We hear the terms branding and brand thrown around all the time in reference to a logo or visual representation, however a brand is the total image or personality of your business. It is built from a collection of perceptions as a result of exposure to EVERY aspect of your communication with the world. Keep in mind, consumers will determine your brand based on how it makes them feel and their perception is everything.

Here is a sample list of things to keep in mind when evaluating your brand:

- Customer Experience
- Packaging
- Customer Service
- Advertising messages
- Communication via social media
- Pricing
- All aspects of design (colors, fonts, layouts)
- Your logo
- Your name
- Your employees
- Your reputation
- Your physical location / environment

As marketers it is our job to find and focus on the attributes that make each brand different. Every successful company has a unique selling proposition, but it is not enough to simply say that you have one. Every piece of marketing and communication should answer the HOW question. We are different because…

image courtesy Halton Region Small Business Centre

This, of course, is not mis-calulated, foolish risk-taking. Instead, it involves careful discernment and preparation. Even more so, it requires courage to try, go against the norm and say “why not?” when others have stopped at “why?”

Steve Jobs was not satisfied with the status quo and his life will continue to be an inspiration.

In business and marketing don’t settle for good. Push boundaries even if they are uncomfortable. Try something new. Do something great.

The basis of his post states that if you can’t get the rice right, you won’t be able to serve good sushi. Translate that to the marketing world and this becomes a poignant message. Unless you are really good at the MOST important things, you will not succeed with the latest marketing tool etc.

I take this into the realm of social media since that is the buzzword of today and the number 1 thing marketers are flocking to. Every day it seems as though new self-proclaimed “social media experts” and consultants are popping up. It becomes scary to think that someone that spends a great deal of time navigating this technological space believes that he/she is now qualified to coach businesses through using these tools as a marketing platform. Perhaps they are extremely technologically savvy and constantly in the know about the up and coming social networks. They may also grasp the idea of social media and why it is so important for a marketer to pay attention to it. Even still – without solid expertise on the basics, these efforts will fall flat.

The basics boil down to the principles of marketing and communication.

Do you know what your customers want? Do you know your target market? Do you know how to effectively communicate a message? Do you have the ability to look beyond the digital realm and realize how social media efforts play a role in overall branding and marketing? Are you upholding brand image with every piece of communication?  Are you creative?

As marketers, these are questions that we need to be asking every day. These are also questions that potential buyers of social consulting need to ask their potential consultant. Let’s never lose sight of the basics.

1) Keep it short!
People are skimmers. Get your point across with the shortest amount of text possible.

2) Use a relaxed, friendly tone.
Don’t take the copy from your traditional advertising *think radio ad* and use it on social media. (i.e. For more information call 1-800-685-5058) If you feel the need to do this you are probably using a sales-y approach as opposed to generating interesting content. Show your brand’s personality not robotic posting.

3) Change it up.
We have the ability to post links, photos, videos, status updates on Facebook. Use them all (especially photos and videos). Change it up and keep things interesting.

4) Keep it relevant.
People want to read current, relevant content that is on topic to your brand and business. Don’t stray far from your area of expertise. Instead, get creative with your posts!

5) Tag appropriately.
Tagging is a powerful tool for business pages on Facebook. If appropriate, be sure to utilize this tool.

image courtesy of sylvainpaillard.com

I found this awesome quote from Dustin Curtis on Stage Two. He says,

Customer experience is the new brand.

I’m not referring to a brand as a logo and a typeface. I’m referring to the new kind of brand, the one is formed by the entire experience of a customer’s interaction. That experience gets branded into his or her memory and leaks into the buzz of modern culture. If you can’t make a good customer experience from start to finish, you’ve failed to generate brand value that will attract customers to come back for repeat business and tell their friends to come back, too. That’s how good customer experience directly affects the bottom line.

I wanted to share this quote, because as advertisers and marketers sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the frills – the pretty ad, the funny campaign, the cool website, the unique direct mail piece, the awesome Facebook landing page, etc.- but we lose sight of what TRULY builds a brand. It boils down to the customer experience. Visual elements do play a role, especially when it comes to initially catching attention and creating an emotional connection in the minds of consumers. However, if that is not followed by a rock-solid customer experience, your well-designed pieces and clever campaigns will be wasted.

In this digital age that we live and breathe everyday, customers now have a voice unlike ever before. Immediately, their networks are informed about bad customer experiences. We’ve all heard the phrase “Word of Mouth is now World of Mouth” – and it’s true!

If you are not getting the desired results from your advertising or your social media efforts, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and evaluate the customer experience. What kind of customer service are you providing? Does the user-experience match what you are promoting (online and off)? Do you go above and beyond when pleasing your customer? If you don’t know the answers to these questions – ASK! Customers will tell you what they want if you are willing to listen.

You cannot watch television right now without seeing an ad for the new Windows 7 Phone. They look like fun, easy to use little creatures. But do I want to buy it? Not sure. I’m still pretty loyal to the iPhone4 (which has changed my life, again). And they promised that.

The current Windows 7 Phone commercials are a parody of those of us who can’t seem to peel ourselves away from the devices that have allowed us to communicate all too frequently. They present a series of anecdotes where the “smart phone” user is presented with extreme situations (like dropping the phone in the urinal they’ve just used, then retrieving it) and an on-looker quips, “really?”  They are begging the question, do we really care this much about these devices?

Windows 7 Phone is the answer to all of our smart phone woes. They claim the phone is designed to “get us in, get it done, and get out”.  They’re giving us our lives back. It is the phone that will save us from our phones.

To this I beg the question: “Do we want to be saved?”

Though I found this particular set of spots to be very entertaining and often saying, ‘hey, I’d do that.’ I don’t think the over-all message is successful. See, we’re not on our phones so much because of a lack of logical functionality, we’re on them because we need to be! Windows isn’t really solving this problem. My girlfriend loved these spots because she hates how much I use my phone (and complains to me quite a bit about only seeing the top of my head). I admit, I’ve gotten much better about not staying “connected” while out at dinner or with friends. BUT – it doesn’t mean I’m not going to pick the thing up at the next available “acceptable” moment.

By the way, she wants to upgrade her phone as soon as AT&T allows us…yup, to an iPhone4! Remember, she is the one who related most to the ad.

Any new smart phone won’t really save us from our phones — unless it disconnects us.

So, while the ads are entertaining and do a wonderful job pointing out a pretty bad habit facing society today, they don’t really give us a reason to buy. Although, Windows did sell 40,000 in day 1. So maybe I need to pull my head up and look around a bit more.

Perhaps, I’d want to spend less time on the phone if it ran Windows.

A great lesson here. Before you spend bank on your next set of clever ads, be sure you read all the possible messages they’re sending. Don’t sacrifice your dollars and potential customers in the name of being cute. Be cute… but be smart!

image courtesy of Texas Power PR

This may seem like an obvious statement, however with the insurgence of self-proclaimed social media experts, it is alarming to see the amount of people influenced based solely on the “expert’s” technical know-how. The consultant or company throws out some industry-lingo and instantly calls themselves an expert. We are seeing this happen more and more. Technical know-how, of course, is part of the job. I wouldn’t trust a social media person that couldn’t work a computer more than I would trust a chef that couldn’t work an oven. However, when it comes to your social media efforts your brand identity and image is on the line. This requires someone that understands your goals and understands HOW these goals are met in the social media environment. This goes way beyond knowing how to properly use FBML or install WordPress!

The determinant factor of the success of a social media strategy lies not just in the technical execution, but in the ideas and content. Without the content you might as well throw in the towel.  In fact, beginning a social media journey without the proper strategy or guidance can be extremely detrimental to your brand. Social media involves a branding and communication initiative first and foremost, not necessarily a technical one.

Here are some questions to ask  if you find yourself in need of an expert:

1. Do they have marketing and communication experience? Have they been successful in that realm?

2. Can they provide measurable success on social media in the past? Can they provide case studies?

3. Do they themselves “walk the walk”?

4. Are their plans integrated with other marketing efforts?

5. Do they understand your business, goals and brand?

What other questions would you ask a self-proclaimed social media expert?

There are so many social media automation tools out there to make life easier. Tools like HootSuite and Cotweet allow you to schedule your tweets ahead of time. Most blogging software also has scheduling features. You can literally set up your posts for the week at once and have them post at your desired times.

These tools certainly do relieve the need for being “glued” to your computer 24/7, but is it really a good idea? My answer: yes and no.

Why yes:

If your business has regular updates that need to be pushed out, then go ahead and automate. This information is very unlikely to change and it becomes a matter of providing timely content. As we all know, content in  social media is crucial. People are interested in brands and businesses on social media for the VALUE. Part of that value is created through regular content and information. Again, if your content is not going to change, then there is nothing wrong with scheduling it ahead of time. In fact, it is better to be sure the information is posted as opposed to letting your social media efforts go by the wayside.

Why no:

A twitter account that only becomes a stream of automated posts is going to be lacking. The point of connecting with brands on social media is not to engage with a robot! It has become a cliche phrase and I almost hate to say it again, but social media is about conversations. If you are not actively participating in real, two way communication then you are missing the point. One of the main benefits of using social media for your business is the fact that it humanizes your company. No longer are you just a logo on a sign, you now have a voice and a personality that is translated through communication!I recommend setting up your content to post at your desired times, but then making sure to actively participate in timely conversations.

When is automation NOT ok:

In my opinion, auto direct messaging should never be used.  It is so impersonal and mostly just annoying. If your business is sending out an auto direct message  -think twice. Nothing says “robot” more than this.

image courtesy of Hugh MacLeod

It seems like everyday we’re introduced to at least a half dozen new “Social media experts” who will gladly assist your business with Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and whatever else is popular that day. With unemployment so high right now, a lot of would-be entrepreneurs are diving into social media, simply thinking that just by knowing how to use the tools, they’re capable of overseeing a brand’s image online.

This new sentiment is scary to say the least.

What a lot of businesses fail to understand is the true power of social media and where it is going. Yes kids, social media is the future, and I’ve got news for you, the future has arrived.

There are a few key questions to ask yourself when hiring a self-proclaimed “Social media expert.”

1. Would I hire this person to create and build my brand?

2. Would I put this person in charge of my customer service ?

3. Would I put this person in charge of my advertising campaign?

If you cannot give a solid yes nod to any of these questions, then you might want to think twice.  Social media is about interaction with your customers, future customers, partners and associates. It is about building trust and solid relationships. Social Media is about communication on the most fundamental levels.  These people will all form an opinion about you and your business based upon that social media experience.  Is this something you really want to put in the hands of someone who just knows how to post some pictures, play Farmville and re-tweet a motivational quote?

No matter what you hear, Social Media is marketing, customer service and relationship building all wrapped up in one. When someone walks in for a meeting about building your new blog or managing your tweets, remember, they are the face of your business on the fastest growing form of communication ever. Proceed with caution.