The Art of Successful BrandingWritten by Dina Giolitto
Branding: it’s a term that carries great weight in world of advertising. Successful branding is best illustrated by world’s most prominent corporations, but it’s no less important to small business owner. Your Brand is your identity; it’s every single puzzle piece, fitted into big picture of your company. From your name and logo to your business philosophy and corporate mission; from your advertising campaign message to your design elements; from your products and services; all that is owned, produced, stated, sold and marketed by your company falls under broad heading of your Brand.What exactly is a “brand?” The term probably originated at a time when when ours was a strictly agricultural society. Ranchers take a branding iron to their cattle, as a way to signify they OWN those cows. Likewise, modern corporations choose a logo to brand their name into mind of consumer. Every time you label an ad or website with your company logo; every time you take a political stance on behalf of your corporation, you’re putting your brand into effect. And if a brand indicates ownership, then it should be your ultimate mission to dominate, or own, your niche. Brand your company. Own cow. How do you determine your style of branding? Analyze your audience. Zero in on group you’re trying to reach. Are they male, female, or both? What's age group and economical level? What are their spending habits, their values? How do they TALK? What are they concerned about? What do they think they NEED? Where will their focus be in six months? And most importantly, how does your marketable product fit into scheme? If you never really get to know your audience, you can read all marketing how-to strategies in world, and it isn't going to mean diddly-squat for your business. It isn’t going to help you build your brand. What’s next step? Always, always, always put yourself in their shoes. Jump right into their heads, if you can. Think of your audience during business-plan conception process. How do they communicate? What do they find visually appealing? Are you marketing to senior citizens? Use bigger fonts, a nostalgic tone, and a morally forthright attitude. Is it filthy, stinking rich whom you’re trying to attract? Save Crazy Eddie shtick, because money is no object here. Every bit of energy used to promote your brand should be focused toward winning over your key customer. There will be a time when you completely lose sight of who you’re trying to attract. This, in turn, dilutes power of your brand. You’ll be in middle of writing an ad, when suddenly your head is racing with potential buyer types. This happened to me once during my writing stint with a digital media company who sold Santa Claus greetings. In my sales letter, which went on for pages and pages, there was no limit to what Santa could do! He could praise tiny tots for using potty. He could play matchmaker to a couple of young lovers. He could patch up an argument you had with Aunt Freida in Topeka. All of this was great, but it was really convoluting Who We Were as a company, and our Santa was becoming a Jack Frost of all trades. It was no good! So we went back to square one. And through simple words and a more narrow focus on our original audience of children, we finally captured Magic of Christmas that we had originally intended to be Our Brand.
| | "Blogging" For Fun & Profits"Written by Jim Edwards
Unless you've been under a rock for last year, you've heard term "blog" once or twice. To most people, a "blog" simply represents a glorified online "diary" where geeks, computer nerds, and lonely teenagers record their thoughts in cyber-space. However, many people don't realize that "blogs" are quietly revolutionizing way companies and customers interact about everything from existing products to new ideas and improvements in customer service. In short, "blog" style communication has come of age and anyone with an online business better sit up and take notice fast! In beginning, "blogs" were basically an online diary to record your thoughts; but "blogs" have now evolved into dynamic websites that non-technical people can update immediately without html editors or ftp programs. Blogs allow their authors to make instant website updates through a computer anywhere in world with a Web browser and Internet connection. Blogs also allow readers to respond to author's posts, provide additional information, links, expanded opinions, and more. In short, an active "blog" creates an interactive community with author as hub and readers as spokes of wheel that keep whole cycle turning round. Unlike traditional "static" web pages where content rarely (if ever) changes, an active blog evolves in a state of constant and never-ending renewal. With blogs, smart online businesses re-discovered a principal that small "mom and pop" stores understood for years: know your customers and stay in close tune with their wants, needs, and desires. Large companies throw billions of dollars down a black hole every year to literally "guess" what people want to buy. Most call it "Marketing Department." On flipside, smart online businesses understand that blogs allow you to avoid guessing what's on your customers' minds and provide an active and up-to-the-minute means for them to tell you exactly what they do and don't like about your services, products, and virtually any other aspect of market.
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