#146 - Why Every Business Needs A Good Brand

Regardless of the size of the company, its brand identity will be repeatedly communicated in multiple ways throughout the life of the business. Great brands do so with frequency and consistency. But it takes much more than a snappy logo to successfully brand a business, product or service. Successful branding isn't difficult. It begins with a commitment and one well-defined, relevant idea.

Five Key Elements

A strong brand is invaluable today as the battle for customers intensifies. It's important to spend time up front researching, defining, and building your brand. After all, it's the source of the promise you are making to your consumer. It's the foundational piece in your marketing communication plan and it's the one thing no company can afford to be without.

Unsure about where to start? Follow these five steps to establish a corporate brand. Think of the brand itself as a mantra that bears repeating. Plan to consistently execute the mantra. Consistent, cohesive use and repetition are central to the effectiveness of every branding strategy.

1 - Establish the Brand Position: The brand position is a clear written explanation of what the brand (or company) actually does and how. Once the proper "positioning" has been established, the marketing, advertising, social media and/or public relations plans will practically write themselves. Choose the positioning and you've begun the awareness-building process. Every strategic campaign flows from that single brand position. It becomes the brand's central message - one you can direct to the right target audiences.

2 - Make a Brand promise: The single most important thing an organization can do is make a promise about what it delivers to its customers. Every subsequent business decision should be weighed against this promise to ensure that it reflects the truth. Or, at the very least, the company must never contradict its core promise.

3 - Add Personality to Your Brand: What are the traits your brand (company) wants to be known for? Choose four or five specific personality traits (using simple descriptive adjectives) all corporate communications will use to describe the organization. Is your brand adventurous ... valuable ... affordable ... attainable... luxurious ... sexy ... fun ... exciting ... educational? Choose your words wisely. Make the commitment. Add several of these words to your "keywords."

4 - Write Your Brand Story: The story illustrates the organization's history, how the brand adds value to the marketplace, and it establishes brand credibility. Every subsequent publication, news release, online post or item in a communications packet or media kit should include credible statements taken directly from this "story." These should be used consistently and frequently across all departments, internally and externally (advertising, social media and PR).

5 - Associate Your Brand: Brand associations are the specific physical artifacts that make up a brand or corporate identity. They include but are not limited to: the name, logo, colors, taglines, collateral materials (brochure, letterhead, business cards, newsletters, websites) , photo and graphic imagery, and promotional items. Each item must consistently reflect the brand promise and ALL brand traits. By consistently conveying these in every corporate identifier, a brand is easily established.

Think carefully about the visual and audio clues which serve as constant everyday reminders being conveyed publicly. If your brand is positively associated, success naturally follows.

Simple branding can be the single biggest factor in marketing, reputation management, social media engagement and crisis communication. Without it, potential customers become confused, messages and opportunities are lost with each inconsistent reminder.

Think you don't need branding? Think again.
Consistency is everything in a world where the average citizen is bombarded on and offline by nearly 70,000 messages in a day. Sure, it's easy to falter "just this one time" because the staff is busy or someone mistakenly believed that a post or document would only be seen internally. It's such small missteps that have made hundreds of great brands irrelevant today.

Without a consistent look and feel to every single message, even the best branding strategy will lapse. Once that happens, no amount of money spent on advertising can repair the damage. In marketing and corporate communications, out of sight still means out of mind.

Branding is your identity in the marketplace. Does yours say what it should about you?

#142 - Too many "cooks" in social media's kitchen

Someone referred to me this morning as a social media guru. Yikes! Never fear, I was, of course, quick to correct them. I had to since I don't honestly believe there is such an animal. Of course, you try telling that to all the bloggers, Internet and Affiliate marketers, MLMers, and speakers calling themselves experts and gurus. The real truth is that we are all (technically) new to this burgeoning communications medium.

Let's get real. Honestly, there is no one right/wrong way to approach Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, location-based-advertising, SEO, blogging, or even social networking. When it comes to social media, we're all figuring it out as we go - by the seat of our pants for the most part. Certainly, a few professionals have achieved a certain "level of expertise" by using social media for commerce. And, those who are achieving real results right now may have the right to speak. But, to see so many legitimate "experts?" I think not. What works for one person, product or company will not...does not...necessarily work for the next.

Each page, profile, presence, audience, objective, product, person and company is uniquely unique.

Sure, you can find any number of pros who hold strong opinions about the "new" media and marketing (which is reminding me more and more of the "new math"). The so-called experts go on and on (as they sell and upsell their wares) about the mysterious techniques and systems but they never quite show or tell you how to actually use them for your company or product. In my opinion, the charlatans are (once again) making it tougher for genuine educators to help convey realistic lessons to those who are interested in moving forward.

Many of the so-called social media gurus have little real-world social media, public relations, or even marketing experience, although they do seem to be able to sell pure fluff as genius. I call it all virtually pointless.

Search for authentic teachers
Real world marketing and PR practitioners, media agencies and departments, groups of hard-working marketing directors, publicists, small business owners, and their key personnel need actual tools and the background knowledge to work effectively within social media, yet few are finding what they need in the overwhelming array of Webinars and conferences.

The best way to learn social media is through using it, and watching how those you admire are using it. You will need some basic instruction and a few guidelines going into the fray. There's no need to reinvent the wheel and you certainly should learn from the mistakes of those who went first.

There are a few of us who aspire only to help. We're not selling our latest book, e-book, download or white paper. So, before you hire that social media "expert," ask why he/she feels he has mastery over this topic - exactly. Request a discussion of track record - in detail. Find out what the results are based upon - what type of metrics, ROI, and what was the overall increase in sales or traffic?

As someone who creates and monitors social media for successful clients, who reads hundreds of blogs, and who participates regularly in online commentary, I am sick of hearing all the talk while so few can walk the walk. Most of the so-called "experts" are just parrotting back the same speeches from the same handful of seminars we've all attended by now - and many are mangling the message. I do see a few genuine thought leaders, pros who are showing and telling and guiding, explaining clearly which buttons to click next.

Don't fall prey to jargon
Where are the magic strategies we are teased with in all the Webinar sales pitches? I've attended 83 sessions in eight months. What I know, what I have truthfully learned and am now using, has came from personal exploration, experimentation, trial and error. Before I fully shoot myself in the foot here, let me disclaim that I call myself a Media Strategist, a trained professional who is assisting a number of companies with their strategic planning related to media - both social and traditional.

I can proudly say that I am no expert. I've been using all the tools and techniques, reading everything I could find, studying, and applying what I've learned for more than three years - with measured success. To some extent, so has every 25-year-old with a Facebook profile. I am the first to say that I won't be the right consultant for every industry or client. I approach potential new business with a long list of questions about what the company needs and wants to achieve before I even consider taking it on. I am a trainer/planner and I implement social media campaigns professionally. That's not the same as claiming to be someone with all the answers in a field that is changing and evolving on a daily basis.

The real question each business must ask right now is how does social media fit in terms of reaching organizational goals? Then, do they have the right guidelines in place to deal with all the internal issues? Do they have the resources necessary to focus on traditional advertising, PR, and marketing while also integrating a well-conceived social media plan?

Just staying current requires commitment
After 30 years working in mass communications, so much has changed in my chosen profession. Nothing, however, compares to the way it has changed in the last 3 years. I've met some admirable professionals in recent months, all of whom are under enormous pressure to deliver better results while spending less on advertising and marketing. Top brass is convinced that social media is the panacea to bolster recessionary sales while cutting the marketing budget in half. That's just wrong thinking.

There is far too little discussion of the reality that faces industry out here in the blogosphere. There is far too much self-aggrandizement with not enough context, and no real content.

The Reality of Social Media Marketing
Many people today lack understanding of social media's tools and channels. Just as soon as the world embraced MySpace, Facebook came along. Then, well,Twitter came along, and so on and so on. The number one problem for communications professionals is time - finding time to learn, time to plan, time to implement, and time to monitor. There is serious confusion about how to balance the workload and resources. Many struggle just to figure out where social media fits in with existing campaigns, plans and activities.

Have I taken too much precious time here already? Quickly, in a nutshell, consider a few more points as you contemplate where social media may fit in your plans:

Ask yourself:
1) What is the ultimate marketing goal?

2) What are the objectives which will lead you toward that goal?

3) What is your strategy for achieving the objectives?

Your answers will give you a starting point. As any marketing "expert" can readily attest, this was the starting point long before social media was a blip on the radar. So, as much as everything has seemingly changed, that's exactly how much sound marketing principles can continue to guide your efforts. Remember, social media isn't really about the technology; it's about what you can do with it. It's about you and it's about the audience.

Grow slowly, grow surely
Integrate social media tools and programs with traditional marketing and PR. It should not be an isolated or one off activity. If you’re working with a large company, make sure that your social media efforts and properties are in line with each other and integrated with other efforts already in place at your company.

• Take baby steps – You don’t need to launch your web page, blog, Twitter feed, LinkedIn and Facebook Pages all at the same time. Set some goals, measure the initial results and then experiment.
• Less may be more – All too often every division, department and group wants its own Page or Twitter feed. Sometimes this makes sense, but more often it does not. Don’t get stuck with too many under-performing online properties while you could be focusing your efforts and resources on a smaller and more effective number.
• Social media isn’t free – This is a fallacy unless you have unlimited access to free human capital. Labor costs. Labor requires resources. In order to gain a following, you also need to leverage advertising in social media to drive traffic. If you build it, they will not necessarily come!
• You are going to lose control – Control is a sticky wicket. Sometimes, you'll be stymied by the mere legal implications of working with your social media audience as co-publishers. Can you even post photos or videos without proper release forms? Everybody else seems to be doing it. (No. They are not.) Total control may well go out the window, but the reality is that the people are already out there discussing your brand or product online. You can choose to monitor and join in, or you can hide your head in the sand. Begin the journey in a controlled manner, employing sensible policies, and test as you go.
• Social media is not easy, nor is it a waste of time – Building a successful social media program takes time, manpower and commitment. That’s the truth. Social media is subject to the same issues which faced traditional marketing, so treat it as you would any other marketing tool.
• If you can't do it well now, work on it – Social media can help you tell stories in new and usually more engaging ways. You may be able to re-use content elements already in your marketing mix, but you may also need to think outside the box when considering what "content" means and is nowadays. If your material or post is not of interest to the audience, you may be spinning your wheels.

I'm sure you're just happy that I didn't have a strong opinion on this particular topic. (Wink, wink.) Hopefully, this post provides social media "food for thought." Perhaps you'll plant the seeds of your own social media campaign - personal or professional. The initial questions and the planning stages will be similar for both.

Do you agree or disagree with this take on social media "experts." I'd love to hear any opposing view.

#140 - Why students often make the best teachers

Writing is hard work. Blogging is no exception. Blogging, however, also involves something more. In addition to all the planning, research, execution, and editing, blogging requires "personality."

If you want to be a better blogger, you must infuse each post with a little bit of yourself. Quirks and eccentricities can serve to give your blog the personality it needs, or they can overshadow the writing. It's really about striking the proper balance. Do check out Chris Birk's new article at Copyblogger: How I Became A Better Writer Thanks to Distracted, Hungover College Kids. You'll love the reasoning behind that headline!

This is a post every writer or writing instructor should read. In it, Chris really opened my eyes to the wealth of information I learned from students over the past few months. It's true, my recent three-week adventure in teaching (writing for public relations) simply primed me to receive Chris' words of wisdom. Rest assured, the link above contains some pertinent wisdom for every writer. I could relate my own take on brevity, clarity and content, but I prefer to send you straight to this excellent source.

Pay special attention to the section on Economy of Language.

I know I related to the views expressed in this Copyblogger post...and anyone striving to be a better writer, reporter, or blogger should as well.

You may or may not have noticed by brief absence from the blogosphere for the past month. I took a well deserved break after posting for 130 consecutive days, and I'm back. Starting this week, I plan to start sharing snippets from each of my training workshops on Blogging and RSS, Facebook for Beginners, and the increasingly popular, Twitter Bootcamp. Rest assured, I was busy preparing a wealth of educational copy about social media. next, I'll be sharing it here - in bite sized portions.

Feel free to leave comments below and your social media questions so we can address them in the upcoming posts.

It's all about our Social Media Life!

Save 15% site wide on any purchase of $50 or more at Fabric.com, use code DOD409! Offer Expires 4/12

#138 - We are the pioneers of our time

When it comes to social networking, we are all pioneers. It's true. And believe me, we've only touched the tip of this iceberg. That's why It is important to always keep in mind that we are in this together; that we are all connected and that we are each of equal value (there's a life lesson there, too).

The shift begins when school ends
Something interesting happens to all of us when we first enter the work force. Until we begin that first step in our career path, our networks are constantly growing and expanding. We continually meet new people with each new class, each school, and at each new social gathering. But this trend begins to diminish quickly when we enter the work force and grow older. Many of us simply do not invest the time to keep in touch with old classmates, neighborhood friends and distant relatives. We begin to lose contact. This is critical. That lack of contact is no longer healthy given the Web 2.0 world we all live and work in.

Some of us go to work for smaller companies or in occupations that do not allow us to interact with large numbers of people. Starting families means many live a more insular life - that's only natural. So, for a variety of reasons, in this socially networked age, many of our networks rely mainly upon old college and high school friends - at first. It's the natural evolution that occurred over the 20 years since the dawn of the Internet.

We all have networks. We had them long before the Internet was created, and we have the opportunity to make the most of them now - as a result of the Internet.

Every time we ask a friend for a piece of advice or share a story about our day, we are networking. Once you realize this, then networking comes much more naturally. With the explosive and constant growth of the Internet, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to stay in better touch with all our networks and contacts. In so doing, we are creating a new "virtual" network.

The MySpace, Facebook, Twitter phenomenon is built upon new technology - a technology in which younger generations are creating vast virtual networks based on their interests - technology, gaming, music, art, etc. As with any social network most people started out creating a simple, basic profile on a social network. It didn't matter if it was LinkedIn, Tagged, Squidoo, Facebook, Flickr or YouTube that got us started. Everyone moving forward and continuing to evolve has eventually added at least a few photos, possibly a video, a blog, or even their favorite music - the constant is that these things are more personal...more true to our personalities.

The Importance of Networks
We are sharing our likes and dislikes with a network of old friends (and new) in a manner never before tested. Our networks have now grown to include a new "virtual" circle of contacts creating a new kind of community. It sounds so simple but many people are missing the big picture. We, as a society, are interacting in ways that were never before possible in the physical world alone. We are engaging in real-time discussions, sharing ideas and concepts with people in other countries and cultures, and our social groups have become much looser and far more geographically dispersed. Where will we take this?

The Internet has given us the opportunity to interact and connect with anyone who shares a similar interest regardless of where they live. This is huge, but it's just the tip of the iceberg.

For me, social networking quickly became a kind of social security blanket. There is great comfort in connectedness. You never know when you're going to need it and you can never have enough of it (in my humble opinion). The more diverse your network, the greater the likelihood that someone will give you whatever information you need in any particular situation. Although your local circle of friends and family is still invaluable, it will always be limited in size and scope - unlike your Internet social network.

Networking teaches us lessons
Understanding the value of virtual networking helps everyone see social media in a new light, so we can seek and find the social networking options that are our ideal forms of communication. For me, it's Facebook and LinkedIn. They work for me - one for personal contact and moral support, and the other for professional visibility, personal branding and business development. Whether we realize it or not, we have all embarked on this journey together. The very fact that you found (and read) this blog means you're ahead of the curve in the new Web 2.0 world.

Next week, I'll be exploring specific social networking applications and looking at how some companies are leveraging them more effectively than others. As always, participation is a choice. We can each be the pioneer we are and get on this social media bandwagon. We can choose to enjoy learning new things about the use of social media and its myriad variations in order to make educated decisions about our participation, or, we can sit back and let the parade pass.

I am a pioneer. Aren't you? I sincerely hope you'll decide to join the conversations at Social Media Life - where we all grow together.

#136 - Tell me about your Social Media Life!

Breaking news! The focus of Life Lessons has now officially changed to reflect the many ways we are all living our lives in the social media spotlight. (Note the new blog title above - Social Media Life Lessons.) In case you're wondering what prompted this change, it's quite simple. Earlier this week I had a conversation with a prospective client, an executive VP for a non-profit organization in Nashville, and he remarked that more and more he found he was "practically living on Facebook."

It was not the first time I'd heard the comment, and it suddenly dawned on me that the real reason I blog is to explore and possibly even enhance knowledge of social media - be it with blogs, Facebook, Twitter, SocialGo, Squidoo, hundreds of online communities, forum discussions, RSS aggregators, various websites, or online news sources. What's happening in social media affects everyone. It has changed the virtual landscape of media from print to broadcasting in an amazingly short span of time - just one decade. The medium is changing and we need to change with it.

To better reflect the nature of this site, I have changed its title to reflect a focus on teaching important life lessons framed within the context of social media, including news and events of interest to students, everyday users, and social media practitioners. The primary goal is to keep you, the reader, informed (with an easy, interesting format) of changes in social media (which seem to be occurring almost daily). Each week, we'll focus on a specific lesson covering the most effective and popular usage of one social media tool or technique.

Feel free to leave topic requests in the comments section below! I'll put my best research skills to work to answer any reader questions or comments.

You can look forward to many more posts on how to leverage social media for PR, news writing, advertising, education, business and even personal use. So, please, take a minute to let me know what you want to learn more about or better utilize online. I will research and report on any aspect of social media you choose.

A blog is only as good as the conversation it fosters...I look forward to collaborating with you, communicating and educating in this blog space.

In other news...
There was major news in social media today with the announcement that Google is already re-tooling the new Buzz network to address privacy concerns raised by consumers - just day's after the network launched. Google plans to separate Buzz from users' Gmail accounts, according to a report at Search Engine Land. Personally, I applaud Google for taking quick action to address any security concerns. I do worry that this rocky start for Buzz does not bode well for the search engine giant's foray into social networking.

What do you think of Google Buzz? Have you tried it? Do you agree that it should be separated from Gmail accounts? Inquiring minds really want to know.

It's time to get this this conversation started! I look forward to hearing from you.