to turning your ideal prospects into paying clients. Of course you have to deliver on your promise in a way that provides them the value they expect , but assuming you're good at that, once word of mouth kicks in you'll achieve your business growth goals.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nina Price is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Business and Wellness Coach who helps people "push the reset button" on their health, their careers, and the rest of their lives, so that they can prevent burnout and have the professional life they want, no matter what happens.
She is a former Silicon Valley high tech marketing exec who also teaches coaches and service professionals how to become incredibly good at marketing themselves and their practices, so they can rapidly gain more clients and make more money.

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