Tag : Branding

  • 20 of the Most Favored Social Media Blog Posts of 2010

    Posted Dec 20th, 2010 By in Blogging, Business, Social Media With | 1 Comment

    Here are 20 most read and widely-shared social media blog posts of 2010 on MirnaBard.com. It’s a good time to revisit many of these posts, as they are great reminders when planning for 2011.  Please let me know what your favorite one was in the comments below.

    Thank you for all my supportive readers.  I appreciate you more than you know!

    1. Ask Mirna: What criteria do you suggest people use to select a social media expert?
    2. 7 Signs Your Social Media Consultant is Really an Expert
    3. 15 Categories of Social Media
    4. 21 Twitter Conversation Tips
    5. 99 Favorite Social Media Quotes and Tips
    6. Top 50 Social Media Mistakes Made by Small Businesses
    7. 6 Essential Mindset Shifts for Social Media Success
    8. The 21 Essential C’s of Social Media
    9. How to Write Re-tweetable Tweets in 5 Minutes or Less
    10. 290 Email Spam Trigger Words to Avoid
    11. 4 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand with Social Media
    12. Is Social Media a ‘Get Rich’ Scheme or Competition?
    13. 3 Undeniable Ways to Turn Competitors into Enemies on Social Media Sites
    14. 25 Monitoring Tools That Will Not Cost You a Penny
    15. 11 Key E’s of Social Media
    16. 11 More Key E’s of Social Media
    17. 5 Definite Reasons Why Videos are an Effective Marketing Tool
    18. 7 WordPress Plug-ins to Help You Control Content Scraping
    19. 9 Ways to Reduce Scraping and Catch Blog Post Theft
    20. 7 Simple Social Networking Tips for Business

    Which one of the 20 was your favorite of 2010?

  • How Do I find Ideal Clients in This Economy?

    Posted Aug 16th, 2010 By in Branding, Business With | 4 Comments

    It’s easy to find out who your Ideal Clients are, no matter what the economy is like. Here’s how.

    How do I find ideal clients in this economy? That was a question one attendee asked in a recent panel I hosted, and it’s not the only time I’ve heard such a question. How can I survive in this economy? How can I convince people to buy in this economy? How can I make this work in this economy? The heartache and discouragement rise like a damp mist over the moors.

    The answer comes in two parts:

    1. Stop thinking about the economy. Now, I know that sounds over simplified because everyone these days is stewing over the economy, right? And it is true that some industries naturally falter in tough times. The fine dining business, for example, has been struggling. So, go ahead and take a look at what you’re doing. Is it valid when wallets are tight? Do people still need your coaching? Your advice? Your expertise? Fact is, people need more help in tough times than ever before. So, stop thinking about the economy and start thinking about your perfect prospect. Does he or she still need you? If yes, then move on to #2.
    2. Are you clear on who your Ideal Clients are? That’s Square One in marketing. You need to know your Perfect Prospect no matter what economy you are in. Then you can focus on reaching them and only them. It will add so much power to your marketing that finding them won’t be a problem because they’ll find YOU.

    Finding out who your ideal clients is is easier than you think. If you’re still stumped, think about the one person you love to work with and who gets tremendous value from your services. Start with them.

    Guest Author: Still puzzled about who your perfect prospects are? Pick up your free assessment at http://LetsGetRealmarketing.com.  Award-winning author Rosey Dow is a casting director. She casts the missing clients who will take your business to the next level. That’s why she’s called The Prospect Profiler.

  • Brand-What the Heck is That?

    Posted Jul 12th, 2010 By in Branding, Business With | 3 Comments

    Many people use the word brand quite loosely. So let’s define what a brand is? For many people, a brand is just a logo with a unique identity and nothing else.

    So let’s define what exactly a brand is and how we can use it to position ourselves in this crowded marketplace.

    I was once talking to a brand expert and she said “Several decades ago, perhaps even centuries ago, if people wanted to buy flowers, they would just buy it from a vendor on the street. People were mostly commodity shoppers.”

    Today, the market place is so crowded that almost everybody sells a similar commodity. How do you differentiate one from the other? It could be the exact same product but they could differ in quality and performance. So, now enter brands.

    A brand to me is a reputation and also a personality. People buy based on reputation. If two people went to raise capital in the market one was Warren Buffet and the other was XYZ, most people would invest in Warren Buffet because Warren has built a reputation of being a wise businessman with a great track record in building multi-billion dollar companies. And, nobody has any idea who XYZ is. (more…)

  • 4 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand with Social Media

    Posted Jul 9th, 2010 By in Business, Social Media With | 1 Comment

    Social media is a very powerful tool for allowing businesses to efficiently and economically develop a strong brand presence in the marketplace. This is true not just when it applies to brand outreach, but also brand development at it’s core.

    At Flying Pig Communications, we work with a lot of start-ups and small businesses that are at the forefront of establishing who they are, in the mind of their consumer. These businesses have found amazing success in developing that core brand foundation by relying on social media as their platform.

    Unfortunately social media is so new and omnipresent, it can seem overwhelming. This prevents many business owners from taking advantage of the opportunities it presents them. Never fear…you started a business, you can’t be a coward…here is an easy four step protocol to help any business owner develop a successful social media branding program:

    1) Know Who You Are

    Before embarking on any marketing campaign, but especially a social media one, which operates on such a personal, conversational level, a business must establish a clear vision of the following cornerstones of brand development:

    -What is the goal of your business/service/product? This should have nothing to do with sales or your personal profit/success. This should have everything to do with how your business can make your customer’s life better. Why in the world, with all the many products and services out there, would your customer benefit by choosing you?

    -What makes you unique? Why would your customer choose you over the 15 zillion other ‘you’s’ on the market?

    -What personality do you want to convey? Make your business human. People like working with other people, not other things…and social media gives you the power to develop a voice, literally! Develop a personality for your business and keep it consistent in everything you do. It could be your personality, it could be one you make up….have fun and always consider what will best appeal/resonate with your target audience.

    Just like life, you need to know who you are before you can attract others. Building a brand is more about a snappy logo or catchy slogan. Building a brand is about telling your customer a story about who you are, what you believe in and why they should trust you.

    2) Develop Your Strategy

    Once you feel firm in your answers above, moving on to the actual social media program is easy. Only two questions remain;

    -What social media channels will best help you express who you are.

    -How will you keep it consistent.

    Don’t try to tackle the whole social media sphere in one swoop, more isn’t better, better is better! Choose your poison (but make it strong).

    Choose the social media mediums that will best let you both target your ideal customer and express your brand. Know your limits, a good marketing campaign is the one that is properly executed, not the one that sounds good on paper.

    3) Prepare for the consequences

    Be aware of the power of social media, both for good and evil. It can be a double edged sword, and once you commit to a plan you need to make sure you maintain consistent and communicative with your audience.

    4) Enjoy it

    Most of all, have fun! Imagine social media as a web 2.0 way of shaking hands and kissing babies. Talk to your customer, enjoy them…serving their needs is the reason you went into business in the first place!

    Guest Author: Laura Petrolino is Founder and CEO of Flying Pig Communications. A full service Marketing, Communications and Business Consultancy Firm that specializes in working with start -ups, small businesses and non-profits.

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