friends
So, it’s your first day at school. You don’t know anyone and nobody knows you. You need to build up your brand and hiding behind the teacher won’t help you. So, you go out to the playground and start chatting to the other kids. You might quickly find a group of friends that match your brand or it might take a bit of time. Don’t go sit in the corner and think nobody likes you. Go out there and make them notice you!
Here are a few pointers that you can use to shake off that invisibility coat you are wearing. Branding has been a business buzzword for a while now but the term ‘Branding’ is much more than corporate logos, glossy packaging and catchy jingles. There are tips you can follow, and steps you can take posted all over the web but they all boil down to the same thing and that is to making use of social networking, blogging and micro-blogging.
However, before you can start branding yourself or your company you need to know a few things. Our CEO at World Wide Creative, Fred Roed, breaks it down into three little (but very important) details that you need to look at.
“You need to figure out:
1. What you’re REALLY good at
2. What you REALLY love and,
3. What you REALLY can make money doing”
“Tell everyone who cares to listen, that that’s what you provide. That way, you’ll come across as authentic and consistent. You’ll be able to keep your promises, and good branding is all about making promises that you can keep.” The next thing is to make your voice heard.
The world we live in today is all about social networking. Fred highlights the latest trends that you should take part in such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and, of course, “business meet ups where you throw your online profiles at people”. To brand yourself or your company best, I put together three little words to remember: SHARE, ASK and COMMENT!
Sharing is caring: You need to share anything with anyone. Things that you find interesting like a video on Youtube or a strong quote. Share these links and resources that you know people will enjoy on platforms like Twitter, Fickr and Facebook.
Don’t be afraid to ask: Follow other people in your industry and anyone else who can teach you how to get your message out there. People like to help and that’s how you can also build up connections with people in your industry. Ask them questions, start a discussion or simply learn something new. This also counts for answering questions.
Comment – Comment – Comment: Leave insightful comments on related blogs. This includes participating in other online initiatives to get noticed and once again, it is important to follow-up. When creating a brand for yourself, you want to be known as someone who cares and likes feedback.
The online sphere can be a cold, mechanical place. These three little words will also help you and your brand to remain personal and “human” as Bob Baker puts it. People still enjoy a ‘human touch’ to a company and a brand. Now, run out onto the playground and show them what you’ve got!
Read more posts by Yolandi Janse van Rensburg
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