Branding in today’s digital age is way more than just having a nice logo, a catchy tag line and a pretty website. Whether you’re just starting out or your business needs a new look, this is the place to start.
Click here to download a PDF of the slides with notes.
Related Video: Website Planning 101 by SonFisher Web Studios
Hashtags are everywhere! Even on LinkedIn! Use them consistently to brand your social media posts. This video will show you how. I also cover them in the Twitter class.
Class notes: https://azsocialmediawiz.com/wp-content/uploads/Hashtags.pdf
The 80/20 rule of sales and marketing has been around forever.
80% of your business comes from 20% of your target market.
Especially now when you’ve got so many marketing choices out there. Who’s your perfect customer? Who’s your most frequent customer?
This might sound complicated to you. Do you have to hire a business or marketing coach? No, not if you are willing to learn.
I couldn’t believe it! I saw “#success” in someone’s post and I thought, “Why not? Click on it to see what happens.” And lo and behold, it created a search for “#success” and all the posts with that hashtag came up! It’s about time, LinkedIn, it took you long enough to incorporate hashtags! 
Finally! Twitter was the first social network to use hashtags. Then Facebook picked them up. About that time, LinkedIn was trying to get them to work to no avail. Google+ added them and hashtags are the best way to brand your Instagram pictures and videos.
So, apparently with the new LinkedIn redesign, someone figured it out. They worked on LinkedIn’s mobile app and now also on desktop.
LinkedIn also added new features like being able to easily connect with someone who’s a 3rd level connection without having to upgrade to Premium (Yay!). They also moved everything around. The New LinkedIn Updated videos are up at the Online Training Center – sign up now!
When someone clicks on it, whether on your post or someone else’s, all the posts with that hashtag come up. Come up with hashtags from your keyword research. Use both common ones like #Success but also create one that is exclusive to your business or an event. Use them for branding.
One thing small business owners need to understand is that everything they do online: website, social media pages, Google listings, everything is how people see your business. I see so many business owners make the same Branding Mistakes over and over again. It’s like they don’t care.
It’s Your and Your Company’s Image that is at Stake!
Some may say, “I do get some sales from the site.” How many are some? 1 a month? Imagine how many you could have if you had a good looking, functioning website with quality images, were blogging regularly and using social media the right way! It could go up to 1 a day or more!
Sure you want to save money by doing it yourself, but invest in some classes and learn how to do it properly and effectively. If you don’t take social media and online digital marketing seriously in 2017, you might as well close up shop.
Attempting to do it yourself without properly learning how to use the tools. Sure, you can post on Facebook, but do you know how to market on Facebook? You can use Word, but do you know how to use WordPress? Creating a website might sound simple enough, but if you don’t do it the right way, it will all be wasted time and effort. 
Making it all about you. It’s about them – your target market. Serve don’t sell. Don’t just post your stuff! It’s not about selling. It’s about sharing. Share other people’s content that is of interest to your target market. They are thinking, “What’s in it for me?”
Your online materials — website, blog and social media — should encourage credibility and trust. Furthermore, they should entice and encourage your potential target to read more, click on a link to download an ebook or contact you.
What’s Intentional Branding? It’s one of the main factors in all marketing – no matter how large or small your business is – your brand is your image.
(Amazon affiliate link)
In his best-selling book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Amazon affiliate link), Michael Hyatt gives 5 ways to positively brand your company. You might not think that an email address or social media profile page is important, but they are. They all encompass how you come across to the world — and potential customers. It’s your online reputation!
“This is undoubtedly the single most important branding tool you can have. It’s the first way in which most people will encounter you. It will shape their opinion of you.” ~Michael Hyatt, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Amazon affiliate link)
It covers:
Related articles: Website Planning 101; Does your website have what it take to be successful; Why I Prefer WordPress
Whether you like it or not, you are part of your brand. Especially if you’re a consultant, service provider, designer or professional anything.
You join a group like the chamber of commerce or an association as your business to promote your business. However, you attend networking lunches and other events as yourself. At that point, you are your brand!
So, your personal profiles in the social networks play an important part.
I know some of you want to stay as incognito as possible – get over it.
Like joining a networking organization, you get out of it what you put into it. That’s how today’s marketing works.
You can automate a lot of the media, but you still have to be social!
Is your LinkedIn profile 100% complete? Are you an “All-Star” or at least an “Expert”? If someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn profile usually comes up in the top 3 search results. And remember, you only have one chance to make a good first impression!
Having a LinkedIn profile without your picture is like going to a networking event with a paper bag over your head.
Just like you wouldn’t go to a networking event with a paper bag over your head – your online image is just as important. You don’t want fuzzy graphics or logos that are cut-off.
An incomplete social media profile is like having a sloppy lobby!
Branding should be consistent on all the social networks. They are like extensions of your website. People should know in seconds what you do and what you have to offer.
The average person has an attention span of 7 seconds.
Google indexes all the social media profiles – both personal and business.
Social Media is Here to Stay
It’s no joke. Yes, it could be fun and entertaining and annoying at times, but if you know how to work it properly, it can be a very effective marketing tool.
The key is to clearly identify your target market(s) and figure out which networks they use the most.
Though you should have a presence in the major ones: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn, not everyone has to be on Pinterest, Snapchat or Instagram. It all depends on who you want to reach.
If you’re more B2C (Business to Consumer), you should be mastering Facebook, Pinterest and maybe Instagram. If you’re trying to reach the younger generation (12-24), you should check out Snapchat. B2B (Business to Business) – focus on LinkedIn and Facebook. If you want to drive traffic to your website (and who doesn’t), then you can automate content to Twitter and Google+.
When you step into an elevator with another person, wouldn’t it be nice if that person says, “Hey aren’t you the _____ lady/guy?”
That happened to me one day. “Aren’t you the social media lady?”
I don’t care that he didn’t remember my name. He related my face with what I’m an expert in. I answered, “Yes, I am! How do you know me?”
“I think we’re connected on LinkedIn. It’s so nice to meet you in person!”
Wow. That’s how you bring the online world into the real world.
You decide what your online persona is going to be. That’s your personal brand. Basically, it’s what you talk about the most. What article topics do you share the most? Which industry influencers do you quote, follow & connect with?
You become like those with which you hang out!
Here are some things you can do to start getting noticed and known as an expert in your field.
Creating a Social Media Presence
By Sharon Bohm
“If you build it they will come” doesn’t work in social media marketing
“If you build it, they will come.” Who has not quoted that line from Field of Dreams? Unfortunately, when it comes to social media, that mentality will not work. The world of social media is a crowded space. If you don’t use it strategically, your message will be lost. Before you launch your Social Media campaign, you need to know two things:
It’s important to become familiar with, and have a presence, on at least the main social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Depending on your target market and your goals, you should look into Pinterest, Foursquare and YouTube.
So, what does having a social media presence mean?
First, this means having a completed profile making it easier for people to find you. Keep the branding consistent throughout all platforms.
Also, create valuable content but curate it as well. Be sure to give credit to curated content by tagging them in your post.
Also, keep in mind that social media is social – it’s a dialogue. If you get a new follower on Twitter, someone likes your Facebook page or +1 your post in Google+, take the time to thank these people.
Lastly, you need to create fresh content on a consistent basis. If you wait too much time in between posts, people will most likely stop following you or liking your pages.
So, you need to have a social media presence, does this mean that you need to spend an equal amount time on all of them? No. At some point, about once every month, you should check your analytics and insights. That is, from where are you getting the most traffic. Insights will tell you which posts were most popular and give you demographics about your target market to help hone your social media campaign. Each of the platforms have it for free.
If you are still baffled on where to start, we can help. Contact us for a free 30-minute phone consultation and analysis of your current social media efforts.
AZ Social Media Wiz
Social Media Marketing Strategizing, Planning, Set-ups & Training
Subscribe Free to the Social Media Strategist Daily
Video is hot! People are more likely to sit and watch a video than to read an article. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a staunch advocate of blogging — it provides the Google search engine with the fresh, relevant content it’s looking for. But video can easily work with blogs and social media to promote any business. The best spokespeople are happy-camper customers. Here’s a perfect example by Dr. Daniel Amen posted to YouTube. It’s a simple video of a satisfied client.
Notice the clear and simple branding on the lower, left-hand corner and in the upper right. That one is in the YouTube In-video programming where you can upload your logo and it will automatically appear on all the videos you upload.
There’s a nice a call to action at the end. You have to tell people what you want them to do, otherwise they won’t do it.
This video was directly uploaded to their Facebook fan page. I saw it because I like Dr. Amen’s page some time ago. This video should also be on YouTube, and uploaded to Google+ and Twitter.
Here’s my call-to-action: I can help:
Giselle Aguiar
Digital Media Trainer & Strategist
AZ Social Media Wiz
Contact
Subscribe Free to the Social Media Strategist Daily
