Get More Clients & Build a 6-Figure (or more) Business for Women Entrepreneurs » Brand Management

Your Signature Brand: Is building it really that important?

Annemarie Cross — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:07:50 +0000

How can you capture your ideal clients’ attention? With a powerful Signature Brand!

Today’s the big day – the launch of your new business.

Your website is live; your business cards are printed; all of your social media profiles have been set up; and you’ve even attended a few networking events over the last few weeks to tell people about your exciting launch.

Feeling proud of what you have accomplished, you push a few buttons to send out your tweet to direct people to your sales page, you sit back and wait for the telephone to ring and your inbox to be flooded with emails from prospects wanting to hire you.

But, the opposite happens.

Weeks (or even months) have gone by yet despite all of the social media marketing and networking you’re doing, while there’s interest from the people you’re connecting with – people are just not handing you their credit card details to invest.

Or, they baulk at your prices and are never to be heard from again.

So what’s gone wrong?

You did everything the “Start Your Own Business” manuals told you to do.

Unfortunately this is one of the things I see time and again – service-based business with amazing services and products, struggling to convert prospects into customers.

Here are some of the common reasons why:

Recognise any?

They haven’t distinguished their services from their competitors and are not showing compelling reasons why a prospect should hire them.
Their message is not connecting with the emotions of their ideal clients.
They aren’t positioning themselves as an authority in their field.
They’re attracting the wrong sort of client who expects them to work for free or provide way too much time/resources than what they have paid for.
They struggle to create a powerful introduction/tag line and fail to seize the interest and opportunity to speak further (both in person and online) to their target market.
They’ve introduced themselves however people are still struggling to understand the value they offer because their introduction is too broad, has too many concepts, or includes language that is wishy-washy or filled with jargon. They are confusing their prospects and confused people say ‘no’.

In essence, they haven’t taken the time to identify and build their Signature Brand, which should provide a strong message that speaks to all of these areas.

What about you?

Do you have a Signature Brand that speaks directly to the needs of your niche/target market? A Signature Brand that continues to position you as a specialist in your field, and also incorporates that special element that prospects select ‘you’ rather than your competitors?

Hopefully you’ve answered ‘yes’ and are attracting a steady flow of ideal clients to your door.

However, if you’re not yet at that stage, but would like to be, here are 5 steps you need to take to develop your client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand:

Step 1 to a powerful Signature Brand:

Define your Brand Attributes; your characteristics, unique qualities; your quirkiness.

Step 2 to a powerful Signature Brand:

Make a list of your Brand Strengths; your gifts and talents. The things you are naturally good at.

Step 3 to a powerful Signature Brand:

Define your Brand Promise; the experience people can expect when working with you. It’s what you guarantee them, time and again when working with you.

Step 4 to a powerful Signature Brand:

[This is my favourite step in the process where you breathe life and soul into your brand]. It’s your Brand Essence; and your Brand Story.

I use the Branding with Archetypes system to define a person’s Brand Essence.

I am the Explorer (Primary Archetype) / Ruler (Influencing Archetype) and continue to weave elements of my brand in all my messages.

Throughout my writing; in the banner at the top of my website; in the way I craft the titles to my packages and programs; and in the way I show up in my events.

I speak more about how and why I do this in my Brand Story.

Step 5 to a powerful Signature Brand:

Put these elements together, tweak and refine until the message and each of the elements you create are authentic and ‘fit’ with who you are.

That’s your Signature Brand.

And remember, make sure you incorporate elements of your Signature Brand throughout all of your marketing and communications so that you speak directly to your target market, and continue to confirm why they should hire you.

What do you think – was this helpful? Do you think it’s important to have a Signature Brand, or not?

Feel free to leave your thoughts. It’s always great to hear from you.

Till next time – stay inspired!!

Annemarie Cross

Drawing on her 16+ years' award-winning expertise in branding, personal marketing, personal development and transformation, Annemarie provides 'step-by-step' business- & profit-building processes alongside breakthrough business & money mindset principles so you can stand out, get hired AND paid what you're worth. >>>>>>> IS ONE OF THESE SPOTS YOURS? <<<<<<< Get first-hand breakthrough coaching with Annemarie by booking into one of her powerful Business Breakthrough Strategy Sessions (limited spots available). More information here: http://bit.ly/breakthroughstrategy

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How to build a powerful client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand – Part Two

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:16:57 +0000

Steps to a client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand

A few week’s ago I had the privilege of being interviewed by Melinda Emerson (aka @SmallBizLady) on her #SmallBizChat tweet chat. It certainly was a jam-packed hour with lots of interaction.

We spoke about the very important topic of how to build a powerful Signature Brand – a vital step towards getting you noticed and hired by your ideal client!

You can read Part One on how you can attract your clients and increase your weekly, monthly and annual income through building a powerful Signature Brand by clicking here

Here’s part two.

I get pretty personal and reveal my Brand Archetypes (the heart and soul of my brand) as well as my Brand Story.

You’ll also want to look out for one of the biggest mistakes I see small businesses make, which weakens their brand so they never quite reach expert status. Be careful that you don’t fall into this common trap!

How to build a powerful client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand – Part Two

[@SmallBizLady asks]:

1. What’s the third step in the branding process?

[@AnnemarieCoach responds]:

The next two steps are my favourites as you are really getting to the core of your brand.

The third step is all about your Brand Promise:

Your brand promise is what you guarantee people will receive when working with you.

While this may be something we do already think about, people don’t give it the attention it deserves. This is where we start tapping into the emotions – the experience that other people have when they think about your brand (your business).

Here are some things to think about when defining your brand promise:

What are you committed to delivering time and time again to each and every client you work with?
When dealing with people – what can they expect in terms of how you interact with them and make them feel throughout your relationship?
If you were to ask several of your clients about their experience working with you – what would they say?

2. So what is the final step we need to do to define our brand?

The last step is really where I believe you breathe life into brand. It’s defining the heart and soul of your brand – your Brand Essence, your brand story.

I use the Branding with ArchetypesTM system in my Unearth Your Brilliance Branding program to uncover a person’s brand essence. This system has 12 different archetypes – each with their own set of gifts, purpose, characteristics and qualities. Once you know what your Primary and Influencing Archetypes are it’s quite incredible how this can allow you to breathe a life and soul into your brand and create a powerful brand story.

To give you a brief example, my brand story is all about a gem hunter who searches for precious gems. However when she first finds this gem it is in its natural form, so very much looks like a jagged dull rock. She then starts the process of carefully chipping and cutting away the rough edges of this rock, and uses a special cloth and other equipment to shine and polish this stone. After she has finished, what is left in her hand is a beautiful gem that sparkles brilliantly in the sun.

My Primary Archetype is the Explorer, which is all about discovery. They have a deep need for self-expression and individuality and are a positive role model for helping other people to discover their own unique brilliance, individuality and originality.

It’s no surprise then that my passion is to help other entrepreneurs in identifying and building their unique authentic brands – hence why I am a Brand Strategist. My clients are in effect the stones that the gem hunter uncovers on her journey. Through going through various steps, I help them to chip away at the rough edges and polish and shine until they are left with a beautiful sparkling gem – their unique brilliance – their brands.

By the way, my Influencing Archetype is Ruler – which fits in perfectly with my brand story of a gem hunter. After all a Queen loves her gems doesn’t she?

For people here today, they can start to ask themselves the following questions to identify very important elements that can start them on their way to defining the heart and soul of their brand.

List 3-6 brand values?
How does your brand make people feel?
If your brand were a character, describe what that would look, sound and be like?

3. Once people have identified these things, how can they start to put it all together?

After you have defined each of the above elements, you have your Brand Story; you now understand your core Brand Message; etc and all of these things should be incorporated into your branding elements.

Those were the things we spoke about earlier – your website, business cards, the fonts you use, the colours you choose, your equipment, your office, your clothing. In fact, everything!

Everything that you create continues to exude and portray your core brand elements.

4. Once we have defined our brands, what else can we do to continue building our brands?

Once you have defined your signature brand there are a few things you need to be mindful of when building your brand, credibility and reputation.

It’s important to on-brand in everything that you do. When I talk about being on-brand, I’m talking about being consistent in the information you are sharing to ensure it continues to build your profile in the industry/field you want to become known as an expert in. It’s also important to remain on-brand in how you deliver your message as well.

Some people weaken their brands and never reach expert status because they are involved in too many areas in their business and prospects become confused as to how they can help them. Remember the old saying “a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none”? You don’t want to become known as a master of none, especially if you want to have a thriving business with prospects coming to you for your support because they know the value you offer.

So, be consistent in the message you are portraying. Get focused and stay focused.

Secondly it’s important to be constantly taking action to promote and communicate your brand. This could involve writing, speaking, audio, video – a myriad of different ways you can get your message out there and continue to build your profile and reputation as someone who is knowledgeable in your field.

Writing one article and sitting back hoping that this will attract a steady flow of clients to your door is not effective. You need to be constantly communicating your brand.

Pick which method(s) of communication that best suits your style and strength and continue to leverage that medium to get your message out to your target market.

5. Are there any other things that people should be aware of when it comes to their brand?

Yes, absolutely.

It’s important to recognise that it can takes months – years even to build a strong brand, to become known as an expert in your field. However, this can all be tarnished (or weakened) by one inappropriate comment or action.

As I mentioned earlier, everything you do and say, the people you associate with, the pictures you upload and share, the groups you join – everything, can impact your brand. So, be mindful of everything you do and say – especially online.

Be on-brand in everything you do!

Was this helpful? If you’ve already got a basic idea of your brand – how can these questions allow you to strengthen what you are already doing so that you can really make an impression with your ideal client?

Share your comment below! And, if you think these tips were helpful, please Like, Tweet and Share with your network. As always, I’d really appreciate it.

Till next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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How to build a powerful client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand – Part One

Annemarie Cross — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:16:05 +0000

Key steps to a client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand

Last week I had the privilege of being interviewed by Melinda Emerson (aka @SmallBizLady) on her #SmallBizChat tweet chat. It certainly was a jam-packed hour with lots of interaction.

We spoke about the very important topic of how to build a powerful Signature Brand – a vital step towards getting you noticed and hired by your ideal client!

If you’d like to attract more clients and increase your weekly, monthly and annual income over the next two weeks I’m going to share the interview that I did with Melinda Emerson. These are the steps you’ll need to take in order to build your own powerful Signature Brand.

Here’s Part One:

How to build a powerful client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand – Part One

[@SmallBizLady asks]:

1. When you speak about a ‘brand’, many people think this is their business card, their logo, tag line etc – is this what you mean?

[@AnnemarieCoach responds]:

Many people think that their ‘brand’ is their business logo, business card, letterhead, envelopes, with compliments slips, marketing material, brochures, website etc.

While these things are all very important they are really more about the ‘branding’ elements that will help you to communicate your brand message to your prospects and clients.

Your ‘brand’ goes much deeper than these ‘branding’ elements.

2. So how do you define ‘brand’?

I like to think of your ‘brand’ as the perception others have of you and your business. It’s your promise of value. Your reputation.

For service-based businesses there may be hundreds of other coaches and consultants working in your field offering similar systems and processes as you do. However, what will truly set you apart – is you.

3. So for service-based businesses their ‘brand’ in effect is themselves?

Yes, absolutely.

Their unique qualities, their mission and purpose, their core values and what they stand for are all very important elements that should be considered when defining their brand. [In fact there are four steps that I recommend people consider when defining their brand, which I’ll share in a moment.]

Even though you may be speaking about a similar topic or sharing similar tips and advice as your competitors, what WILL be different is ‘how’ you deliver the information and ‘HOW’ you show up in all of your interactions with your prospects and clients.

This is what is unique about you and when harnessed correctly will enable you to create a powerful brand.

4. Some people may think that identifying and defining their unique ‘brand’ is not really that important. What would you say to them?

Unfortunately, yes, this is something I see time and again. What can often happen is that people starting up their business can look to see what their competitors are doing or even what other businesses are doing. When they see something that seems to be working for these others businesses they can be tempted to copy or emulate elements of these brands.

This is probably one of the worst things people can do. It’s not authentic to them. And, often they will stand out – but not for the right reasons but because of this false persona.

Trying to be something or someone that you’re not is extremely difficult to maintain and will often result in a confused brand and marketing message. And, a confused prospect says ‘no’ and will move on and that’s not what you want.

So, remember being authentic – just being ‘you’ – is important.

5. What benefits can businesses expect to see if they take the time to define and build their unique brand?

Defining and building a unique brand can certainly distinguish you from your competitors. And for businesses that are in a competitive marketplace I’m sure they’d agree that it can often be difficult to stand out from the crowd.

Building a strong brand can also help you build your credibility and reputation as a specialist – an expert in your field. This is because once you have a clear idea on your brand, the core elements that make you special and unique, you can be on-brand in everything you do and start to build credibility in that specific area/field.

Part of the branding process is also to understand your target market – the people who you want to work with. As you continue to build your reputation and credibility – guess what happens? People start to notice you, particularly YOUR target market. As they get to know, like and trust you, they are then far more inclined to want to step up and invest in your services because of the fact that you are an expert who they know can support them.

6. Earlier you mentioned that there were four steps to consider when people were going through the process of defining their brand? What’s the first step?

The first step is for people to define their brand attributes.

When talking about brand attributes these are your characteristics; your unique qualities; your quirkiness.

Here are a few questions that people can think about to help them define their brand attributes.

List 5-6 features/qualities that you would say are unique about you.
What do people often admire about you?
Do you have a quirkiness about you that is often mentioned as being something unique and essentially ‘you’?

7. What’s the second step in defining your brand?

The second step in about getting clear on your brand strengths:

Your brand strengths are your gifts and talents – things that you are naturally good at.

This can often be a difficult process because so many of us take our strengths for granted. I’ve thought long and hard about why this may be, and over the years I’ve come to believe that it’s because our strengths come so naturally to us that when we think about them, we tend to think that anyone can do it. And, that is far from the truth.

Let me give you an example. My mother (who is now 92 years old) has always loved networking and talking to people. In fact, she has always been involved in various groups where she can mingle with others. One of the things she continues to do – even now in her 90s is to visit elderly people in a Hostel that’s located very close by to her home.

The elderly people she visits are extremely frail and due to their ailments are unable to go out. By visiting them, spending time with them, listening to their stories (for the hundredth time I might add), my mother is making them feel special. Here is someone who is taking time out of her day to just sit and talk and listen.

However, if you were to ask my mother what she thought was one of her strengths she would never in a million years, recognise that this was indeed a strength and talent that was making an impact on other people’s lives.

So, when you start to write a list of your strengths, think of things that come naturally to you. These questions/statements may help you:

What do people most admire about you?
Think about some of your achievements. What strengths and talents did you use to secure these successes?
What are 5 or 6 strengths that come naturally for you?

Questions 8 to 12 will be shared next week: How to build a powerful client-capturing and income-generating Signature Brand – Part Two

Share your comment on my blog! And, if you think these tips were helpful, please Like, Tweet and Share with your network. As always, I’d really appreciate it.

Till next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie

Annemarie Cross

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Personal Branding: Is your bio tarnishing your brand (reputation)?

Annemarie Cross — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 02:07:00 +0000

As a Personal Branding Strategist one of the things I do is conduct Online Brand Audits to ensure entrepreneurs are on brand and consistent in their brand message. This is vital – especially if they want to build their credibility and reputation as an expert in their field.

Unfortunately though, some of the bios, Twitter handles and photos I see – make me ‘cringe’. In fact, just yesterday I saw another one AND knew I had to create this video to get the message out.

So why did I cringe? You’ll find out in the video.

Please – if you are a business owner of a service-based business and are trying to build your personal brand (i.e. your reputation) and credibility as an expert or specialist in your field – you have to be mindful of the tips and advice I share in this video.

Did you find this helpful? What changes are you going to make? Please feel free to Like, Tweet and Share this video – maybe to someone who you think could benefit from this message!

By the way, would you like me to spend an entire hour on your business with you to identify how you can build your brand and reputation so that you can take your business to the next level?

Every one of my Rubies: Biz Acceleration Coaching Club members has the opportunity to sit in our Biz Spotlight chair. Will that be you?

Find out how you can join our Rubies community today at a very, very low investment

Until next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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Building a Strong Brand: Are you using your Secret Sauce?

Annemarie Cross — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:11:34 +0000

If I asked you to define the word ‘brand’ – what would you say?

If you answered: “it’s your business logo, your business card, letterhead, envelopes, with compliments slips, marketing material, brochures, website etc”, you’ve responded similarly to many other business owners.

While these things are all very important they are really more about the ‘branding’ elements that will help you to communicate your brand message to your prospects and clients.

Your ‘brand’ goes much deeper than these ‘branding’ elements.

This week I shared a tip on Facebook, which sparked an interesting question. My post read:

“How many times have you reached out and added value to your community. This is vital for building your brand and reputation.”

Someone then asked the question:

“Sometimes it’s hard to find that niche and be unique. Everyone is copying an idea or another. How does one truly stand out? Integrity and honesty of course – but any other thoughts?”

What a great question.

I like to think of your ‘brand’ as the perception others have of you and your business. It’s your promise of value. Your reputation.

So, want to know what your brand’s secret sauce is? It’s YOU!

There may be hundreds of other coaches and consultants working in your field offering similar systems and processes as you do. However, what will truly set you apart – is you, your unique qualities, your mission and purpose, your core values and what you stand for.

Even though you may be speaking about a similar topic or sharing similar tips and advice, what WILL be different is ‘how’ you deliver the information and ‘HOW’ you show up in all of your interactions with your prospects and clients.

And while you may be concerned that others may try to copy you, rest assured that imitators will stand out for all the wrong reasons and most likely will end up tarnishing their reputation because of the false persona they are trying to portray.

In fact, trying to be something or someone that you’re not is extremely difficult to maintain and will often result in a confused brand and marketing message. And, a confused prospect says ‘no’ and will move on and that’s not what you want.

So, remember being authentic – just being ‘you’ is important.

If you find it difficult to identify and define your core brand, here are four key areas you should consider when identifying your brand’s secret sauce.

1. Your Brand Attributes:

Your brand attributes are your characteristics; your unique qualities; your quirkiness.

List 5-6 features/qualities that you would say are unique about you.
What do people often admire about you?
Do you have a quirkiness about you that is often mentioned as being something unique and essentially ‘you’?

2. Your Brand Strengths:

Your brand strengths are your gifts and talents – things that you are naturally good at.

List 5 to 6 of your greatest strengths.
What do people most admire about you?
Think about some of your achievements. What strengths and talents did you use to secure these successes?

3. Your Brand Promise:

Your brand promise is what you guarantee people will receive when working with you.

What are you committed to delivering time and time again to each and every client you work with?
When dealing with people – what can they expect in terms of how you interact with them and make them feel throughout your relationship?
If you were to ask several of your clients about their experience working with you – what would they say?

4. Your Brand Essence:

Your brand essence is really the heart and soul of your brand. [I use the Branding With ArchetypesTM system to uncover these elements].

Here are a few things to consider when defining your essence – the heart and soul of your brand:

List 3-6 brand values?
How does your brand make people feel?
If your brand were a character, describe what that would look, sound and be like?

After identifying and combining each of these areas – your brand’s secret sauce, you too can define and build your own authentic signature brand.

Having a strong authentic brand will help you distinguish yourself from your competitors and will be impossible for anyone to copy. You’ll also begin to attract your ideal clients as they’ll instantly resonate with your brand message because you’ve made it very easy for them to understand exactly who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Pretty cool, yes?!

Here’s to identifying your brand’s secret sauce so that you too can stand out powerfully from the crowd to get more clients, get noticed, hired and paid what you’re worth.

Was this helpful? What do you think some of YOUR quirky behaviors are that you can incorporate into your brand? Please leave me a comment – it’s always great to read your comments. If you found this article helpful please Like, Tweet and Share it. I really appreciate it!

Until next week, stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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Get More Clients: How to build a website that engages your audience

Annemarie Cross — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:38:26 +0000

After countless hours and months of hard work – the moment you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.

So now what? You’ve got this amazing website – but hardly anyone else knows about it. What’s the best way to tell people? And, get them to visit, stay for a while, and keep them coming back as they continue to share and tell others about you and the work you’re doing?

If these are questions you’re asking yourself – you’re certainly not alone. In fact this is something that many entrepreneurs struggle with so was the chosen topic during this month’s #GetMoreClients Tweet Chats.

There are approximately 100 million active blogs on the Internet. So what’s unique about yours? What is it about your website that attracts the attention of your ideal client? And, what makes your website any different from all the other service-based businesses operating in your niche?

Here are five things you should consider as you develop, launch and continue to build a website that attracts, engages and eventually converts site visitors into raving paying clients.

1. Attract the RIGHT people

Trying to be all things to all people is not the best approach to business and will probably have you exhausted and penniless in no time.

Niching and defining your target market is vital and will ensure you continue to attract the attention of your ideal client – the people who you know you do your best work with, who will benefit from investing in you, and who are looking to solve their problems.

What are the problems and issues your ideal client faces?
Do they realise that they have a problem; and are they willing to spend money in order to overcome their issues? [There’s no use targeting a niche market that is renowned for NOT investing in themselves.]
What are the typical words and phrases they use to describe their problems? Make sure you weave these into your content and blog posts.

2. Create a memorable Signature Brand

There may be hundreds of other service providers offering similar services – so what makes you different? Why should people coming to your website choose to invest in your services and not one of your competitors?

Taking the time to build a powerful and authentic brand that instantly connects with your ideal client is vital. This is what is going to set you apart from your competitors. And, better yet – no one will be able to copy you, no matter how hard they try because your brand is unique and authentically ‘you’.

Remember a strong personal brand is just that – personal. It’s the essence of ‘you’. So here are some questions to start uncovering your brand that is authentic and real, and will be the basis upon which you’ll continue to develop your brand voice.

What are the strengths and talents people are constantly complimenting you on?
Identify some of your unique quirks or characteristics that continue to shine through in all that you do.
When looking back on some of your successes (or how you were able to overcome a challenge), what were the skills and strengths you used in order to achieve that success?

3. Create your irresistible free offer

It is highly unlikely that people visiting your site for the very first time will purchase anything. In fact marketing specialists believe that it can take between 7 to 9 communications from you before someone will even consider opening their wallet.

This is where your keep-in-touch strategy comes in, whether it be a regular newsletter or regular posts via your social networks. In order to continue connecting with people, you will need their email addresses or be connected with them through their social networks. Here’s a way you can get their contact details.

Develop a resource (i.e. free report or ecourse etc) – something that is of interest and real value to people and encourages them to provide you with their email address in exchange for access to the resource you offer.
Make sure your social network links are easily located and encourage people to connect with you. And, remember to continue providing interesting and informative information so that people will want to remain connected with you.

4. Create compelling content

Not only is it important to build a memorable brand – it’s also important to build your reputation and credibility as a specialist in your field. You want to become known as ‘the go-to’ person in your area of expertise.

The way to do that is to create compelling content that confirms you are skilled in your field and encourages people to come back to your website because they want to learn more from you.

Write regular posts and articles on hints and tips that you know is of interest to your ideal client.
Make sure that each post is pleasing to the eye by incorporating attention-grabbing pictures
Keep your language simple, clear and conversational and avoid using jargon.

5. Engage your audience

I don’t know about you – but I dislike being lectured to and will often switch off if the information is too technical or difficult to read.

So will people visiting your website so ensure the information you share and the approach in which you share it, engages your audience.

Try incorporating other elements besides just the written word that engages various communications styles such as video and audio.
Use plenty of stories and examples so people can connect with what you are talking about.
Ensure you include a call to action that invites contributions from your audience. Ask them for their thoughts and feedback on what you have just written or ask them to share their own experience.

As you can see, building and launching your website is only a small step in your overall marketing and communications plan. It takes ongoing planning and action to ensure your site visitors not only visit your website but keep coming back and remain in your circle of influence. This way they continue to experience ‘you’ and hear your brand voice, so that when they’re ready the person who they’ll invest in – is you.

Annemarie Cross

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Build Your Brand with Media Attention

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:28:37 +0000

Media representatives are busy people - make sure your information and contact details are easy to find!

As the owner of a service-based business I’m sure you’re aware of the importance of building your reputation as a specialist in your field.

When you’re seen as an expert, you increase the number of people on your newsletter list and social media networks as they want to learn more about you and the information you provide.

And, more importantly, you increase the likelihood that they will want to invest in your product and services through their desire to achieve the same results other people are experiencing through working with you.

One of the ways you can increase exposure and build your reputation as a specialist is to gain media attention. This could be through radio, television or print and more recently through internet radio and podcasts and online magazines/blogs etc.

I stumbled across a fantastic article: ‘109 ways to make your business irresistible to the media’ which I want to share with you. [You’ll find the link at the bottom of this article]. It’s well worth checking out.

I am the host of two podcasts – Business Success Podcast and The Ambitious Entrepreneur. Both shows bring inspiring topics to the airwaves to help solopreneurs take their business to the next level and I am always on the look out for guest experts.

One of the ways I source guests is to scour my social network.

With the opportunity to get their message in front of thousands of potential customers – I’m surprised how many businesses do not have a solid media-friendly system in place.

In fact, in the last week there have been a few people I would have loved to have on the show, however I just couldn’t locate their contact information. Or further research led me to question whether or not they would be suitable.

So, if you want to attract media attention there are things you should be doing and other things that you should avoid.

Firstly, let’s start with the things you should avoid:

Tip One:

If you’ve written an interesting Tweet and piqued my interest, one of the first things I’ll do is to check out your bio and website link.

Whoops – don’t have these details uploaded? I’ve just closed your profile and moved on.

Action step: Make sure you have a clear bio that tells me who you are and what you do, as well as a link to your primary website where I can find out more about you.

Tip Two:

If I’ve clicked through to your website, make sure there is content (i.e. articles) that continues to showcase your knowledge and expertise.

If your website is hard to navigate or you have provided a link to a website that has no relevance to you or what you do, then again I have moved on. You’ve missed this opportunity.

Action step: Make sure your website navigation is user friendly and showcases your knowledge through providing interesting and relevant content.

Tip Three:

Now that you’ve shown me that you know your stuff and would be a great guest on the show, my next step is to reach out to you.

If your contact page is hard to find or if I have to jump through hoops to get in contact with you, I’ve probably lost interest and moved on.

[Note: Personally, I prefer to email people directly rather than having to fill in a form. I like to send people more information about the show (including demographics and logistical details) and having to paste all of this information into a form can be difficult.]

Media representatives are often on tight deadlines and haven’t got the time to search for your information.

Action Step: Make sure your contact details are easy to locate and that the process of reaching out to you is as streamlined as possible.

Here are a few other things you shouldn’t do.

Don’t tag me with a request to come on my show on an open forum at the same time you send out other invitations to other show hosts.

To me this is spamming and indicates that you haven’t taken the time to find out about my program, nor considered whether your material is relevant to my audience.

Don’t contact me with a request to come on my show if you haven’t listened to a few of my shows and don’t really have an understanding of my audience and their interests.

When I am looking for a guest, my goal is to find someone who has information that is interesting and relevant and will inspire my audience.

I’m not looking for a guest who sounds like an infomercial as they are only interested in promoting their products/services and not in sharing some tips and strategies that my audience can benefit from.

Here are some things that you should be doing.

Do connect with me on my social media platforms and join in the conversations.

Do go and listen to previous shows and start commenting.

What did you like about the show? What has inspired you? Can you add additional thoughts to the topic we discussed? Doing this is certainly going to get my attention AND by leaving a comments you are linking back to your website, so I’ll probably follow your link to find out more about you.

Do contribute tips and advice when I reach out to my community on Facebook and Twitter to share their ideas. This is a great way to showcase your knowledge and experience and a great way to get my attention.

Recently I called out to my community to contribute tips and ideas on what they thought was off-brand behaviour and had seen other business owners doing. These tips were fantastic so I incorporated them into my blog post. I also linked the post back to each person’s Twitter account, so that my blog readers could click through and connect with each of the contributors.

In fact, I reached out to my Facebook Community and asked for success stories and what people have done to secure media attention.

Jack Zenert recommended that you connect with centres of influence as well as volunteer with non-profit organisations. Doing this has given Jack direct access to people in the media, which has then been the start of a relationship which then gets him (or his clients) into the news stream. Great suggestion Jack – thanks!

Gaining media exposure, whether through podcasts, radio, television, print, online blogs etc is a great way to build your reputation as an expert and is certainly a strategy you should include in your marketing plan.

Did you find this article helpful? What steps are you going to take to increase your online profile and your connections with media representatives? If you found this article helpful, please Like and Share it.

Here’s the link to the article I mentioned above:

www.copyblogger.com/irresistible-pr

I’ve also done a few interviews on the topic of PR and gaining media exposure, which I recommend you listen to:

Annemarie Cross

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Brand Awareness: Are you building or damaging your reputation?

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:47:46 +0000

Yesterday while doing some research on Twitter I was alerted to an article that made me stop and think.

The writer was commenting on how airlines were harnessing the power of Twitter and using this tool as an information-sharing platform. This allowed them to share information with customers as it was happening to keep them informed of delays, issues with flights, etc.

However, he noticed that one particular airline had set their Twitter account to private, requiring people to physically make a request and wait until their account was approved before they could access any information.

This was of concern to the writer, and rightly so, considering we are in the information age and are often time poor. We haven’t got the time to go through an approval process just to be able to access their tweets.

Here’s a link to the article. [Written by AskAaronLee]

I had the exact experience just two days prior. I noticed one of my Twitter buddies was following a business, which had set their Twitter profile to private.

I remember being quite puzzled as to why they would do that?

Why would any business have their Twitter account set to private so that none of their posts could be viewed unless you were connected to them? To me, it didn’t make sense, especially considering that your posts and conversations provide you with an opportunity to build brand awareness as well as being able to connect, engage and have a conversation with prospects.

As the writer of the article so aptly said: “[your tweets] won’t appear on your timeline and it won’t appear on the Twitter search engine. Literally, you don’t exist at all unless someone requested to follow you.”

It got me thinking.

How many businesses are practically non-existent because of what they’re doing (or not doing) in their marketing and communications strategies?

And, while we’re speaking on the topic brand awareness and engaging with people, how many businesses are tarnishing their brands, reputations and relationships because of what they’re doing (and not doing).

Here are three things that I’ve seen business owners do that isn’t going to help them build a strong brand. Nor will these things enable them to build a relationship with people who could quite possibly be a potential customer.

[I’ve also reached out to my network and asked them for their feedback. I received some great responses, which you can read below].

1. Off-brand comments and interactions

Everything you do, say, write – your online and your offline interactions and communications, reflects on your brand. Positive or negative – your interactions will impact the perception others have about you and your business.

Complaining and being negative about something that has happened to you; alerting people to the ‘wild’ weekend you’re going to have; or informing us that ‘you’ve just gotten off the phone with ‘your client from h%ll’ – is not really appropriate and can turn off a potential client.

Other things that can impact your reputation and your relationships are the groups you join; the videos and articles you share; as well as people you are connected with.

Wouldn’t want your mother or a prospective client/JV partner to read something? Or even if you’re not sure – don’t hit enter!

2. An unprofessional (or non-existent) photo

A picture paints a thousand words. What does your current photo say about you? Would a potential prospect be inspired to connect with you, let alone invest in your services?

And, just like an unprofessional photo can tarnish your brand, so can not having any picture at all. If you’ve been meaning to get a professional photo taken to use in your profiles – make sure you do this as soon as possible. Feedback that I’ve received about people who don’t have a picture (but just the standared icon provided with the technology – such as the Twitter) leaves the impression that you may be trying to hide something. This is certainly not the impression you want to make.

3. An unprofessional (or non-existent) bio

One of the first things people do if they’re interested in what you have said is to check out your bio to find out a little more about you.

I know I do – especially when I’m wearing my Host/Show Programming hat from Business Success Podcast and The Ambitious Entrepreneur and looking for guests to interview on my podcasts. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone to find out more about people (especially on Twitter) only to find an empty profile (or profile which is uninspiring and unprofessional), with no link to direct me to their website. If that happens – I’ve gone onto the next person. Opportunity missed.

With only a few seconds to make an impression make sure you have an up-to-date profile with a link to your website so that anyone who wants to find out more information about you can do so easily.

Make sure everything you do and say both online and offline continues to portray you as the professional you are so that any prospective customer can see the value of connecting with you and investing in you!

Here are what some of my Facebook friends had to say:

Louise Kerr says that she doesn’t like it when websites have no address or way for her to find out about the real business behind the site. Not sharing this information gave the impression that they were less than trustworthy.

Karla Campos has noticed, especially on Twitter and FB that some companies don’t interact with customers. Their [business] page is just sitting there doing nothing. And, if you are on LinkedIn make sure you join groups and join in the conversations.

Katy Tafoya had quite a bit to say on this topic and shared the following (in no particular order):

(1) no contact page, (2) no real address and/or phone number on the website, (3) not asking questions and communicating with their FB fans, (4) not having a social media strategy, (5) using a FB profile instead of a fan/biz page, (6) not communicating with their community enough.

Linda Harachi also had some great points to share:

(1) No consistency in their brand in terms of logo and colours across different mediums (2) not having business cards (3) giving out outdated information (4) hard to find contact details on websites (5) not communicating regularly via FB, blog …etc (6) not being mindful of the business people you are connected to on your FB personal profile (7) making posts on FB that are too personal (8) spelling mistakes (9) websites that are too hard to navigate – not user friendly (10) not responding to and acknowledging emails! = bad customer service…. (11) signing up people to newsletters without consent.

And, for businesses that have a physical shop front:

@ElitepetcareEdu cautions shop owners: not to cover all their windows up and refuse to turn on lights. This gives the impression that you are not open so can turn away potential customers.

Recognise something you need to update and/or get onto today so that you don’t miss out on opportunities to connect with prospective customers or JVs? Did you find this article helpful? Please Like it and share it with your community! I’d really appreciate it!

Also, have you seen things that other businesses are doing that you want share? Please do! It’s always great to connect with our readers!

Are you missing out on new business because of the way you are showing up online? Find out how other people perceive you with Your Online Brand Audit

Annemarie Cross

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5 reasons why you should build a strong brand

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 06:54:24 +0000

Are you running a service-based business and believe your branding is all about your logo, tagline and brochures? While these are important elements of your brands ‘touch points’ when I refer to your business’s brand what I am talking about goes much deeper than your stationery and tagline.

So what is a brand? Your brand is your reputation; it’s the promise of value you offer a client and the immediate thought that a prospect and/or client has when your business name is mentioned.

While it can take time and commitment to build a strong brand, it is well worth the effort if you want to build a thriving business.

Here are 3 signs that your service-based business has a weak and incoherent brand:

1. Your ideal clients/prospects are not investing in your services

Sending out weak, mixed messages will only confuse a prospect and a confused mind says ‘no’. If you are unsure of what makes you unique, what sets you apart from your competitors, and the value/benefits you offer your clients, then your brand communications will be ineffective in showing your prospect why they should be investing in you and not your competitors.

2. You feel on the verge of marketing burnout, exhaustion and desperation

What often occurs when businesses are not generating the results they desire is that they increase their marketing efforts. However, the problem is not the amount of marketing being done but the fact that their marketing message is confusing and not speaking to the needs of your prospects, which leads us back to our previous sign of clients not investing.

3. You struggle to charge what you’re worth

A business owner with a weak brand will often find it difficult to charge a premium fee because they fail to demonstrate the value, benefits and results clients will achieve through hiring them. For this reason the level of income the business generates is often considerably lower than a business with a strong reputation and brand.

Here are five benefits of building a strong, authentic brand

1. Position yourself as an expert

Having a strong brand will enable you to position yourself as a specialist to build a reputation as a credible authority in your field. Showcasing your knowledge and expertise in your articles/blog posts and through sharing your success stories and that of your clients is important.

Q: What are your strengths and talents? What makes you unique and sets you apart from your competitors? What stories can you share to showcase your expertise?

2. Charge a higher fee due to increased perceived value

It’s a well-known fact that experts and specialists are able to charge a higher premium for their services because of the perceived value.

When I first started the career coaching arm of my business some 15 years ago and compare it to where I am now, through building my brand and positioning myself as an expert I have been able to increase my fees by over 12000%. I would never have been able to achieve this if I had a weak and incoherent brand message.

Q: What’s the value you offer clients? What solutions can you offer them to help them overcome their issues and problems? Are you writing about this convincingly in your marketing materials?

3. Create a powerful, clear and consistent message

Having a clear understanding of your brand and your brand message will ensure that everything you write, including your articles, blog posts and social media messages continues to portray a clear and consistent message.

When planning my content I know the topics I write/speak about (including branding, marketing and mindset) will help service-based business owners in getting noticed, hired and paid what they’re worth. This is a consistent message that I continue to share with my community therefore building my reputation as an expert in my field.

Q: What are the topics you are an expert in? Do these topics relate to one target market? Is your target market interested in this topic? How frequently will you connect with your audience?

4. Attract your ideal client

A strong brand and brand message will enable you to attract and speak directly to the needs of your ideal clients. It’s vital you understand the problems and issues your clients are experiencing and demonstrate that you have the solutions to support your clients in overcoming these problems once and for all.

My ideal clients are service-based businesses that have amazing value to offer their clients however continue to struggle with generating the level of income they desire. My clients can see that I provide a solution to their issues in my article/blog posts and videos/podcasts and when they’re ready to take action and generate the level of income they desire they know where to find me.

Q: Are your communications attracting your ideal client? If not, is your message focused on the needs of your target market? Are you explaining the benefits and results your clients will achieve through investing in you?

5. Create a unique brand that is difficult to copy

While your competitors may try to emulate what you are doing, it will be difficult to maintain because an authentic brand is one that is unique to you and very difficult to copy and maintain in a believable manner.

Q: What makes you unique? What qualities and characteristics do you possess that have enabled you to generate amazing outcomes and can become your promise of value to prospects? Remember, these things are unique to you and will become an important element in building a strong brand.

To start building a powerful and authentic brand, ensure you identify your unique qualities and strengths; communicate a clear and consistent message that speaks to the needs of your ideal client; and continue to showcase the value and benefits your clients will achieve through investing in you.

If you would like to define and build a strong client capturing brand check out our Unearth Your Brilliance Branding Program, or keep an eye out for our upcoming ‘Business & Money Mindset Breakthrough’ Coaching program.

Annemarie Cross

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Social Media Etiquette: Are you developing (or destroying) your online reputation and relationships?

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:55:29 +0000

Many service-based business owners are leveraging the power of social media in their marketing and brand communication strategies – which is wonderful to see.

Unfortunately though, there are some unscrupulous (or perhaps ‘uneducated’) users, who are not following social media ‘etiquette’ and are therefore destroying their reputation and any chance of building solid relationships with their network. And as Owen Tripp the owner of a reputation company will tell you, it is extremely important that you keep your business social networking professional.

When it comes to social media, whether you are a novice or a pro, here are 10 DO NOTs and 5 principles you should adopt to ensure you use these technologies appropriately in your online interactions.

When connecting with me on Social Media – DON’T:

1. Post inappropriate photos and/or comments on my Facebook wall or Twitter feeds.

2. Blatantly promote your products and services on my wall.

3. Send me an email about your upcoming workshop/event after having only just connected with me. We haven’t had the opportunity to get to know one another yet.

4. Only post/write information about YOU and YOUR products and services. Just because I am connected to you, doesn’t mean I have given you an open invitation to broadcast your promotions.

5. Tag me in a video/photograph/other post that has no relevance to me because you’re only trying to get my attention. Guess what? You did, but for the wrong reason. I’ve just unfriended and/or blocked you.

6. Include my Twitter handle in a post to get my attention about your product or affiliate link. Again, you’ve got my attention but I won’t be following you OR clicking through the link. Anyway, you’ve probably just had your Twitter account banned for spamming.

7. Ask me to tell you more about myself and the work I’m doing. This shows me you haven’t bothered to read my profile, wall posts or feeds.

8. TYPE YOUR MESSAGES USING ONLY CAPITALS, because I’ll think you’re SCREAMING AT ME.

9. Send me an invitation to connect using the standard request provided by the technology platform. This indicates that you have not taken the time to read my profile.

[Note: I’ve been guilty of this myself so it’s a great reminder for me too, NOT to do this].

10. Use disrespectful language; bullying tactics; or name calling when commenting on my wall. If you disagree with something that either I or one of my followers has said, that’s fine – I respect your opinion. Please respect my opinion and that of my followers.

When connecting with me on Social Media – DO:

1. Be a relationship builder and show me that you care.

Show a genuine interest in what people are doing and saying and take the time to build relationships just as you would with any face-to-face interaction. People are more likely to recommend you, share your information with their network, or do business with you if they know, like and trust you.

2. Be respectful of others’ opinions even if you don’t agree with them.

Social media allows you to connect with thousands of people you would never have had the opportunity to meet if you were just relying on face-to-face networking. And, many of them will probably have different values and opinions than you.

Don’t force your thoughts or beliefs onto others in a disrespectful manner – after all, your opinion is just that – yours. Instead be willing to be respectful of them despite the differences.

3. Be on-brand and mindful of the online footprint you’re creating.

Everything you do and say reflects on you and your brand. Be sure that your posts, comments and interactions are of a professional manner and that you aren’t creating digital dirt that could cause a prospect to ‘not’ hire you.

If you think something could be misconstrued or if you wouldn’t want a prospective client to read it – don’t post it! They’ll surely find it, which may be the reason they hire your competitor rather than you.

4. Be a ‘giver’ and not only a ‘taker’

Social networking is not only about taking. Rather it’s about sharing resources and passing on information that you know would be interest people.

The more helpful and supportive you are in your interactions the more likely others will be willing to extend the hand of friendship and support when you need it.

5. Be honest in all your business dealings.

The technologies we have at our fingertips allow us to do business with people on the other side of the world without ever having to meet them.

Unfortunately, some people misuse these technologies by misrepresenting themselves and misleading people into parting with their hard-earned dollar.

Ensure that you manage all your business dealings with the highest of integrity, service and honour, and that your customers are happy to recommend you to their extended network.

Remember, when using social media, the information you share and your interactions should not be ‘all about you’. Avoid blatant broadcasting and promotion of your products and services to your followers.

Rather it’s about ‘networking’, sharing value-added resources, showing an interest in others, providing support and assistance, and about establishing and nurturing a strong network of like-minded people.

How about you? Do you have any social media horror stories that you’ve seen? Please share these in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

If you found this article useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues by clicking the ‘like’ button. As always, I really appreciate it!

Here’s to building quality relationships with social media.

Have an awesome day.

Annemarie Cross

Annemarie Cross

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