Branded For Success

If you’re an author, info marketer, small business owner or Entrepreneurial CEO and you have a book in your heart, then I have a quick multiple choice question for you to answer today. Here it is:

“How would you rate your marketing skills?”

(a) “I’m a veteran author/infopreneur in need of more JV partners to broaden my market reach.”

(b) “I’m a published author in need of proven book promotional advice to broaden my market reach.”

(c) “I’m a new author in need of solid continuing education so I can promote my book(s) better.”

What’s your answer going to be?
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Let me answer that question by having you ponder another question. How much does good design influence you when you buy something? When you go grocery shopping, does the design of the packaging affect which food products you buy? How does the look of a car on the outside and inside change how you feel about purchasing the car? During your house-hunting, does the look and layout of the house influence whether you want to buy it?The reality is that design plays a crucial role in consumers purchasing products. If you have not been taking notice how good design affects how you buy stuff, start taking note of it. (more…)

How many times have your parents told you when you were young that it is not what you say, but how you say it? How often have you said something and it was perceived by the intended individuals differently than how you intended it? Branding needs to be considered the same way. When you are in the process of branding, you are attempting to communicate what your brand is. You are sending messages to customers and prospective customers about your company to gain their business.

Here is an example that I ran across locally. A new bank chain has appeared in my community and they have been doing the usual things to establish a market presence here by purchasing smaller and struggling banks in order to gain an existing customer base. Also they have been in the processes of building new branches around the area. The picture here shows one of the “new” branches. The inset is the humongous sign they placed on the plot of land beside them.

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I ran across this at a corporate branding site. What a great way to breakdown how branding is used within a company. This is not for the beginner or the branding-faint-of-heart. For the small business and entrepreneur, who are my target market, you may not implement every branding element this illustration shows. At the same time, though, it can help you discover parts of your brand that you may be missing and help you set goals as you develop your brand. Check it out by clicking the image below.

Built by Kolbrener, a branding company