Don’t Just Brand Your Business, Brand Yourself
Barbara Gabogrecan

This title means what it says…don’t just brand your business, but brand yourself! ‘You are your business’ -especially in the Micro and HBB sector. It is very important for potential clients to trust you as well as your business. So put some energy into branding yourself, as well as your business.

Have a personal plan for branding yourself and keep it updated. Log your goals and put them to a time frame. Be specific. This type of action plan is very important if you really want to see results.

Promote yourself strongly. When someone asks ‘what do you do’ – have a verbal logo ready! This is an important part of branding yourself and your product; particularly if you are in the service industry.

Start with a negative e.g. define the problem; and conclude with a positive e.g. offer a solution; and point out your unique point of difference. An example of a good verbal logo is:- “Most Micro and HBB operators struggle with marketing tactics to help their business grow. Together, with the operators, I develop practical, simple marketing strategies that are both affordable and effective.”

How do you present yourself? You do not have to be a ‘glamorous chick’ or a ‘handsome hunk of ham’ – but you do need to have a visual signature as part of your personal brand.

The way you look can be repeated and recognised. Wear a hat and have become known for that (as has Molly Meldrum); wear some outrageous jewellery or a bow tie -dare to be different!

Your brand should play on your personality characteristics. One of these characteristics should be the ability to show your passion. If you really do believe in a certain behaviour or belief – that will show in everything you do.

Have a philosophy of ‘what can I do for you?’ rather than ‘what’s in it for me’ and constantly think of how to put that into action. Others notice this and comment on it. It helps set you apart from competitors.

And just how important is it to be always thinking of others? So, so, very important! Those hand-written notes, prompt email or phone follow ups, can set you aside from most, as it seems to be a forgotten art of etiquette by many. If networking is important to you (and I hope it is) these thoughtful acts will build and strengthen the relationships that you are trying to build.

Your brand needs to come to the fore when networking. Targeted networking can be much more successful than accidental networking. Make contact with those who are of interest to you and stay in touch with them.

Choose those that you can help and those that can help you. Remember the philosophy ‘what can I do for you?’ …well, by helping others become successful, you will be building a network of positive, supportive people who will help you when you need and ask for it.

Strengthen your brand by recognising what you are good at, and then build on it. Don’t waste time trying to improve on skills that you do not have well established…that will only hold you back from developing and growing the skills you do have. To be known as an expert in your field will strengthen your brand’s position in the community.

Once you have positioned yourself as an expert the media can do much to further promote you, as you become the person they will contact for comments.

Write articles, e-books and online newsletters. You will soon become well known within your niche. Undertake speaking engagements for community groups, council networking groups and any other business groups you can find.

Keep developing and distributing interesting media releases to enhance the ‘word of mouth’ promotion, by making it sizzle! You need to be HOT!

To help build your brand, choose a charity or association that you feel passionate about….the more you enjoy what you are doing, the stronger your brand will become. To enable you to put more time into developing your brand, make sure you have others to do some of the more menial tasks to keep your operation going, allowing you to concentrate on what you do best.

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If you’re an author, speaker, coach or consultant, it’s likely you know how important it is to market your products and services. The challenge for many professionals is not only what to do, but how to do it. Additionally, knowing what is a wise investment in their marketing and what is not.

Take authors; Countless numbers of authors have the dream of selling lots of books, becoming well known (and even reaching celebrity status), and making their fortune through their craft. Yet, most will not succeed due to lack of how to develop and implement an effective publicity plan. It takes more, much more, than a well-written manuscript to succeed as an author, at least if you want to make money through your writing.

You Have To Gain Visibility
Successful authors understand how essential it is to gain visibility within their market; visibility that equates to more readers, more books sales, more market reach; and ultimately more revenue.

One of the most common beliefs uninformed authors have of how to gain market visibility is through paid advertising. The fact is, most book advertising does not work. Besides most authors don’t have huge budgets for paid advertising campaigns.

Yet, many waste untold amounts of money on ad campaigns that don’t get them a result that justifies the expense of paid advertising. Still others do nothing at all to gain visibility and promote their books.

Why Readers Buy Your Books
The majority of readers buy books based on word of mouth advertising; the title of a book and if they feel like they know the author.

There are a number of ways to have your name and books become more familiar to your market. You can be a guest on radio shows (both online and off), blog tours and teleseminars.

There are plenty of opportunities to do all three, but many authors either don’t know where to begin or are afraid of rejection, so do nothing to promote themselves.

Get the Right Information
As a publicity expert who works with authors who want to use the Internet in their overall marketing, it pains me to think of how many authors could succeed if they were armed with insider information on how to get lots of publicity for their books.

The amazing thing is that a lot of publicity is free. It’s actually easier than most people realize to gain free publicity – and lots of it.

FREE Publicity is Easy to Get
In many cases all it takes to gain thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of FREE publicity is a commitment and a very focused plan.

A method I have been using for years is teleseminars. Not only have I been a guest expert on countless teleseminars, I have hosted many of my own. Usually the teleseminars are free to the listeners, but if done right I make thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars, in back-end sales from a free teleseminar. I have sold everything from my books, training courses, eProducts and mentoring services.

Access the FREE report,

 The Truth About Making Money with Teleseminars

An E-book that includes your marketing message and a link to your website is a proven method in viral marketing. This method uses the multiplication effect to “set off” the statistical distribution of your message by unforced participants.

This is the fundamental principle that was used by Hotmail to get established. When the two founders set up their free electronic mail system, all the messages that were sent out by subscribers had a text message at the bottom which identified Hotmail as the origin. People who sent out emails to their acquaintances advertised the free e-mail site.

Using viral E-books as a marketing technique is cheap. It doesn’t take long to set up and it’s even quicker if you use rebrandable E-books that have been composed by others. Just use your preferred search engine and do a web search. You will find numerous rebrandable E-books that are available on any subject you are interested in and that apply to your e-business. One technique of circulating the E-book is to offer it to visitors in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter. If they pass it on to their friends and family it will promote your business for you.

E-books are capable of reaching a large audience and are restrained only by the exuberance of the participants.

E-books are reasonably easy to create. It’s possible to develop your own E-books by compounding articles that you have penned or have gotten from public domain sources, such as directories.

A common approach is to use material that has Private Label Rights, including articles and reports that have been written specifically for that purpose, for that niche. Using a percentage of a larger work that you have prepared such as the first three chapters of a large E-book could also be used as a viral E-book.
Resources:
- E-book Software – http://tinyurl.com/ebooksoftware  Create Your Own Best Selling E-book
- Pimp your book – http://tinyurl.com/writebook   Marketing Secrets Revealed

Charlene Brown is the Visionary, Owner and Founder of The Black Business Cafe. Charlene is a Social Networking Coach and one of the Instructors at BBCOSI (Black Business Cafe Online Success Institute). Charlene specializes in teaching small business owners and entrepreneurs how to effectively use Social Networking along with Social Media to profit and grow their business. Charlene was recognized as #38 of 50 of the most powerful and influential women in Social Media 2008. Visit and join Charlene for Social Networking at www.theblackbusinesscafe.ning.com  

Over the last 5 years, eBooks have been selling like hot cakes. Interestingly, if you study the eBook market, you would realize that a majority of websites or even individuals who sell eBooks may not be great writers themselves.

Professional writers can be hired at very reasonable costs to write an book. There are writing mentors or coaches out there that will assist you in that part of the process if need be.

What’s important is for you to bring in a knowledge, passion, or belief in your subject. That’s what makes writing sell in the first place. Anyone can be taught how to put the words down; it’s what is being said that is important.

Alternatively, writing the book yourself, even without prior experience is certainly an option. Here are several guidelines and tips for getting started writing your next eBook .

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The First Few Steps To Your First eBook
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eBooks deliver complete, instantly available, expert knowledge in a single, easily handled package. Creating an eBook may not require prior experience, but it certainly requires careful planning and considerable groundwork.

You create eBooks with a focus of building an ongoing, lifelong multiple stream of income. In addition, eBooks should be created with the aim of raising your credibility and trust ratings with clients or customers.

Selling eBooks comprises of three phases:
1) Researching and developing an idea for the book
2) Writing the eBook
3) Marketing the eBook

In this we’re going to focus on how to research and find a profitable idea to write about.

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Researching Topics
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The Internet is primarily used to communicate, entertain, educate and research. It is thus no wonder that information-intensive eBooks are the most popular online products at present.

How do you decide on a subject for your eBook?

The simple answer is research, research, and more research.

Your main objective is to write on a subject that has long term appeal. After all, you would like to derive as much profit out of your eBook as possible. It’s necessary that your subject does not get outdated in a couple of months after you wrote it – otherwise it’s going to need continually updating.

The best way to choose a topic is to figure out what people look for. This can be done by analyzing top searches at Search Engines. Many search engines as well as other popular portals such as Search Terms keep track of the most popular searches over a period. Besides, there are many other tools such the Keyword Live Software from Analog X that monitors top search terms at major Search Engines. You could use these lists to figure out the most popular subjects.

The next step is to carefully analyze some of the most popular subjects. You can use popular keyword search tools such as WordTracker or Overture’s Search Term Tool to determine popular search terms similar or relevant to the one’s you have listed.

This will give you a much more specific and focused list to work from. However, deciding to write an eBook based on a popular search term may not be a very smart idea. The key is to establish the exact need of the people you are targeting.

There may be many eBooks that target the same subject. However, most of them would probably be devoid of some aspect of the subject. Unless your eBook fills this void, it would not be a success.

Creating the eBook without any writing experience is not difficult. With a little bit of research and learning you can create an eBook that is workable. The toughest part is to get hold of a killer idea. After all, eBooks are all about ideas — the better your idea, the higher your sales.

About The Author
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Armand Morin is a world renowed marketing expert who has helped thousands of online entrepreneurs with his bestselling eBook software programs such as eBook Generator and eCover Generator. Claim your free video which outlines exactly how.
Click Here to Create Your Own Best Selling Ebook

Press Release is one of those things that can take on a life of its own.  The right press release can generate tremendous exposure, opportunity and yes…profits.  The real trick to writing a press release is to have something newsworthy to write about.  This often takes creativity, inspiration, and a bit of innovation.  Here are 10 ideas to get the brainstorming wheels spinning.

Calendar events.  Events are a great way to get your business in the headlines.  Whether you host a seminar or conference or you are sponsoring a local team events are newsworthy.  To emphasize the newsworthiness of the event be sure to point out who it helps or how it solves a problem.  For example a seminar on how to sell your home in a down economy benefits the very large For Sale by Owner segment in the United States.  Sponsoring a local race to raise money for diabetes benefits those fighting diabetes.

Letter to editors can be a tremendous way to get the ball rolling or get attention for issues that are important to your business and your industry.  As a business owner, when you take steps to bring issues to the forefront it demonstrates your passion for your field and your customers.  It also demonstrates that you are a take charge, action oriented business.  The letter itself can be used to generate a press release stating a businesses involvement or solution to an industry problem.

Problem-solving Tips articles.  A press release that demonstrates how to resolve a common problem can be a great way to generate interest in your company’s products or services.  For example, a pet store can write a press release about ten tips to house train your new puppy.  The release can be made relevant and newsworthy by simply stating a statistic related to house training dogs, like 1 in 10 new puppy owners gives up their puppy due to house training problems.  A statistic helps make the content newsworthy while the remainder of the article helps to make the content useful to consumers.  

Local human interest story.  Human interest stories, as they relate to your business, are a great way to generate publicity and press.  Think about how many human interest stories make it to your local news.  Both the morning and the evening news often highlight local businesses and how they’re benefiting the community.  What is unique about your business, your customers, and your staff? 

Query letters help generate press and publicity by getting your prospects, customers, and industry involved in a topic or an issue.  Stick with topics that are current and you’re sure to generate some water cooler chatter.

Opinion editorials.  Often times stirring the pot can bring about some pretty interesting press.  While that old adage all publicity is good publicity may be true, it is important to not offend your core customers.  So while generating some controversy is good for publicity careful consideration must be taken before giving an opinion that may offend your most profitable customers. 

People advancements are a great way to showcase your company’s expertise.  Anytime a staff member has a promotion, won an award, or contributed to the community or industry in some way, it’s time to generate a press release.  Showcasing your staff’s expertise is a great way to build credibility for your business.

Small feature stories are another excellent tool to demonstrate the knowledge and expertise your company has to offer.  For example, a software developer could write a story showcasing how their software helped a local business owner or non-profit become a leading force in their industry. 
New products, services, book.  This type of information is generally what stimulates a company to issue a press release however the release of a product or introduction of a new service in and of itself isn’t newsworthy. In order to make sure your press release gets the attention it deserves be sure to tie it to a problem or issue that needs to be resolved and then show how your product or service solves the problem.

Large feature stories.  Feature stories, large or small, are designed to take a look at a subject in depth.  An example of a large feature story might be how retailers can take advantage of impulse shopping.  The article could highlight several retailers and their philosophy or approach to impulse shoppers, how to maximize it, and then highlight a few products that make great impulse shopping items in a gift shop.  

Press and publicity is a great way to keep your business fresh in the minds of prospects and to reach new prospects around the world.  A little creativity and innovation can go a long way toward generating very profitable press.

Robert Moment is a “throw the box away” innovative forward-thinking small business and marketing coach, speaker and author of Invisible Profits: The Power of Exceptional Customer Service. Robert specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and small business owners how to start a business that profits and grow. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com and sign-up for the FREE 7 day e-course titled, “Small Business Startup: Turn Passion into Profits”.

Build your business on The Black Business Cafe by joining us at: www.theblackbusinesscafe.collectivex.com and  www.theblackbusinesscafe.ning.com

Personal Branding is a very powerful marketing strategy for attracting well-paying clients/customers and growing your business.

Be your own personal brand and stand out from  the competition.

All businesses should have a distinct, sustainable, and competitive advantage to differentiate their services from the competition. I call this process  Personal Branding.

 Here are six simple steps to brand and differentiate your services and products in the current business environment.

1. Think client focus first.

The client’s reality:  Your business exist to serve clients. Develop a client visitation calendar and schedule in-person visits. Look the client in the eye and say, “I am here to serve you.” Follow up and follow through on all client related matters in a timely manner.

Create a client questionnaire so clients can rate the performance of your services. You want them to tell you how you’re doing and what you can do to serve them better. It’s also a way to discover what challenges they are currently facing. Be relentless in your client retention efforts.

    2.     Discover a distinct advantage that will set you apart from competitors.

Start by articulating your “unique marketing proposition,” a statement of all of the qualities and characteristics that set your services apart in the marketplace. Analyze your services: What skills and services do we provide that are distinctive, measurable, and add value? Which of our past successes can we leverage in the marketplace? And don’t forget to ask colleagues what they see as your competitive strengths.

Communicate these messages reinforcing your unique marketing proposition anytime you have an opportunity to write or speak about your business and what you have to offer to prospective clients.

    3.    Generate publicity.

    What others say about your brand is much more powerful and credible than what you can say about it yourself.

When it comes to branding your business, favorable publicity in the media or word of mouth is far superior to advertising. So how do you generate the publicity “buzz”? Create a buzz about your brand by being visible: speaking at seminars, publishing a newsletter on your website, participating as a host or guest on television or radio talk shows, writing a column in a reputable trade journal, featured in magazines and networking.

  4.      Promote a powerful perception of quality in the client’s mind.

 What is quality if not a perception that resides in the mind of the client? You build quality intangibles around trust, reliability, excellent people, and innovative client services. Show clients that you can interpret and process their information to convert it to results oriented solutions. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important for reinforcing their perception of your brand quality.

Keep the lines of communication open. The goal of branding your  business is to convince the client that your brand is worth their trust and worth a premium price.

  5.      Establish your credentials as an industry leader in the field.

Clients like to know they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your expertise, presence, and commitment. Know your clients’ businesses inside out – what they do, why they do it, how they do it. Tout your firm’s successful track record of accomplishment in working with companies like theirs.

Build and sustain credibility with clients by strengthening your client relationships, developing a client retention strategy, demonstrating that you value your new clients, and going the extra mile for them.

  6.      Practice consistency in building your personal brand.

 Stay focused on implementing the branding of your small business. Keep abreast of marketing trends in your profession and position yourself as a recognized expert. Make the most of your unique marketing proposition. Accelerate and elevate the perceived value of your brand in the marketplace.

Your brand is the cornerstone of your business.

Here are five important ways of evaluating if your brand is working to its full potential:

(A)    What is your unique selling proposition?

(B)     What is  your brand belief system?

(C)    How can you best represent your brand?

(D)    How do you deliver your brand everyday?

(E)     How do you create a brand that will grow and live forever?

In short, to brand your business, know what you have to offer, know how to differentiate it, and know how to market it.

Robert Moment is an innovative , forward-thinking “throw the box away”  small business and marketing coach and author of Invisible Profits: The Power of  Exceptional Customer Service. Robert teach entrepreneurs and small business owners how to start a business start profits and grow. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com and sign-up for the FREE 7 day e-course titled, Small Business Startup: Turn Passion into Profits.