Look at Your Online Branding – a 101 View
As we rush into 2012, it’s time to reflect by taking a look at the status of your current business marketing, while taking the time to look ahead to see where you are going.
Will you be going toward more healthy fresh marketing or sticking with the “bagged” solutions?
Marketers may be the slowest to upgrade, as we are busy helping others with their web identity or in fear of losing web traffic. But, this writing has forced me to upgrade one of my own community blogs which was on a free site. The domain name had been reserved for some time, but just making the move unfortunately kept getting pushed to the back burner.
Your Home Base of Operations
The hub of all online activity should be on your website or blog. Consider this as your home base of operations, where all original content is parked. This is the branded site you own, and where everything can be launched to share on various social media sites.
Can you identify with any of these seven potential opportunities?
- Are there current photos of your company team so potential clients can meet and identify each of you online?
- Is the information on your site totally stagnant and obsolete?
- Is the latest information on your company parked on a free Word Press website blog with a domain name you don’t even own?
- Is all your company information parked on Facebook with no website presence at all?
- Is it clear what your business does to generate revenue? Envision yourself as a first time visitor to your website – what do you see?
- Are all news updates and photos parked on Facebook? (Which could easily disappear – based on past changes) and not on your blog?
- Is there evidence of helping clients on your site with testimonials?
Each of the above opportunities should be the foundation of your online brand. Even though you may hire a professional to help brand your image, or do copywriting to expand your brand, there is still preparation work required by the owner, so start making your list of improvements today.
Does your branded image meet the demands of 2012? Let Seven Waves Marketing help – just drop us a line.
Read more →
Just about everyone I know can text, and their fingers were really flying over the holidays. I was invited to parties, given travel updates, had requests to come into the next room, saw a few photos, was wished a Happy Birthday, and even asked for addresses to finish up Christmas cards.
Just when is all this texting too much and how many LOL’s can we take during any given day?
Here is my take on it:
- If you really want me to come to your last minute party, please pick up the phone and let me hear your voice.
- Thanks for the travel updates – that saved a phone call.
- I missed the text to come to the next room.
- Loved seeing the photos.
- Thanks for my Birthday wishes!
- Texting addresses? No way.
- Did I mention someone asked me how the wedding was? I can’t describe the dress, the food, and the fun in a line or two.
I know I mentioned everyone texts – except my Mom. Well, we can text her, but she just doesn’t want to take the time to reciprocate. Mom gets miffed at my brother who rarely calls, but sends her text updates.
So if I put on my own Mom hat on, then let me say that texting has its place and can be an efficient way to communicate, but texting in business relationships or with a client is probably not a good idea.
My friend Lydia, the author of “Manners that Sell” said, “what a shame to lose the personal touch with only email and texting”.
So I challenge you to freshen up your relationships and use your phone in 2012 for what it was originally designed for – voice communication.
Need to improve your communication for 2012? Let 7 Waves help you plan a strategy, just drop us a line.
Read more →Ramping up your Online Brand
Report after report indicates national advertising budgets are shifting from TV, print, and magazines toward social media. Gigantic budgets paying for TV time and print placement are now paying for social media time at an hourly rate.
Many analysts have also reported social media sites (especially Facebook) are the demise of websites. Say it isn’t so!
With visibility now becoming more affordable, where does this leave your business? I run into owners weekly who say, “I should probably be on Facebook.” Are you willing to spend the time? Then maybe you should not be there.
Is there a plan?
Without a plan or strategy on posting news and events, Facebook would be an empty page. Here are some ideas to help further your online brand:
1) Don’t give up your website – it’s the home base for all your online activity. If you park all your information outside of your website, then someone else owns it. You always want to own your information.
2) Don’t give up on print media or TV – it could play into your social media strategy, but it all depends on who you are trying to reach. (I recommend an exercise in psychographics to help you determine where your customers are). All of the advertising pieces now have the potential to fit together and further your brand.
3) Incorporate your blog into your website, for a place to post current news and photos. This link can then be shared on your social media sites, and works best when there is a lot of information to read.
4) If you have an external blog, make sure there are many identifiers and links to identify this site with the main brand.
5) Having a presence on Facebook is much more than uploading a logo. It’s important to make sure the logo is readable on the news feed, so be sure to resize yours to thumbnail size. Or, create an image sized to fit in the vertical space, allowing the top portion of the logo to appear as the thumbnail.
So what to post?
1. Social media is not just about you, so promoting things that go on within your community or your favorite non-profit organization will help.
2. Helpful tips from your area of expertise or industry.
3. Post “did you know” helpful facts.
4. PHOTOS. Photos. Photos. If you want interaction on your Facebook page, photos are key. Photos of people, events, activities, products, or anything that might tell the story of your business.
5. Make it fun!
So What’s Your Story?
This first appeared on the Marketing Mel site, by Guest Blogger Cathy Rodgers, owner of 7 Waves Marketing
Everywhere I look, it seems the same message is being told: “invest in content,” “know who you are trying to reach,” and “the story is important.” Telling the story of what goes on behind the front door of a business is something we’ve been saying since the beginning of 7Waves. There is something unique about each and every business and there is a story that needs to be told. I invite you to take a fresh look at your business from the outside and ask yourself, “what would people want to know about my products, my place in the community, or the dedication of the founders and work team”?
Here are a few points of inspiration to help you further your brand or that of your client, along with a few suggestions for experimentation.
1. Nourish your brand: Have a brainstorming session with your team on how to boost the level of visibility and awareness in your community.
2. Find the story: Go back to the beginning and find the reason for the start of the business. This can be the foundation of a new press release or a blog article.
3. It’s more than a logo: A business continually creates and lives their brand. It’s more than a strategy or plan, it’s even beyond a vision statement – it’s about articulating passion for your own products and services.
4. Form a Partnership: One of the best examples for a partnership between a non-profit and for profit business I’ve seen was formed during a local political campaign. A local business already sponsoring a non-profit organization chose to enhance their visibility at a scheduled walk which included a table where most companies set out flyers, banners, and giveaways. In this case, the table was occupied by a political candidate, and the sponsoring company got two for one.
5. Tell your story with photos: It’s been proven that entries or posts which get the most comments on Facebook have photos. Photos create enthusiasm for a brand, make others want to be at an event, or desire the benefits of a product.
6. Promote others: Success stories not only promote your clients, but can attract future business partners, while creating good will for your business.
7. Social media: The story should be told in different ways across all researched mediums (and choosing your channels depends on the audience). For instance, if your audience is on Facebook, then you need to be there. – If you think your audience is on Twitter, then do an experiment for a set period of time and see if developing relationships there is worth your time. – No matter what method is chosen for brand promotion, it’s important to have the website and blog as the home base of operations.
So what’s your story?
Let us help: Contact 7 Waves
Read more →There are many mediums of advertising available to business owners, but the day I pulled a 16 page mini magazine out of the mailbox from a car dealership, I began to seriously look at alternatives to old school adverts.
Instead of cramming every bit of information known to mankind about one business into a newspaper ad or some sort of mailer, what about ….
1. Creating a visual or voice ad on Pandora Radio?
2. Using a branded Twitter account to talk about a new promotion or giveaway, while promoting others within your online community. One large brand I follow seems to miss this opportunity by only offering the local weather forecast in their mountain town.
3. Instead of mailing a key to households (5 out of 6 people I polled throw these away) why not run a contest on Facebook to increase the fans you can market to in the future, while creating a PR opportunity for the winner of contest.
4. A Google ad word campaign is an excellent opportunity for targeted online advertising driven directly to your website.
5. Email advertising through interest groups targeted toward lifestyles such as coupon clippers or moms with small kids.
6. Giant visuals. Dunkin Donuts does a good job of this with column wraps in the parking lot of the Boston airport and life size cups of coffee in the terminal.
7. There are many more ways to get the word out about products, and as long as there are cars on the road, billboards designed to read at 65 mph may be the way to go for larger brands.
Does traditional advertising work for you? Let us help you tell your story just drop us a line.
Read more →
