Small Business And Branding – Why And How? by: Saptarshi Roy Chaudhury / Williams Money Group

Small Business And Branding – Why And How?

by: Saptarshi Roy Chaudhury / Williams Money Group

When we speak of branding most of the time people try to relate it to big business house, however, the fact is that every business needs to establish their brand in order to survive the competition. This is nothing new; experts and management gurus had been preaching the same sermon for years now but what they have not told is why you need to brand your small business? How is branding going to help you to establish your business? How can you establish your brand without spending a fortune on it? You might be having a very small business but would you like your client to perceive your business as a small time entrepreneurial effort? Definitely not, and your business cards, letterheads and other marketing collaterals does just that. They create an impression to your clients that you are an established business house of considerable strength and not just a mom-n-pop shop. While you have read till this much, you might have started to plan to get a few home printed business cards or visit the website where you saw the preformatted business cards being sold for peanuts. Beware! The quality of your business card is an indication of the status of your business and your clients are intelligent enough to understand the difference between a standard designed perforated business card and a professionally designed business card printed on good quality card stock. Most of us, including you, would prefer to consider the stability of a company before making a purchase decision. Once you have established your brand with a professionally designed logo, business card and other marketing efforts it becomes much easier for you to build your credibility among the customers. Getting a professionally designed custom logo is one of the very important elements of branding a business. A logo is not just a symbol or a piece of graphics; it is actually your corporate identity. A properly designed logo can leave long lasting impression on your clients and will never let your business slip out of their minds. It also makes your business easily recognizable. Just think, wherever you see the Golden M of McDonald’s do you really need to think twice, what company is that referring to? A good logo should ideally exude the nature and attitude of the business. Once you have got a logo for yourself it becomes easier for you to establish your brand. You can use that logo in your business cards, letterheads and other accessories. Don’t you think it is going to make a difference if the pack that you use to deliver your products to your customer has the logo of your company on it? And if you are using a reusable pack, your customer might just use the same pack to pass on some other goods to one of his friends- what happens then? Yes! Your logo gets noticed by one other person, you add one more name to the list of your potential customers. You are on your way to establish your own brand. Similarly with business cards, as they get passed on from one person to the other, more and more people knows about your business and the potential customer base increases. Having a business card or professionally designed logo also shows your commitment towards your business. A short, easy to remember punch line is another useful tool for branding. Getting a tag line printed on your business cards or your business stationery makes it easier for people to understand the nature of your business. Ideally, your tag line should not only say about what you do but also speak about your USP. Having said all that, the ultimate question that most of the small business people would have is, how much does it cost to get all these things done? I’d say, “not much”. Money is always a problem for most of the small businesses (that’s why they are small, otherwise most of us would like to open a Microsoft and be as rich as Bill Gates) but if you know where to look for, you really don’t need to spend a fortune to get a professionally designed logo or a business card. There are loads of websites that offer them really cheap and some even allow you to decide the price that you want to pay. (Check out this twin sites, http://www.mycorporatelogo.com and http://www.mycorporateidentity.com ). So, if you think you are tired of being a “small business” and its time to grow up, take the first step; establish your brand! About the Author: Ray Smith is a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing.http://www.mycorporatelogo.com Source: www.isnare.com Sponsored by Williams Money Group

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©2008 Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Google Immere Branding Guide VOL 2 by: Brent Nolan / Williams Money Group BRANDING ACROSS MULTIP

The consistent delivery of a brand message is vital to the long term success of any brand, but with so many possible delivery mediums how do companies ensure this is maintained? Print, television, internet, multimedia, cinema, radio, dvd, the potential is endless, without taking into consideration the possibilities of emerging technologies such as pda's and mobile technology.

Immere are often asked to make recommendations on various delivery mediums and how companies should apply their branding. Although it is fantastic to see companies considering the endless branding opportunities, they are often neglecting the most important aspect that ensures brand success. This is where we encourage our clients to take a large step back and before they focus on the delivery medium, evaluate what are they actually trying to deliver.

Companies are delivering what Immere refer to as a 'brand Idea'. A brand idea should be a single idea of your company or product, with the aim being to have the company brand idea equal the consumer brand perception. It is vital that companies establish a strong brand idea as it is your lifeline within a competitive marketplace and your point of difference from your competition.

Once a company brand idea is defined, choose a medium, or mediums that allow you to speak directly to your customers. Consider the way in which customers interact with the delivery medium, taking into consideration how this will effect the experience and ultimately, the perception of your brand. For example, consider the difference between branding online or via television, one encourages you to sit forward and interact, the other to recline and relax.

Often through lack of understanding, companies replicate their brand across various mediums with the same visual treatment. Wrongly they assume that if it looks the same, people will receive the same message. Consider this, there are two images of the same car, one is static online and the other is in motion on the cinema screen. They are the same images, but different in delivery, will this communicate the same brand idea?

Consumers have high expectations of how your brand should be delivered, a dynamic television commercial cannot be replicated across to an internet site and convey a consistent brand message, nor should it be expected that a great website will also work as a television commercial. The impact of motion, sound, texture, interactivity and visual style are the foundations of your brand message and act uniquely to each delivery medium. Brand delivery is as much about the texture of the paper you choose, as the colour you print on it. The interpretation of colour has different meaning across various mediums, a flat olive green may look refined and contemporary in print, but online can look flat and lifeless.

In most instances it may be beneficial to have simultaneous delivery of your brand message across multiple mediums, reinforcing the brand idea with larger market exposure. The repetition of your brand idea will re-enforce the company values, ensuring that you are 'front of mind' when it comes to making a purchase decision.

The perception of you brand will also be effected directly by the consistency of your branded message. Undefined, inconsistent brand messages only confuse the consumer, making it difficult to build a lasting impression of your company or products. Below are 3 simple Immere rules to ensure brand success:

1. QUALITY Quality product or services, quality time to develop the brand idea, quality application of the brand message.Invest time in developing a quality brand idea. Make sure you evaluate the message your customers are receiving, the standard of visual application and how your brand will compete in the marketplace. Always insist on quality!

2. APPLICATION Choose a delivery medium that allows you to speak directly to your customers, innovate in the application of your brand message and consider simultaneous delivery across multiple mediums for greater impact.

3. CONSISTENCY Vital to the long term success of any brand, think repetition to re-enforce your company brand idea and ensure that all branding is always consistent to the company brand idea.

For further information on branding across multiplemediums, speak to an Immere director. Sponsored By Williams Money Group
About the Author

Brent Nolan is the Senior Designer at Immere, an Australian advertising, branding and design company. Immere's clients include Ansearch, an Australian search engine and directory.

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©2008 Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Immere Branding Guide VOL 1 by: Brent Nolan / Williams Money Group

Good branding is vital to the long-term success and growth of your company, however, branding concepts are often poorly understood. For this reason Immere have put together a few simple ideas for consideration when branding is on your company agenda.

BRANDING ..... WHAT IS IT? Branding is much more than the creation of a logo or a name. A brand reflects the customers perception of your company and the quality of products and services you provide.

A 'brand idea' is the message that companies communicate to the marketplace about their products and services. Companies control the message they deliver, but have little or no control over its perception by the marketplace.

Immere's goal is to ensure that: Company Brand Idea = Consumer Brand Perception

REMAINING FOCUSED One of the biggest challenges that companies face is maintaining a constant brand idea, that is, communicating the brand consistently and effectively across multiple mediums such as television, print, internet etc.

It is important to focus on a single brand idea that can be reinforced by repetition. This allows customers to not only develop a firm understanding of your brand, but more importantly to remember your company or product when it comes time to make a purchase decision.

Confusion is a brand's worst enemy.

A brand idea must remain focused to deliver a single message to ensure the meaning is never lost. Sometimes it is best to keep things simple!

BRAND DELIVERY Ineffective brand delivery leads to miscommunication of your company's core message and values, eroding any goodwill you may have in the minds of existing and potential clients.

Focus on the quality of your branded message as it may be more effective than the quantity. With so many potential delivery mediums, it has become increasingly vital for companies to establish a consistent brand idea. Poor execution in one medium effects the perception of the brand as a whole.

Traditional avenues of delivering the brand idea are becoming ineffective and costly. This is due to consumer awareness of competing products and the over stimulation of advertising in the market, especially on television. It is necessary for companies to be innovative in the way they place their brand in the market place, ensuring a strong point of difference from competition.

BRAND LOYALTY Good branding is an investment that when executed correctly, ensures your company is 'top of mind' when an existing or prospective client is considering a purchase in your chosen market.

This attracts and maintains customer loyalty, and works as your best defence against competitors and those targeting your clients.

REBRANDING & BRAND DEVELOPMENT Establish a 'brand plan' for your company and/or product that outlines future brand directions with the potential to cater for change in the market place. It is important to continually revisit the brand to revitalize and strengthen it, but remember, too much change can be threatening or confusing to the consumer.

It may take years to establish a brand but it can take seconds for the meaning to be lost. To quote Jack Trout (author of Big Brands Big Trouble):

"Remember the Titanic!"

It is imperative that companies evolve their brand position, differentiate themselves from their competitors and invest quality time on being innovative.

LEVERAGING BRAND RELATIONSHIPS Establish working relationships with complementary companies for brand leverage. Associations with other credible brands can assist in reinforcing your brand idea.

An example of this is when Immere assisted New Idea with point of sale branding for a joint promotion with Bosch and Channel Seven's The Auction Squad. Each brand offered something unique and complementary, building on the credibility of each brand's history to ensure the success of the promotion.

It is important when considering working with other brands that a careful eye is kept on maintaining the individual brand ideas. Leveraging other brands is a fantastic way to enter new markets or gain further exposure for your brand, but it is pointless if it confuses or conflicts with individual company brand ideas. Sponsored By Williams Money Group
About the Author

Brent Nolan is the Senior Designer at Immere, an Australian advertising, branding and design company. Immere's clients include Ansearch, an Australian search engine and directory.

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©2008 Williams Money Group- All Rights Reserved

Branding = Focus by: Martin Lindstrom / Williams Money Group

Branding = Focus

by: Martin Lindstrom / Williams Money Group

Over the years I've frequently been asked what the secret formula is for successful branding. What people are really asking me is how to make their brand a global leader, like Coca-Cola. Well, sorry guys. There's no magic hidden in the process of building a brand. What successful brand-building is all about is following three simple principles. These form the crucial guidelines that help ensure you build a successful brand. Branding is all about focus. When I say focus, I mean a lot of things. But the most important points are: ·your focus on a specific audience; ·which is reflected in your focus on a specific values; ·which is reflected by your clear focus on a specific tone-of-voice. I know it sounds banal, but defining your unique target group is fundamental. Let me give you a couple of examples. McDonald's has always been a family restaurant, and never a burger bar. What's the difference? None. But the family focus is a positioning strategy that's reflected in everything the corporation does. McDonald's knows that by targeting families it hits one of the most attractive, loyal consumer groups available: they get into the parents' wallets via the kids' minds. Knowing the strength of this strategy, it's no wonder that McDonald's has become what it is. And, by the way, the audience focus doesn't mean that McDonald's misses out on attracting teenagers, tweens or grown-up singles to their restaurants. Obviously, McDonald's restaurants are full of such consumer groups. But, by attracting a target audience, McDonald's hasn't scared off other consumer groups away. Just imagine McDonald's targeting teenagers. Do you think any families would show up? A famous vodka brand decided to take targeting to the extreme by focusing on alternative audiences, like the gay community in the USA. By hitting this community in trendy bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, the product became fashionable and, so, a wider and wider audience was attracted to it. By now the vodka in question is one of the world's best-known brands, yet it's been raised in a very alternative background. Having considered the importance of your brand's audience focus, let's look at its message. What is it your brand wants to say? What tracks should it leave in the consumer's mind after exposure? What are its values? If I were to ask you what impressions spring to mind when I mention the word "Lego" you'd probably speak of "a creative construction toy", or simply "colorful plastic bricks". If I mention "Rolex" you'd probably respond with something like "high quality Swiss watch". "Mercedes-Benz"? "A high quality German car". The principle is simple. What would you like the consumer to think, and not think, when they perceive your brand? Don't be too ambitious. You can't make the consumer say everything you want. For example, you probably didn't say, "Just Imagine…" when I asked you to respond to the concept of Lego, even though that's the product's slogan today. Focus on your brand's values, and communicate these consistently. That's the third important factor in a healthy branding strategy: communications consistency. Being consistent means delivering your brand's message using a tone-of-voice that becomes recognisable as the voice of your brand: that communicates the brand's values to its target audience day after day, year after year, everywhere, anywhere! A good rule of thumb to consider is this: when you start feeling sick and tired of your brand's message and voice, its connection with the consumer's recognition is probably just beginning. Remember, you are exposed to your brand thousands of times more frequently than your customers are. So don't let your own frequency of exposure affect your communications decisions. Consistency is applicable in every facet of your brand's consumer communication strategy: ensure your brand targets its audience consistently, that it communicates the same message to it, that it personifies and transmits the same values, that it is exposed with the same vocabulary, nomenclature, design elements and graphics every time. Many companies fail on the consistency prerequisite, even the big ones which you'd think would know how to handle this fundamental branding challenge. Take Swissair for example. I bet you know the name, but do you know that Swissair is also known as Crossair, Flightline, Jumbolino and Swissair Express? Each of these sub-identities are accompanied by a version of the Swissair logo, even though they all fly internationally. I'm sure there's a logical reason behind the airline company's divergent branding strategy. But I wonder if Swissair's customers understand it. So, why didn't I define design consistency as a factor in its own right: the graphic design, the logo, the look that surrounds the brand? Well, because these elements are not what creates the brand. They support it and can help accelerate recognition and therefore, speed up the branding process. The "look" is a necessary element in the consistent communication strategy, but it's just an element. If your brand possesses the most beautiful logo and is associated with perfect identifying design, yet it has no clear audience focus, no value focus and no tone-of-voice focus with which to deliver its well-honed message, I doubt you'd ever succeed in building your brand. However, by following the guidelines established by these three principles, you're likely to score the brand-building goal, even without a fabulous logo. Strong branding has nothing to do with a beautiful logo. But it has everything to do with your brand's message. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martin Lindstrom, Chief Operating Officer, BT LookSmart and author of "Brand Building on the Internet". Sponsored By Williams Money Group

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©2005 Williams Money Group- All Rights Reserved

Branding that Sells by: Maricon Williams / Williams Money Group

Selling at a given perspective can be viewed as tedious and meticulous. If you include the overall process, that will make the subject a little complex.

Selling, according to a poem, is everyone’s business. Selling is knowing who’s your competition, market and what is important. It is knowing your service, idea, product and your market needs. It is knowing what are accepted and what are not. Selling is knowing how to treat and be treated. In a nutshell, selling is knowing – knowing the line of work of selling.

Successful brokers and agents are saying that when they have assimilated data successfully, chances are they are going to bag a purchase. Salesmen are saying that if they have already determined the needs, objectives and goals of the potential client, there is no need to sell, they will just come. Businessmen, on the other hand, are saying that if there is already a mutual feeling of trust and confidence it will be easier to sell.

One of the striking strategies in selling is by branding. Coke, Revlon, Adidas and the rest of the widely-popular brands became bearably popular by reason of branding. Branding, so to speak, is image building. It imbibes a certain stigma in connection to the thing it is associated with. Though the widely used kind of branding is done with products, branding can also be done to services like in legal services that a lawyer is offering. Also, it is applicable to persons especially celebrities and politicians. Branding is oftentimes widespread during the building up stage of a star and for politicians, in times of election.

Almost all large companies are using branding in order to solicit familiarity and brand retention. This is the reason why companies at the middle stratum are thinking that it involves large amount of money in order to make branding possible. This is not always the case. Branding can be made by using promotional materials like printed T-shirt, key, tags, mugs, pens, bags, CD holders, badge holders, calendars, clocks, caps, balloons and other promotional specialties. This is what we call image branding along with direct sales approach.

A brilliant selling investment need not be expensive. It just needs a dash of imagination, creativity and a slice of resources. The goal is to make the consumers think about the product to make him forget the rest of the products being marketed. Try this type of strategy and be the living witness of its impressive results!

About the Author

Sponsored By Williams Money Group

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©Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Why Branding Is Vital For Your Home Business Success by: Mal Keenan / Williams Money Group

On a hot Sunday afternoon when your body fluids have been drained dry by the scorching sun, which would you rather order? Coca Cola, or Jeebejus Sweet Soda? The answer is as clear as it is universal. The more established brand would be chosen almost every time.

This is why branding is very important in building a home business. Cyberspace is fueled by information, and information travels fast. Everything on the Internet is delivered with digital speed. Competitions would sprout from out of nowhere on a daily basis. The only way to contend is by beating them to the punch when it comes to consumer recall, and this can be done through effective branding.

In building a home Internet business, much care and attention must be given to your enterprise’s name. It is the means by which people would refer to it, after all. Once a name has been decided on, the next logical step would be to build on that brand and expose it to as many people as possible.

Building a brand, and consequently, building an online presence, can be as fast or as meticulously slow as you want it to be. As we’ve mentioned earlier, everything on cyberspace is faster, and this includes branding your home business. But you also proceed at your own pace, and in the process, giving your market the impression that you’re emphasizing quality over popularity.

Here are some branding techniques you could use to help you in building a home Internet business:

* Always use your name. A lot of people are hesitant about online transactions. Giving them your real name would be taken as an invitation for their trust. Additionally, your name would give them something to remember you by.

* Article marketing can help in branding you as an expert on the subject you wrote about. And you being a representation of your enterprise, will in turn help in branding and building a home Internet business.

* Consider crafting a logo during the planning stages in building your business. Visual representations are sometimes easier to remember than written words.

* Build relationships. Relationships would help you achieve a level of credibility and reliability. Additionally, those whom you have befriended would be more than willing to give a good word about you, either in private correspondences with their own network, or publicly by giving you a testimonial for your products or services.

* Provide bonuses and excellent after-sales services. These value added attractions would make your clients feel special, and they would remember you well because of it. Consider this detail in building an online business.

* Publish your own eZine. Having a constant medium through which your thought and your business messages can be conveyed would be a fantastic vehicle in building your brand.

These are but some of the more popular ways of branding, as utilized by veteran Internet marketers. It would serve you well if you’d follow their footsteps and give a good start in building an Internet business that would be remembered for a long, long time.

About the Author: Mal Keenan can show you step-by step how to set up and run a successful online home business. Learn the 7 essential strategies to internet marketing success. To receive your free 7 day mini-course visit: http://www.malkeenan.com For a home business you can believe in, check out: http://www.malkeenan.com/pips.html

Source: www.isnare.com
Williams Money Group

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©2008 Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Co-Branding For More Traffic by: Barrett Niehus / Williams Money Group

By Barrett Niehus

The opportunity to promote your web site on the internet grows daily. Unfortunately, so do the number of sites that compete for product placement and web traffic. As a response to this increased competition, many savvy marketers are turning to co-branding to provide them with an edge over their competition. By participating in co-branding programs, these web marketers can provide more tools, resources and "sticky" content than their competitors.

A co-brand program is usually an arrangement where a web page, company, or organization allows a licensee or participant to include the licensee's logo or brand on the product offered by the licensor. The benefit to the licensee is increased brand exposure, and the ability to offer a product that would otherwise be unavailable to their clients. The benefit to the licensor can be increase advertising revenue, or in many cases on the internet, increased web traffic. An example of this type of co-branding would be syndicated stock ticker that could be posted on your site, and branded with your logo. An example of this can be found at the Wall Street Trader Co-brand site http://www.wstraders.com/index.cfm?CobrandApp=1

The opportunities to co-brand on the internet are expanding from content to actual software and products. IP Ware real estate software http://www.freetrainer.com/cobrand.htm offers free co-branding and co-branded web links on the software's start page so that consumers are exposed to co-branding every time they start the software. The Internet Toolpad http://www.itoolpad.com/ will actually insert your logo into a host of freeware for a small charge. There are also a number of organizations that will accept co-branding in exchange for cross promotion and increased traffic.

Regardless of the type of co-branding, the benefit in increased traffic and site "stickiness" is apparent. By using the branding and promotional resources on the internet wisely, the internet marketer can offer more options, better solutions, and more attractive content
than their competition.

About the Author

Barrett Niehus with IP Ware Wealth and Income software , Create wealth with real estate and retire rich today. IP Ware is actively seeking partners who want to improve their financial status and promote their organization. Sponsored By Williams Money Group

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©2008 Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Branding and Internal Communication by: Robert F. Abbott / Williams Money Group

In the I-HR newsletter, moderator Beth N. Carvin asked if the idea of branding could be used, effectively, to improve productivity and retention. This is an expanded version of my response to her question:

Yes, I think you can use the idea of branding as a tool for improving employee productivity and retention.

Let's approach it from the perspective of a manager communicating with his or her subordinates. If the manager sets out to build a positive reputation over time and over a series of messages, then we might say he or she is embarking on a branding exercise. It's an attempt to create the trust and goodwill necessary to have messages both accepted and acted upon.

Marketers branding products do essentially the same thing: send out a series of messages designed to build a positive reputation over time.

And, when messages to employees enjoy trust and goodwill, then the manager can use communication to increase productivity and retention.

For example, in publishing employee newsletters for my corporate clients, I've always emphasized the need to provide articles and information of value to readers (the employees). By doing that, employees come to see their company newsletter as a useful resource, and not management propaganda. That, in turn, opens the door to asking employees to do or not do certain things (safety measures, for instance), and getting a positive response from them.

In a sense, referring to this process of building trust and goodwill as branding might be just a semantic exercise. However, I think that when we put a name to a process, we make it easier to comprehend and follow. And, that may be the real value of referring to branding in the context of employee communication.

Let's also look at this issue in a broader sense, too, because it's important to remember the different roles of communication in productivity and retention. Three generic types of communication figure in our thinking: instructional, contextual, and motivational.

Instructional communication provides information that helps others do their jobs more efficiently. Contextual communication provides the bigger picture, which should help recipients do their jobs more effectively. And motivational communication shows recipients the benefits of responding as we've requested.

To build trust and goodwill, the instructional communication should be accurate, timely, and functional. The people who receive our messages should be able to act on them, and know they can act on them with confidence.

The contextual communication should be relevant and helpful. It should put the task or issue in question into a framework that helps others understand how specific tasks or issues fit into the strategic flow.

And, the motivational communication should focus on them, not on you. It should show them the importance of their contributions.

In summary, think of branding as the process of building trust and goodwill, a process that makes it possible to increase productivity and retention through communication.

About The Author

Robert F. Abbott
The process of branding, as it's viewed by marketers, might be used in employee communcation, to increase productivity and retention through communication. Sponsored By Williams Money Group

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©2008 Williams Money Group - All Rights Reserved

Side-Step The Big Business Branding Techniques That'll... by: Corey Rudl / Williams Money Group

From the e-mail I've been receiving lately, it's clear there
is a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of online
branding.

Nike, Coke-Cola, Budweiser, McDonalds, Levi's, Amazon.com...
these are the branding masters. Now the question is, HOW
CAN YOU MODEL THEIR SUCCESS?

These days, online branding is being preached as one of the
big "Do or Die" marketing strategies. So everyone wants to
brand their e-business -- but no one is exactly sure what
branding is, how it's done, or where to start.

What is branding, anyway?

Branding is about building a COMPELLING ASSOCIATION
between...

A) Your company, your logo, your products, etc.

AND

B) An image, an emotion, or a memorable message that
embodies -- implicitly or explicitly -- the BIGGEST
BENEFIT you have to offer your customers.

Effective branding creates the kind of FIERCE PRODUCT
LOYALTY that leaves customers indifferent to the marketing
tactics of the competition.

It's what compels you to walk past all of those no-name-
brand on-sale colas at the local grocery store and pick up
the 6-pack of Coca-Cola that costs three times more. It's
what makes children plead and beg to go back to McDonalds
again and again. And it's what has made the phrase "Just Do
It" synonymous with Nike.

Say "Amazon.com," and people think of "The Earth's Biggest
Bookstore." Go to Burger King because you can "Have It Your
Way." Buy Energizer batteries because they "Just keep
going, and going, and going." And "When you care enough to
send the very best," send a Hallmark card.

But the slogans and taglines are only part of it. Think of
the Hallmark commercials. These tearjerker mini-dramas are
built around love and family values, ending with someone
showing they "care enough" by giving a loved-one a Hallmark
card. THEY EVOKE STRONG EMOTIONS THAT DRIVE THEIR SLOGAN
HOME.

And think about the Nike logo -- the "Swoosh" that
represents the wing of the Greek goddess Nike, the
personification of victory. While it's probably safe to say
that the majority of people are unaware of its mythological
significance, THEIR LOGO HOLDS JUST AS MUCH MEANING AS THEIR
NAME.

It's all very impressive, right? Well... yes. But before
you jump on the bandwagon, let's take a realistic look at
the "big branding picture" to see where your small or home-
based e-business fits into this.

First, let's debunk the THREE MAJOR BRANDING MYTHS I
frequently encounter...

MYTH #1:
I need to make my company or product a household name.

TRUTH:
You'll be most successful and most profitable if you
CLOSELY TARGET YOUR MARKET! Focus on getting your business
name and your advertising in front of your best potential
customers -- the people who have an expressed interest in
what you're offering -- as opposed to everyone!

MYTH #2:
Branding my business online means buying thousands of
dollars worth of high-visibility banner impressions.

TRUTH:
Banner advertising just isn't as profitable as it once was.
Ads that once pulled 5% to 10% click-throughs are now lucky
to pull 0.6% to 0.8%, if even that.

You'll be far more successful if you focus your limited
advertising dollars on more performance-based advertising.
Pay for customers... not overpriced, unproven advertising.

MYTH #3:
I'll need to spend a lot of money if I want to gain
brand recognition.

TRUTH:
There are plenty of free and low-cost techniques that
you can use to brand your e-business.

If you're a small or home-based business then, chances are,
you don't have the millions of advertising dollars it takes
to build a nationally recognized brand and make your company
a household name -- at least not yet!

So let's SKIP THE HIGH-PRICED LARGE CORPORATE BRANDING
TECHNIQUES that I'm seeing pushed everywhere I look...

-- after all, these strategies simply don't translate
to e-businesses with limited advertising budgets --

... and instead, let me give you some practical information.

COST-EFFECTIVE BRANDING TECHNIQUES
THAT YOU CAN START USING TODAY:

1) DEVELOP A STRONG UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Imagine yourself sitting across the table from your best
potential customer. In one sentence -- one very short
sentence -- clearly communicate how he or she will benefit
from doing business with you.

Your message should be clear, the language simple, and it
should be easy to remember. There's no room for wordy
corporate mumbo jumbo here.

I know this is a pretty tall order... but your hours of
agonizing, writing, brainstorming, and rewriting will pay
off in the end. This will be the message that your market
will identify you by and associate you with.

2) TARGET YOUR MARKET

The beauty of running an online business is that you can
reach literally hundreds of thousands of targeted potential
customers all over the world -- people who want to buy what
you're selling -- for little or no cost.

It's what has made it possible for small and home-based
business owners like you to take the Internet by storm and
MAKE OUTRAGEOUS PROFITS WITH VERY LIMITED ADVERTISING
BUDGETS.

Why would you turn a blind eye to this CRITICAL ADVANTAGE by
spreading your limited advertising dollars across the entire
web -- trying to sell your product to everyone -- instead of
focusing on those people who want to buy from you?

It just doesn't make sense.

So I know I've already mentioned this, but it's worth saying
again. It's ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that you target your
market.

3) WHENEVER POSSIBLE, MAKE YOUR MESSAGE INTERACTIVE

If you can compel people to actively engage your marketing
message rather than passively hear or view it, you'll
dramatically increase the probability that they're going to
absorb it, remember it, and repeat it.

One of the best ways to make your marketing message
interactive is through VIRAL MARKETING. To read a previous
Marketing Tips article that explains exactly what you can do
to make your marketing message viral, visit...
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletter/issue33/page1.html

4 ) BE CONSISTENT IN VOICE, FORMAT, AND DELIVERY

In order to engrave your brand in the minds of your target
market, you need to consistently repeat your message to
them...

* DESIGN A SIGNATURE FILE that contains your message and
attach it to the end of every e-mail you send. It costs
you nothing and it's an easy, effective way to repeat
your message to those people you have direct contact
with -- your best potential and repeat customers!

* Your web site design, logos, and graphics should, if
possible, VISUALLY EMPHASIZE AND REINFORCE your message.
Check out the McDonald's web site at http://www.mcdonalds.com
Does that yellow and red look familiar? Think about how
you can similarly use your web site design to further
impress your brand in the memory of your visitors.

* Your NEWSLETTER CONTENT AND YOUR WEB SITE CONTENT should
all ultimately contribute to your marketing message.
There is no room for distractions like articles or links
that don't move you towards your main goal (to sell your
product, remember?).

5) NURTURE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS AND
SUBSCRIBERS

If they already know you, if they're already familiar with
who you are and what you do, if they've already bought
something from you, then you should be building on these
existing relationships.

MAINTAIN REGULAR CONTACT VIA E-MAIL (it's free!), and
consistently remind them who you are, what you do, and most
importantly, how they stand to benefit from continuing to do
business with you.

If you play your cards right, not only will you PROFIT FROM
THEIR REPEAT BUSINESS, you may also persuade them to "spread
the good word" to others with similar interests.

6) BE VISIBLE TO YOUR BEST POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

A big part of branding is obviously about getting your name
in front of your best potential customers, so that when the
time comes for them to buy, THEY'LL CHOOSE YOU OVER THE
COMPETITION!

Here are a few powerful ways that you can do this...

* WRITE ARTICLES that contain information that will be of
interest to your target market and then offer them to
industry newsletters and web sites free of charge. Web
masters and editors will appreciate the free, quality
content, and you'll get your name and URL in front of
your target market.

* PARTICIPATE IN NEWSGROUPS AND DISCUSSION FORUMS where
your target market hangs out. This is an easy, no-cost
way to develop your reputation as an industry expert.
Simply make yourself available to answer questions and
provide participants with information that they will value.

* SUBMIT YOUR WEB SITE TO THE SEARCH ENGINES AND
DIRECTORIES. Also be sure to search for directories that
are geared towards your industry and request a listing.

* REQUEST LINKS FROM SITES WHERE YOUR TARGET MARKET MEETS.
This is not only a great way to increase your visibility,
it's also an extremely powerful way to attract large
volumes of highly targeted traffic -- yet it's frequently
dismissed or overlooked!

* USE BANNER ADVERTISING - IN MODERATION! With well-
designed banners and a targeted ad campaign, you CAN
make money with banner advertising. Just be sure to
educate yourself on the latest, most cutting-edge banner
techniques before getting started.

To read an article on designing effective banners that
really work, visit...
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletter/issue35/page1.html

* START YOUR OWN AFFILIATE PROGRAM. With your own
Affiliate Program, you can enlist an army of affiliates
who will spread your name and your marketing message
across the web -- and you don't pay them a cent until
they make a sale.

To read an article on how you can start and profit from
your very own Affiliate Program, visit...
http://www.marketingtips.com/newsletter/issue19/index.html

DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL:

With branding being hyped as one of *the* marketing
strategies to pursue right now, I worry that some of you
may be steered off-track.

While it's a good idea to be aware of and actively direct
how your e-business is being branded, remember that there is
a key difference between creating awareness and actually
closing sales.

Given the innumerable marketing strategies that you can use
to simultaneously create brand awareness AND draw targeted
traffic to your web site, there is no reason for you to be
spending your limited advertising dollars on branding
techniques that don't return a significant profit.

Avoid being sucked in by the myth that the entire web needs
to know who you are. Focus on your target market and
realize that most forms of traffic generation ultimately
enhance awareness of your brand.

You are spelling out your brand message, directly and
indirectly, with everything that you do, say, and sell.

About the Author

Corey Rudl is the owner of four highly
successful online businesses that attract more than
6,000,000 visitors and generate over $5.2 million each year.
Sponsored By Williams Money Group
http://www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html

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