branding

Branding - do you know who you are?






There is such a lot of talk going around about branding, but what exactly is your brand and how do you use it to help you reach more people and market your products or services?

Your brand is the core of your marketing, the central theme around your products and services.

Your brand is not your Logo or your Company Name, unless of course you are Microsoft or the Yellow Pages online directory.

For people to come and hire you, or buy from you in droves, your brand needs to be crystal clear, attractive, exciting and powerful. In fact your brand needs to be powerful enough to rouse your customers into action, and at the same time it needs to actively express you, what you're about and your uniqueness.

Once you're sure of your brand you also gain a tangible and easy way of talking to people about what you do. It makes it so much easier to do your marketing when you have it clear in your mind what it is you're selling in the first place.

When you're creating your brand you are creating a memorable marketing message that will inspire people to take action and choose you over your competitors.
Here are five useful tips to help you find your brand:

Your Brand Tip 1
Your brand is the core of what you do. What feelings or emotions does your business inspire in you and in your customers? Did you know that peoples' decision to buy is based on emotions, not facts?




Your Brand Tip 2
Think about how you present yourself, not just on your website but when people see you, talk to you on the phone, or read your email. Is your marketing consistently saying what you want it to? Are people getting confusing messages from you, or is it clear from the start what you do?

Your Brand Tip 3
Think like your potential customer, try to get inside their head and see your products or services from their point of view. How do they experience what you do, and how does it make them feel?

Your Brand Tip 4
What is it you do that makes you stand out from the crowd? If you don't think you do, then you need to think of a way that you can, because your brand should be somehow different from everyone else's, its not enough to be just the same as others but better.

Your Brand Tip 5
What are your best abilities, do you know your greatest strengths? Choose an unbiased person, who knows you well, to help you decide what your top attributes are; your brand should be based around your unique strengths and abilities.

Ultimately, creating a strong, memorable, compelling and meaningful brand is essential for successful marketing, and something you can do with a bit of thought, and may be a bit of help from your (unbiased) friends.

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13
Tops

Top It What Can Online Marketing Do For Us?
Posted Date: 2010-12-01 11:24, Pageview: 211
I don't think there is a better way of reaching a large market of people than marketing on the internet.

Is everyone agreeable on this statement?

In order to be able to reach so many people and be so cost effective it's going to be almost impossible to accomplish effectively any other way than by the internet. Certainly I can't do it "offline" for the costs that I can do it online for.

Do you also agree with this statement?



Okay if you agree with these statements then here's my problem;

Finding the best way to do it?
Is there a best way?
Is it a combination of a variety of techniques?
Are there actually "guru's" out there teaching techniques or are they just in it to take your money?



We all know it's more than just putting up a website and hoping for people to come and look at it. We have to tell people about it, we have to advertise and market it. Driving traffic to our site's and then converting that traffic to sales is the key to our success as internet marketer's, without it we don't survive, or become successful and profitable.



So do we market someone elses products or programs?
Do we develop our own products?
What is the best way, or is there a best way, or is it just a matter that what works for one does not always work the same for everyone?



With myself, I promote multiple programs and opportunities which work in concert with each other, or so I believe they do. I do not have a product of my own, although I am in the process of putting together an ebook (more on that another time). I am also an affiliate
marketer of certain products which work in conjunction with the programs I market.



I know others who market the exact same programs as I do, and some of them are ten times more successful and profitable than myself?

What are they doing that I'm not ~ most of them won't offer any information.
They will indicate that they use a variety of marketing efforts:
Traffic Exchanges to Social Marketing to Article submittals, but they don't delve much deeper into the particulars of what works well for them.



So, going back to the start; my question was............
"what can online marketing do for us?"

Basically when it's done correctly, it can help us get more exposure, more credibility, more customers and yes ultimately, increase sales for profitablilty ~ some will even become wealthy.



So keeping in mind that the Business Roundtable is all about having a place for us to share and offer feedback in order to learn from everyone else here, what is actually working for everyone else?

Do you have the perfect product or program?
Are you an affiliate marketer?
Where or who is your market?
Where is your traffic coming from?
What do the search engines like about your site that gets you traffic?
Do you do article marketing?
Does your blog drive traffic for your business?
Do you market by YouTube?

Are you set up as an authority in your marketplace with what you promote?
Where are you obtaining top quality content from, do you write it all yourself?


I know that online marketing, when it is done correctly, can set things in motion for our businesses and bring huge success so let's contribute and help each other become huge success's by offering some feedback on what's working for each of us?
What do you think.............

I'm just looking for some input and answers that will help us all find out what online marketing can do for us.



Thanks for reading.


Corey Blackmur
Creating Success One Step at a Time



Share | Top It Add to my watchlist

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Comments (18)

HP: 4141
pplcheryl63 - 2010-12-01 14:23 Report Abuse

This is an awesome post Corey! Very thought provoking and exactly why I created this group. There's quite a few questions there and Lordy the answers!

I'll try to put it in a nutshell what works for me. No not everything works for everyone. My mantra is keep what works and dump the rest. I do a combination of online and off-line marketing. My goal is to set myself up as the 'go to'person. It does take an investment of time, effort and in some cases money.

I'm all about educating my clients and prospects, but before you can educate someone else, you have to have knowledge yourself. For me that meant investing the money, time and effort into gaining the certifications to educate others. There's much more credibility for me being Certified-I know what I'm talking about. Rather than running around trying to tell people something when I don't have anything to distinguish me from the person I'm talking to.

In addition to getting the Certification it is a case of demonstrating my knowledge. I do this through writing articles, passing on industry news and conducting seminars.

So for me is helping people identity a problem and then letting them come to the conclusion that I have the solution to their problem. the best identity protection is restoration


HP: 2336
Paula van Dun - 2010-12-01 15:29 Report Abuse

Good article and good questions. I do not think there is a best way. I also it is a combination. I also think you should do the promotions you are feeling comfortable with. I would feel uncomfortable displaying a video with me talking about something on the net. So I don't. I think if would press myself to do it anyway it would not work because I would not be able to get the message across. Official Kooiii K.A.R.T. Agent for contextual advertising


HP: 105
Russell - 2010-12-01 17:00 Report Abuse

Excellent set of questions and very valid point about "gurus" just taking your money.


HP: 3976
JFB Marketing - 2010-12-01 18:43 Report Abuse

Hi Corey,

With all due respect hats off to you, absolutely wonderfully written, to the point with details, that will provide all of us additional logically reasons to further understand how marketing should be done at this level..on the internet. Write good solid content we all can benefit as you just did Corey...

You have just recently joined but you have the attitude of a senior member at APSense, what a wonderful addition...You know l enjoyed some of your key phrases and actually may apply one or two that you mentioned.....check them out anyhow.....

Keep up the good work, and you will found a lot of success here at APSense....

I will promote you blog cause l think other members should read and also benefit from your writing.....my treat....

All The Best,

Joseph F Botelho Regards,

Joseph F. Botelho


HP: 813
Katrina Oakley - 2010-12-01 18:57 Report Abuse

Corey, you are an asset to any affiliate program you are promoting and I must say, GRP is very lucky to have you on board!

Same sentiment here, what works best is a combination of tools. I too write some, blog some, participate in some forums, post ads, and simply be social. Recently, even though I am so not comfortable with conducting trainings, but have learned to work the conference room and I am doing it to help my team. Team work! Makes the dream work! Katrina Oakley
The Grand Retirement Plan


HP: 387
kkinabalu - 2010-12-02 01:34 Report Abuse

Very good info thank you for the sharing ...


HP: 146
Rifai Sy - 2010-12-02 04:13 Report Abuse

thanks for sharing with us my friend... i will check it Be A Friend!


HP: 1522
Bob Timper - 2010-12-02 05:43 Report Abuse

This is true, online marketing is the best way to get your product or your program seen. Robert (Bob) Timper


HP: 0
sasifa - 2010-12-02 05:49 Report Abuse

nteresting but I am not sure I know enough about it to rate it fairly. Syed Asif Ahmed


HP: 49
Corey Blackmur - 2010-12-02 06:52 Report Abuse

Good morning to all; at least it's morning in my part of the world. I just want to say thank you for the feedback and kudo's from everyone, the article was meant to raise a conversation and so far it seems to have worked.

@Cheryl, I figure if there are 190 some members in the group, if 10% of the group was to catch this article we could get a real discussion going to learn from. As well, maybe others would join the group as well.

@Paula, I agree with you about there not really being a best way; I think you learn as you earn, learn from others, work with others, gather a mentor, or mentors together and tweek and add things as you go along, using a multitude of avenues.

@Joseph, thank you very much for the compliments and taking time to further promote the article. As well, thank you for the compliment about being a welcoming addition here; your welcome to use any "key phrases" you like.

@Kat, as well thank you for your positive comments; I'd definitely like to be contributing in any way I can to benefit TGRP program and the team as a whole.
I love your quote/comment: Team Work - Makes the Dream Work! ~ can I use it?........

As for everyone else that commented, a grateful thank you as well. Corey Blackmur
Creating Success One Step at a Time


HP: 813
Katrina Oakley - 2010-12-02 06:59 Report Abuse

But of course Corey! Reading your writings here, tells me you will become a vital member of our team! I see a bright future for you! Katrina Oakley
The Grand Retirement Plan


HP: 1298
Sean - 2010-12-02 07:25 Report Abuse

hi Corey, magnificent post, thought provoking and well balanced,
I would agree with you first statement that the internet is a vast market and unbelieveably still untouched market.
I would echo the opinions of previous posters that there is no one defined way to successfully market on the internet.
My most succesful method and best converting method is targeted marketing seeking out the sites ,networks and forums where my customer profile hang out and building relationships with them, I dont generate huge masses of traffic however the conversion rate is 60 -80% as a mean average.
As for people selling the same product being more successful that can sometimes be smoke and mirrors as often once the true costs (monetary and man hours) of the sales - conversions are totted up against sales many show a loss, Hancrafted GIfts and Jewellery


HP: 49
Corey Blackmur - 2010-12-02 09:41 Report Abuse

Thanks for the input Sean and the kudos as well; I wanted the post to be thought provoking, sometimes I need something to give my mind a jumpstart so it doesn't go stagnant.

Pretty amazing to have 60-80% conversion rate for your targetted traffic through social networks and forums. I'm new enough to this end of it and didn't realize the conversion percentages could be so high.
I'll have to keep close tabs on that. Corey Blackmur
Creating Success One Step at a Time


HP: 1298
Sean - 2010-12-02 10:24 Report Abuse

@ Corey Those conversion rates are prequalified and the results of building relationships within the specific targeted customer groups for the product base, i.e. product; english handmade saddles, Target communities, sites, forums would be horse and hound community, show jumping community ,pony club ect
I tend to be very specific on targeting and I hope diffferent to the norm. anyway it works for me and the products I promote, the bonus sales - conversion are the result not the aim Hancrafted GIfts and Jewellery


HP: 1239
tam5 - 2010-12-02 10:53 Report Abuse

importing information for online marketing ..thanks guy,. http://advertisement-2u.blogspot.com/


HP: 1186
Oldbuddy - 2010-12-02 11:33 Report Abuse

If you consider all the material all over the Internet, you would think that whatever 'best' way you come up with would include a list. Since ApSense is currently offering a Christmas Countdown event to help up build our own, that might be a good place to start. See My Success Story on US Click Ads


HP: 159
results1 - 2010-12-02 15:33 Report Abuse

cory,enjoy very much your articles, I write blog participate in some forums, post ads, I do social media still learning, You Can Put Your Website In Our TV Advertising Right Now!!!
http://www.websitesontv.com/results


HP: 10
Agus Pramono - 2010-12-02 16:04 Report Abuse

n order to be able to reach so many people and be so cost effective it's going to be almost impossible to accomplish effectively any other way than by the internet aguspramono




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