posted by Anna Fleet on July 13th, 2010
I’m in the market for some decent landscaping advice. Why you ask? Because my yard is a jungle…of weeds that I can’t seem to get rid of. And, I know that whatever method I use, I must exile them in the environmentally friendly Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario way.
So I turned to the Internet (of course) and found myself on the websites of a collection of local landscaping companies. But something was missing! There wasn’t anything wrong with their website designs, copy or intentions on the whole, but there was still something lacking. Not one of these sites succeeded connected with me (the customer) in any significant way. So, I took my weed (killing) fighting search elsewhere.
So what can your small business or non-profit website take from this one woman’s tale of weed woe?
MarketingProfs.com’s article, Three Things You Need to Know About Web Design, recommends following these 3 simple tips when designing or redesigning your company website:
Start by asking yourself, “How will my customers will use this site?” Is your site easy to navigate so customers can find the products and information they need? Well it should be or potential clients will go looking somewhere else.
Envision your site as a crossroads that visitors pass by as they make their way to other social-networking destinations. Your content should relates to Facebook and Twitter, in the way that it features small, bite sized informative bits that can be spread and shared by social networks across the Internet. When customers find valuable information for free, they’re more likely to feel loyal to and to come back and purchase products and services later from sites that offered free advice. The practice of freely giving valuable content (not pure selling) will encourage readers to post links back to your site and share them across social networks.
Your web design should suit your content. Think about it, would an author design their book cover before they wrote the book? No, it’s backwards foolishness! So why do so many companies do this with their website?
Tags: 3 web design tips, marketingprofs.com, user friendly web design, web 2.0 for small business, web design for charities, web design tips for non-profits, web marketing, web marketing for B2C
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posted by Anna Fleet on June 28th, 2010
A recent article from MarketingProfs shared some rather shocking news where social media strategies for small business is concerned.
According to the Social Media Without a Parachute survey from Digital Brand Expressions (DBE), a large number of companies are adopting social media without any sort of social media strategy.
The study from DBE surveyed 100 companies and indicated that 78% of those companies surveyed companies actively use social media, however only 41% employ their social media efforts with a strategic plan in mind.
Take a look at the full social media findings from MarketingProfs.com. The study also shares interesting tidbits such as which department is primarily responsible for social media in corporations, and what social media is being used for.
Tags: digital brand expressions, marketingprofs.com, social media for small business, social media plan, social media strategy, social media survey, web marketing
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posted by admin on June 16th, 2010
Does this look familiar? Maybe a little bit like your brand?
Has your brand swelled so big that you’re now trying to offer everything to anyone? Businesses seem to be, more and more, adopting this “quantity” over “quality” idea (that they need to provide everything to their customers), but in essence they are diluting their brand. Because I’m seeing more and more of this in the businesses around town, I thought it was prime time to provide a helpful list of questions to help you determine if your brand is overweight. Here are the questions:
Do you keep adding new features, products and messages to your brand, but are you rarely cutting things out?
Are you in a market space that offers you no competitive advantage or ability to create value above and beyond the competition? Why do you stay in that space? What is occupying that space doing to your core business?
If you had to reduce your product line, your marketing copy, your team, your prospect list down to the 20% that generates 80% of your success, what would you chose to cut first, second?
When you answer these questions, write down what instantly comes to mind and share it with the rest of us. This way we can all learn and strengthen our branding initiatives together. I look forward to your insights.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand advantage, brand identity, core marketing value, niche marketing, online marketing, web marketing
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posted by Anna Fleet on June 15th, 2010
Here at Design Changes, we love to brag about our friends. Well MFX Partners, our partner design agency has some exciting news about implementing a social media strategy that I think our non-for-profit and small business clients can take to “hart”…no really. MFX Partners’ own Creative Director’s, Brock Hart, was recently invited for a guest speaking engagement at Communitech on Social Media Marketing.
In his peer-to-peer talk, Brock spoke about the vital things to think about and the tools to use when developing a social media implementation for B2B, and also examples that have worked for him!
So check out the post, and if you get a chance, I encourage you to attend the next Business Development and Senior Sales peer-to-peer talk at Communitech (scheduled on the first Wednesday of each and every month).
Tags: Brock Hart, MFX Partners, peer-to-peer at Communitech, social media for B2B, social media marketing, social media strategy, social media tools, web 2.0, web marketing
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posted by admin on June 11th, 2010
Yesterday’s post introduced you to a powerful technique to help you instantly position your brand in the minds of your audience—making your brand more desirable through positive comparison. The idea is that the brain habitually seeks familiarity—and familiarity feels safe.
Today, as promised, I’ll share some easy fill-in-the-blank exercises to help you compare yourself (your company, product, offering etc.) to something your audience is familiar with. Please fill in the following blank…
We are the ______ in our category.
The blank should be another positive brand that you can compare yourself to. This brand should already be known for the positive associations that you want your brand to be known for—for example ‘We are the Cadillac in our industry’. For most people, the Cadillac brand equates to premium and stylish. By connecting your brand to another known brand instantly positions your brand in a clear and compelling light.
Another fill in the blank:
We are like _____ in these ways, but different in these ways _____.
This method compares your brand with a competitive offering, which your audience already understands, but also ensures you stand out. This technique reinforces familiarity to ease any concerns from the buyer, and then tells them how you are unique.
An example of this can be found on the website of a Credit Union based locally in Kitchener/Waterloo. See how they highlight how they’re similar to other financial institutions, but also highlight their differences?
Fill in the blanks and please share your insights.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand association, brand marketing, building brand identity, positive brand building, web marketing
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posted by admin on June 10th, 2010
Here is a powerful technique you can put to use immediately to get the attention of your audience and make your small business brand more desirable. This technique ensures that the value of your product or service is understood.
The trick is to compare yourself—and by this I mean your company, product, offering, or whatever you’re marketing—with something your audience relates to. You can probably see the value of this when introducing new technologies or offerings that are unique to anything else on the market. This technique satisfies the brain, which habitually seeks familiarity because it feels safe.
Remember, you are being compared to someone or something in the mind of your customers and potential prospects, so it’s important to realize that is your opportunity and responsibility, as someone who cares about your brand perception, to actively position yourself the way that you desire.
If what you offer is unfamiliar, it’s perceived by your potential prospects as risky, so in all likelihood it will be rejected. And if you have ever had the pleasure of presenting a new concept to a corporate team, you’re already familiar with the eye rolling and blood pressure boiling reactions. This is a habitual reaction to what they recognize as unfamiliar—and thus, unsafe. However if you tie your brand to something positive and familiar, then you’ll get their approval.
In tomorrow’s post, I plan to introduce you to some techniques that will help you anchor your brand in a positive and familiar way. But in the meantime please share some comparisons that come to mind when you think of your brand. Remember, think of comparisons that your audience understands and has positive associate with.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand association, brand techniques, brand tips, building brand identity, positive brand comparisons, positive brand identity, viral marketing, web 2.0, web marketing
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posted by admin on June 2nd, 2010
Yesterday I talked about how strong core brand messages can resonate with an audience, and I featured the first of my 3 favorite and most (personally) impactful) brand messages from the Enterprise car rental company. Enterprise’s tagline “We’ll pick you up” is a functional promise to Enterprise customers with a witty double meaning…read my post yesterday (if you haven’t already) to get the scoop on Enterprise’s core brand messaging.
Today, I’m sharing another of my favorite core brand messages. This one is from eHarmony.
2. eHarmony – The one that gets you married (this key message was taken from the eHarmony website)
The eHarmony brand cleverly marries (pun intended 
two key principles:
1. The first principal mirrors our discussion in one of my former posts on Brand Essence from our MFX Partners site, which determines “What business are you REALLY in?”. eHarmony is in the marriage business, but what differentiates them from competition dating sites is that fact that they go as far as to promise customers that they will help them find true love.
2. The second key principle is having credible, convincing brand proof, and eHarmony can definitely back up their promise to get you married with compelling testimonials and their one-of-a-kind ‘Compatibility Matching System’ that includes 29 keys areas of compatibility. It’s this tangible process/system that builds solid trust in their brand.
Is eHarmony’s brand message love at first sight for you to?
Tomorrow I’ll feature my third of 3 favorite brand messages. But in the meantime, please share some brand messages that impact you the most.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand essence, brand messages, branding tips, eharmony branding, top online brands, web 2.0, web marketing
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posted by admin on June 1st, 2010
Everything communicates—especially when it comes to your core brand message. This is the differentiating and compelling benefit you are promising your customers if they choose your product, service, or experience.
Some core brand messages are weak and just add to the noise. However, others resonate with their audience. I plan to share three core brand messages that I love over the next three days.
I love these core brand messages because of the intelligence of the clear brand positioning strategy that is informing the message—and because of the way they make me feel. I feel these brand messages are in a league of their own and can teach us some valuable lessons when it comes to impactful branding. Here is the first…
1. Enterprise – We’ll pick you up
www.enterprise.com
Enterprise rises above the rest in the sea of car rental options. The differentiating idea that they will come to your home, office, etc. to pick you up has brilliant double meaning. First, there is the functional promise—we’ll come and get you—and secondly, the emotional promise—you’ll feel great because of it. If these two meanings can be combined cleverly into one rare idea—then why not? This is why I love this brand message so much.
Tomorrow I’ll share the second core branding message in the series. In the meantime, what do you think of Enterprise’s branding? I welcome you to share your own favorite branding messages.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand messaging, core brand messaging, customer experience, Enterprise branding, online marketing, web marketing
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posted by admin on May 28th, 2010
Yesterday I shared the first 3 of 7 Personal Branding Laws for Marketers.
Today, let’s talk about the remaining 4 Personal Branding Laws for Marketing:
4. Law of Distinctiveness
Do be a sheep. If you do things differently, you will stand out. Take for example something our partner company, MFX Partners, they did something truly unique when they sent a client cupcakes crafted in the image of their product…just for fun! Our client ate it right up LOL 
But seriously, most people just do the minimum of what ’s expected. But little extras like the cupcakes help to build a positive personal brand.
Key question: Where are the gaps in your field or industry (or company) when it comes to client care? Identify these and incorporate them as little extras into your services to ensure you stand out.
5. Law of Visibility
Contribute to key conversations, share your point of view, don’t hide out in the background…it will increase your visibility.
Key question: What can you do to become more visible in your industry?
6. Law of Congruency
If you say one thing to impress people, but never deliver; people will question your authenticity.
Key question: What do you need to do to be more authentic?
7. Law of Persistence
Most people give up too soon instead of sticking with it. If your direction makes sense and you have some loyal people on board, stick with the plan and you will build a positive personal brand.
Key question: What do you need to do to push a project forward and see it through to completion?
Remember, everyday should be devoted to building your personal brand. If you walk the talk of the 7 Personal Branding Laws, you will build a well-regarded and truly unstoppable personal brand.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand management, brand marketing, brand persona, Brian Tracy, personal branding, web 2.0, web marketing
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posted by admin on May 27th, 2010
We all want purpose, to be the preferred choice, to have the admiration and attention of others—whether or not we admit it. That’s why our personal brand (in other words, how people think and feel about us) is so important.
Our personal brand is all about the reputation we’ve built. If positive, it should open the door of opportunity for us to do what we love. But it can also have the opposite effect.
I’d like to share the 7 Laws of Personal Branding that I learned from sales and personal development guru Brian Tracy, but I’ve put a bit of a marketing spin on them so they’re relevant and helpful to you.
1. Law of Specialization
If you needed to get in shape you’d seek out a personal trainer or a nutritionist, wouldn’t you? People naturally seek out experts because they offer professional insight. People want to be regarded as experts because they are in higher demand and can command higher rates. Within the marketing discipline there are many specialties—e.g., SEO (search engine optimization), Social Media marketing, email marketing, webinar marketing, etc. Obviously, if your name is backed by a highly desirable specialty; you can create a stronger brand identity.
Key question: In what areas that matter deeply to my customers and colleagues can I excel?
2. Law of Leadership
Marketing today is all about leading by example. So discovering your own leadership style is essential to strengthening your personal brand appeal. People naturally want connections to individuals with a clear and persuasive vision.
Ask yourself the following 3 questions to help pinpoint your brand identity and your purpose:
o Why would someone follow me?
o Where value can I offer?
o How will they be treated because of this association?
3. Law of Personality
Energetic and positive personalities are generally liked over bitter complainers. If your personality is unique and likeable; people will be drawn to you and relate to you more easily. When defining a personal brand, start by identifying your top 1-3 personality traits…the ones that make you likeable among your colleagues and customers.
Ask yourself: What aspects of my personality are liked and valued? What is my strongest personality trait, the one people would typically associate me with?
Well, that’s enough for today. Tomorrow I’ll share the final 4 Personal Branding Laws for Marketers.
~ Brenton Schmidt
Tags: brand identity, brand marketing, brand strategy, branding laws, Brian Tracy, web marketing
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One Calendar with Social Networking Powers
