posted by Anna Fleet on June 22nd, 2010
Can you engage your non-profit or small business customers in 140 characters or less?
Twitter can be a challenge to learn and navigate for newbies, but this free online forum has almost 100 million users—which equates to massive marketing and social networking potential for your small business or non-profit agency. So if you’re not taking advantage of Twitter already—you best be Tweeting soon!
To help guide you through the “tweets”, “retweets” and so on, Kermit Pattison from The New York Times recently introduced his small business tips for using Twitter, plus he offers 11 prime examples of large-middle-and small businesses that are taking advantage of Twitter in new ways.
So check out Pattison’s list and learn how giants such as Rubbermaid, UPS and shoe king Zappos are using Twitter. But don’t be scared off by sheer size, smaller companies like Naked Pizza and Kiss My Bundt offer some excellent 140-character examples of engaging tweeting as well.
Tags: brand strategy for non-profit, Kermit Pattison, New York Times, social media, social networking tips, twitter advantages, twitter tips, web marketing for small business
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posted by Brenton on June 21st, 2010
Last Friday we talked about creating a clear brand identity, and how brands that try to do it all can actually water down the strength of their brand.
I asked you to think about what you could take away from your brand over the weekend in order to clear the haze and make it stronger and more effective.
Now that you’ve had the weekend to think about it, how do you actually decide what to clear away? You’re probably even afraid that if you start chipping away at your brand you might chip off an essential bit and make things even worse!
As you develop brand clarity, start with the visual elements. Are there any icons or images that don’t really add to the story of your brand? Sure, they might look nice, but do they really add to the power of your brand?
Now think about your brand’s messaging. Is it specific enough? Does it capture the true essence behind why people buy your product or choose your small business service?
As you ponder further, I’ll leave you with a statistic that I read in the book Radically Transparent by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss. It shares the fact that studies show 85% of a company’s brand image is driven by sales interactions—not by marketing campaigns.
If you’re a B2B small business, this makes sense. Remember, as you chip away the non-essentials from your brand that you need to think bigger than just simple marketing communications. A strong brand incorporates the messages that customer-facing employees are communicating in their words and actions to customers.
Is your brand doing this?
Tags: andy beal, brand marketing, brand strategy for non-profit, brand strategy for small business, branding tips, creating a strong brand, judy strauss, radically transparent, strategic web marketing
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One Calendar with Social Networking Powers
