Amp Your Brand!

Ever feel like you’ve missed the social media train? Don’t fret. Even though the train has left the station, you can still catch a ride.

If your business is not engaged in social networking, chances are you are not engaged with your own customers. While not every social media tool is right for every business, studies show that the “trend” you were hoping social media would turn out to be . . . well . . . isn’t. The advertising medium is here to stay and the proliferation of communities of brand lovers talking about your business — and businesses like yours — is growing like a Chia pet in spring.

So why explore social networking options for your business? Simple:

Traditional Marketing is Losing Its Punch. People love to talk to each other. The one-way advertising speech from business to customer is over. The Internet has revolutionized buyer behavior and savvy businesses shouldn’t expect traditional marketing strategies to pull the influential punch it has in the past.

Your Customers are Online. You need to fish where the fishing is good. More and more, online communities are where you will find your customers and potential customers. Get cookin’ on Twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and Yelp and find out what your target market is thinking, buying and yes, even ranting about. Check out forums and groups for opinions and tailor your marketing message to the conversation.

Build Brand Awareness. Social media presents an incredible opportunity to generate brand awareness within your target audience. Research what channels and tools your customers are using – just ask them what communication channels they prefer. Yes, it’s as easy as a survey. Begin to contribute, share and engage with them. Then, feed your Google porch dog and by engaging other blogs and platforms and linking back to your own website.

Social Networking Makes You Smarter. It’s true! Social media can be an incredible (and FREE) learning tool for you and your team. By building a strategic following and followers list on platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn, you can create a funnel of information that will grow your industry knowledge. If everyone else is out there searching great content down and sharing it, your learning time has been cut in half! This creates personal power and opportunities for innovation.

Social Networking Strengthens Relationships. There’s a secret sauce to social media that creates a bond not easily explained. By reaching out to others with tweets, posts and sharing information, there’s a camaraderie that has real “community” power behind it. More than a just a trumpet to tout your wares, social media platforms offer an exclusive opportunity to grow genuine friendships and build your business at the same time.

It Helps with Brand Management. Reputation management is now a real reality for many businesses. As more and more opinion sharing is taking place online, businesses need to be listening to the good and managing the bad. As Yelp and other opinion sites become more widely used, as a business you should regularly Google yourself, set Google Alerts for your company name and be proactive in managing your brand. Being engaged daily might also help you turn a grumbler into a raving fan if you can get in front of concerns promptly.

admin Logos Better Business, Google Alerts, networking, small business, social media, twitter

Innovation makes a comeback.

Okay, no one enjoys an economic squeeze and the crop of grey hairs that comes with it. But let’s face it, it’s the hardships we’ve walked through that have made our nation — and our businesses — exceptional. Innovation springs from the parched wells of possibility and the greatest ideas rise up from the pangs of empty stomachs. Always have. Always will.

If you’re paying attention, there really are some wins happening inside this economic downturn. For instance:

1. The customer is once again king. Business large and small have been forced to “enthusiastically” refocus on the customer or face extinction. We call it economic smelling salts. Nothing “brings you to” more abruptly than seeing other businesses drop off the landscape … one by one. There’s a determination from service providers bent on giving a more cost-conscious customer more value and better service.
2. Innovation makes a comeback. Currently the U.S. is ranked No. 6 in innovation in the world. If it takes a recession to spark a new revolution, then let the Dow take a dive. No one is listening to the naysayers grumble “that can’t be done,” because we know that somewhere — right now — it’s being done. Big thinkers are being forced to amend their paradigms and chase neon rabbits. New technologies, processes, ideas, products and perspectives are born every minute in a recession. Now that’s a good thing!
3. Networking has evolved to “chic.” Networking over lunch, at events and online via the proliferation of social network platforms, isn’t just acceptable, it’s downright chic. Check out Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook if you haven’t already. Genuine, talented and focused people want to connect to solve your problems and spray their brand of miracle grow on your next project. A harvest of useful information is being shared rather than hoarded. We’re listening to one another and aligning to build that better burger — and it’s working!
4. Generosity rules. Recessions remind us that business is about relationships big and small – not about a Holiday card and a generic gift basket. “Titles” are loosing their clout as CEOs lose their jobs and generosity is stepping in as the great equalizer. Those looking out for others before themselves in a recession will see their own opportunities soar.
5. Collaboration and creativity = currency. Collaboration and creativity have become the currency that hooks the next opportunity. We’re coming together more and using parts of our brains relegated to complacency in times of plenty. There’s an air of possibility and working parallel paths toward success. We’ve become virtual sales people for others whose livelihoods are in more danger than our own. Cross-promotional opportunities, referrals, bartering, sharing resources, co-op marketing, volunteering and thinking someone else’s story more than our own is just one way we’ve come to redefine success.

Basically, in many ways, the recession has forced a flood of businesses and individuals to become the people with whom we’ve always wanted to do business. Is that such a bad thing?

admin Logos design, economy, Facebook, Linked In, partnerships, recession, twitter