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May 15, 2014
Know who you are! - A personal brand can be extremely powerful, but only if you are true to yourself. Many try to emulate others and fail because it is simply a show. Think about your values, beliefs and offerings and for what you stand (even what you stand against)
Know your customers - once you know yourself you can identify who you want to work with. Know where your skills and values meet theirs. Look for what you offer and what they REALLY need (not just what they think they need).
For example, no one really wants a website. They want what it can provide - leads, customers, sales, etc.
Develop a design and message - your brand should be consistent across all media platforms and with easy to read and remember tag lines, images, etc. This means that every interaction with your brand is of equal quality and reinforces your message.
I'd be happy to help you with some key branding advice if you are interested.
May 11, 2014
Identify your potential,
Its implementable and utility for common good
and reaching out to the targeted people.
Apr 25, 2014
Have a mission statement. From there, build your visual identity. Then be consisted by using your visual identity across all of your marketing medias. There are some great articles on branding at http://www.graphicdesignbyvictoria.com/#!branding-tips/c14b8
Feb 2, 2014
1. Invest in yourself to ensure that you have the skills and expertise for the services that you want to offer. This could be a certification, a class or learning a new software applicable to your field.
2. Remain trustworthy. This simply encompasses doing what you say you will do.
3. Harness your online presence to make sure that you are conveying the right message in order to attract the right clients/people/opportunities.
Jan 27, 2014
1. Give a WOW experience to your customer whenever they do a business with you.
2. Use you Logo, Color Combination and Slogan or sets of Tagline where ever you promote/sale your product or servie.
You are a brand when your customers starts referring and talking about youl.
Jan 27, 2014
1. Differentiate yourself clearly from your competition.
Do that effectively and you won't need to worry about #2 or #3.
Al Shultz
http://www.alshultz.com/
Nov 2, 2012
1. Knowing yourself and articulating your core competence--what you do better than anyone else
2. Clearly defining your target market(s)
3. Devising positioning statements (with proof points) to clearly express your personal goals or the goals of your business for each targeted market segment
Sep 28, 2012
1.Focus on what are your needs and wants.
2.Simplicity is the best.
3.Never hesitate to ask for help but the final decision is yours.
Sep 18, 2012
Wow, I am going to be contrarian here.
The first step is to figure out who you, your skills, and your customers are not. knowing who you are not going after is importnat in making a message right for your actual customers. If sexist men are your target customers, no need to be politically correct. Hooters works in that space.
Second, tailor your message to your audience ignoring everyone and everything listed in number 1. Don't worry about the big picture if you are only focusing on selling to the picture frame. Many of the most successful entrepreneurs had terrible stories for the masses, but great stories for their customers.
3) Sound it out, write it out, act it out, sell it and see if a consistent message that appeals to your customers results.
Remember, a brand that is very popular with non-customers is of limited value...
Aug 3, 2012
1. Create a product or service.
2. Sell it!
3. Make sure your customer have a positive and memorable experience.
I got approached to do a speaking gig recently that has since turned into a much larger speaking opportunity. My prospect never looked at my logo, or my website, or my material. He told me (and the crowd I was speaking to) that he asked around about me and heard great things.
It's not that you don't need a logo, or a website, or an Elevator Pitch.
Just that your brand is what your customers are saying about you.
So focus on giving your customers a WOW experience.
Good luck!
Aug 3, 2012
1. Do a personal assesment - list your skills, values, and goals
2. Strategize - Decide who your potential client is and how you want to communicate your brand
3. Cultivate, Communicate, and Collaborate - network, help others, and identify partners
Be true to your brand at all times.
Jul 30, 2012
Hi Trevor, I received your note in acknowledgement to mine and I look forward to the connection. Good question. My suggestions: 1. Make a list of the things you want your company to be known for. 2. Create a short statement compiling those things into one. 3. Keep the statement simple because it's often a challenge for the reader to remember more than 2 to 3 key points. 4. Insure that you embed this statement into every piece of promotional material. 5. Live this statement at networking events, wherever you are, making it an integral part of your being. It's not enough to simply say things that are wonderful about you and your company. Rather it's most important to embed those things into the DNA of your firm. Best, Freda
Jul 28, 2012
Be consistent. Always be the brand where you are, live and work. Know your targe audience, always represent them and rewards limitless.
Jul 28, 2012
Great question Trevor.
1) The first step is fo figure out who your ideal customer is? The one who values you and the relationship they have with you. The one who is profitable. The customer who becomes your ambassador and refers business to you.
2) The next step is to determine how you differentiate yourself from others in your space? What would YOU Google to find a business like yours? What makes people choose you to do business with?
The third and other steps don't matter until you figure out the first two, comprehensively. Alan Adler http://www.alan-adler.com
Jul 28, 2012
1. Uniformity of your brand - Don't market yourself as one thing to one group and another to another. Don't be a plumber to one audience and an Avon salesperson to another...Be a plumber that sells Avon for example.
2. Shotgun approach - Market yourself online anywhere you can post a profile. You never know where you will get business...the same cannot be said for in person...business cards at funerals are not going to make the impression you want.
3. Network...help others build their brand while they help you build yours and do not grow your network larger than you can handle being in contact with...I always find it funny the people who put (12Billion contacts) after their networking profiles! me too...I have an internet phone book but I probably speak to everyone on it as often as they speak to their huge contact list!
Jul 27, 2012
1. Following your intuition.
2. Identifying what brings you joy.
3. Creating your palette.
Hi Trevor, There are several aspects to branding. One is your visual brand, which is a unique design element, such as a shape, color, typography, and imagery. It directly and subliminally communicates a company's values and personality through compelling design. It is how people begin to identify you and associate you with past experiences with your company. Here is an article and YouTube video that explains it a bit more. http://www.graphicdesignbyvictoria.com/#!Tips-for-boosting-your-companys-visual-brand-with-graphic-design/cjy3/47CD6389-4A73-4032-A29C-B29EB5A73905