The Bulls Roar » Brand

How to Create Your Own Page on Facebook

AnnieInfinite — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:51:54 +0000

I have recieved a few requests for an easy step-by-step guide to creating your page on Facebook, this is a very easy process although there are a few extra tips that can come in very handy when creating a page to help maximise your leverage, your conversations and your exposure that can make a real difference to the success of your page.

So here goes:

First of all the easiest way to “Create your own page” is to go to another person’s page and scroll down to the bottom of the left hand side of the page and look for the link – as shown here
You will be taken to a new page where you can fill in the form with the name and type of your reason for creating a page. Here you have some very important choices to make as the information you choose here is written in stone! So let’s go through your choices:
* Choose your business typ - either a Local Business or if it is a Product or Service or if it is time to brand you as well Public Figure. Here you can also decide if you are more of a community or group based around a certain subject or meetup.
* Choose the name of your page – Here use your Business name, the name of your product or service or of course your own name if you are branding yourself. EXPERT HINT: add two descriptors or keywords of your brand here so that people and search engines know what this page is about. This is expecially important if your business or product name is not clear about what it is. e.g. Our business “The Zen Bull” does not prolaim itself as a website and online marketing company so our descriptors on our FB Page name are “Website Creation and Marketing”.
Once you have made these very important decisions click on ‘Create Official Page’ and Bingo! you have your very own page!
The next page you will see is the very new ‘Getting Started’ page with lots for you to do: Here you will put in the profile image for your page EXPERT HINT: don’t waste this very important real estate – make sure you have a profile image that displays your business or product to maximum effect. See previous post here Ins and Outs of Facebook Pages for more information on enhancing your Page
When filling out your Page information please make good use of all the spaces provided -if you cannot see a box that describes exactly what you need use anything available, as in the case of a Local Business page there is a box provided for describing Transportation and Parking – instead use this to describe your business or product and what you do, and what you solve and your passion for your business.
Once you have filled out as much as you want or need to on this list it is time to see your behind the scenes ‘Edit Page’ dashboard and set up your settings for maximum effect on your page.
Go to ‘Edit Page’ underneath your profile image and click this will bring you to a long page with lots of settings on it. For beginners the main setting to change is the Wall Settings – click on it and this will open to a smaller area where you can change these settings your choices are “Only Posts by Page” or “All Posts” choose all posts for enabling the maximum conversations on your page. This is very important to go from being an advertising page to a conversational, relationship marketing page.Yes you may have to delete the occasional annoying post, this is far better than being an advertising page after all Facebook is a social platform.
You may want to add more applications to your page as encouraged in my other posts on Facebook:
Why Does My Business Need a Facebook Page?
Facebook for Business Are You Missing Out?
to do this scroll down to the bottom of your ‘Edit Page’ dashboard and click on ‘Add more’ – easy!
Oh! and don’t forget to ‘Like’ your own page Be your own first ‘Liker’ this creates your very first FB ‘vote’ for your page and your stats will begin to go up immediately and with every ‘Liker’ and link.
Another great post can be found here: How to create a facebook fan page

The Zen Bull Websites and Marketing

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brand, Business, Facebook, Facebook Pages, Marketing, Social Networking, Zen Bull

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What’s Your UBD?

AnnieInfinite — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:40:03 +0000

First of all I hear you ask, “What’s a UBD?”

Your UBD is your Unique Business Differentiator and it is the most important thing you can know about your business before marketing it. It is what makes your brand, your business stand out in the crowd.

This is what you will use to establish your brand amongst your competition, it is what will draw your clients and customers to you in preference to other brands, it is how you brand yourself, it belongs in all of your marketing and will be used daily by you, your marketing, and your employees.

So how does a business find, create and establish their UBD?

It all begins with your Vision and Mission statements which are a list of values, goals and outcomes you create for your business. Your vision and mission statements help to keep motivation high, give your business purpose and move you and your business from A to B, effecting growth on a regular basis according to your goals and outcomes.

From these statements you will gain and insight into who your business is, who your target market is, and how to market your business. The next step is to sit down and list your businesses main benefits to your customers and what is different or unique about it.

Questions to ask yourself at this stage:

Who is my main target market?
What is different about my business?
What am I proud of offering?
What am I passionate about?
What core values are most important to me in relation to my business?
What do my current customers/clients say about my business?
What benefits of my business are already important to my prospective and current clients/customers? (This might mean some research on your part)
What are people saying about the biggest or most well-known brands in the same business? (researching what other brands are saying around their own businesses can give you an insight into current trends)
What are the most universal needs of people searching for your niche?

Now create a new list, of words I want associated with my business.

The next step is refinement, take your lists and begin a list of words, values and answers you gave to the questions and prioritise them. Which ones are the most important to you, which ones are already associated with your business by your customers/clients.

Continue to refine this list until you have between 3 and 5 of the most important to you and your customers/clients remembering that your customers and prospects are even more important than you when it comes to your marketing, these are your business’s UBD’s. Once you have this list try coming up with a few different slogans or phrases that encapsulate these UBD’s and these can be your very first branding messages.

Great Job! Now you’re thinking like a marketer!

The Zen Bull

More articles to help you establish your UBD:

http://www.asparker.com/ppts1004.html

http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/p236158609_Finding-out-what-makes-your-business-unique.html

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brand, Business, Marketing and Advertising, Small business, Target market

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Branding You and Your Business Pt.2

AnnieInfinite — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:28:50 +0000

: Image by Nicola photographs……. via Flickr

Carrying on from Part 1, this list will grow in length and intensity according to priority. Be prepared to find some real gems in this list and some things that just might push a button or two.

11. Do good and Make a difference: create brand awareness for doing good in your niche, your community or globally. Host a community event, donate a part of every sale to charity, sponsor a scholarship, change the face of your niche by leading the way. You never know you could end up with television, newspaper headlines and more… plus the feeling of knowing that your organisation has made a difference.

12. Speak up: Get out into your community and speak to groups, associations and give valuable advice, become known for giving great advice not just speaking in generalisations or hinting at an expert tip as so many speakers do. Your company will gain respect as a trusted source of expertise – invaluable!

13. Be unforgettable: create a unique experience for your clients or customers. Do something so unexpected that your customers spread the word (in a good way). Throw in something for free, add in a free glass of champers somewhere unexpected – like when having your windscreen changed or serenade your customers as they wait for their oil change. Create that unforgettable experience and good will and your business name will be spread far and wide.

14. Allow your customers to market for you: Create opportunities for your clients/customers to be a part of your marketing, use video testimonials and let your customers tell the world why you are better than your competition. Play these in store, and on your website – nothing beats the power of genuinely happy customers.

15. Utilise the WOW factor: Push the boundaries (without offending your customers), surprise your customers, get them to think, “WOW that’s gutzy!” Again this uses the power of the unusual to keep your company’s brand on everyones’ lips.

16. Use competitions: give your customer the chance to compete in your arena. I once played a new Playstation game instore and ended up with the highest score of the day and won the game. Everyone else who played also bought the game, and most of the audience did too because of the enjoyment, the spirit of competition and the excitement creating just the right atmosphere that everyone wanted to take that new game home. How can you create the same marketing vibe through a competition in your business?

17. Ask what your customer needs or wants: the simplest way to find out what your customer needs or wants from you is – to ask them. Find out what causes them pain, what lights their candle and create a campaign or product that addresses these issues. Knowing your customer and responding to their needs is vital for establishing a rapport with them that will create a loyal customer base. That way even if your prices go up, your customers will stay and pay just to know that their needs will be met.

18. Add spiritual element to your marketing: Set your organisation apart from the rest by showing your company as caring, heart centred, trustworthy and conscious.

19. Don’t sell!: People never buy products they buy relationships, let people get to know you before pitching to them. Offer your business as a recommendation in response to something in the conversation rather than pitching it up front. In face if you are really game, you can avoid talking about your business altogether until they ask and even then say little and ask instead how you can help your new aquaintence to build their business. Your rep will grow amazingly and everyone will want to do business with you.

20. Be the brand: let you as an individual stand as the brand of your business. When you allow your real authentic self to represent your company, your company never has to hard sell itself. You will never need to advertise, merely market as an aside to standing in your truth and allowing the passion you have for what you do spill over into everything you do and everyone you meet.

Let me know if you can add to this list by commenting below, I would love for these posts to become a real resource for everyone who has ever had a question about branding.

Brand Booster 21 Day 19: Get Out There & Nuture Your Brand (smallbusinessbranding.com)

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Advertising and Marketing, Brand, Business, Competition, Customer base, Marketing, Website

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21 Questions to ask Yourself BEFORE Getting a Website

AnnieInfinite — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:19:29 +0000

: Image of The Zen Bull

I talk to people every day about getting a website for their business and one of the things I find most is that businesses of all sizes have the same problem: They don’t really know what a website is for!

Do you know? Or like many of my clients do you just have some unformed idea that it is a good idea, lots of other businesses are dong it, and it seems to be the thing to do?

My advice is this: You MUST know what your outcomes for having a website are long before hiring the designer or finding the right software and hosting.

If you do not know your outcomes you will end up, like many business both large and small with a site that has to be fixed, changed to suit your purpose, the wrong hosting package, the wrong kind of software package…..

Here are some questions we ask all our clients well before designing anything for them, please if you are thinking about having a website for your business, sit down and write out the answers to these questions as best as you can:

1. Why do you want a website for your business?
2. What outcomes do you want your website to fill?
3. Do you want a brochure site, an online shop or a site that becomes the main ‘go to’ site for everything in your niche?
4. Do you want to send newsletters?
5. Do you want a blog?
6. Will you want to have a membership area?
7. Will you want to use video?
8. Will you want some social areas e.g. where members can interact with each other on your site, like a forum or chat area?
9. Do you want to be able to have affiliates, to help market your product or service?
10. Will you need autoresponders?
11. What do you plan to do with your site over time? What expansions do you think you will need later?
12. What are the main objectives starting out?
13. What are the main objectives long term?]
14. What type of visitors do you want to attract?
15. What is the most important action for your visitors to complete on their first visit?
16. What outcome is the most important one for your site to fill for you?
17. What is your budget?
18. How do you want to brand yourself?
19. Where will the content come from?
20. Which sites have you seen that appeal to you? and why?
21. Which sites have features you would like to include on yours site and why?

It is really important to do your research and ask these questions, if you do not know what some of the terms mean, then your website provider should be able to explain and discuss them with you and give you a reason why you need or do not need that particular addon.

The Zen Bull

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ask an Expert, Brand, Business, Online shopping, Research, Small business, Website

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What’s Your Social Media Marketing Plan?

AnnieInfinite — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:36:20 +0000

When first starting out in Social Media Marketing our enthusiasm often gets us a little carried away, please don’t get me wrong enthusiasm is great, but as usual in life if you don’t have a map you cannot possibley know where you will end up.

Most of us are marketing to create more success for our business, and even with social media we can have a plan and a map and set goals. So now I ask you What’s Your Social Media Marketing Plan? Do you have one?

Would you like to have the steps I use to create my plan?

You would! Sure, here they are:

My first step is to go to the sites I use the most and any more targeted sites around my niche and secure my brand name on those sites, even if the profile sits idle for a while at least now you know that when you get around to using that site your brand name is there waiting to be used, not taken by someone else. The easiest way to do this is namechk.com
Define your goals and write down your definition of success around those goals. Do you want to build BUZZ? Increase brand awareness? Do you want more traffic to your site? More Subscribers? Increased knowedge about your customers? etc..
Define how you will measure your success. Measuring your success will largely be defined by your goals and definition of success; for increased traffic you will measure your site visitors, for brand awareness how often are you retweeted or mentioned by others on social sites..
Write out your ’story’. Social media is all about having conversations and the story of you and your business, write out what you want to say, how you want to be branded, what you want to be known for, what you want people to say about you and stick to it.
Focus your time on sites that are busy and having lots of conversations. To do this you must know; who your customers are and what kind of community you are getting into – will is serve your purposes?
Know your customer profile/s well enough to be able to predict what they want to hear, what they want to see, what they respond to and what they want – they will be asking “What’s in it for them?” even if there need or want is to save the earth or donate to a worthy charity.
Once you have found several appropriate communities, get to know them well, do your research into who has a big voice on that community, who is listened to and respected, how they communicate, what kind of content is responded to etc.. Become an expert on that community so that you can use it well and build your brand name through respect and adding value in the way that is expected on that community.
Prepare what you will say on your communities. Know not only your story, but how you will respond if someone challenges you, if they start a heated debate, if they plain don’t like you etc.. Once you have the worst case scenarios worked out, you will be able to rise (yes rise) to any occasion with gentle, respectful assertiveness when needed and these moments can actually work in your favour if you handle them well.
Know how social media will best be incorporated into your business or organisation. Know how much time you wish to commit to it and create a strategy around that time that creates flow. Map out your core strategy, vision, mission, time commitment both in daily time and how long to test a community before moving on, and protocols. You will also need to know who in your company or organisation will be using SMM and what they can and cannot say.

Some of the most important hints around building a Social Media presence:

* Always Add Value
* Engage and converse in genuine ways
* Listen really listen to what is being said and respond appropriately
* Answer questions with no alterior motive
* Be helpful
* Share knowledge
* Educate
* Be a regular face and contributer
* Stay honest and avoid hype and most of all avoid being a spammer

For more information on this topic download our free eBook “The Definitive Guide to SMM”

Social Media Marketing Plan (opencircle.co.za)
Content marketing with Squidoo (opencircle.co.za)
Six Types of Social Media Tools (dorai.wordpress.com)
Small Business Marketing Plan (myventurepad.com)

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brand, Business, Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Marketing plan, Social Media, Social Media Marketing

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The Bulls Roar » Brand

How to Create Your Own Page on Facebook

What’s Your UBD?

Branding You and Your Business Pt.2

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21 Questions to ask Yourself BEFORE Getting a Website

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