Brand Development – Page 2 – Colorado Marketing Chick | Griffimages Photography & Design, LLC

Dare to be unique!

January 3, 2016December 28, 2011 by Marketing Chick

Remember back in the ’90’s when Pass it On cards were all the rage? There were literally thousands of them to choose from, all filled with your choice of positive, upbeat sentiments, or humorous sayings. For a time I was a buyer for a small book and gift store and we had a rack of them that I kept well stocked. Over the three years that I managed that store, I personally collected upwards of a hundred of those little cards myself. Now, nearly 15 years later, I have one that has stuck with me because the message on this card truly resonated with me, both on a personal and professional level. It reads…

“Never be content with someone else’s definition of you. Instead, define yourself by your own beliefs, your own truths, your own understanding of who you are and how you came to be. And never be content until you are happy with the unique person you are.”

Anyone who knows me will undoubtedly agree that I have followed this advice in my personal life, though of course, I’m still a work in progress. But as I mentioned, this quote also resonated with me on a professional level, and today, as part of my marketing consulting business (Griffimages Photography & Design, LLC, dba Colorado Marketing Chick), I stress to my clients that it’s absolutely imperative they identify what makes their business unique from other similar businesses. In marketing lingo, this is referred to as your “value proposition” or “differentiator“, and it is what will help your business develop brand loyalty. This is especially important for small businesses with limited marketing budgets who don’t have the funds to advertise everywhere and saturate the market. Of course, this only works if you have first determined that your unique attribute is something that resonates with your prospective customer.

So, as we all struggle with the concept of making our new year’s resolutions, might I suggest that if you haven’t already done this with your business, or haven’t done it in a while, that you allocate some resources in the coming weeks to identifying, defining, and refining just what differentiates your small business from the next, and then finding the most cost-effective methodology for communicating that to your prospective customers. If you don’t feel you are equipped to do this on your own, then give me a call. I believe you’ll find that your ROI (return on investment) will be worth your while.

Tips for Using Social Media to Build Your Brand

January 3, 2016January 12, 2011 by

In today’s online world using social media in your communications strategy is not only smart business, it is necessary business (in most industries) in order to engage with your audience on their terms. Implementing a social media campaign is not, however, simply creating a Facebook page or setting up a Twitter account. Creating a social media campaign should be a well thought out and conscious decision.

As with any form of marketing or communications efforts for your business, you need to keep your brand in sharp focus, while at the same time providing valuable and interesting content that your audience will want to engage with. In other words, social media, when used properly, is a vehicle for speaking ‘with’ your audience instead of ‘at’ your audience.

A few key things to remember when implementing your social media strategy:

Consistency is a must in how your represent your brand, so know your brand and what differentiates you from others offering similar services.
Know your audience and why they want to engage with you, otherwise you’ll lose them.
Content is key: it must be relevant and interesting enough to engage your audience. Don’t just bombard your audience with “buy now” messages. Provide valuable info, interesting tidbits about what you or some of your customers are doing, or ask questions and give your audience the opportunity to respond. Social media can be a great way to learn about your audience’s opinion.
Offer value by helping to solve an issue: assisting your audience with knowledge or tools they need to solve a problem helps to build trust and respect. It also positions you as a thought leader and a resource. They may not need what you have to provide right now, but when they or a friend or colleague does, they will think of you first.
Timing is important: your content needs to be relevant and timely, and as regular as possible.
Don’t pretend to be something or someone you’re not. Your audience will know the difference. If you are honest, relevant, and fun to engage with, then you will develop their trust. People do business with, and recommend to others, people and businesses they trust.

Use these tips to improve your communications and customer engagement and you’ll be that much further ahead in building better business relationships and trust in your brand.