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Intrigue Design asked:



Marketing 101: Develop a powerful and compelling core message.

“Say something, say it well, say it often.”? Why should customers buy from you? Why should they even take a second glance? You need to build a powerful message that gets key points across without clutter … because clutter is what leads to abandonment. Although this is the essence of a successful branding and marketing campaign, you’d be surprised how many companies fail to grasp this concept.

Make sure your core message is “benefit oriented.”?

People don’t buy services or products, they buy the benefits of those services or products. In all your communications, make sure your message translates into specific benefits.

Make sure your initial message directs prospects toward a specific action.

Your customers want to be told where to go to find the solutions they seek. This should be abundantly clear to all four major personality groups (Amiables, Drivers, Expressives, and Analyticals). When you invite customers to go somewhere to learn how to interact with your site and find out more about your company, you can greatly increase your potential for conversions.

Develop imagery that enhances your message and intrigues your target audience.

The images on your site should enhance your message by being visually stimulating. Sometimes this may only be an aesthetic; other times it may involve “timelining”? imagery and content together to use space more effectively and get across a message in a more distinctive fashion.

Develop a unique value proposition (UVP).

Sit down with a branding or marketing expert and define a UVP for your company as a reminder of your competitive advantages. Make sure these advantages are customer-centric, not business-centric.

Incorporate your UVP into all online and off-line media for brand consistency and saturation.

Make sure your message constantly reiterates your competitive benefits and your UVP. You never know which aspect of your brand a prospect might respond to, so make sure the message is consistently broadcast in whatever media you use.

Tell customers what they want to hear, not what you want to tell them.

We call this inside-out marketing. Too often, companies unknowingly focus on what they want to say, rather than what customers want to hear. An outside-in perspective with a true 360° view of your company from the customer’s viewpoint is best accomplished with the help of a qualified branding and marketing firm that can determine customers’ attitudes, expectations, and requirements.

Build value … not boredom.

I leave this one to Napoleon Hill: “It is as useless to try to sell a man something until you have first made him want to listen as it would be to command the earth to stop rotating”? (Think and Grow Rich

Lead with a header and close with a call to action.

Readers are much more likely to read your message, white papers, case studies, etc., if you pique their interest or curiosity through well-written headers, transition headers, body content, and calls to action that lead to the next step in a sales cycle.

“SCAN I AM.”?

Today’s readers don’t read, they scan. They scan for areas of interest, offers, links to relevant information, etc. So it is important to set up your text so that it can be quickly scanned. Online text is not linear like a book; it’s interactive to follow users’ nonlinear demands.

Develop a branding “blueprint”? that …

shows clearly how you expect prospects to interact with your messages. This blueprint should start with an outline and show all paths from all forms of communication and how they lead to firm sales. Again, marketing and branding professionals can help develop a plan.

Evaluate your plan. Have others evaluate your plan. Re-evaluate and adjust.

No plan is perfect, and any plan should be constantly adjusted to maximize its effectiveness. It is critical to continually audit your branding plan and all your marketing media.

Re-evaluate again.

Adjust your blueprint …

to adapt to the market, trends, technologies, customer demands, etc. Review quarterly. Every successful brand in the world is optimized regularly. Branding is an ongoing effort, not a one-time occurrence.

Use measurable tools to track prospect response.

Use online forms and phone logs to track responses from prospects. Capturing information via legitimate means allows you to re-market to this customer base and to see which forms, programs, tools, and salespeople are getting the best results.

Build a list.

Use online forms and phone logs to build an opt-in prospect list to serve as a powerful conversion tool. (See below.)

Re-market, re-market, re-market.

A customer may need to see a message more than five times to even notice it once! Keep your marketing efforts going … and going …

Don’t forget referrals!

Build a specific program to track, manage, and solicit referral business. We like e-mail campaigns and direct mail for this.

Up-selling!

Your existing customer base is your best source of more business. Develop a formidable plan to make sure your customers know what services you provide and that you keep your core and other related messages in front of your customers as often as possible. (It may take up to 10 forms of contact for a customer to identify with your brand) Remember, sell the benefits…not the service!

Use programs and tools to generate interest.

People like simplicity and packages, offers, and deals that are easy to understand and evaluate. By creating various packages or free tools for prospects to interact with, you can stimulate interest that may have waned otherwise.

Hit them from all angles!

It’s called shotgun marketing. A shotgun shell contains hundreds of tiny lead balls, increasing your chance of hitting a target. Marketing is much the same … the more media you use effectively, the better the chance that your message will be seen and remembered. There is no secret solution to marketing; it’s all about creating a total user experience across all platforms that projects your brand.

Use technologies and trends; they are your friends!

Using various technologies such as online bookings, reservations, response forms, PDF downloads, Blogging, Wikis, internal search engines, and newsfeeds can have a dramatic effect on your overall brand identity and on your marketing strategy in general.

Calls to action.

Calls to action are perhaps the most important aspect of marketing and advertising. After all, what good is any message or image if it doesn’t initiate an action that leads to a conversion? When developing a call to action, remember the four personality types and make use of available technologies to make compelling, interactive offers. You should have a unique call to action for each type of person who represents your customer base. For example … Visit www.intrigue-design.com to learn more about successful branding and to request a free evaluation of the effectiveness of your home pages.



Kansieo.com

Darren Olander asked:


If you brand yourself online you will attract endless prospects to your offer. It does not matter what product, service, or opportunity you have available. It doesn’t even matter the quality of the pay plan or reliability of the company. Learn how to brand yourself and get virtually unlimited attention.

The Network Marketing arena is actually a small world. You will find a lot of the same people joining a lot of the same programs or companies. If you have been in this industry long enough you are probably used to seeing the same people again and again, as you and them are exploring the new life that enters our industry at a rapid pace. It is normal for most people and even expected to be in many more than one business. In fact, it is not uncommon to be, or have been, part of a dozen or even more over time.

How can this benefit you as a network marketer? It is not only you who sees other marketers time and again, they also see you time and again. But in order for you to make an impact on them and draw them to you, you need to make a positive impression that will be a memory attached to your name. To be the person that this person decides to join the next business under you need to attract them to you, and they need to like you. This means you need to create personal branding for yourself. You need to create an opportunity for them to actually WANT to be a part of your business, buy your product, or whatever else your final goal is.

No e-mail list is exclusive. The fact is, each and every person is on many other marketers contact lists and so they receive e-mails from all kinds of people. If you have an e-mail list (which you should, or else you should start building one) you need to remember that it is not exclusive to you. These people are receiving messages from other people. When the next business launches or the next product is launched, they could potentially receive an invitation from many other marketers, not just you! What are you offering them that will make them want to work with you instead of all the other people they could work with? Now you can see the value of personal branding. Once you have built a personal brand so people trust and like you, they will be much more inclined to go with you instead of all those other people… and that is when you start making the real money.

As I said in the introduction, people are not interested only in the product, service, or opportunity. The pay plan alone will not make them join you. YOU will make them join you. That means that the impression you give them will help them decide if they want to work with you or not.

So how do you create personal branding? I will cover this briefly because there are really many possibilities, but there are some major tips I can give you:

1) Always strive to offer more support to your downline, more helpful tips and content for your e-mail list, and more quality relationships than anyone else. This in turn will provide you with a loyal membership that will want to always stand by your side, no matter what. I know many people who have huge lists compared to me, yet when I send an offer to my list they are highly responsive because of this.

2) Use websites to brand yourself. Offer people who don’t know you the ability to read and learn more about you online, without even interacting personally with you. It is surprising how connected someone can feel to you just by reading your printed words on your website, listening to your audio, or viewing your video. No matter who you are, you need a website. The network marketing industry is relying more and more on personal connections, and if you aren’t following the wave you could be left behind while the ones who started branding themselves now pick up the pieces you left behind. I have had people read my blog, my bio I posted on my website or articles I have written and later during our first actual conversation they tell me that they feel like they already know me! If people feel like they know you before you even talk to them you are on the right track. On your website create a personal bio and tell your story. Explain how you got into network marketing, why you wanted to get into it, and what your goals are. Let them see the whole picture and invite them to become a part of it.

3) On each promotion you create, include your name, and also a photo picture when applicable, with a personal touch. If you promote splash or lead capture pages online try to create your own so you can add a personal touch and a photo. Think of the individual that you would be talking to, and write like you were actually speaking to them. This way your words will mean something to them and draw them in.

4) Write a regular newsletter to your contact list. I dedicate myself to writing at least one quality article per week. I could write more articles but they would not be of the best quality and I want to offer the best that I can to my contacts. If your contacts are seeing value in being on your list they will not want to unsubscribe because they know they will become more knowledgeable and in turn improve their online business. If you help them improve their business they will be more likely to return the favor and work with you. Always seek out to learn and increase your knowledge and you will always have more to write about. If you have a blog you can easily post your newsletters to it and increase traffic and exposure.

There is even more you could do to further create a personal brand but this should get you started. Remember to focus on creating quality relationships with others. As a rule, ask more about them and their experiences than you do talking about your own. If you stop trying to think of a way to get them into your business and instead focus on helping others and connecting with them then you will start to experience more joy and accomplishment in your business. The most successful people I have worked with online are always those that you can recognize by their name alone. Next time when someone sees you in another business, especially in social networks, give them a reason to say… “I remember you because…”

Dive in and get noticed!



Best Brands in the World

Ontarian Hawkins asked:


Starting a business online can be quite frightening without the proper means to get the word out and get it out quickly. Let’s face it, branding yourself online may be the smartest marketing move you will ever make in the history of your career. Many probably would argue that leading with whatever company you are promoting is the best way to go, however I beg to differ. Leading with a company instead of your true authentic self is the same as selling, and majority of people in this world, especially on the internet don’t like to be sold. So, forget about branding your company and focus on branding you as an individual. People don’t join companies, they join people first and it would only be wise to “pep up” your identity so others will know and trust who you are as a person. Furthermore, here are 3 exciting tips needed to branding yourself along with your business:

1. Identify Yourself–Make sure you have a website or websites with pictures of yourself all over them. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Be authentic. Let people know who you really are so they can better relate to you. Tell people about your history and where you came from, your hobbies, interest, etc. The key here is to just be you. Brand you and not your primary company. A great way to identify yourself online is to start Myspace Page about who you are and not about your business. Make your page stand out to your prospects leaving them no hint of bad vibes about you as a real person.

2. Eye Catching Content–Content is king; I’m sure you heard that before because it’s true. Content controls the central nervous system of your prospects. Relevant content creates action that makes a potential prospect pull out their wallet and join you in your venture. The best way to turn potential prospects off is to try to pitch them on joining your deal. Instead, offer free candy, free information, or free content that they can read. If you are able to trigger at least 3 of the 5 senses of a prospect like hear, touch, and sight with good content that your prospect, you are on the right track. Offer free PDF’s, 800#s, or anything that veers away from selling. One thing I can promise you is when a potential prospect suspects you are trying to pitch them they will run away fast. Don’t forget, you’re in the sharing business, not the selling business.

3. Create Videos–Taking advantage of social media is the “New Sexy” on the internet today. Tons of marketers are setting up their own broadcasting site at YouTube. What a dynamic way to express yourself live and in action than through a television type format. Rest assured, people will relate to you better if you’re talking to them as they will be able to see your sincerity through your facial expressions.

Branding yourself in your company is something most marketers won’t grasp until they realize not many people are following them. In order to have organizational architecture, which means having people follow you no matter what while duplicating your talents, you have to have the skills necessary to brand yourself effectively without pitching your business. Marketing boils down to others coming to trust you because of who you really are.



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Peter George asked:


As the manager of a business, you are constantly looking for ways to improve the many aspects of your company. Of course, there are a myriad of ways to accomplish this. To increase profit margins, you might look to lower product costs, make distribution more efficient, or lower overhead. No matter what you do, however, nothing will be as effective as it should be unless you first establish an effective brand.

What Brand Is

It seems that the term “branding” is being bandied about a lot these days, so before we go any further, let me explain what branding is. While some of you may think of it as the buzzword au jour, others may understand its importance, and yet others may find it utterly confusing.

The single most important thing you can do to increase your profits is to be sure your brand is up-to-date, accurate, and pertinent. Once you have done that, you must promote your brand everyday in everything you do. When it is consistently promoted, it not only builds awareness of your product or service, but it also tells prospects how they can expect to benefit. Remember … anyone who is going to spend money usually wants to know what the purchase will do for them. In fact, 70% of all purchases are made on an emotional level. So for the most part, buyers aren’t concerned about the logical points of the purchase. If they were, the vast majority of us would be driving small, fuel-efficient cars with one-speaker radios.

Think of your brand as a promise … a promise you make to your clients, prospects, employees, and even your vendors. But before you make that promise, be sure you never forget this fact. It is imperative that you are able to back it up. You cannot build a successful, long-term brand on unsupported claims and wishful thinking. History is littered with companies — big and small — that have promoted themselves or their products as something they would like to have lived up to but could not.

To separate you from your competition, your brand — your promise — has to differentiate you from others in the minds of your prospects. This is the reason you cannot use quality, integrity, or price when positioning yourself in your marketplace. So many companies claim to offer these particular characteristics that none of them stand out from the others. BMW has taken note of this. Although it is thought by many to be the best car made, the company has built its brand as “a driving machine.” It sells the experience. BMW knows that there are other high quality cars on the market, so a brand built on quality would be diluted and therefore, less profitable. The same holds true for integrity and honesty. If you claim to be honest, you have set yourself up to be lumped in with everyone else in your industry. (Do you have any competitors who promote themselves as dishonest?) And price … this is a mistake on so many levels. Unless you can beat your competition with low prices and still keep profit margins relatively high, you are on a downward slope. Few companies, one being Wal-Mart, can accomplish this over an extended period of time. Wal-Mart can do this so successfully because it has built a world-class distribution network and has tremendous buying power. Furthermore, if you sell your product or service on price alone, you have to attract new customers all the time. The customers you had yesterday will be looking for someone with an even lower price tomorrow.

It Starts At The Top

A brand must have the support of the top person in the organization. Whether your company employees 100 people or one, the brand will work only if the head of the company believes in it. That person must set the tone of the company, and then manage that tone so everything the company does reflects it. This is important not only outside the company walls but inside as well. Beyond the walls, a strong, unified presence defines a clear message to customers and potential prospects. Inside, it encourages employees to make decisions based on a well-defined direction. When decisions and actions are consistent with that direction, efficiencies — and ultimately profits margins — are greater.

What Branding Is Not

Although you will hear things like new logos, redesigned brochures, or even stepped-up advertising referred to as branding, they are not. Logos, brochures, advertising and other forms of marketing may, in certain instances, be individual components of a branding campaign, but unless they are part of the system of determining a company’s capabilities, direction, opportunities, and indeed its essence, they cannot–and should not–be referred to as branding. To say that a new logo, for instance, is equivalent to a new brand is to believe that I can compete at Daytona International Speedway by slapping decals all over my car. Even if it ends up looking good, it’s still not ready to — or able to — compete.

What this all boils down to is the fact that every business — including yours — has a brand. The question is whether your brand is being determined by outside factors, or if are you actively building it on your terms.



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