branding

Unlock the Potential of Summer: Effective Marketing Tips for the Summer Season

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Summer brings not only sunshine and vacations but also unique opportunities for businesses to connect with their target audience in a vibrant and refreshing way. While many companies and firms take a break from too much marketing activity, this is actually a great time to increase your marketing and business development efforts. In this article, we’ll explore key steps to create a successful summer marketing strategy that will help your company shine. 

Here are a few strategies below:

  1. Understand Your Target Audience: To create an effective summer marketing strategy, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your target audience. It’s not just about knowing their title or the type of company but it is also considering their pain points during the summer months. What are their summer aspirations, pain points, and purchasing patterns?
  2. Embrace the Summer Vibe: Summer is always a great time for some company swag.  With so much fun, relaxation, and adventure, it’s a perfect time to connect with current clients or put your brand in front of new clients with some fun gifts at golf outings or other events your company may sponsor during the summer.
  3. Leverage Seasonal Events and Holidays: Summer is packed with special events and holidays, such as Independence Day, summer solstice, music festivals, and sporting events. Align your marketing strategy with these occasions to maximize your reach and engagement. Leverage social media, email marketing, and influencer partnerships to amplify your message and connect with the audience who are already in a festive mood.
  4. Collaborate with Referrals and Partners: Partnering with referrals or other companies with similar audiences can amplify your summer marketing efforts. Identify those referrals and raving fans of our business whose audience aligns with your target market and collaborate on networking events or content.
  5. Monitor, Measure and Collect Feedback: Regularly monitor the performance of your summer marketing campaigns and track key metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. Utilize analytics tools to assess website traffic, social media engagement, conversions, and client feedback. Adjust your strategy as needed based on the insights gained from the data to optimize your results and prepare for a great final quarter of the year.

A well-crafted summer marketing strategy can help your business leave a lasting impression on your target audience. By understanding your customers, embracing the summer vibe, and collaborating with referrals and raving fans, you can create a strategy that drives brand awareness, increases sales, and fosters customer loyalty.

Personal Brand vs. Business Brand: Which Comes First?

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As a business owner, it can be challenging to determine an approach when working on a brand strategy. I am often asked which should be addressed first: the company brand or the personal brand. Or worse… people will only want to address the business brand and allow the personal brand to blow in the wind.

Let’s first address the differences and similarities of a personal brand and a business brand. They definitely have some similarities, but they are also quite different. Here are some key differences between the two:

  1. Focus: A personal brand is built around an individual’s personality, skills, and expertise, whereas a business brand is focused on the products, services, and values of a company.
  2. Ownership: A personal brand is owned by the individual, while a business brand is owned by the company.
  3. Longevity: A personal brand can last a lifetime, whereas a business brand can evolve or change over time as the company’s products, services, or values change.
  4. Scope: A personal brand is typically narrower in scope, focusing on a specific niche or area of expertise, while a business brand can be broader, encompassing a range of products or services.
  5. Audience: A personal brand is often targeted at individuals, while a business brand is aimed at a broader audience that includes customers, investors, and other stakeholders.
  6. Marketing: A personal brand is often marketed through social media, personal websites, and other personal channels, while a business brand is marketed through advertising, public relations, and other traditional marketing channels.
  7. Branding Elements: Personal branding typically uses the name of the individual as a central branding element, while business branding incorporates logos, taglines, and other visual and verbal elements.

A personal brand is built around an individual’s personality, skills, and expertise, while a business brand is focused on the products, services, and values of a company. Both types of brands can be valuable and powerful, but they serve different purposes and require different strategies for building and maintaining them.

Both should have specific strategies, however for most industries and companies, it is critical that a personal brand should be developed and focused on first. People tend to follow and emotionally invest in the stories of personal brands. This does not mean we don’t also tell the brand stories of a company.

However, if your company works closely with individuals and there is an element of trust and credibility, a personal brand should be addressed first.

Please contact me if you have any questions about personal branding. I would love to help you connect the dots!

7 Ways to Establish Brand Authority 

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Establishing brand authority involves building trust and credibility with your target audience, demonstrating your expertise and leadership in your industry, and positioning your brand as the go-to source for information and solutions related to your niche. Here are some steps to help you establish brand authority:

  1. Define your target audience: Identify who your ideal customers are and what they need. This will help you tailor your messaging and content to their specific needs and interests.
  2. Build a strong brand identity: Develop a strong brand identity that communicates your values, mission, and unique selling proposition. This will help differentiate your brand from competitors and establish a consistent message across all channels.
  3. Create valuable content: Produce high-quality content that provides value to your audience. This can include blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, videos, webinars, and social media posts.
  4. Demonstrate expertise: Share your knowledge and expertise through thought leadership content, speaking engagements, and industry events. This will help position your brand as an authority in your niche.
  5. Leverage social proof: Use customer testimonials, case studies, and awards to showcase your brand’s success and credibility.
  6. Engage with your audience: Engage with your audience through social media, email marketing, and other channels. This will help build relationships and establish trust with your target audience.
  7. Monitor your reputation: Monitor your brand’s online reputation and respond to feedback and criticism in a timely and professional manner. This will help build trust and credibility with your audience.

By following these steps, you can establish your brand as a trusted authority in your industry, which can lead to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue growth.

The Keys to Building Your Tribe

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Do you have a tribe?

Yes, a tribe.

Tribe /trīb/ – noun – a group of people, or a community with similar values or interests

If you have a business, nonprofit or in the building phase of launching one of these, it is important to build your own online tribe. Having your own tribe in person is important too!  We all need those friends and cheerleaders to encourage us and challenge us along the way.
But building a tribe online allows for significant reach and a way to scale your business. 

Below are some quick tips on how to build your tribe:

Build Trust: Similar to an in-person relationship, your goal should be to build trust with your audience. Trust is achieved by consistency and authenticity. How consistent are you with sharing content? Real content… not just selfies.  And how authentic is your presence on social media? Review your online presence and ask yourself “Am I building trust?  Am I building a two-way relationship?”

Be Generous: What are you talking about online?  Be intentional with providing good content. Content that your audience will find valuable or inspiring.  If your content is all about you, it will be difficult to build a genuine tribe.  And don’t hold back.  Don’t worry about giving too much away.  Generosity is a great business strategy.

More on Authenticity:  We can never stop talking about authenticity.  It is so important when building your brand and tribe. Authenticity can include showing behind the scenes video or pics of your business, or being honest about the challenge of growing a brand and working a full time job.  Show your challenges, share the struggle, tell your audience what you need.  People don’t always want to see the perfect moments.  Your future tribe also want to see the REAL moments.

Know Your Tribe:  Be sure you know what is important to your audience, your tribe.  As brand owners, we often have so much in your heads that we want to share.  But what is it that your true tribe wants to hear.  Stop sharing what YOU like and share what your audience is truly interested in.

There are so many other ways you can begin building and KEEPING your tribe.  If you are interested in hearing more, click here and let me know.  I will set up a free online class soon sharing more tips.

Working From Home, but Always On: Personal Branding Tips for Video Conference Meetings

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Below are a few tips to remember before jumping on a video call with your team or a client.

1.)   Look Behind You. When setting up your work space, look at what your viewers will see behind you. We are human; therefore, we will be distracted. Does your background represent what you would want your clients and colleagues to remember about you? Take a moment to create an atmosphere that serves your professional brand and values, or choose a simple, clean wall background. The some video conferencing platforms will allow users to choose a background. Choose wisely. The bottom line is that you do not want your background or surroundings to be so distracting that people are not able to pay attention to the value you are offering during the call.

With our current crisis, many of us are faced with new work from home (“wfh”) strategies and routines. Video conferencing has been an essential component to working effectively. However, are we putting our best foot forward when jumping on a call with colleagues and clients? With so many team meetings and work being done via video conference, it is still important to be professional and consider your personal brand.

2.)   Professional Grooming. Although most people are more relaxed right now, we should be careful not to be too relaxed. We are not on vacation, we are still working. When you show up for work on a video call, be sure you still are well groomed and casually professional. A disheveled team member and can result in less trust and credibility from a client or colleague.

3.)   Know Your Angles. Understanding the best camera placement is important. The wrong placement can be awkward, and again distracting. I was recently on a video call and one of the participants had the camera very low on the ground, with the camera facing up… sigh. Try to place the camera as close to eye-level or shoulder-level as possible. 

4.)   Let Your Light Shine. Lighting is important on video calls. You want viewers to see you and not a dark shadow. Make sure the majority of the light is behind the camera or side light for the best lighting. Natural light is always best. Also, take a moment to clean your camera to ensure there is not dust or a fog on the camera.

5.)   Hit that Mute Button. As soon as you enter the video conference, be sure you are familiar with where the mute button is located and able to use it. When you are not speaking, as a courtesy, stay on mute. There are noises around you that you are likely not aware is happening. Microphones will pick up typing, movement, sirens, etc. In addition, when it is time for you to contribute to the call, you want to be able to do this seamlessly.

6.)   Eat and Drink Later. Just as we would not likely come to a client meeting with a large Big Gulp fountain drink or eat a full course dinner during a meeting, be discreet with eating and drinking on video calls. It can be distracting to see someone turning up a bottle or struggling to keep lettuce from dropping on his or her lap.

7.)   Join the Party. If the majority of the team is joining via video, try your best to also join via video. Try to avoid being the team member that decided to not turn on video and only join via audio. Engaging and showing a friendly face is important during these times when people are craving connection. 

These are just a few fun and practical tips to remember when jumping on a video call and remaining professional during this time of working from home. 

Let me know if any of these tips were helpful to you. 

Do You Want More?

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“You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards… – Steve Jobs

 

Do you have synergy with your business or organization? Or even if you are an employee… do you naturally approach your projects with a perspective of synergy and connecting the dots?

Synergy is when the sum is equal to more than the two parts. Yes, the connection and energy of ideas meeting each other and creating something MORE. Do you want MORE for your business or organization?

When I meet with a new client, I am always looking for synergy or ways to connect theIMG_0169 dots. Below are the four ways I approach connecting the dots when working on a project or with a client.

1.) What do you value? Every company, organization or brand has something that it values. Event if you don’t notice it right away, there is something happening

2.) What are you really selling: Not your service or product. But what are you really providing and giving to your clients? Why do they choose YOU? Know this.. and the world opens up.

3.) Know Your History: Steve Jobs put is wonderfully with the above quote. You have to look back at all your dots, history and connections. With clients, I’m always looking for the foundation, how it started. What was the sentence, the experience, the event that started the ball rolling. Don’t ignore your history.

4.) Maximum effect: In addition to looking at all the above-mentioned, I also review how each action can have maximum effect. Every action or initiative that we do should have multiple purposes and functions. If one of your actions will only affect on thing, its time to either rethink the action or connect the dots. For example, if you speak at a conference, that speech or preparation should be repurposed to do something else for your brand. How can it have maximum effect?

Synergy.

Connecting the Dots.

Keys to Clarity: Tips for Creating Clarity in Your Life

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Clarity is everything.  Unclear expectations, goals or communication produces unclear results.

Without clarity it is very difficult to move forward and grow your business.  Being clarity lee wattsstrategic becomes challenging without clarity.  You will communicate ineffectively to your audience and clients. Ideas may not flow freely and you are unable to determine the next steps.

Many leader talk about the importance of focus.  However, without clarity – you may not be sure what to focus on.  Clarity must come first before you can obtain true success.

Below are XX ways that you can gain more clarity in life and business:

1.) What do you want?  Sounds like such a simple question, however, so few people can answer this.  I will often start my branding sessions with this question.  Over 50% of the time, my client will stumble through their answer.  Get clear on what it is that you really want.

2.) Exercise.  Exercising is such a big stress reliever, releases endorphins and overall helps you to feel better.  There have been many, many times I’ve received a great idea or an answer to a problem while exercising.  This doesn’t mean that you have to have a strict exercise program or train for triathalon.  Exercise could simply mean walking in the morning or evening or doing yoga in your living room.  The key is to relax, clear your mind and allow your brain to receive.

3.) Write it Out.  Journaling or writing out your thoughts and ideas in an unsensored manner is extremely helpful.  In work, we are trained to sensor our thoughts and ideas.  However, clarity often comes during those times of letting unsensored thoughts flow. If you are not a writer, consider talking into a voice recorder or creating a private video.  The goal is to go back and review for thoughts and look for aha moments or common denominators.

4.) Immerse Yourself in Action.  Often we will sit and review our thoughts and ideas without trying anything.  Immersing yourself in action and taking chances will quickly show us if something will work or not.  Don’t be afraid to try and fail.  Failing is one of our best teachers and can quickly put on on the road to clarity.

5.) Ask Yourself Why. Knowing your WHY has become a little of a catchphrase.  However, if done correctly, it is powerful.  Don’t underestimate it. Knowing your WHY for doing anything helps to eliminate the things in your business or life that don’t serve your purpose.

6.) Watch Your Time. How do you use your free time?  Be careful and selective on how you use your mind when you are not working.  Are you numbing your mind with trash television, filling your body with junk food and sugar?  Create a clear and clean lifestyle, and your mind will follow.

7.) Build Your Tribe.  In addition to creating a clear and clean lifestyle, it is important to have a close network of colleagues, mentors and friends that have similar goals.  This will help provide you with clarity and vision for your business and organization.

Do you have clarity—about work, relationships, health, free time, friendship, or any other aspect of your life?

If you are looking for clarity with your personal brand or the your organization or business, feel free to contact me for a clarity session.  Signing up for a complimentary consultation session may also help with your direction.

 

 

 

Five Essentials for Building a Brand

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When speaking to someone interested in starting a business, writing a book or leading an organization, inevitably the aspect of branding is discussed. Branding is one of my favorite marketing topics because branding is truly about emotion and connection. The strategies we use to create a brand should focus on creating a strong connection and relationship between the product/person/company and the customer or guest. More importantly, this strong connection creates customer loyalty.


To grow a business, brand or create loyal customers – a robust brand strategy is needed. This takes time and patience, however, it is absolutely necessary.

Below are essential keys needed for building any brand:

1.) Know the Strengths. Are you aware of your individual strengths or the strengths of your organization? If it is your individual brand, spend valuable time examining your strengths. Ask those closest to you about your strengths. The same holds true for your company. What are the strengths of the company? This may become clearer through surveys and focus groups, asking key customers, clients or guests key questions about the company or brand. If you are starting a company, find your target audience and discover what they value.

2.) Be Authentic. Authenticity is key in branding. This is knowing your strengths, as well as your weaknesses – but being perfectly okay with both. For example, Chick-fil-A does not try to make burgers or tacos. It has identified its strength, and probably its weaknesses, and they continually build on their strengths. They make really great chicken sandwiches with exceptional customer service. They don’t focus on making new sandwiches or twists on chicken sandwiches. As a result, they avoid their weaknesses and focus on the brand.

3.) Add Value. Whether it is an individual brand or company, be clear on the value you bring. Does your brand solve a problem or meet a need? Not only should the brand add value, but it should also differentiate you or your company from others. So many brands, organizations, services and products are competing for our attention. What will differentiate your brand from the others? It could the smallest thing that makes the difference. Discover “the thing” that will set your brand apart from others.

4.) Create an Emotion. What is the feeling you would like to invoke in your audience or clients? What emotion do you want your brand to feel? Dale Carnegie states: “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion.” Brand strategy should focus on building an emotion.

5.) Consistency is key. It is critical to reinforce the value, skills and expertise your brand brings. This should be communicated through your various marketing platforms. Consistency will help your prospective clients and customers, as well as your current clients, quickly know how to describe your business or your service. Consistency is also important for your visuals. Eventually you want customers to see your logo, your colors, as well as your fonts and formatting and know instinctively that it is your company.

If you are interested in creating a brand strategy for your company, organization or building your individual brand, please contact ashby & watts. We can help you connect the dots.