The Bulls Roar » Word of mouth

Branding You and Your Business – Get Noticed! Pt.1

AnnieInfinite — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:25:52 +0000

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As we all know branding is very important in business, however your brand is not just your logo or company name, it is who you are percieved to be on and offline.

It is the sum total of your identity your company’s identity and your own, you cannot have one without the other. Do you know how your company is percieved? What about yourself, do you know how you are percieved by your clients and customers?

If not find out and if you are not completely happy about your ‘branding’ take steps to change it to one you do want your company and yourself percieved as. This may mean making more effort to figure out exactly what your intended company and personal profile is, what you would like people to be saying about you and your company.

Once you have done that you will be able to use some of this list to -GET NOTICED!

1. Be Unique! – Decide what your company’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is. What is it about your business that differentiates it from all the other businesses in your field? If you haven’t got that figured out you have no basis to begin branding yourself. I have seen some very strange branding in my time (e.g. “The Go Getting Granny”, “The Lazy Entrepreneur”) but even strange branding is better than no branding!
2. Be Yourself! – Please stay yourself, be real, be authentically you in all that you do. Be honest and ethical at all times. Creating trust in you and your brand is more than half the battle when it comes to marketing, if people don’t trust you they will not recommend you and word of mouth marketing is marketings holy grail. Please don’t brand yourself as unethical, dishonest and therefore untrustworthy.
3. Support Your Customers! – A great man once said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” -(Zig Ziglar ) You can do this by supporting your customers business, cross marketing with your customers and investing in your customers success. Look for win/win outcomes in your dealings with them.
4. Create a Value Niche! – Get together with others and brain storm ways in which you can create a unique value add to your product or service. Make it something you know everybody needs or wants, find a way to add such value to your selling proposition that it is impossible to say no.
5. Be your Company’s Best Asset! – Do whatever it takes to be your company’s best asset, educate yourself, be outgoing, make sure you connect with your customers personally in some way. Doing this means that your customers feel important to you, get out and do your own presentations, answer questions on social media, be available in some way to your customers. One of the best examples of this is Richard Branson who makes it his mission to shake hands for 20 mintues or so at each of his airports every year and holds parties annually in each major city for members of his airlines frequent flyer clubs.
6. Know what you customers want and need and then give it to them! - Do this whether you have the product or service they need or not. If you cannot personally provide the product or service make sure you and your company become a resource for your customers by forging alliances with firms all around your niche and recommending them and they you, this will pay off in spades!
7. Put the extra in Extraordinary! – Offer a package of products or services out of those that are often purchased together. If needed JV with another company to offer something outstanding that is offered nowhere else. Make your company the most convenient option.
8. Become a Movement! – Turn your company into a movement rather than just another business. We brand ourselves as ‘The Authentreprenuers Resource’ a place where you can educate yourself on authentic marketing and business strategies and ethical hosting and website design. Our mission is to change the face of online marketing and create a new paradigm where authenticity is the new norm and hype a thing of the past We attract everyone who wants authenticity as their bottom line vision for their businesses therefore we are a business that is a movement.
9. Be the Guarantee! – simple and totally effective. You and your company guarantees your guarantee! When you make a promise you and all of your employees do what you said you were going to do and do it when they say they were going to do it.
10. Anticipate your customers needs and wants! – Know what the upcoming trends are and offer them before anyone else. Know what products or services are most often needed together and offer those as a package, know when your clients or customers might need to update, renew or reschedule the product or service and send them a reminder.

Part 1 – part 2 coming soon!

How To Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (digitalprintink.wordpress.com)
Four reasons why new websites flop (woorkup.com)

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Advertising and Marketing, Business, Internet marketing, Marketing, Richard Branson, Unique Selling Proposition, Website, Word of mouth

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Social Media: Does the one with the biggest following really win?

AnnieInfinite — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:14:30 +0000

: Image by stevegarfield via Flickr

Have you seen them? If you are on Twitter I know you have.

You know the posts that tell you how to join this site and add 5 Million new followers!!

Are you tempted? Ask yourself why?

Now as an online marketer I understand that “it’s all in the list” and a list can be a list of social media followers, friends and fans.. BUT! Yes there is a big BUT and not the kind you want to shake (as in booty) lol.

and here is BUT # 1. What good is it to have a list of 5 million followers who all just want to sell their products to you? These people have their own agenda, they want to sell you on their product or opportunity they are not usually buyers.

BUT # 2. If you are making real, authentic connections and you are passionate, really passionate about what you do or sell the right poeple will be immediately attracted to you and you will have a list of people who trust you, listen to you and ultimately buy.

BUT # 3. When you give value to your friends and followers they know you are trustworthy, they know you know your stufff and they will follow (yes really, actually follow) your recommendations to them.

BUT # 4. Ask yourself why you need so many followers or friends, if you have no connection with these people, you do not know them or what they are looking for or what they need or want, why do you want them to follow you?

BUT # 5. Ask yourself, what if you could get people to follow you without following them first? What if you waited for them to find you, for them to optin to friending or following you, wouldn’t that mean they have chosen you and therefore have made a decision about you and what you have to offer and wouldn’t that mean that more of those people are ready not just to listen to you, but follow your lead? Wouldn’t this mean that most of those who made a decision to follow or friend you are not just prospects, BUT qualified prospects?

BUT # 6. Don’t you think that joining and recommending these sites makes you look a little desperate?

I am a social media marketer, and not once have I followed more than a few people a week (not a day even), and my followings have always grown more from people opting to follow me than the other way around. I love this, it might seem slower but trust me the type of friend or follower you have is a higher quality, you might even make some really great friends (as I have) make some amazing business JV’s (as I have) and gather new clients (as I have) without all the madness.

Social Media is easy, it is not about “the one with the biggest following wins” it is about “those who create the most connections and have the most real conversations win” and it is a win for all. It is not about having the biggest audience it is about who is willing to listen to you and click on your links.

Nothing can beat being real, giving value and creating relationships – think about it word of mouth is only any good if you trust the source.

Be a trusted source.

“Keeping Social Media Human” in Virginia Beach (socialmediaclub.org)

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Business, Online Communities, Relationships, Social Media, Social network, Twitter, Word of mouth

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Reflections on Authenticity for your Business, Site and Marketing

AnnieInfinite — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:31:41 +0000

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I see the words authentic and authenticity bandied around a lot these days, it seems that being heart centered and authentic are the new catch phrases of marketing as they world demands more trustworthiness and more truth from its marketers online and off. However, is everyone who is using the terminology really being authentic or even truthful?

Sorry to say, no. But I really believe you already knew that, didn’t you?

Authenticity and heart centeredness is all about being self aware, it is knowing where you stand and then “standing in the truth of who you are and speaking from the heart.” I have been asked if it is possible to do that and still market your business. My answer, “Yes! Yes! and Yes!” If you are not, then what are you marketing? If you are marketing dreams and not fulfilling them I must ask you, where are your ethics?

Authenticity demands ethics, morality and truth on every level and if this is not how your are marketing, if you are using hype and scams to market, I also must ask are you passionate about your business, product or service. When you are passionate about your business, when you know that you have something of value to offer you will never need to sell it, or advertise is in inauthentic ways!

That is why we at The Zen Bull prefer to work with people who love what they do, are passionate about what they are offering to the world, because that passion – their own authenticity will shine through everything we and they do to market their product. They and we know that they have something valuable enough to recommend highly, something of value to others that will sell itself with a few honest and authentic recommendations.

During our interviews with our clients we ask a question of them. “What would you like others to know about you and your business?” The answers to this seemingly simple question are varied, however what we are looking for is for the passion to show in the words used about the clients product or service, if they are not there the next question is, “So why are you in this business?”

Is it just a good idea? Is it something another person has made money doing? Is it a so-called entrepreneurial venture? I have to let you in on a secret – if it is not an entrepreneurial ADventure there is more than likely not enough passion to sustain it going forward through the first 12 to 18 months.

Being authentic means you have not only sold yourself on the vision and mission of your business you can sell us on it too and then that passion, that authentic vision and mission permeates your marketing and your market without even trying. You don’t have to sell a thing, that authenticity shines through with such brightness that the whole world sees your business in a spotlight and is instantly attracted to your vision and mission because they can see ‘what’s in it for them.’ You have answered some question they have – you have the answer to their need, it is clear to see and being authentic is how you attract the right people to you.

Every marketing quest is about finding qualified purchasers, authenticity (real authenticity) shines from you, your business, your website and your marketing because it is congruent with your vision and mission – your purpose and with you. Qualified purchasers are found through that path and they are the ones who will take that authenticity out into the world for you as word of mouth (the holy grail of marketing) in their testimonials – they got exactly what they purchased and more from you. In other words they bought your dream, and your authenticity is what sold them on it – and if you think you can fake that, I cannot help you.

Please, be truly authentic about your business, market with integrity in truthful and congruent ways and word of you will spread far and wide, and marketing will become the smallest part of your business budget.

TheZenBull.com

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Business, Ethics, Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Website, Word of mouth, Zen Bull

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Five Reasons Why Therapists And Coaches Need a Website

AnnieInfinite — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:02:45 +0000

: Image by lambo via Flickr

Therapists and Coaches often avoid having a website, ususally because they feel theirs is a personalised business and often people in heart centered businesses do not want to seem too commercial. However with the right touch a website can bring you and your clients together in a way you have not encountered before. Somewhere out there people are looking for you.

Here are some of the reasons a carefully stuctured and marketed website can bring the world to your door:

1. Word of mouth can become Word of Mouse: As your happy clients refer others to you, having a website that expresses who you are, what you do and achieves just the right sense of your personality, ethics and values will bring you far more custom than a business card. Your prospective clients will know a lot more about what you do and how you do it before they come to you, thereby alleviating a lot of the tension that surrounds a first time visit.
2. Communication is Easier: A website can help make it quicker and easier for people to get in contact with you, and to communicate with people collectively rather than just on a 1 to 1 basis. Having a secure and professional email address will mean that any pertinent information can be sent and recieved before an appointment and communication about time off or holidays can be given at a moments notice. Newsletters, another great communication device can be sent out giving useful tips and advice to all your customers as well.
3. You will be Perceived as an Expert: Keeping a blog or newsletter up to date with useful tips and advice is perceived by clients and prospective clients as giving expert opinion, if they like what they read they will devour the rest of your information and will return for more. A great way to get new clients who may not hear of you any other way, this often gives prospects the feeling of already knowing you and therefore removes the reluctance some people feel to book an appointment with someone they do not know.
4. Replace Many Labor Intensive Tasks with Automation: Thanks to automation many tasks that normally take up your time can become so much easier. answering the phone, making bookings, advertising events, sending out news, answering queries re: prices, hours of business etc, perhaps even chasing payments. Event things like invoicing, contact list and purchases can be done online if you have a range of products or a book you have written or recommend often.
5. Google is the new Phone book: Many people now jump online looking for local businesses rather than use a phone book, and search engines like Google are the easiest option, if you have a website listed with them under the search terms of your business and your town, you will come up under a local search and be so much easier to find, your clients will even be given a map showing how to find you, and you won’t miss out on the many searchers that come via the internet.

Extra Bonus reason:

6. You can automagically create an online footprint every time you create a post!

The Zen Bull

© AnnieInfinite for The Bulls Roar, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Advertising, Business, Google, Search Engines, Web search engine, Website, Word of mouth

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The Bulls Roar » Word of mouth

Branding You and Your Business – Get Noticed! Pt.1

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