We live in a Society that is just waking up to the power of branding and how it can make their businesses successful. Nigerians are becoming more aware of brands and why they stand out. Why people buy OMO instead of detergent. Why people buy Maclean or Close-up instead of tooth-paste. Hence, it's obvious that brand awareness is the in-thing in this Country now.
Iam an ardent student of business branding. I love the creativity involved. I love doing it for my company and my clients. I love graphics, i love good logos, I appreciate good and high quality products and services. I love competition. I love being uniquely differrent from others. Hence, I love branding for all it is.
Here you will find collections of articles on branding that has helped me and my clients.
Relax, browse and have fun. Above all, contact me today let's work on your brand(company or organisation.
ADAMA J. ADAMA
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Four More Brand Identity Myth
Four More Brand Identity Myths
Having a brand identity is extremely important to your business's success. However, many business owners have misconceptions about brand identities that can damage their businesses.
In our last Branding Myths article, we talked about three of the top misconceptions that small business people have about creating their brand identities. Here, we'll discuss four more myths.
"Brand identity" is the result of the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope. It can be extended to include a website, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
I'm not a big company: I can't have/create/build a brand
Just because your company's not huge doesn't mean that you can't benefit from creating a brand identity. Even for the smallest company, a brand identity will make you look bigger than you are, will make you appear more professional, and will make your sales process easier. You'll also have a starting point for designing all of your marketing pieces, and your brand identity will make your marketing a breeze as well.
You might not be able to create a branding program that is as comprehensive and self-sustaining as those of some of the big companies, because you won't be able to educate your clients like they can. Big companies with immediately recognizable logos and brand materials have made those logos and materials recognizable by spending a lot of time, money, and effort on educating the public about their brands. This is mainly done through advertising.
But this isn't to say that you should jump out there once you have built a brand and start advertising; for many small businesses, advertising is expensive and doesn't offer a good return on investment.
I run my business in a personalized, one-on-one way: building a brand would make my business impersonal
Building a brand identity isn't necessarily a depersonalizing tactic. You can build a brand that's very personalized, and even centered on you and the way that you work with your clients. You can even use the personalized way that you run your business as a differentiation tool. That personalization can be one of the pieces of your business that makes you different.
Some major brands are built with this personalization. For example, Mrs. Field's Cookies is built all around her story, techniques, and recipes.
Having a brand identity shouldn't change the way that your business works. There might be some slight changes when you start working on the inner layers of your brand, but brand identity just changes the face of your business to the public, making it look cleaner and more organized and professional. You can even design your brand identity to look personalized by using a signature, initials, or even your photo in your logo or Visual Vocabulary.
Creating a brand is too much work
There is a lot of work involved in creating a brand identity and then creating the rest of the brand to match it. But it's all part of the overall work that you should do when you begin your business: determining your differentiators, creating your brand foundation and creating some of your brand basics, and positioning your brand.
Doing this work will give your business a clear path, and will make all aspects of your business easier. You will have the groundwork for your business laid out, and you'll be able to build on that groundwork to create success.
Beyond this groundwork, you shouldn't have to do much work; if you pick a good designer, you should be able to take more of an advisory role. Beyond answering some initial questions about your business and brand, you should be able to sit back and make the choices between options presented to you by that hired specialist, throughout the development of your logo and brand identity.
Your level of involvement in the design process will also vary depending on the amount of personalization that you have in your business. If you're running a very personalized business, then you will probably want to guide the design process closely, since in a personalized business your logo should reflect your tastes and style. If you're building a bigger business, then the style of your logo should reflect the industry and what's best for your business; often, a designer will guide those choices.
I can't use a symbol that's been used before: I have to be entirely unique
By using a variation of a symbol that's been used before, you're leveraging the recognition and meaning that the symbol already has. This is often the best course of action for small businesses, because you won't have a large budget to spend on educating your audience on the meaning of a new symbol.
What should be unique about your brand identity is the way that you use these symbols. You can develop new combinations of symbols to communicate your message. Or you can arrange the symbols in a different way, or use them in place of letters in your logo to make it more unique.
Another way that you can make your symbols unique is to draw them using different techniques or effects, such as calligraphy or paint strokes, or using different proportions. These techniques make your symbols unique and interesting, and can also communicate more of your brand's personality.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Having a brand identity is extremely important to your business's success. However, many business owners have misconceptions about brand identities that can damage their businesses.
In our last Branding Myths article, we talked about three of the top misconceptions that small business people have about creating their brand identities. Here, we'll discuss four more myths.
"Brand identity" is the result of the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope. It can be extended to include a website, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
I'm not a big company: I can't have/create/build a brand
Just because your company's not huge doesn't mean that you can't benefit from creating a brand identity. Even for the smallest company, a brand identity will make you look bigger than you are, will make you appear more professional, and will make your sales process easier. You'll also have a starting point for designing all of your marketing pieces, and your brand identity will make your marketing a breeze as well.
You might not be able to create a branding program that is as comprehensive and self-sustaining as those of some of the big companies, because you won't be able to educate your clients like they can. Big companies with immediately recognizable logos and brand materials have made those logos and materials recognizable by spending a lot of time, money, and effort on educating the public about their brands. This is mainly done through advertising.
But this isn't to say that you should jump out there once you have built a brand and start advertising; for many small businesses, advertising is expensive and doesn't offer a good return on investment.
I run my business in a personalized, one-on-one way: building a brand would make my business impersonal
Building a brand identity isn't necessarily a depersonalizing tactic. You can build a brand that's very personalized, and even centered on you and the way that you work with your clients. You can even use the personalized way that you run your business as a differentiation tool. That personalization can be one of the pieces of your business that makes you different.
Some major brands are built with this personalization. For example, Mrs. Field's Cookies is built all around her story, techniques, and recipes.
Having a brand identity shouldn't change the way that your business works. There might be some slight changes when you start working on the inner layers of your brand, but brand identity just changes the face of your business to the public, making it look cleaner and more organized and professional. You can even design your brand identity to look personalized by using a signature, initials, or even your photo in your logo or Visual Vocabulary.
Creating a brand is too much work
There is a lot of work involved in creating a brand identity and then creating the rest of the brand to match it. But it's all part of the overall work that you should do when you begin your business: determining your differentiators, creating your brand foundation and creating some of your brand basics, and positioning your brand.
Doing this work will give your business a clear path, and will make all aspects of your business easier. You will have the groundwork for your business laid out, and you'll be able to build on that groundwork to create success.
Beyond this groundwork, you shouldn't have to do much work; if you pick a good designer, you should be able to take more of an advisory role. Beyond answering some initial questions about your business and brand, you should be able to sit back and make the choices between options presented to you by that hired specialist, throughout the development of your logo and brand identity.
Your level of involvement in the design process will also vary depending on the amount of personalization that you have in your business. If you're running a very personalized business, then you will probably want to guide the design process closely, since in a personalized business your logo should reflect your tastes and style. If you're building a bigger business, then the style of your logo should reflect the industry and what's best for your business; often, a designer will guide those choices.
I can't use a symbol that's been used before: I have to be entirely unique
By using a variation of a symbol that's been used before, you're leveraging the recognition and meaning that the symbol already has. This is often the best course of action for small businesses, because you won't have a large budget to spend on educating your audience on the meaning of a new symbol.
What should be unique about your brand identity is the way that you use these symbols. You can develop new combinations of symbols to communicate your message. Or you can arrange the symbols in a different way, or use them in place of letters in your logo to make it more unique.
Another way that you can make your symbols unique is to draw them using different techniques or effects, such as calligraphy or paint strokes, or using different proportions. These techniques make your symbols unique and interesting, and can also communicate more of your brand's personality.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
3 Brand Identity Myth That Will Bring Your Business Down
Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down
"Brand identity" is the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope. It can be extended to include a Web site, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
Having a brand identity is extremely important to your business's success. However, many business owners have misconceptions about brand identities that can damage their businesses.
My cousin/coworker/friend can design my brand identity
There are some very significant areas of your business that should be left to the professionals. First of all, while your cousin may have been "great in art class," this does not mean that she has the knowledge and expertise required to create great graphic designs. Designing a logo, business card, or Web site is much different than painting a picture or making a collage. You must make a brand logo scalable, meaningful, and symbolic.
Second, having a professional designer on your business marketing team ensures that your projects will be a top priority. I have many potential clients who start their designs with a friend or relative and are then "put on the back burner," leaving their project to drag on for months. After much frustration, they hire a professional and are amazed at how quickly things are completed.
Finally, would you trust a friend to do something really important for your business? Would you ask her to do something that requires unique skills, like making a client presentation for you or giving a speech? Probably not, unless she is a sales professional or a professional speaker. Would you trust a friend who is "good with math" to do your corporate taxes? If you wouldn't trust an amateur with an important business function, then why would you trust an amateur with your brand identity, the key to your marketing success?
*Designing a custom brand identity is too expensive
It's true that having your marketing materials designed is an expensive proposition. But it may be even more expensive if you do not have a high-quality, custom brand identity professionally designed. There are many effects that will harm your business, including the possibility that your clients will not respect you or take you seriously, among others.
*A strong brand identity quickly pays for itself. For most businesses, if just two or three new clients call you over the course of your lifespan because of the equity that your brand identity creates, your logo and brand identity design package would be paid for. When you have a top-notch brand identity, new customers will contact you because they remember your logo, have held on to your business card, or are impressed by your brochure. And it's likely that many more clients than the required few will contact you and your business will grow and flourish from the (relatively) small initial investment in the brand identity.
Consider also that a brand identity is a sustainable expense. Once you have had a timeless logo and set of marketing materials designed, you can use them for years to come. And, once you have a strong logo, creating consistent, targeted marketing pieces and programs is an easy addition to your existing system.
*I do not need a brand identity
If you are a professional in business, you need a brand identity. You wouldn't consider being in business without other important business essentials—your own computer, perhaps, or a business name or bank account. A brand identity is another of these basic business essentials. It's the central requirement for marketing and promoting your business.
There is nothing that looks less professional than not having a professional brand identity. If you do not establish a clean, high-quality, and consistent look and feel to your materials, you will have a much more difficult time gaining the trust of potential clients—and signing them on to use your services. All of the Fortune 500 companies have a logo, and for a good reason: it makes them look more professional. If you want to be perceived as offering a high-caliber service, you have to look polished and "put together."
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
"Brand identity" is the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope. It can be extended to include a Web site, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
Having a brand identity is extremely important to your business's success. However, many business owners have misconceptions about brand identities that can damage their businesses.
My cousin/coworker/friend can design my brand identity
There are some very significant areas of your business that should be left to the professionals. First of all, while your cousin may have been "great in art class," this does not mean that she has the knowledge and expertise required to create great graphic designs. Designing a logo, business card, or Web site is much different than painting a picture or making a collage. You must make a brand logo scalable, meaningful, and symbolic.
Second, having a professional designer on your business marketing team ensures that your projects will be a top priority. I have many potential clients who start their designs with a friend or relative and are then "put on the back burner," leaving their project to drag on for months. After much frustration, they hire a professional and are amazed at how quickly things are completed.
Finally, would you trust a friend to do something really important for your business? Would you ask her to do something that requires unique skills, like making a client presentation for you or giving a speech? Probably not, unless she is a sales professional or a professional speaker. Would you trust a friend who is "good with math" to do your corporate taxes? If you wouldn't trust an amateur with an important business function, then why would you trust an amateur with your brand identity, the key to your marketing success?
*Designing a custom brand identity is too expensive
It's true that having your marketing materials designed is an expensive proposition. But it may be even more expensive if you do not have a high-quality, custom brand identity professionally designed. There are many effects that will harm your business, including the possibility that your clients will not respect you or take you seriously, among others.
*A strong brand identity quickly pays for itself. For most businesses, if just two or three new clients call you over the course of your lifespan because of the equity that your brand identity creates, your logo and brand identity design package would be paid for. When you have a top-notch brand identity, new customers will contact you because they remember your logo, have held on to your business card, or are impressed by your brochure. And it's likely that many more clients than the required few will contact you and your business will grow and flourish from the (relatively) small initial investment in the brand identity.
Consider also that a brand identity is a sustainable expense. Once you have had a timeless logo and set of marketing materials designed, you can use them for years to come. And, once you have a strong logo, creating consistent, targeted marketing pieces and programs is an easy addition to your existing system.
*I do not need a brand identity
If you are a professional in business, you need a brand identity. You wouldn't consider being in business without other important business essentials—your own computer, perhaps, or a business name or bank account. A brand identity is another of these basic business essentials. It's the central requirement for marketing and promoting your business.
There is nothing that looks less professional than not having a professional brand identity. If you do not establish a clean, high-quality, and consistent look and feel to your materials, you will have a much more difficult time gaining the trust of potential clients—and signing them on to use your services. All of the Fortune 500 companies have a logo, and for a good reason: it makes them look more professional. If you want to be perceived as offering a high-caliber service, you have to look polished and "put together."
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity
Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity
How A Logo Impacts The Know-Like-Trust Factor
You've probably heard that people buy products and services from people they know, like and trust. And, as I have done, you've probably wondered how you can foster more of this "Know-Like-Trust" factor in your business relationships. Pictures are tied to our emotions in powerful ways, so strategically using your logo and brand identity materials (business cards, letterhead, brochures, website, etc.) to enforce this connection is a great idea.
A brand identity kit contains many of the attributes that contribute to the "Know-Like-Trust" factor, in the following ways:
Know — A creatively designed set of materials will make you stand out in your field. Symbolically designed materials, where the graphics are designed to communicate and tell your story, can lead to the prospect feeling that they understand who you are and what you do, helping them to form a connection with you and your business. This contributes to your memorability and breeds a feeling of familiarity.
Through the consistent, repetitive use of a logo and the supporting visual elements in your marketing materials, people will feel as though they "know" you and your business, even if you have never met face-to-face.
Like — If you look at a business's materials, and you like their look and feel, you would probably find it easier to like both the business owner and to like doing business with them, as well. A logo with an icon attached to your company name can also make your company seem more approachable, friendly and fun. It can even endear your company name to your potential clients. Cartoon logos are highly effective in this capacity, though not appropriate for all professions.
You can also foster a feeling of compatibility through clear information in your designed materials—both in the type of information that you provide and the way that it's laid out and presented. People like to read text that is straightforward and well written.
Trust — A high-quality, professionally printed brand identity kit can make you look capable, established, and enduring. Professional materials also impart an air of integrity to your business. If your materials look polished and put together, they lead people to believe that working with you will be similarly pleasant.
All of these factors compound to give you—and your business—greater credibility, which leads people to trust you with more and bigger projects, sales, or orders.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
How A Logo Impacts The Know-Like-Trust Factor
You've probably heard that people buy products and services from people they know, like and trust. And, as I have done, you've probably wondered how you can foster more of this "Know-Like-Trust" factor in your business relationships. Pictures are tied to our emotions in powerful ways, so strategically using your logo and brand identity materials (business cards, letterhead, brochures, website, etc.) to enforce this connection is a great idea.
A brand identity kit contains many of the attributes that contribute to the "Know-Like-Trust" factor, in the following ways:
Know — A creatively designed set of materials will make you stand out in your field. Symbolically designed materials, where the graphics are designed to communicate and tell your story, can lead to the prospect feeling that they understand who you are and what you do, helping them to form a connection with you and your business. This contributes to your memorability and breeds a feeling of familiarity.
Through the consistent, repetitive use of a logo and the supporting visual elements in your marketing materials, people will feel as though they "know" you and your business, even if you have never met face-to-face.
Like — If you look at a business's materials, and you like their look and feel, you would probably find it easier to like both the business owner and to like doing business with them, as well. A logo with an icon attached to your company name can also make your company seem more approachable, friendly and fun. It can even endear your company name to your potential clients. Cartoon logos are highly effective in this capacity, though not appropriate for all professions.
You can also foster a feeling of compatibility through clear information in your designed materials—both in the type of information that you provide and the way that it's laid out and presented. People like to read text that is straightforward and well written.
Trust — A high-quality, professionally printed brand identity kit can make you look capable, established, and enduring. Professional materials also impart an air of integrity to your business. If your materials look polished and put together, they lead people to believe that working with you will be similarly pleasant.
All of these factors compound to give you—and your business—greater credibility, which leads people to trust you with more and bigger projects, sales, or orders.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
9 Keys To Building A Stand-out Brand Identity
9 Keys to Building a Stand-Out Brand Identity
Brand identity is the combined effect of visual elements in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and branded envelope. This basic set of materials can be extended to include a website, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
A successful brand identity is built around the following 9 key characteristics:
*Unique in "look and feel" and message about your business. Make sure that your business's graphics stand out from and cannot be confused with those of the competition, and that the ways you talk and write about your business are uniquely yours as well.
*Repetition helps potential clients—and current clients—to remember and relate to who you are and what you do in your business. Experts say that it takes somewhere between 6 and 12 "impressions," or contacts with your business, for customers to truly remember you and connect with your business.
*Consistent use of your logo, tagline, and materials and what you say about your business. You will only be able to build a strong brand for your company by designing unique visual and verbal elements and then repeating those elements through all of the materials that you create.
*Memorable elements help your business to stand out as well. You'll be able to create brand memorability through consistency, repetition, and uniqueness of your graphics and materials. Make your graphics memorable by creating a unique logo and using a consistently strong Visual Vocabulary. Create memorable text by using alliteration (repeating similar sounds, such as using words that all start with the same letter), repetition, unique word combinations, and lively imagery in your copy.
*Meaningful graphics make your company's message come to life through symbolic graphics, colors, and type choices in all of your marketing materials. Meaningful text will express what your business is really all about, and help to give some depth to your developing brand. And, perhaps more importantly, your audience will be able to understand the meaning in your graphics and text — it will be accessible to your target market.
Clear graphics and text communicate your message in an understandable way. Make sure that your graphics are crisp, clean, simple, and meaningful. And make sure that your text expresses your point and is not confusing — that it explains your point well.
*Honesty in your brand identity materials. If clients do engage with you and then you don't live up to the brand promises you made in your materials, then they will feel alienated from you and your company... or worse. This can really damage your relationships and your overall brand, so make sure you can stand behind your brand and deliver on your promises before you distribute your branded materials.
*Personality for your business helps make sure that you don't look like everyone else, so that potential clients can immediately tell that all of your branded materials are coming from your business. If you're the owner of a one-person business, your brand identity might resonate with your own personality. If your business is larger, or if you want to make it appear larger, you can create your own brand personality to connect with your potential clients.
*Professionalism in all things, from the quality of your graphics, to the way your text is written (proofreading is essential!), to your personal presentation: the way you talk, dress, and speak. Professionalism in customer service and in the way you treat people you meet is also important. Follow through on your offers and promises.
If you include all of the above elements in your brand identity, you'll have a business look and feel that will really help your marketing messages to be taken seriously: one that will enhance your overall brand.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Brand identity is the combined effect of visual elements in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and branded envelope. This basic set of materials can be extended to include a website, brochure, folder, flyer, or any other professionally designed pieces.
A successful brand identity is built around the following 9 key characteristics:
*Unique in "look and feel" and message about your business. Make sure that your business's graphics stand out from and cannot be confused with those of the competition, and that the ways you talk and write about your business are uniquely yours as well.
*Repetition helps potential clients—and current clients—to remember and relate to who you are and what you do in your business. Experts say that it takes somewhere between 6 and 12 "impressions," or contacts with your business, for customers to truly remember you and connect with your business.
*Consistent use of your logo, tagline, and materials and what you say about your business. You will only be able to build a strong brand for your company by designing unique visual and verbal elements and then repeating those elements through all of the materials that you create.
*Memorable elements help your business to stand out as well. You'll be able to create brand memorability through consistency, repetition, and uniqueness of your graphics and materials. Make your graphics memorable by creating a unique logo and using a consistently strong Visual Vocabulary. Create memorable text by using alliteration (repeating similar sounds, such as using words that all start with the same letter), repetition, unique word combinations, and lively imagery in your copy.
*Meaningful graphics make your company's message come to life through symbolic graphics, colors, and type choices in all of your marketing materials. Meaningful text will express what your business is really all about, and help to give some depth to your developing brand. And, perhaps more importantly, your audience will be able to understand the meaning in your graphics and text — it will be accessible to your target market.
Clear graphics and text communicate your message in an understandable way. Make sure that your graphics are crisp, clean, simple, and meaningful. And make sure that your text expresses your point and is not confusing — that it explains your point well.
*Honesty in your brand identity materials. If clients do engage with you and then you don't live up to the brand promises you made in your materials, then they will feel alienated from you and your company... or worse. This can really damage your relationships and your overall brand, so make sure you can stand behind your brand and deliver on your promises before you distribute your branded materials.
*Personality for your business helps make sure that you don't look like everyone else, so that potential clients can immediately tell that all of your branded materials are coming from your business. If you're the owner of a one-person business, your brand identity might resonate with your own personality. If your business is larger, or if you want to make it appear larger, you can create your own brand personality to connect with your potential clients.
*Professionalism in all things, from the quality of your graphics, to the way your text is written (proofreading is essential!), to your personal presentation: the way you talk, dress, and speak. Professionalism in customer service and in the way you treat people you meet is also important. Follow through on your offers and promises.
If you include all of the above elements in your brand identity, you'll have a business look and feel that will really help your marketing messages to be taken seriously: one that will enhance your overall brand.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Connecting With Your Customers Through Brand Identity
Connecting With Your Customers Through Your Brand Identity
Your logo and marketing materials have many jobs, but one of the things that they can do really well for you is to introduce you to new clients and to help those potential customers feel a connection with you and your business. Alas, many small business owners overlook this valuable role for their materials when designing them, and so any connection often happens by accident alone.
Considering that the connections that most small businesses are making with their logos marketing materials, and websites are happening by accident, these businesses are actually doing rather well. But what could their business growth and sales cycle look like if they could improve the way that they connect with their ideal clients?
The top 3 ways to ensure that your designs will appeal to your target audience and begin to form this connection with them are:
1. Design your materials with your customer's preferences in mind. The most common mistake that small business owners make when designing their brand identities is to create the design to reflect their own tastes. I met a financial planning consultant at a networking event a few months back, and she wanted to "pick my brain" about her thoughts for a logo. She mentioned that she wanted her logo to be an aqua-blue seahorse, because those were her favorite image and color. But when I questioned her further about her business, I found that she worked largely with male heads of households on their families' financial planning needs. While an aqua seahorse might represent her preferences, I suggested that it might not catch the eye and the imagination of her projected client, and that she think more about the types of images and color palettes that would appeal men who were hiring her to manage their money. I believe that I convinced her that this approach will result in a better connection with her potential customer base, and will help her to close more business with her prospects.
This approach to establishing connections extends beyond your company's logo: picking appropriate layouts, fonts, and photos for any marketing piece can make that piece connect with your target audience much more quickly. Something as simple as choosing stock photos that feature people of the same ethnicity or gender as your target audience can greatly increase your sales and decrease often subtle, hidden resistance to your business image.
2. Test your materials with your target audience. This means asking not just whoever's hanging around, but with real potential clients. I can't tell you how many times I have completed the first round of logo designs for a client, just for them to come back and say, "My mom HATES them!" I certainly sympathize with this impulse to check your ideas with a respected friend or family member; I tend to run my own designs by my mom, against my better judgment. But if your mom—or whoever you're running your design focus group with—isn't part of your target audience, then it really doesn't matter if she likes it or not. In fact, if you're trying to sell your products or services to college-age men, for example, it's probably a good thing if your mom doesn't like it!
So, where do you find potential clients to test your materials on? Ask your past clients what they think about your new designs, or poll friends in your target demographic. I even had one client who would ask potential customers that she stood in line with at the coffee place and post office about their thoughts on her logo.
3. Make your materials magnetic. Don't misunderstand: not everyone should love, or even necessarily understand, your logo and marketing materials. A small business's logo should make the prospect react emotionally to your company, pulling the right people toward working with you and pushing the wrong people away. Unless you're a big company selling a mass-market product, designing a logo that everyone loves is not necessary, nor even in your best interests.
If you're creating a logo and marketing materials and you want everyone that you meet to like them, then you're in for a very long design process. And your logo won't be able to perform one of its most important jobs: making sure that you're spending your time talking to the most qualified clients. As a small-business owner, you probably run the business, do the sales, and have a bunch of other tasks as well. If people in your target audience like your logo and marketing materials, but people outside of that demographic don't connect with them, then it's less likely that the people you don't want to work with will become engaged in the sales cycle with you. And it's always better to sell to interested and qualified prospects rather than people who are just "kicking the tires" or getting competitive quotes.
Keeping your customer's perspective in mind when designing your materials makes those materials relevant to your customers, creating a valuable tool for your business. A client wants to feel understood and well-cared-for throughout the sales cycle. If your designs truly take your clients' tastes into account, are tested and approved by your ideal clients, and make people react in an emotionally positive way to your company, then those designs will be more than just a pretty pieces: they will help you to talk to the right customers, to connect with them, and, ultimately, to grow your business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Your logo and marketing materials have many jobs, but one of the things that they can do really well for you is to introduce you to new clients and to help those potential customers feel a connection with you and your business. Alas, many small business owners overlook this valuable role for their materials when designing them, and so any connection often happens by accident alone.
Considering that the connections that most small businesses are making with their logos marketing materials, and websites are happening by accident, these businesses are actually doing rather well. But what could their business growth and sales cycle look like if they could improve the way that they connect with their ideal clients?
The top 3 ways to ensure that your designs will appeal to your target audience and begin to form this connection with them are:
1. Design your materials with your customer's preferences in mind. The most common mistake that small business owners make when designing their brand identities is to create the design to reflect their own tastes. I met a financial planning consultant at a networking event a few months back, and she wanted to "pick my brain" about her thoughts for a logo. She mentioned that she wanted her logo to be an aqua-blue seahorse, because those were her favorite image and color. But when I questioned her further about her business, I found that she worked largely with male heads of households on their families' financial planning needs. While an aqua seahorse might represent her preferences, I suggested that it might not catch the eye and the imagination of her projected client, and that she think more about the types of images and color palettes that would appeal men who were hiring her to manage their money. I believe that I convinced her that this approach will result in a better connection with her potential customer base, and will help her to close more business with her prospects.
This approach to establishing connections extends beyond your company's logo: picking appropriate layouts, fonts, and photos for any marketing piece can make that piece connect with your target audience much more quickly. Something as simple as choosing stock photos that feature people of the same ethnicity or gender as your target audience can greatly increase your sales and decrease often subtle, hidden resistance to your business image.
2. Test your materials with your target audience. This means asking not just whoever's hanging around, but with real potential clients. I can't tell you how many times I have completed the first round of logo designs for a client, just for them to come back and say, "My mom HATES them!" I certainly sympathize with this impulse to check your ideas with a respected friend or family member; I tend to run my own designs by my mom, against my better judgment. But if your mom—or whoever you're running your design focus group with—isn't part of your target audience, then it really doesn't matter if she likes it or not. In fact, if you're trying to sell your products or services to college-age men, for example, it's probably a good thing if your mom doesn't like it!
So, where do you find potential clients to test your materials on? Ask your past clients what they think about your new designs, or poll friends in your target demographic. I even had one client who would ask potential customers that she stood in line with at the coffee place and post office about their thoughts on her logo.
3. Make your materials magnetic. Don't misunderstand: not everyone should love, or even necessarily understand, your logo and marketing materials. A small business's logo should make the prospect react emotionally to your company, pulling the right people toward working with you and pushing the wrong people away. Unless you're a big company selling a mass-market product, designing a logo that everyone loves is not necessary, nor even in your best interests.
If you're creating a logo and marketing materials and you want everyone that you meet to like them, then you're in for a very long design process. And your logo won't be able to perform one of its most important jobs: making sure that you're spending your time talking to the most qualified clients. As a small-business owner, you probably run the business, do the sales, and have a bunch of other tasks as well. If people in your target audience like your logo and marketing materials, but people outside of that demographic don't connect with them, then it's less likely that the people you don't want to work with will become engaged in the sales cycle with you. And it's always better to sell to interested and qualified prospects rather than people who are just "kicking the tires" or getting competitive quotes.
Keeping your customer's perspective in mind when designing your materials makes those materials relevant to your customers, creating a valuable tool for your business. A client wants to feel understood and well-cared-for throughout the sales cycle. If your designs truly take your clients' tastes into account, are tested and approved by your ideal clients, and make people react in an emotionally positive way to your company, then those designs will be more than just a pretty pieces: they will help you to talk to the right customers, to connect with them, and, ultimately, to grow your business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
15 Reasons Small Businesses Need a Brand Identity System
Business and marketing experts urge small business owners to "brand" their businesses with a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials — a brand identity system. But they rarely explain the reasons behind this advice. A logo and consistent marketing materials can increase your sales and revenue, because they convey the following impressions:
To convey that you are established. A logo and professionally-printed materials show that you are committed to both your business and your clients. It also makes you look like you've been around for some time, and that you're stable.
To attract more clients. Some clients look for a well-defined company, and "look and feel" may be one of their criteria in making a purchasing decision. Others are "wowed" by professional-looking materials, and your logo may impress them into buying.
To increase your credibility. A logo makes you look experienced and professional, and can go a long way towards making your business appear credible. And, if you'd like to be known as an expert in your field, this type of credibility is the first thing you have to establish.
To be more memorable. Forty percent of people better remember what they see than what they hear or read. So having graphics associated with your business and having consistent graphics on your business materials make you more likely to come to the forefront of potential clients' minds when they have a need for your goods or services.
To stand out in your field. A well-designed logo and an identity system can put you far above the competition, especially if they are paired with a strong marketing program.
To look "bigger." Home-printed business cards with perforated edges or cards printed with standard designs available through Microsoft software or online business card vendors scream "small-time vendor" to your potential clients—and that is how they will want to compensate you.
To improve your chance of getting venture capital or selling a business. If you present a well-rounded business package, including marketing materials and graphics, your business will look more complete.
To brand yourself. Especially if you are a consultant, you need a logo in order to build an image and a brand that is bigger than your individual identity. If you're running a larger business, the logo will begin to create a "brand" or "face" for your business, and to personalize the larger business entity.
To give clients a sense of stability. You may not have been in business "since 1908," but if you have invested in an identity, you are much less likely to fold in the eyes of your customers. It goes a long way toward building that all-important "trust."
To explain your company name. If your company name contains a little-known word or an acronym, the logo can give visual clues to its meaning.
To endear your company name to your clients. A difficult-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember company name may make it challenging for your clients to hire you. When potential clients have the need for your services, they might not recall who you are. But if you reinforce the name with interesting, compelling graphics, they are more likely to remember you, pick up the phone, and hire you.
To describe an unusual line of business. If your business is nontraditional or in a hard-to-explain industry, a logo can help to explain exactly what it is that you do by offering a visual reference.
To show what practices differentiate you from your competition. A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings and can begin to tell the story of how you do business, including the special practices that make you stand apart from the competition.
To comply with expectations. In some industries, a logo is just expected. In the creative services industry especially, having a logo is an industry standard.
To show your commitment and for the sense of personal pride it will add to your practice. In other words, do it for yourself. A logo will increase your confidence, and that will show through in all of your business interactions and practices.
These benefits will boost your business and your confidence, so start thinking about developing a logo and identity as soon as possible.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
To convey that you are established. A logo and professionally-printed materials show that you are committed to both your business and your clients. It also makes you look like you've been around for some time, and that you're stable.
To attract more clients. Some clients look for a well-defined company, and "look and feel" may be one of their criteria in making a purchasing decision. Others are "wowed" by professional-looking materials, and your logo may impress them into buying.
To increase your credibility. A logo makes you look experienced and professional, and can go a long way towards making your business appear credible. And, if you'd like to be known as an expert in your field, this type of credibility is the first thing you have to establish.
To be more memorable. Forty percent of people better remember what they see than what they hear or read. So having graphics associated with your business and having consistent graphics on your business materials make you more likely to come to the forefront of potential clients' minds when they have a need for your goods or services.
To stand out in your field. A well-designed logo and an identity system can put you far above the competition, especially if they are paired with a strong marketing program.
To look "bigger." Home-printed business cards with perforated edges or cards printed with standard designs available through Microsoft software or online business card vendors scream "small-time vendor" to your potential clients—and that is how they will want to compensate you.
To improve your chance of getting venture capital or selling a business. If you present a well-rounded business package, including marketing materials and graphics, your business will look more complete.
To brand yourself. Especially if you are a consultant, you need a logo in order to build an image and a brand that is bigger than your individual identity. If you're running a larger business, the logo will begin to create a "brand" or "face" for your business, and to personalize the larger business entity.
To give clients a sense of stability. You may not have been in business "since 1908," but if you have invested in an identity, you are much less likely to fold in the eyes of your customers. It goes a long way toward building that all-important "trust."
To explain your company name. If your company name contains a little-known word or an acronym, the logo can give visual clues to its meaning.
To endear your company name to your clients. A difficult-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember company name may make it challenging for your clients to hire you. When potential clients have the need for your services, they might not recall who you are. But if you reinforce the name with interesting, compelling graphics, they are more likely to remember you, pick up the phone, and hire you.
To describe an unusual line of business. If your business is nontraditional or in a hard-to-explain industry, a logo can help to explain exactly what it is that you do by offering a visual reference.
To show what practices differentiate you from your competition. A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings and can begin to tell the story of how you do business, including the special practices that make you stand apart from the competition.
To comply with expectations. In some industries, a logo is just expected. In the creative services industry especially, having a logo is an industry standard.
To show your commitment and for the sense of personal pride it will add to your practice. In other words, do it for yourself. A logo will increase your confidence, and that will show through in all of your business interactions and practices.
These benefits will boost your business and your confidence, so start thinking about developing a logo and identity as soon as possible.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
How Your Business Should Act Like A Snow Flake
If someone walked up to you and said "you should make your business more like a snowflake" you'd probably think they were a little crazy. Do they think your business should be made from ice crystals? Be cold or melty? Fall from the sky? None of these seem like desirable business attributes.
But, there's one thing that each and every snowflake has that a small business should strive for—uniqueness. When the ice crystals that make up a snowflake all get together, they always assemble themselves in a new and different formation. Snowflakes always have a unique structure and a unique appearance.
Just like snowflakes, your business will have several different types of uniqueness. On the surface, you'll want your brand and marketing materials to look unique, so that when all of your materials go out, they can stand out from your competitions'.
Your business will have underlying structural elements that make you different. This will include how your business is put together, how you run your business, the products and services you offer, and all those sorts of business considerations that show up in your business plan.
But your business has one other type of uniqueness that snowflakes don't
And that's personality. This kind of uniqueness is a bit tricky for small businesses. The challenge is separating the personality of the business from the personality of the entrepreneur running the business.
Why bother with this distinction? It can help your business appear more professional, by establishing you as a business instead of just a freelancer. Positioning yourself as a company instead of just an individual can also help you command more respect and higher rates.
If you're planning to grow your company by hiring more people to work for you, then using your business uniqueness instead of your personal uniqueness will make you look less like a consultancy and more like a company. Positioning your business in that way from the beginning can help you to wean your clients from expecting to work with you personally. This can be invaluable as you add on staff.
How To Be Unique
Here's a simple plan that can help you overcome the uniqueness challenge:
1. Create a business and brand plan
A lot of small businesses skip this step because it seems pretty elementary. But the process of writing down things like your business structure, product and service offerings, competition, mission, vision, experience and marketing plans can help you unearth elements of your own uniqueness.
A business plan that's created for these purposes doesn't have to be "official sounding", or particularly long. All it has to do is to record your basic plans.
2. Identify your uniqueness
What is unique about you? That's actually one of the most difficult questions for anyone to answer. The reason why it's so hard to tell what's unique about you is that you typically do whatever it is that makes you unique naturally—and constantly. You do your unique behavior or skill so often, and so effortlessly, that you probably don't even notice you're doing it.
So if you don't know that you're doing something that makes you special, how do you figure out what that is? You can look at your competition to see if there's anything that's central to the way you do business that they're leaving out. Or ask clients who have worked with you what made the experience unique. You could also try writing down everything that you do, or creating a case study of a client project, and have a friend or colleague look over your notes. Something may jump out at them that you don't even notice.
3. Separate your business's uniqueness from the business owner
This step has different challenges depending on your plans for your company's growth. If you want to keep your company the same size and just grow the business in terms of revenue and success, then the challenge is separating out just enough of your own personality, and still leaving some unique traits for the business. The trick is to avoid going overboard when separating your self from the business. This can make your business' personality too professional and sterile.
If you want to eventually build a company that's bigger than yourself, plan your brand to work for the growing company. The challenge here is creating a personality for your business that your employees will be able to embody—and then hiring employees based not only on their qualifications but also on their ability to match that personality.
How do you do this step? I recommend noting your personality in social situations, and comparing it with your personality in business situations. If you're shy in social situations, it might also help to note your personality when you're interacting with your spouse or children. Then see which of these traits you could comfortably and professionally bring to your business.
For example, say you really enjoy story time with your children. It could be business-appropriate to explain your services in a more story-like manner. That would infuse your sales process with personality and help to bring beneficial personality to your clients.
4. Brand your business to show that uniqueness
Many businesses have a lot of personality, but they design their brands to look "professional" instead of showing off makes them special. The other extreme is when companies design graphics that are either too complicated or too unique—so they don't have any meaning to the client or prospect looking at them.
Make the most of your graphics by defining your unique brand, then using common shapes and symbols to communicate your brand message. If you're a financial advisor who focuses on helping clients do all the fun things they want to do in their lives, then a bright color palette and energetic shapes like starbursts may be appropriate. But if you're focusing on helping people who don't understand investing to make sound decisions, then circular, trust-building shapes and a more traditional color palette of navy and gold may be more appropriate.
Taking these 4 steps to show your business' unique design, structure and personality will help your business avoid looking too coldly professional. They'll help you to show your prospects and clients what a unique snowflake you really are, and your business will shine.
But, there's one thing that each and every snowflake has that a small business should strive for—uniqueness. When the ice crystals that make up a snowflake all get together, they always assemble themselves in a new and different formation. Snowflakes always have a unique structure and a unique appearance.
Just like snowflakes, your business will have several different types of uniqueness. On the surface, you'll want your brand and marketing materials to look unique, so that when all of your materials go out, they can stand out from your competitions'.
Your business will have underlying structural elements that make you different. This will include how your business is put together, how you run your business, the products and services you offer, and all those sorts of business considerations that show up in your business plan.
But your business has one other type of uniqueness that snowflakes don't
And that's personality. This kind of uniqueness is a bit tricky for small businesses. The challenge is separating the personality of the business from the personality of the entrepreneur running the business.
Why bother with this distinction? It can help your business appear more professional, by establishing you as a business instead of just a freelancer. Positioning yourself as a company instead of just an individual can also help you command more respect and higher rates.
If you're planning to grow your company by hiring more people to work for you, then using your business uniqueness instead of your personal uniqueness will make you look less like a consultancy and more like a company. Positioning your business in that way from the beginning can help you to wean your clients from expecting to work with you personally. This can be invaluable as you add on staff.
How To Be Unique
Here's a simple plan that can help you overcome the uniqueness challenge:
1. Create a business and brand plan
A lot of small businesses skip this step because it seems pretty elementary. But the process of writing down things like your business structure, product and service offerings, competition, mission, vision, experience and marketing plans can help you unearth elements of your own uniqueness.
A business plan that's created for these purposes doesn't have to be "official sounding", or particularly long. All it has to do is to record your basic plans.
2. Identify your uniqueness
What is unique about you? That's actually one of the most difficult questions for anyone to answer. The reason why it's so hard to tell what's unique about you is that you typically do whatever it is that makes you unique naturally—and constantly. You do your unique behavior or skill so often, and so effortlessly, that you probably don't even notice you're doing it.
So if you don't know that you're doing something that makes you special, how do you figure out what that is? You can look at your competition to see if there's anything that's central to the way you do business that they're leaving out. Or ask clients who have worked with you what made the experience unique. You could also try writing down everything that you do, or creating a case study of a client project, and have a friend or colleague look over your notes. Something may jump out at them that you don't even notice.
3. Separate your business's uniqueness from the business owner
This step has different challenges depending on your plans for your company's growth. If you want to keep your company the same size and just grow the business in terms of revenue and success, then the challenge is separating out just enough of your own personality, and still leaving some unique traits for the business. The trick is to avoid going overboard when separating your self from the business. This can make your business' personality too professional and sterile.
If you want to eventually build a company that's bigger than yourself, plan your brand to work for the growing company. The challenge here is creating a personality for your business that your employees will be able to embody—and then hiring employees based not only on their qualifications but also on their ability to match that personality.
How do you do this step? I recommend noting your personality in social situations, and comparing it with your personality in business situations. If you're shy in social situations, it might also help to note your personality when you're interacting with your spouse or children. Then see which of these traits you could comfortably and professionally bring to your business.
For example, say you really enjoy story time with your children. It could be business-appropriate to explain your services in a more story-like manner. That would infuse your sales process with personality and help to bring beneficial personality to your clients.
4. Brand your business to show that uniqueness
Many businesses have a lot of personality, but they design their brands to look "professional" instead of showing off makes them special. The other extreme is when companies design graphics that are either too complicated or too unique—so they don't have any meaning to the client or prospect looking at them.
Make the most of your graphics by defining your unique brand, then using common shapes and symbols to communicate your brand message. If you're a financial advisor who focuses on helping clients do all the fun things they want to do in their lives, then a bright color palette and energetic shapes like starbursts may be appropriate. But if you're focusing on helping people who don't understand investing to make sound decisions, then circular, trust-building shapes and a more traditional color palette of navy and gold may be more appropriate.
Taking these 4 steps to show your business' unique design, structure and personality will help your business avoid looking too coldly professional. They'll help you to show your prospects and clients what a unique snowflake you really are, and your business will shine.
The Truth About Your Competition
The Truth About Your Competition
Many business owners get very worked up about the issue of "The Competition". But there are many things to keep in mind about "Them" as you define your competition and plan marketing materials that stand out:
Big businesses aren't your only competition. Be sure to think about the smaller businesses that offer similar products or services—sometimes they can be more of an issue than their size indicates.
Your competitors are not just the other businesses that provide similar products or services to yours. Your competition also includes the other things that your customer could purchase to solve their problem, even things that aren't in your immediate field. For example, massage therapists and chiropractors could be in direct competition for relief of back pain. Also, look for alternative solutions that might give your clients more pleasure—for example, a married couple having problems might be more likely to go on a vacation than to seek counseling.
Your competitors are often afraid of you, because you're their competition, too! So, keep that in mind—you don't need to be terribly concerned about them in many cases. Don't make yourself a wreck over it.
Inaction, indecision, and postponement are other often-overlooked competitors. What happens if a client decides not to undertake the project or make the purchase? In these cases, you still don't get the sale, making this a valid form of competition that you should be concerned about.
Your competitors can even help you in many ways:
Direct cooperation: Partnering with your competition can expand the services that you offer, enhance your product offering, and allow you to brainstorm and leverage the knowledge of others in your industry. Cooperation can often be more powerful than competition.
Educating your target market: The competition's articles, websites, and marketing materials can help to educate your clients so that they come to you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision. You can even think of your competition's articles and information as work you don't have to do, as long as you agree with their viewpoint and find their pieces well-written. You could form an alliance with them to sell their information products as an affiliate, and make some extra money that way. Or you could link to their articles from your website to give your visitors more information on your industry.
Creating a stir: Competition between your business and other businesses can generate publicity for your service or product offering, which can generate more perceived need or desire for the things that you offer. You might even get mentioned by name in an article!
Providing information about what you are not: You can contrast your business with well-known competitors to point out what makes you different. By stating how you're different from a competitor who is widely known, you can often more easily express your differentiation.
As you can see, there's more to identifying The Competition than just finding other businesses that offer similar services to yours. You have to consider small and large businesses in your industry, and you have to think about the other businesses that provide other solutions to your clients' problems or give them more pleasure. You also shouldn't worry overly about your competition—they're often concerned about you as well. And watch out for inaction—clients might do nothing instead of purchasing your solution. Finally, remember that your competition can provide you with quite a bit of help—competition doesn't have to be a bad thing!
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Many business owners get very worked up about the issue of "The Competition". But there are many things to keep in mind about "Them" as you define your competition and plan marketing materials that stand out:
Big businesses aren't your only competition. Be sure to think about the smaller businesses that offer similar products or services—sometimes they can be more of an issue than their size indicates.
Your competitors are not just the other businesses that provide similar products or services to yours. Your competition also includes the other things that your customer could purchase to solve their problem, even things that aren't in your immediate field. For example, massage therapists and chiropractors could be in direct competition for relief of back pain. Also, look for alternative solutions that might give your clients more pleasure—for example, a married couple having problems might be more likely to go on a vacation than to seek counseling.
Your competitors are often afraid of you, because you're their competition, too! So, keep that in mind—you don't need to be terribly concerned about them in many cases. Don't make yourself a wreck over it.
Inaction, indecision, and postponement are other often-overlooked competitors. What happens if a client decides not to undertake the project or make the purchase? In these cases, you still don't get the sale, making this a valid form of competition that you should be concerned about.
Your competitors can even help you in many ways:
Direct cooperation: Partnering with your competition can expand the services that you offer, enhance your product offering, and allow you to brainstorm and leverage the knowledge of others in your industry. Cooperation can often be more powerful than competition.
Educating your target market: The competition's articles, websites, and marketing materials can help to educate your clients so that they come to you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision. You can even think of your competition's articles and information as work you don't have to do, as long as you agree with their viewpoint and find their pieces well-written. You could form an alliance with them to sell their information products as an affiliate, and make some extra money that way. Or you could link to their articles from your website to give your visitors more information on your industry.
Creating a stir: Competition between your business and other businesses can generate publicity for your service or product offering, which can generate more perceived need or desire for the things that you offer. You might even get mentioned by name in an article!
Providing information about what you are not: You can contrast your business with well-known competitors to point out what makes you different. By stating how you're different from a competitor who is widely known, you can often more easily express your differentiation.
As you can see, there's more to identifying The Competition than just finding other businesses that offer similar services to yours. You have to consider small and large businesses in your industry, and you have to think about the other businesses that provide other solutions to your clients' problems or give them more pleasure. You also shouldn't worry overly about your competition—they're often concerned about you as well. And watch out for inaction—clients might do nothing instead of purchasing your solution. Finally, remember that your competition can provide you with quite a bit of help—competition doesn't have to be a bad thing!
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
The Great Fear Of Niching... And Why You Need to Get Over It
Do you find yourself offering a wide range of products and services, trying to offer anything that you can to everyone that you meet?
I certainly did, when I started my business! I offered every service that I thought I could perform—from design, to CD burning, to printing (off of my home inkjet printer!), to typing and transcription. Once, I even helped a family pack for a move—I had the spare time in my schedule, and it paid a few bucks!
I thought that this approach would bring me more business. It certainly kept me busy—thinking up new services to offer, finding clients for those services, and learning how to do them. But being busy is different from being successful. Since I didn't appear to be an expert in any of the services that I offered, I was not able to convince my clients that I should be paid well for then. After a while, I decided that this was not the best plan.
But I was scared to offer fewer services—what if I couldn't find enough work in a single specialty to support myself? What if I wasn't the best in the field that I chose? What if I got bored only offering just one service? All of these fears made me really hesitant to narrow my offerings. I even argued about it with my business coaches and advisors.
Finally, I decided to narrow the services that I offered in my marketing materials. I started talking about just logo designs and stationery sets in my 20-second commercial, on my website, and in my marketing flyers. This helped my clients to focus on the services that I could best deliver to them—I closed more sales with ease, and got more referrals from both clients and casual contacts.
This type of narrowing and focus is known as niching. It helped me to concentrate on developing clear marketing materials about specific services, and to create better processes for delivering them. Niching also helped me to focus on my own business—it helped me to decide which products and services I can best deliver, and what I should outsource or just not quote at all!
Next, I got really brave and narrowed things a bit more—I promoted only logo designs, and only to small businesses. At this point, things really took off! Not only did the previously noted benefits increase, but also, now that I could really focus on my clients' specific problems, I became an expert in their exact needs. Once I gained this expertise and could speak directly to a real need, my services gained a lot of value... and I was able to raise my rates to reflect that targeted value.
Narrowing your services in this way is called niching. By narrowing the types of services you offer, you niche horizontally. By narrowing the types of businesses to which you offer your services, you niche vertically. Using both types of niching is the most specific and targeted way to niche.
Developing a niching strategy didn't mean that I didn't offer any other services—I still design marketing materials and websites, and I even offer stand-alone website coding. But until I established and grew my expertise in one area, I stuck to marketing just that one service. If a client needed additional services, I was happy to provide them. Other clients even came to me specifically for websites or brochures from time to time. So while I did limit the services that I actively promoted, I didn't limit the types of projects that I delivered... or the income I was able to bring in.
Differentiation can also help you to focus in your own business—it can help you to decide which products and services you can best deliver, and what you should outsource.
So, instead of trying to be everything to everyone, I recommend that you try niching your services. It will help your clients to focus on and identify the services that you offer, and it will help you to develop deep expertise in a single area... and niching will help you to raise your rates and create a profitable business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
I certainly did, when I started my business! I offered every service that I thought I could perform—from design, to CD burning, to printing (off of my home inkjet printer!), to typing and transcription. Once, I even helped a family pack for a move—I had the spare time in my schedule, and it paid a few bucks!
I thought that this approach would bring me more business. It certainly kept me busy—thinking up new services to offer, finding clients for those services, and learning how to do them. But being busy is different from being successful. Since I didn't appear to be an expert in any of the services that I offered, I was not able to convince my clients that I should be paid well for then. After a while, I decided that this was not the best plan.
But I was scared to offer fewer services—what if I couldn't find enough work in a single specialty to support myself? What if I wasn't the best in the field that I chose? What if I got bored only offering just one service? All of these fears made me really hesitant to narrow my offerings. I even argued about it with my business coaches and advisors.
Finally, I decided to narrow the services that I offered in my marketing materials. I started talking about just logo designs and stationery sets in my 20-second commercial, on my website, and in my marketing flyers. This helped my clients to focus on the services that I could best deliver to them—I closed more sales with ease, and got more referrals from both clients and casual contacts.
This type of narrowing and focus is known as niching. It helped me to concentrate on developing clear marketing materials about specific services, and to create better processes for delivering them. Niching also helped me to focus on my own business—it helped me to decide which products and services I can best deliver, and what I should outsource or just not quote at all!
Next, I got really brave and narrowed things a bit more—I promoted only logo designs, and only to small businesses. At this point, things really took off! Not only did the previously noted benefits increase, but also, now that I could really focus on my clients' specific problems, I became an expert in their exact needs. Once I gained this expertise and could speak directly to a real need, my services gained a lot of value... and I was able to raise my rates to reflect that targeted value.
Narrowing your services in this way is called niching. By narrowing the types of services you offer, you niche horizontally. By narrowing the types of businesses to which you offer your services, you niche vertically. Using both types of niching is the most specific and targeted way to niche.
Developing a niching strategy didn't mean that I didn't offer any other services—I still design marketing materials and websites, and I even offer stand-alone website coding. But until I established and grew my expertise in one area, I stuck to marketing just that one service. If a client needed additional services, I was happy to provide them. Other clients even came to me specifically for websites or brochures from time to time. So while I did limit the services that I actively promoted, I didn't limit the types of projects that I delivered... or the income I was able to bring in.
Differentiation can also help you to focus in your own business—it can help you to decide which products and services you can best deliver, and what you should outsource.
So, instead of trying to be everything to everyone, I recommend that you try niching your services. It will help your clients to focus on and identify the services that you offer, and it will help you to develop deep expertise in a single area... and niching will help you to raise your rates and create a profitable business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
How to Determine Whether YOU've Chosen a Good Niche
How to Determine Whether You've Chosen a Good Niche
Choosing a niche—a small, focused target market—for your services can be very beneficial to your business. It will help your clients to focus on and identify the services that you offer, and it will help you to develop deep expertise in a single area—and "niching" will help you to raise your rates and create a successful business.
But to maximize the benefits you'll get, you want to make sure that you choose a good niche. To niche well, there are several questions to consider:
Can potential customers in your target market afford your services? If you're offering a high-ticket item to a target audience that doesn't have much money, then you can run into trouble. Or if your target audience doesn't control the buying decision or isn't authorized to meet the cost of your product or service, that can also lead to trouble. In these cases, you might explore packaging your services in a more affordable way, creating payment options, or choosing a new targeted niche market that will be easier to sell to.
Do they put value on your services, and will they be willing to buy? Do they think that they your services? Even if your target audience is able to afford your services, they have to also feel that your services have value to them and that they need those services. If they think that your services would not improve their lives or businesses, then they're unlikely to make the purchase. Likewise, if your customers think that they can do it themselves, or that they don't have a need that your services will fill, then they won't make a purchase.
Do they understand your services? If your target audience doesn't understand what you do—if it's too technical or esoteric for them to even understand what you're selling or why they might want or need it—then you'll have a very tough time making any sales at all. Make sure that your target audience can at least be taught to understand your products or services and the benefits they provide.
How hard is it to find the people who are in your target market? If you can't find the people who will make up your target audience, then they likely cannot find you and your offering. For example, the easier it is to find networking groups or mailing lists that have large populations of people in your target market, the easier it will be to market to them by speaking at events and sending out direct mails.
Are there a lot of other competing providers in your niche? If so, is there enough market for you? If the target you're marketing to is served by many other providers, then it might be difficult to capture enough market share to sustain your business.
Is this niche within your abilities to deliver, and are you credible in it? Do you have experience serving this niche... or can you get that initial experience easily? Some ways to do this include through pro-bono work, discounts, or aligning with a professional organization to offer discounts to its members. You might also be able to read about the industry you're planning to market to, to learn more about the specific problems and challenges they face.
Is the niche big enough to sustain your business? Are there enough potential customer companies or enough need in that industry that you plan to serve? If you choose a very specific niche, you might find that there are just a few companies that you could serve. If that's the case, you might want to widen your niche.
If your niche fits these criteria, then it's likely that you've created a great niche, one in which you will make more sales and grow your business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Choosing a niche—a small, focused target market—for your services can be very beneficial to your business. It will help your clients to focus on and identify the services that you offer, and it will help you to develop deep expertise in a single area—and "niching" will help you to raise your rates and create a successful business.
But to maximize the benefits you'll get, you want to make sure that you choose a good niche. To niche well, there are several questions to consider:
Can potential customers in your target market afford your services? If you're offering a high-ticket item to a target audience that doesn't have much money, then you can run into trouble. Or if your target audience doesn't control the buying decision or isn't authorized to meet the cost of your product or service, that can also lead to trouble. In these cases, you might explore packaging your services in a more affordable way, creating payment options, or choosing a new targeted niche market that will be easier to sell to.
Do they put value on your services, and will they be willing to buy? Do they think that they your services? Even if your target audience is able to afford your services, they have to also feel that your services have value to them and that they need those services. If they think that your services would not improve their lives or businesses, then they're unlikely to make the purchase. Likewise, if your customers think that they can do it themselves, or that they don't have a need that your services will fill, then they won't make a purchase.
Do they understand your services? If your target audience doesn't understand what you do—if it's too technical or esoteric for them to even understand what you're selling or why they might want or need it—then you'll have a very tough time making any sales at all. Make sure that your target audience can at least be taught to understand your products or services and the benefits they provide.
How hard is it to find the people who are in your target market? If you can't find the people who will make up your target audience, then they likely cannot find you and your offering. For example, the easier it is to find networking groups or mailing lists that have large populations of people in your target market, the easier it will be to market to them by speaking at events and sending out direct mails.
Are there a lot of other competing providers in your niche? If so, is there enough market for you? If the target you're marketing to is served by many other providers, then it might be difficult to capture enough market share to sustain your business.
Is this niche within your abilities to deliver, and are you credible in it? Do you have experience serving this niche... or can you get that initial experience easily? Some ways to do this include through pro-bono work, discounts, or aligning with a professional organization to offer discounts to its members. You might also be able to read about the industry you're planning to market to, to learn more about the specific problems and challenges they face.
Is the niche big enough to sustain your business? Are there enough potential customer companies or enough need in that industry that you plan to serve? If you choose a very specific niche, you might find that there are just a few companies that you could serve. If that's the case, you might want to widen your niche.
If your niche fits these criteria, then it's likely that you've created a great niche, one in which you will make more sales and grow your business.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Define Your Difference
Define Your Difference
To Stand Out and Make Your Business Shine
Thoughtfully defining your business—and your differentiation—will help you to understand who you are, what you do, and what makes you different. Not many small businesses take the time to answer those core questions about their business, but those answers are essential to creating a strong brand identity, focused messaging, and effective marketing materials. Having these will make a stronger impression on your target audience—once you stand out, they'll be more likely to remember you when they have a need for your products or services.
Taking this step will make you stand out from your competition. Just think of your competition—and how they communicate about and market their businesses. So many people are out promoting their business without knowing these basic facts about their businesses, that if you have these elements in place, you'll outshine your competition.
In order to define your business's difference, you need to:
Determine your business's characteristics:
Who You Are: What is your business all about? What is your mission, and what are your values?
What You Do: What are the unique services and/or products that you offer?
Study and contrast your business with the competition:
Who Is Your Competition: Who offers the same or similar services or products as you? Who are you consistently quoting your service against, or competing with for shelf space? These are your closest competitors, the ones with which you should be most concerned in the definition process.
What Makes You Different: How are you different from those competitors? Do you have a specific area of specialty, either in the industry that you serve, problem that you solve, or the service/product that you provide? Do you serve a certain geographic area? Be careful to avoid the differentiators "better," "faster," and "cheaper"—they're either too subjective or too difficult to maintain as your business grows and matures. Your differentiators should stay with you for the life of your business.
Plan for your best customers:
Who You Can Best Help: Determine who makes up your target market. It's best to determine both their demographics—facts like age, race, sex, occupation—and their psychographics—their motivations, hobbies, desires, and other factors that make up their personality.
How Best to Reach Them: Once you know who you want to help, the next step is to determine how to let them know that you can help them. This means determining how to market your business and which types of media are best to get your message out.
Which Differentiators Will Compel Them: Creating differentiators will also help your target clients to identify with you. If you tell them that you specialize in their industry and their problem, then they're much more likely to hire you.
Defining Your Difference by answering all of these questions allows you to thoroughly understand your business and to better communicate with your customers. When you are specific about what you do differently from your competition, customers can easily identify you as the most appropriate business to meet their needs. It truly simplifies your marketing, promotional, and passive income processes.
And, when you Define Your Difference first, before creating your brand or marketing materials, you will ensure that your brand and marketing efforts will make you stand out from your competition just by communicating these elements of your Brand Differentiation.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
To Stand Out and Make Your Business Shine
Thoughtfully defining your business—and your differentiation—will help you to understand who you are, what you do, and what makes you different. Not many small businesses take the time to answer those core questions about their business, but those answers are essential to creating a strong brand identity, focused messaging, and effective marketing materials. Having these will make a stronger impression on your target audience—once you stand out, they'll be more likely to remember you when they have a need for your products or services.
Taking this step will make you stand out from your competition. Just think of your competition—and how they communicate about and market their businesses. So many people are out promoting their business without knowing these basic facts about their businesses, that if you have these elements in place, you'll outshine your competition.
In order to define your business's difference, you need to:
Determine your business's characteristics:
Who You Are: What is your business all about? What is your mission, and what are your values?
What You Do: What are the unique services and/or products that you offer?
Study and contrast your business with the competition:
Who Is Your Competition: Who offers the same or similar services or products as you? Who are you consistently quoting your service against, or competing with for shelf space? These are your closest competitors, the ones with which you should be most concerned in the definition process.
What Makes You Different: How are you different from those competitors? Do you have a specific area of specialty, either in the industry that you serve, problem that you solve, or the service/product that you provide? Do you serve a certain geographic area? Be careful to avoid the differentiators "better," "faster," and "cheaper"—they're either too subjective or too difficult to maintain as your business grows and matures. Your differentiators should stay with you for the life of your business.
Plan for your best customers:
Who You Can Best Help: Determine who makes up your target market. It's best to determine both their demographics—facts like age, race, sex, occupation—and their psychographics—their motivations, hobbies, desires, and other factors that make up their personality.
How Best to Reach Them: Once you know who you want to help, the next step is to determine how to let them know that you can help them. This means determining how to market your business and which types of media are best to get your message out.
Which Differentiators Will Compel Them: Creating differentiators will also help your target clients to identify with you. If you tell them that you specialize in their industry and their problem, then they're much more likely to hire you.
Defining Your Difference by answering all of these questions allows you to thoroughly understand your business and to better communicate with your customers. When you are specific about what you do differently from your competition, customers can easily identify you as the most appropriate business to meet their needs. It truly simplifies your marketing, promotional, and passive income processes.
And, when you Define Your Difference first, before creating your brand or marketing materials, you will ensure that your brand and marketing efforts will make you stand out from your competition just by communicating these elements of your Brand Differentiation.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Branding Is Like A Fairy Tale... By Erin Ferree
"Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a little girl who wore a red hood everywhere she went.
One day, her mother sent her to her grandmother's house in the next village, with some goodies in a basket. In order to get there, the little girl had to go through the woods. And, in the woods, she met a big, bad wolf. The wolf wanted to eat her up right there, but there were some woodcutters not so far off who would have chopped him to bits, so instead, he started talking to her.
"Where are you going with all those nice goodies?" the wolf asked. Now, the little girl didn't know that wolves were scary, and had no idea that one would want to eat her up. So, she told the wolf all about her grandmother's house, and the goodies, and whatever else she could think of.
The wolf took this information and raced to the grandmother's house, where he immediately ate the grandmother up. Then the wolf got dressed in her clothes and climbed into the grandmother's bed, and waited for the little girl, who would be much tastier than the old woman.
Finally the little girl arrived. They had a nice conversation about how big grandma's ears had gotten, and her teeth, and how well suited the wolf's mouth was for eating up little girls. And, finally, he got to eat the little girl all up."
It may not seem like the story of Little Red Riding Hood has much of a parallel to your business's brand. But, a good brand can be a lot like a story. Instead of being a story of a little girl going on a journey, and overcoming different challenges, the brand is the story of how you take your customer from just learning about your business to becoming a customer.
"Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a little girl who wore a red hood everywhere she went."
This is what the introduction to your brand should look like. Notice that instead of trying to tell you all of the details about what's going to happen in the story, this story picks out just a couple of important details. And, one of those details — the red hood — is a big differentiator for the main character.
This is what the first introduction to your business — your main brand statement — needs to look like. Instead of trying to tell your clients every detail about your business and creating a confusing introduction, stick to the must-know facts — and if there's a differentiating factor in there, then that can be a big help.
"One day, her mother sent her to her grandmother's house in the next village, with some goodies in a basket. In order to get there, the little girl had to go through the woods. And, in the woods, she met a big, bad wolf. The wolf wanted to eat her up right there, but there were some woodcutters not so far off who would have chopped him to bits, so instead, he started talking to her."
Now, here's a bit of background — the situation that all this is set in. Plus, you've got the first problem statement — what big, bad wolf do you help your clients tackle?
"'Where are you going with all those nice goodies?' the wolf asked. Now, the little girl didn't know that wolves were scary, and had no idea that one would want to eat her up. So, she told the wolf all about her grandmother's house, and the goodies, and whatever else she could think of."
This section parallels how you should ask your clients questions about their needs, wants and problems, in order to uncover how you can really help them (not eat them up!)
"The wolf took this information and raced to the grandmother's house, where he immediately ate the grandmother up. Then the wolf got dressed in her clothes and climbed into the grandmother's bed, and waited for the little girl, who would be much tastier than the old woman."
Now, this is a bit extreme — you don't want to take the feedback you get from your customers and use it to trap them. But, you should write your brand statements and marketing packages to address their needs, in their words. And, think about who your best (tastiest) clients are — and how you can set yourself up to fill their expectations.
"Finally the little girl arrived. They had a nice conversation about how big grandma's ears had gotten, and her teeth, and how well suited the wolf's mouth was for eating up little girls. And, finally, he got to eat the little girl all up."
Again, tell your clients what characteristics make you stand out — this may be your personality, your services, your differentiators, or the type of client you specialize in serving. While you probably don't want to eat your clients all up, you do want to form a good business relationship with them, by letting them know what to expect beforehand. And, telling them what makes you stand out can make the job of sales and of working with them easier for you.
What does your business's fairy tale look like? And how can you create a story that you can tell to your clients to help you live "happily ever after" together?
Focus Your Definition
As a small business owner, you're passionate about your business. You think about your business all the time. You constantly get ideas on how to improve it, changes to make, and more and more details about your business. You wake up in the middle of the night, inspired. You have huge brainstorms during conversations with your clients.
Soon you have a giant pile of important details that you want — no, need! — to tell your clients and prospects about your business. So you march straight to your marketing materials and website and fill them up with all of this great information.
You have so much important information that soon all of your marketing materials are crammed full of text and information. Your margins are disappearing and your designer is using smaller and smaller type sizes. Materials that used to be gorgeous and well laid-out are now looking cramped and unappealing. And your web pages just keep getting longer and longer... scroll, scroll, scroll!
Most small business owners have this problem. They are so excited about their business and everything they can do for their clients. They make the mistake of putting it all into their marketing materials.
You want to tell the world about everything you can possibly do to help your clients!
The problem is that it usually comes out looking like a big mess. And when your clients read your materials, they get confused. You don't want confused clients! You want them to feel comfortable, confident and to have their questions answered.
What questions do we need to answer? When a client looks at your marketing pieces they're trying to figure out a few basic things about your company. Here's what runs through their mind:
Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
Do they want and need what you do?
Should they work with you instead of someone else?
Are you really good enough for them to give you their hard-earned money?
Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money?
Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
If you're presenting a big list of all the great things about your company, there's a good chance they'll have a hard time pulling the answers out of your materials.
Instead, help your clients by making it easy for them to find the answers to their questions. The best way to do this is to create a Brand Definition.
A Brand Definition gives your clients the information needed to answer their questions. A Brand Definition is made up of four elements. These four elements map directly to the needs and concerns in your client's mind:
Who You Are: Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
What You Do: Do they want and need what you do?
What Makes You Different: Should they work with you instead of someone else? Are you really good enough for them to give you their big pile of hard-earned money?
Who You Can Best Help: Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money? Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
The key to answering these questions well is making sure that your Brand Definition in each area is succinct, clear and focused. The narrower the Definition of each element, the clearer you'll be able to communicate. And when you communicate clearly, instead of rambling on, the easier it is for your client to figure out what you are talking about. They can then decide quickly and painlessly whether or not you're a good fit.
Steps to figuring out a clear Brand Definition:
Do a "brain dump" of all of your thoughts about your business for all four elements. You can do this organically by thinking about your business and scribbling down all the answers. Or, for a more organized and effective approach, check out my Define Your Difference Branding Workbook at http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html.
Go through the Workbook. Carefully refine and condense your thoughts for each element. You want to pull out the essence of the four elements of your Brand Definition. It can be very hard to do this yourself when you're right in the middle of your brand. It can be hard to see what is most important and effective. Friends, colleagues and hired help can assist you with this.
Summarize your answers for each area down to a single sentence. Be very clear and concise about this step.
Test this Brand Definition on some members of your target audience to make sure that they both understand and are interested in it. If not, revisit steps 2 and 3 to make your definition more effective.
Now celebrate — you've done it!
You now have a brand definition you can use to create your Brand Identity, Brand Messaging and base your Brand Service on. Remember to look at this document often. Live by it so you can create a consistent business going forward.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Soon you have a giant pile of important details that you want — no, need! — to tell your clients and prospects about your business. So you march straight to your marketing materials and website and fill them up with all of this great information.
You have so much important information that soon all of your marketing materials are crammed full of text and information. Your margins are disappearing and your designer is using smaller and smaller type sizes. Materials that used to be gorgeous and well laid-out are now looking cramped and unappealing. And your web pages just keep getting longer and longer... scroll, scroll, scroll!
Most small business owners have this problem. They are so excited about their business and everything they can do for their clients. They make the mistake of putting it all into their marketing materials.
You want to tell the world about everything you can possibly do to help your clients!
The problem is that it usually comes out looking like a big mess. And when your clients read your materials, they get confused. You don't want confused clients! You want them to feel comfortable, confident and to have their questions answered.
What questions do we need to answer? When a client looks at your marketing pieces they're trying to figure out a few basic things about your company. Here's what runs through their mind:
Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
Do they want and need what you do?
Should they work with you instead of someone else?
Are you really good enough for them to give you their hard-earned money?
Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money?
Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
If you're presenting a big list of all the great things about your company, there's a good chance they'll have a hard time pulling the answers out of your materials.
Instead, help your clients by making it easy for them to find the answers to their questions. The best way to do this is to create a Brand Definition.
A Brand Definition gives your clients the information needed to answer their questions. A Brand Definition is made up of four elements. These four elements map directly to the needs and concerns in your client's mind:
Who You Are: Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
What You Do: Do they want and need what you do?
What Makes You Different: Should they work with you instead of someone else? Are you really good enough for them to give you their big pile of hard-earned money?
Who You Can Best Help: Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money? Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
The key to answering these questions well is making sure that your Brand Definition in each area is succinct, clear and focused. The narrower the Definition of each element, the clearer you'll be able to communicate. And when you communicate clearly, instead of rambling on, the easier it is for your client to figure out what you are talking about. They can then decide quickly and painlessly whether or not you're a good fit.
Steps to figuring out a clear Brand Definition:
Do a "brain dump" of all of your thoughts about your business for all four elements. You can do this organically by thinking about your business and scribbling down all the answers. Or, for a more organized and effective approach, check out my Define Your Difference Branding Workbook at http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html.
Go through the Workbook. Carefully refine and condense your thoughts for each element. You want to pull out the essence of the four elements of your Brand Definition. It can be very hard to do this yourself when you're right in the middle of your brand. It can be hard to see what is most important and effective. Friends, colleagues and hired help can assist you with this.
Summarize your answers for each area down to a single sentence. Be very clear and concise about this step.
Test this Brand Definition on some members of your target audience to make sure that they both understand and are interested in it. If not, revisit steps 2 and 3 to make your definition more effective.
Now celebrate — you've done it!
You now have a brand definition you can use to create your Brand Identity, Brand Messaging and base your Brand Service on. Remember to look at this document often. Live by it so you can create a consistent business going forward.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Focus Your Definition
As a small business owner, you're passionate about your business. You think about your business all the time. You constantly get ideas on how to improve it, changes to make, and more and more details about your business. You wake up in the middle of the night, inspired. You have huge brainstorms during conversations with your clients.
Soon you have a giant pile of important details that you want — no, need! — to tell your clients and prospects about your business. So you march straight to your marketing materials and website and fill them up with all of this great information.
You have so much important information that soon all of your marketing materials are crammed full of text and information. Your margins are disappearing and your designer is using smaller and smaller type sizes. Materials that used to be gorgeous and well laid-out are now looking cramped and unappealing. And your web pages just keep getting longer and longer... scroll, scroll, scroll!
Most small business owners have this problem. They are so excited about their business and everything they can do for their clients. They make the mistake of putting it all into their marketing materials.
You want to tell the world about everything you can possibly do to help your clients!
The problem is that it usually comes out looking like a big mess. And when your clients read your materials, they get confused. You don't want confused clients! You want them to feel comfortable, confident and to have their questions answered.
What questions do we need to answer? When a client looks at your marketing pieces they're trying to figure out a few basic things about your company. Here's what runs through their mind:
Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
Do they want and need what you do?
Should they work with you instead of someone else?
Are you really good enough for them to give you their hard-earned money?
Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money?
Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
If you're presenting a big list of all the great things about your company, there's a good chance they'll have a hard time pulling the answers out of your materials.
Instead, help your clients by making it easy for them to find the answers to their questions. The best way to do this is to create a Brand Definition.
A Brand Definition gives your clients the information needed to answer their questions. A Brand Definition is made up of four elements. These four elements map directly to the needs and concerns in your client's mind:
Who You Are: Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
What You Do: Do they want and need what you do?
What Makes You Different: Should they work with you instead of someone else? Are you really good enough for them to give you their big pile of hard-earned money?
Who You Can Best Help: Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money? Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
The key to answering these questions well is making sure that your Brand Definition in each area is succinct, clear and focused. The narrower the Definition of each element, the clearer you'll be able to communicate. And when you communicate clearly, instead of rambling on, the easier it is for your client to figure out what you are talking about. They can then decide quickly and painlessly whether or not you're a good fit.
Steps to figuring out a clear Brand Definition:
Do a "brain dump" of all of your thoughts about your business for all four elements. You can do this organically by thinking about your business and scribbling down all the answers. Or, for a more organized and effective approach, check out my Define Your Difference Branding Workbook at http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html.
Go through the Workbook. Carefully refine and condense your thoughts for each element. You want to pull out the essence of the four elements of your Brand Definition. It can be very hard to do this yourself when you're right in the middle of your brand. It can be hard to see what is most important and effective. Friends, colleagues and hired help can assist you with this.
Summarize your answers for each area down to a single sentence. Be very clear and concise about this step.
Test this Brand Definition on some members of your target audience to make sure that they both understand and are interested in it. If not, revisit steps 2 and 3 to make your definition more effective.
Now celebrate — you've done it!
You now have a brand definition you can use to create your Brand Identity, Brand Messaging and base your Brand Service on. Remember to look at this document often. Live by it so you can create a consistent business going forward.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Soon you have a giant pile of important details that you want — no, need! — to tell your clients and prospects about your business. So you march straight to your marketing materials and website and fill them up with all of this great information.
You have so much important information that soon all of your marketing materials are crammed full of text and information. Your margins are disappearing and your designer is using smaller and smaller type sizes. Materials that used to be gorgeous and well laid-out are now looking cramped and unappealing. And your web pages just keep getting longer and longer... scroll, scroll, scroll!
Most small business owners have this problem. They are so excited about their business and everything they can do for their clients. They make the mistake of putting it all into their marketing materials.
You want to tell the world about everything you can possibly do to help your clients!
The problem is that it usually comes out looking like a big mess. And when your clients read your materials, they get confused. You don't want confused clients! You want them to feel comfortable, confident and to have their questions answered.
What questions do we need to answer? When a client looks at your marketing pieces they're trying to figure out a few basic things about your company. Here's what runs through their mind:
Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
Do they want and need what you do?
Should they work with you instead of someone else?
Are you really good enough for them to give you their hard-earned money?
Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money?
Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
If you're presenting a big list of all the great things about your company, there's a good chance they'll have a hard time pulling the answers out of your materials.
Instead, help your clients by making it easy for them to find the answers to their questions. The best way to do this is to create a Brand Definition.
A Brand Definition gives your clients the information needed to answer their questions. A Brand Definition is made up of four elements. These four elements map directly to the needs and concerns in your client's mind:
Who You Are: Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?
What You Do: Do they want and need what you do?
What Makes You Different: Should they work with you instead of someone else? Are you really good enough for them to give you their big pile of hard-earned money?
Who You Can Best Help: Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money? Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation?
The key to answering these questions well is making sure that your Brand Definition in each area is succinct, clear and focused. The narrower the Definition of each element, the clearer you'll be able to communicate. And when you communicate clearly, instead of rambling on, the easier it is for your client to figure out what you are talking about. They can then decide quickly and painlessly whether or not you're a good fit.
Steps to figuring out a clear Brand Definition:
Do a "brain dump" of all of your thoughts about your business for all four elements. You can do this organically by thinking about your business and scribbling down all the answers. Or, for a more organized and effective approach, check out my Define Your Difference Branding Workbook at http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html.
Go through the Workbook. Carefully refine and condense your thoughts for each element. You want to pull out the essence of the four elements of your Brand Definition. It can be very hard to do this yourself when you're right in the middle of your brand. It can be hard to see what is most important and effective. Friends, colleagues and hired help can assist you with this.
Summarize your answers for each area down to a single sentence. Be very clear and concise about this step.
Test this Brand Definition on some members of your target audience to make sure that they both understand and are interested in it. If not, revisit steps 2 and 3 to make your definition more effective.
Now celebrate — you've done it!
You now have a brand definition you can use to create your Brand Identity, Brand Messaging and base your Brand Service on. Remember to look at this document often. Live by it so you can create a consistent business going forward.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
The Four Red Light factors for Your Business Brand By Erin Ferree
Where I live, there are 4 traffic lights between my house and the main road. So, before I can really get on my way in any journey, I usually have to stop, no matter where I'm going. Some days, I even have to stop and wait at all 4 lights. All this stopping and waiting gets tiresome—but it pays off by getting me safely to my destination.
Branding your business can be a lot like these traffic lights. There are certain things you must decide before you can really get started on the fun part—drawing your logo and designing your marketing materials. Frustrating, but making these decisions is a necessary part of making sure that you will create your brand correctly.
Making decisions about the 4 following Brand Definition factors does make you stop and wait a bit but ensures that you proceed through the branding process safely and create a brand that will help your business to reach its goals safely and comfortably.
Red Light 1: Who You Are
You need to know what your business's personality is, and how it is different from your personality. Which is always a tough question for a very small business of one or two people to answer. Ask yourself which pieces of your personality get shown to your clients and which you reserve for friends and family.
Also, you have to know why you're in that particular business. Is it because of your expertise or a feeling that you get from working with your customers? What are you trying to create for your customers? For yourself?
If you're clear of your personality and your motivation in your business, then you will be able to be clear when communicating that to your audience.
Red Light 2: What You Do
You can't create your brand until you know what types of services or products you'll be offering. What do you do for your clients?
You also need to know what formats you're offering those in. Are you doing consulting services, offering group trainings, or selling online products or a product that needs to go on the shelf? You may be selling several of those options, and if that's the case, is there one format that you'll concentrate on over the rest? Marketing online products is often a very different project than marketing consulting services, so knowing what you're selling can help inform your brand.
Red Light 3: What Makes You Different
In order to figure this one out, you have to first look at who your competition is. And "I don't have any" isn't a valid answer—that's a very idealistic way to look at things!
You may think that what you do is utterly unique, but your clients don't see it that way. They're always going to be doing research on a few different ways to solve whatever problem they're having—so while you might think that you're unparalleled, that's rarely the case in your clients' eyes (unless they've come to you on a very strong referral).
So, you have to find your competitors—or at least those companies that your clients have you quote against—and then figure out what their Brand Definitions are and how your business is different.
Red Light 4: Who You Can Best Help
To create your brand, you have to know who will be looking at it. Once you know who your audience is, you can take the first 3 red lights and write and design expressly to communicate those factors to that specific audience.
This is another area where entrepreneurs are a bit idealistic and like to say "But, everyone's my target audience!" While that's a nice thought, if you try to create a brand and marketing materials that will appeal to everyone, you'll wind up with bland materials that won't really work for anyone.
Think about the clients that you've had the best results with—and the best relationship with. You want to work with clients who you can really help and who are easy to work with as well.
Now, this process may be hard for people who are just starting their businesses to go through, but that doesn't mean that you can run through these red lights in order to create your brand. Instead, consider just creating some temporary materials until you have at least 6 months to a year in business to look back on to see what habits you've established and how your business really turns out.
Even though waiting to figure out these red lights may be frustrating, it will pay off by building a brand that will get your business to its goals safely and comfortably. Once you've turned all of these red lights to green by answering these questions, you're ready to move on to the "fun" part of designing your brand—drawing your logo and marketing materials.
Branding your business can be a lot like these traffic lights. There are certain things you must decide before you can really get started on the fun part—drawing your logo and designing your marketing materials. Frustrating, but making these decisions is a necessary part of making sure that you will create your brand correctly.
Making decisions about the 4 following Brand Definition factors does make you stop and wait a bit but ensures that you proceed through the branding process safely and create a brand that will help your business to reach its goals safely and comfortably.
Red Light 1: Who You Are
You need to know what your business's personality is, and how it is different from your personality. Which is always a tough question for a very small business of one or two people to answer. Ask yourself which pieces of your personality get shown to your clients and which you reserve for friends and family.
Also, you have to know why you're in that particular business. Is it because of your expertise or a feeling that you get from working with your customers? What are you trying to create for your customers? For yourself?
If you're clear of your personality and your motivation in your business, then you will be able to be clear when communicating that to your audience.
Red Light 2: What You Do
You can't create your brand until you know what types of services or products you'll be offering. What do you do for your clients?
You also need to know what formats you're offering those in. Are you doing consulting services, offering group trainings, or selling online products or a product that needs to go on the shelf? You may be selling several of those options, and if that's the case, is there one format that you'll concentrate on over the rest? Marketing online products is often a very different project than marketing consulting services, so knowing what you're selling can help inform your brand.
Red Light 3: What Makes You Different
In order to figure this one out, you have to first look at who your competition is. And "I don't have any" isn't a valid answer—that's a very idealistic way to look at things!
You may think that what you do is utterly unique, but your clients don't see it that way. They're always going to be doing research on a few different ways to solve whatever problem they're having—so while you might think that you're unparalleled, that's rarely the case in your clients' eyes (unless they've come to you on a very strong referral).
So, you have to find your competitors—or at least those companies that your clients have you quote against—and then figure out what their Brand Definitions are and how your business is different.
Red Light 4: Who You Can Best Help
To create your brand, you have to know who will be looking at it. Once you know who your audience is, you can take the first 3 red lights and write and design expressly to communicate those factors to that specific audience.
This is another area where entrepreneurs are a bit idealistic and like to say "But, everyone's my target audience!" While that's a nice thought, if you try to create a brand and marketing materials that will appeal to everyone, you'll wind up with bland materials that won't really work for anyone.
Think about the clients that you've had the best results with—and the best relationship with. You want to work with clients who you can really help and who are easy to work with as well.
Now, this process may be hard for people who are just starting their businesses to go through, but that doesn't mean that you can run through these red lights in order to create your brand. Instead, consider just creating some temporary materials until you have at least 6 months to a year in business to look back on to see what habits you've established and how your business really turns out.
Even though waiting to figure out these red lights may be frustrating, it will pay off by building a brand that will get your business to its goals safely and comfortably. Once you've turned all of these red lights to green by answering these questions, you're ready to move on to the "fun" part of designing your brand—drawing your logo and marketing materials.
Why Your business Brand Shouldn't Be The Exact Image of You
"Mirror, Mirror on the wall... Who's The Fairest One Of All?" The wicked witch uses this line to ask her magic mirror about her beauty, and time and time again, the mirror always says, "Why, you are, of course!" Then, one day, the mirror answers "There is one fairer than you—and her skin is white as snow." This simple truth sends the witch on a rampage. She disguises herself, poisons poor Snow White, and puts her into a magical coma.
This tale of jealousy and deception cautions children everywhere that nothing good can come of vanity. But if you ask the average small business owner what differentiates their business from the competition, one of the first answers you'll hear is "Why, I do. I'm the best at this in the land!"—or some variation on that refrain.
Vanity is not the "fairest one of all."
Vanity, even when backed by your business acumen or experience, is never pretty. And it's not universally attractive to customers—unless they've worked with you in the past or know you socially. The fact that it's you running your business probably won't mean much to the average new customer.
Customers and prospects are more concerned about their needs, their businesses, and their situations than they are about how good you are. What they want to know is how you're going to help them. And if you're a one-person business, they're likely to be more concerned about the fact that you're the only one there rather than being thrilled about your experience.
And this is where a brand steps in.
Your business brand's job is to take your one-person business and make it seem established and stable—rather than fly-by-night and risky to work with.
A brand should also make your business seem more "businesslike"— and that means credible, dependable, and customer-focused. A business brand can help you position your business as helpful, concerned about clients, and capable of delivering.
Finally, a brand allows you to speak about and present your business as a separate entity—instead of constantly talking about your, you can talk about your business. In other words, a brand helps to take the spotlight off the entrepreneur and give the business a personality of its own. This allows you to do a bit more "crowing" about your business, without seeming as if you are bragging about yourself.
Keys to separating your business brand from you.
1. Think about how big you want your business to eventually be.If you're planning to stay a one-person business, then your business's brand can probably be closer to your own personality than if you're planning to grow your business and eventually hire employees. If you are planning to hire people, make sure that your employees will be able to demonstrate the brand characteristics you choose.
2. Look at other businesses in your industry and how they present their brands.This can help point you in the right direction for your brand and also help you make sure your brand will stand out. Look at the things they talk about and how they talk about their businesses.
See which business's materials and brands you're most drawn to and the lessons or suggestions you can pull from their materials and repurpose for your own. Just don't copy them exactly, or your brand won't be unique. Look at the pictures they use and the words they describe their businesses with—both elements contribute to your brand.
3. Figure out which of your personality traits are most valuable to your business.The best way to do this is to think about your target audience and the reassurance it needs to go from being interested in doing business with you to making the committment.
Some of these traits are likely to be those expected of any business worth working with—fair pricing, good service, and the list goes on and on. So you also need to think about the factors that differentiate you from your competition. You also want to focus on factors that make you appealing to the people you want to hire you.
This is a pretty tall order, but try out your brand on your target audience and see what resonates with them before "carving it into stone"—which, in the case of your brand, means before you print any marketing materials. Test your ideas out with temporary materials or by incorporating them into an elevator pitch at your next networking event. At the very least, call up some of your best clients and run your ideas by them.
4. Consider creating a logo as the face of your business.If you use a photo of yourself as the primary graphic for your business, it suggests you're always going to take personal care of all client accounts—which isn't a message you should send if you're planning to grow your business or hire subcontractors or assistants. Using a photo also brings in the vanity aspect again. "Look at me, I'm here to do business with you." may not be the best message to send.
If you keep these 4 steps in mind and create a brand that leaves you and your vanity out of the picture, your business won't come across as a wicked witch. Instead, you'll create a brand that will make your business "the fairest one of all" to your best clients and help you live happily ever after.
The Author is Erin Ferree. visit www.elf-design.com for more articles!
This tale of jealousy and deception cautions children everywhere that nothing good can come of vanity. But if you ask the average small business owner what differentiates their business from the competition, one of the first answers you'll hear is "Why, I do. I'm the best at this in the land!"—or some variation on that refrain.
Vanity is not the "fairest one of all."
Vanity, even when backed by your business acumen or experience, is never pretty. And it's not universally attractive to customers—unless they've worked with you in the past or know you socially. The fact that it's you running your business probably won't mean much to the average new customer.
Customers and prospects are more concerned about their needs, their businesses, and their situations than they are about how good you are. What they want to know is how you're going to help them. And if you're a one-person business, they're likely to be more concerned about the fact that you're the only one there rather than being thrilled about your experience.
And this is where a brand steps in.
Your business brand's job is to take your one-person business and make it seem established and stable—rather than fly-by-night and risky to work with.
A brand should also make your business seem more "businesslike"— and that means credible, dependable, and customer-focused. A business brand can help you position your business as helpful, concerned about clients, and capable of delivering.
Finally, a brand allows you to speak about and present your business as a separate entity—instead of constantly talking about your, you can talk about your business. In other words, a brand helps to take the spotlight off the entrepreneur and give the business a personality of its own. This allows you to do a bit more "crowing" about your business, without seeming as if you are bragging about yourself.
Keys to separating your business brand from you.
1. Think about how big you want your business to eventually be.If you're planning to stay a one-person business, then your business's brand can probably be closer to your own personality than if you're planning to grow your business and eventually hire employees. If you are planning to hire people, make sure that your employees will be able to demonstrate the brand characteristics you choose.
2. Look at other businesses in your industry and how they present their brands.This can help point you in the right direction for your brand and also help you make sure your brand will stand out. Look at the things they talk about and how they talk about their businesses.
See which business's materials and brands you're most drawn to and the lessons or suggestions you can pull from their materials and repurpose for your own. Just don't copy them exactly, or your brand won't be unique. Look at the pictures they use and the words they describe their businesses with—both elements contribute to your brand.
3. Figure out which of your personality traits are most valuable to your business.The best way to do this is to think about your target audience and the reassurance it needs to go from being interested in doing business with you to making the committment.
Some of these traits are likely to be those expected of any business worth working with—fair pricing, good service, and the list goes on and on. So you also need to think about the factors that differentiate you from your competition. You also want to focus on factors that make you appealing to the people you want to hire you.
This is a pretty tall order, but try out your brand on your target audience and see what resonates with them before "carving it into stone"—which, in the case of your brand, means before you print any marketing materials. Test your ideas out with temporary materials or by incorporating them into an elevator pitch at your next networking event. At the very least, call up some of your best clients and run your ideas by them.
4. Consider creating a logo as the face of your business.If you use a photo of yourself as the primary graphic for your business, it suggests you're always going to take personal care of all client accounts—which isn't a message you should send if you're planning to grow your business or hire subcontractors or assistants. Using a photo also brings in the vanity aspect again. "Look at me, I'm here to do business with you." may not be the best message to send.
If you keep these 4 steps in mind and create a brand that leaves you and your vanity out of the picture, your business won't come across as a wicked witch. Instead, you'll create a brand that will make your business "the fairest one of all" to your best clients and help you live happily ever after.
The Author is Erin Ferree. visit www.elf-design.com for more articles!
THE LAYERS OF YOUR BRAND
Branding is a hot topic in marketing these days, but it's defined in different ways and looked at from different angles. There are many components that make up a brand, and we call each component a Brand Layer.
Here are our definitions of some of the most important Brand Layers:
Brand Foundation
The base from which all brand elements will be created and measured against for accuracy. This layer consists of the following elements:
Brand Vision is your company's plan for itself—how your company wants to appear to the world, and how your company wants to grow and change in coming years.
Brand Mission is what your company wants to create in the world, through its products or services.
Brand Values are those ideas that your company brand stands for and that you believe in—and also what you don't want to and won't do. These values help your potential clients to decide whether you can help them, and they also help you decide who you will help and what you can't offer or deliver. Brand Values are largely an internal measure against which you can process incoming jobs, but they will also be communicated through all of your marketing materials.
Brand Basics
These components of your brand form your business's "face" to the public. Brand Basics shape and direct your customers' views of your business. Telling your customers how you want to be perceived is an essential piece of a Brand Strategy for any small business, and the easiest way for you to do this as a small business owner is through your:
Brand Identity, the suite of visual elements that are used consistently in your marketing, including:
Brand Names of your company and product or service lines
Logo
Visual Vocabulary
Collateral system/stationery set (business card, letterhead, envelope, and so on)
Marketing materials (brochure, postcard, flyer, and so on)
Website
Brand Content, the way you write and talk about your brand, including your:
Marketing Copy
Tagline
30-second Pitch or Elevator Speech
Brand Marketing that integrates both visuals and text about your brand, and that gets your message out to your audience. This is made up of your:
Advertising
Trade shows
Public Relations
All other outreach/marketing programs
Brand Offerings, the products or services that you present, along with the quality, warranties, and value that you include with your products and services.
Brand Experience, the process of working with you as seen from the clients' perspective. But in order to create a positive experience, you have to have a strong foundation of systems, procedures, and processes built in to your business—this is a basic level of professionalism that's expected of every business. Things that factor in here include:
Returning calls
Availability
Turnaround time
Professional interaction and communication
Process
These Brand Basics can also help to shape your Brand Personality, which is the persona that your business projects to the world. This is defined through the way that your brand expresses itself—the characteristics that give your business a life of its own, outside of your own personality.
Competitor Comparison
These components of your brand speak about your business's relation to the competition:
Brand Positioning is basically how your brand compares with that of the competition. There are probably many businesses that provide the services or products that you provide: Brand Positioning determines where your business falls in the continuum of businesses in your field.
Brand Differentiation is another, more specific piece of your Brand Positioning. Your Differentiators are those things that make your business stand out from your competition—the things that you do or offer that are unlike anything your competition offers.
You can control these Competitor Comparison factors through careful market research, market monitoring, and your definition of both your Brand Positioning and Brand Differentiation.
Internal Measures
These components of your brand are defined largely through your business's actions:
Brand Environment is the atmosphere at and within your company.
Brand Promise is the underlying guarantee or benefits that you offer as part of all of your services. These promises can be of quality, service, greatness, affordability, or speed of delivery; regardless, every business presents a Brand Promise to the public, promising what the experience of doing business with them will be like or what benefits the consumer/client will get from doing business with that company. While your Brand Promise is often initially shaped by promises made in your external communications, it must be fully realized through the internal execution of your services.
Brand Values, which are an important part of your Brand Foundation, are also helpful in deciding
External Measures
These components of your brand are defined by the public's perception:
Brand Awareness is the level of public awareness of your brand—who knows who you are and what you do. This is influenced by the strength and effective distribution of your Brand Basics, as well as by word-of-mouth.
Brand Gap is the difference between your Brand Positioning and Differentiation and how your consumers and clients actually view these things.
So, what is a Brand?
Your brand is really the combination of all of the above Brand Layers. A brand is both your presentation and public's perception of your business. It's the way that people think about your business, and it is shaped through all of the layers described above.
Once you've established your brand and started putting your Brand Basics before the public eye, there are some other branding issues you should consider:
Brand Alignment is the biggest challenge in building a brand comes from creating alignment across all of the Brand Layers described above, and in creating that same alignment between your audience and your message: making sure that the message that you're presenting is the same message that your customers and contacts are walking away with.
Brand Management is the process of managing all of the Brand Layers and achieving or maintaining Brand Alignment. It is a constant process; you should check up on your Brand Layers and Brand Alignment from time to time.
When all of your Brand Layers are working together, you'll have a strong Brand that will help your business to grow and prosper.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Here are our definitions of some of the most important Brand Layers:
Brand Foundation
The base from which all brand elements will be created and measured against for accuracy. This layer consists of the following elements:
Brand Vision is your company's plan for itself—how your company wants to appear to the world, and how your company wants to grow and change in coming years.
Brand Mission is what your company wants to create in the world, through its products or services.
Brand Values are those ideas that your company brand stands for and that you believe in—and also what you don't want to and won't do. These values help your potential clients to decide whether you can help them, and they also help you decide who you will help and what you can't offer or deliver. Brand Values are largely an internal measure against which you can process incoming jobs, but they will also be communicated through all of your marketing materials.
Brand Basics
These components of your brand form your business's "face" to the public. Brand Basics shape and direct your customers' views of your business. Telling your customers how you want to be perceived is an essential piece of a Brand Strategy for any small business, and the easiest way for you to do this as a small business owner is through your:
Brand Identity, the suite of visual elements that are used consistently in your marketing, including:
Brand Names of your company and product or service lines
Logo
Visual Vocabulary
Collateral system/stationery set (business card, letterhead, envelope, and so on)
Marketing materials (brochure, postcard, flyer, and so on)
Website
Brand Content, the way you write and talk about your brand, including your:
Marketing Copy
Tagline
30-second Pitch or Elevator Speech
Brand Marketing that integrates both visuals and text about your brand, and that gets your message out to your audience. This is made up of your:
Advertising
Trade shows
Public Relations
All other outreach/marketing programs
Brand Offerings, the products or services that you present, along with the quality, warranties, and value that you include with your products and services.
Brand Experience, the process of working with you as seen from the clients' perspective. But in order to create a positive experience, you have to have a strong foundation of systems, procedures, and processes built in to your business—this is a basic level of professionalism that's expected of every business. Things that factor in here include:
Returning calls
Availability
Turnaround time
Professional interaction and communication
Process
These Brand Basics can also help to shape your Brand Personality, which is the persona that your business projects to the world. This is defined through the way that your brand expresses itself—the characteristics that give your business a life of its own, outside of your own personality.
Competitor Comparison
These components of your brand speak about your business's relation to the competition:
Brand Positioning is basically how your brand compares with that of the competition. There are probably many businesses that provide the services or products that you provide: Brand Positioning determines where your business falls in the continuum of businesses in your field.
Brand Differentiation is another, more specific piece of your Brand Positioning. Your Differentiators are those things that make your business stand out from your competition—the things that you do or offer that are unlike anything your competition offers.
You can control these Competitor Comparison factors through careful market research, market monitoring, and your definition of both your Brand Positioning and Brand Differentiation.
Internal Measures
These components of your brand are defined largely through your business's actions:
Brand Environment is the atmosphere at and within your company.
Brand Promise is the underlying guarantee or benefits that you offer as part of all of your services. These promises can be of quality, service, greatness, affordability, or speed of delivery; regardless, every business presents a Brand Promise to the public, promising what the experience of doing business with them will be like or what benefits the consumer/client will get from doing business with that company. While your Brand Promise is often initially shaped by promises made in your external communications, it must be fully realized through the internal execution of your services.
Brand Values, which are an important part of your Brand Foundation, are also helpful in deciding
External Measures
These components of your brand are defined by the public's perception:
Brand Awareness is the level of public awareness of your brand—who knows who you are and what you do. This is influenced by the strength and effective distribution of your Brand Basics, as well as by word-of-mouth.
Brand Gap is the difference between your Brand Positioning and Differentiation and how your consumers and clients actually view these things.
So, what is a Brand?
Your brand is really the combination of all of the above Brand Layers. A brand is both your presentation and public's perception of your business. It's the way that people think about your business, and it is shaped through all of the layers described above.
Once you've established your brand and started putting your Brand Basics before the public eye, there are some other branding issues you should consider:
Brand Alignment is the biggest challenge in building a brand comes from creating alignment across all of the Brand Layers described above, and in creating that same alignment between your audience and your message: making sure that the message that you're presenting is the same message that your customers and contacts are walking away with.
Brand Management is the process of managing all of the Brand Layers and achieving or maintaining Brand Alignment. It is a constant process; you should check up on your Brand Layers and Brand Alignment from time to time.
When all of your Brand Layers are working together, you'll have a strong Brand that will help your business to grow and prosper.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners and corporate entities across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
WHAT IS A BRAND?
Creating a brand is one of the most important things that you'll do in the establishment of your small business. But defining what "brand" means can be a tricky task. There are so many different approaches to branding a business and so many elements of a brand. The most accurate definition I know is:
A brand is the collection of perceptions that your customer has about your business.
Here's another definition from Wikipedia that goes a little more in-depth into all of the facets of a brand:
In marketing, a brand is the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service. A brand typically includes a name, logo, and other visual elements such as images or symbols. It also encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typically arise in the minds of people. Such people include employees of the brand owner, people involved with distribution, sale or supply of the product or service, and ultimate consumers.
This definition usually makes a small business owner feel rather powerless over their brands. Since, in its' simplest definition, a brand is created in your customers' mind — from their perspective and experiences, it may seem that there isn't a lot that you can do to shape or control the outcome. For example, if a customer has a bad experience, or happens to be in a bad mood when they work with you, there's a good chance that their impression of your company will be less than favorable. However, there are a lot of actions that you can take to influence and to help shape your customers' thoughts about your business, and to work towards making those more positive.
Let's start by looking at how large enterprises approach "branding." Enterprises typically devote a rather substantial budget to "brand-building." Generally, the process of brand-building begins with hiring big thinking branding consultants to define a business's brand. Then, focus groups are conducted with current and potential customers to make sure that the branding is on the right track. After the branding has been refined, corporate messaging will be developed to reinforce the brand, and a brand identity will be designed to visually communicate about the brand. Many enterprises will also put together an advertising and/or public relations campaign to spread the word about their brand and to gain some brand recognition. There are many more activities that large businesses can do to build brand awareness and to create equity in their brands.
But this approach makes branding a particularly difficult task for a small business. Small businesses typically do not have the budget for research, high-priced consultants, and nationwide ad campaigns. And rarely do they have the time or internal resources to devote to the creation and management of a brand. On top of all of this, many of those tasks just aren't appropriate to help small businesses create the results that they need with their brands.
I typically condense small business branding to a much more compact—and economical—package:
Brand Definition: This is the process of defining your business: Who you are, what you do, who you can best help, and what makes you different from your competition. You must have all of these factors well-defined to create an effective brand. If your thoughts in all of these areas aren't clear, concise, and well-put, then you can't hope to effectively direct your customers' thoughts about your business. Worse yet, you might wind up looking like you have "multiple personality syndrome," which can thoroughly confuse your customers.
Brand Identity: also known as the graphic "face" of your business. Small businesses certainly benefit from creating a logo and a consistent set of marketing materials. Forty percent of people better remember what they see as opposed to what they hear or read. So having an iconic logo and a strong visual vocabulary used throughout your materials greatly increases your business's memorability — and makes it more likely that your customers will think about you. The colors, fonts, and symbols that you use throughout your Brand Identity can also communicate your Brand Definition to your customers in a visual way that's more powerful than using words alone.
Brand Messaging: This is the way that you talk about your business. What is the main message that you want to tell people about your business? What do you want them to remember about you, and how would you like them to pass the word along to others they meet? You can influence many of the thoughts that your customers have about you, and how they talk about you, by having consistent messaging in your marketing materials.
Brand Service: This is how you perform your tasks, relate to your customers, and deliver your products or services. Customer service is a part of a company's brand that's often overlooked, because it's not seen as a part of an advertising or marketing campaign. But with the definition of a brand being so customer-focused, keep in mind that the way that you serve your customers is one of your biggest points of contact with them and the experience can really shape their opinions. Make sure that your service and business practices are in-line with your brand, whether you're relating to existing clients or new prospects.
If you address all four of these branding points in your small business, and keep your customers in mind throughout your brand-building efforts, your brand will be an effective way for you to form a connection with your clients and prospects, and will make your business stronger.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
A brand is the collection of perceptions that your customer has about your business.
Here's another definition from Wikipedia that goes a little more in-depth into all of the facets of a brand:
In marketing, a brand is the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service. A brand typically includes a name, logo, and other visual elements such as images or symbols. It also encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typically arise in the minds of people. Such people include employees of the brand owner, people involved with distribution, sale or supply of the product or service, and ultimate consumers.
This definition usually makes a small business owner feel rather powerless over their brands. Since, in its' simplest definition, a brand is created in your customers' mind — from their perspective and experiences, it may seem that there isn't a lot that you can do to shape or control the outcome. For example, if a customer has a bad experience, or happens to be in a bad mood when they work with you, there's a good chance that their impression of your company will be less than favorable. However, there are a lot of actions that you can take to influence and to help shape your customers' thoughts about your business, and to work towards making those more positive.
Let's start by looking at how large enterprises approach "branding." Enterprises typically devote a rather substantial budget to "brand-building." Generally, the process of brand-building begins with hiring big thinking branding consultants to define a business's brand. Then, focus groups are conducted with current and potential customers to make sure that the branding is on the right track. After the branding has been refined, corporate messaging will be developed to reinforce the brand, and a brand identity will be designed to visually communicate about the brand. Many enterprises will also put together an advertising and/or public relations campaign to spread the word about their brand and to gain some brand recognition. There are many more activities that large businesses can do to build brand awareness and to create equity in their brands.
But this approach makes branding a particularly difficult task for a small business. Small businesses typically do not have the budget for research, high-priced consultants, and nationwide ad campaigns. And rarely do they have the time or internal resources to devote to the creation and management of a brand. On top of all of this, many of those tasks just aren't appropriate to help small businesses create the results that they need with their brands.
I typically condense small business branding to a much more compact—and economical—package:
Brand Definition: This is the process of defining your business: Who you are, what you do, who you can best help, and what makes you different from your competition. You must have all of these factors well-defined to create an effective brand. If your thoughts in all of these areas aren't clear, concise, and well-put, then you can't hope to effectively direct your customers' thoughts about your business. Worse yet, you might wind up looking like you have "multiple personality syndrome," which can thoroughly confuse your customers.
Brand Identity: also known as the graphic "face" of your business. Small businesses certainly benefit from creating a logo and a consistent set of marketing materials. Forty percent of people better remember what they see as opposed to what they hear or read. So having an iconic logo and a strong visual vocabulary used throughout your materials greatly increases your business's memorability — and makes it more likely that your customers will think about you. The colors, fonts, and symbols that you use throughout your Brand Identity can also communicate your Brand Definition to your customers in a visual way that's more powerful than using words alone.
Brand Messaging: This is the way that you talk about your business. What is the main message that you want to tell people about your business? What do you want them to remember about you, and how would you like them to pass the word along to others they meet? You can influence many of the thoughts that your customers have about you, and how they talk about you, by having consistent messaging in your marketing materials.
Brand Service: This is how you perform your tasks, relate to your customers, and deliver your products or services. Customer service is a part of a company's brand that's often overlooked, because it's not seen as a part of an advertising or marketing campaign. But with the definition of a brand being so customer-focused, keep in mind that the way that you serve your customers is one of your biggest points of contact with them and the experience can really shape their opinions. Make sure that your service and business practices are in-line with your brand, whether you're relating to existing clients or new prospects.
If you address all four of these branding points in your small business, and keep your customers in mind throughout your brand-building efforts, your brand will be an effective way for you to form a connection with your clients and prospects, and will make your business stronger.
About the Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity and marketing design strategist who creates big visibility for small businesses. Through her customized marketing and brand identity packages, Erin helps her clients discover their brand differentiators, then designs logos, business cards, and other marketing materials and websites to reflect that differentiation, as well as to increase credibility and memorability. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping small business owners stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Hundreds of small business owners across the US and Canada have relied on Erin to create content and visuals that support their brands.
Friday, December 12, 2008
BRINGING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE
Bringing Your Ideas to Life
You've finally stumbled upon it: the next big idea for your life, the next big goal. But what next? What should you do to bring that idea to life? The four steps below provide the answer. Together they make for the perfect start to taking your next big idea from dream to reality.
DEFINE IT:
The first thing you need to do is get clear about what you want. With a pen or pencil in hand, write down exactly what you want. Unfortunately, happiness or success won't do it; you need to paint such a vivid picture that any stranger off the street would have no questions about what you were after.
SEE IT:
You can now read it, but can you see it? Picturing your goals or ideas - working toward and accomplishing them - will go a long way in bringing your idea to life and motivating you to make it happen. Sitting in your most comfortable chair, close your eyes, take a deep breath and see yourself moving toward and enjoying the success of your next big idea.
SHARE IT:
The next step to bringing your idea to life is to share it. However, not just anyone will do; you must choose wisely. Be sure to spread the word only to those who will encourage, support, and challenge you to be your best, not someone who will resent your desire for improvement.
REMEMBER IT:
Life can be, and often is, chaotic. With an endless to-do list and constant demands on your time and energy, it can be easy to lose site of the things that matter most. Placing reminders - written notes, pictures, etc. - around your home or office will keep the next big goal from getting lost in the mix.
by Jason M. Gracia - Motivation123™Get your free Motivation123™ Idea-Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy tips and ideas to help you experience a richer, more rewarding life at the Motivation123™ Web Site. Visit www.motivation123.com today!
You've finally stumbled upon it: the next big idea for your life, the next big goal. But what next? What should you do to bring that idea to life? The four steps below provide the answer. Together they make for the perfect start to taking your next big idea from dream to reality.
DEFINE IT:
The first thing you need to do is get clear about what you want. With a pen or pencil in hand, write down exactly what you want. Unfortunately, happiness or success won't do it; you need to paint such a vivid picture that any stranger off the street would have no questions about what you were after.
SEE IT:
You can now read it, but can you see it? Picturing your goals or ideas - working toward and accomplishing them - will go a long way in bringing your idea to life and motivating you to make it happen. Sitting in your most comfortable chair, close your eyes, take a deep breath and see yourself moving toward and enjoying the success of your next big idea.
SHARE IT:
The next step to bringing your idea to life is to share it. However, not just anyone will do; you must choose wisely. Be sure to spread the word only to those who will encourage, support, and challenge you to be your best, not someone who will resent your desire for improvement.
REMEMBER IT:
Life can be, and often is, chaotic. With an endless to-do list and constant demands on your time and energy, it can be easy to lose site of the things that matter most. Placing reminders - written notes, pictures, etc. - around your home or office will keep the next big goal from getting lost in the mix.
by Jason M. Gracia - Motivation123™Get your free Motivation123™ Idea-Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy tips and ideas to help you experience a richer, more rewarding life at the Motivation123™ Web Site. Visit www.motivation123.com today!
WHERE DO YOU SHINE?
Where Do You Shine?
Money is not the key to happiness.More ‘stuff’ is not the key to happiness.Winning the lottery and spending the rest of your life on a tropical island - while intoxicating to the ear - is not the key to happiness.
What is, on the other hand, is exciting news.Over the past few years, science and psychology have been experiencing quite a shift in focus, thanks to men such as Dr. Martin Seligman. It couldn’t have come too soon.The New PsychologyThrough his work at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Seligman has created an entirely new branch of psychology. Instead of focusing solely on neuroses in life, he decided to study what makes us feel good.Since the first days of his groundbreaking work, positive psychology has definitely caught on.One of the focuses of this branch is - you guessed it - happiness. Through the work of countless positive psychologists, the path to such feelings has become more and more clear.The Key to HappinessThey’ve discovered through their clinical investigations that happiness is tied tightly to your strengths - the things you’re good at.
People have been proven to be happiest when applying their unique skills toward a challenging project or goal.You don’t need millions of dollars or a personal island to be happy. All that you need is already within you.
Discover your strengths, apply them to a challenging goal, and you’ll see for yourself.
by Jason M. Gracia - Motivation123™Get your free Motivation123™ Idea-Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy tips and ideas to help you experience a richer, more rewarding life at the Motivation123™ Web Site. Visit www.motivation123.com today!
Money is not the key to happiness.More ‘stuff’ is not the key to happiness.Winning the lottery and spending the rest of your life on a tropical island - while intoxicating to the ear - is not the key to happiness.
What is, on the other hand, is exciting news.Over the past few years, science and psychology have been experiencing quite a shift in focus, thanks to men such as Dr. Martin Seligman. It couldn’t have come too soon.The New PsychologyThrough his work at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Seligman has created an entirely new branch of psychology. Instead of focusing solely on neuroses in life, he decided to study what makes us feel good.Since the first days of his groundbreaking work, positive psychology has definitely caught on.One of the focuses of this branch is - you guessed it - happiness. Through the work of countless positive psychologists, the path to such feelings has become more and more clear.The Key to HappinessThey’ve discovered through their clinical investigations that happiness is tied tightly to your strengths - the things you’re good at.
People have been proven to be happiest when applying their unique skills toward a challenging project or goal.You don’t need millions of dollars or a personal island to be happy. All that you need is already within you.
Discover your strengths, apply them to a challenging goal, and you’ll see for yourself.
by Jason M. Gracia - Motivation123™Get your free Motivation123™ Idea-Kit filled with dozens of quick and easy tips and ideas to help you experience a richer, more rewarding life at the Motivation123™ Web Site. Visit www.motivation123.com today!
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