personal-branding Archives - Page 11 of 41

Bloggy Question 38: You’ve Just Won a New Design!

February 25, 2007 by Liz

And You Said You Never Win Anything

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

At the grand opening of a social network, they gave away prizes. By some stroke of luck you won the grandest prize of all. It’s a $10K blog vacation on an island in a luxury private home for two weeks while your blog gets a $10K makeover by a famous blog designer.

You were excited, bought the sunscreen, made the plans. Then you met with the famous designer. He didn’t listen to a thought you had. Even worse, his favors a color — one that you absolutely cannot stand.

You’re getting a bad feeling.

The rules are that the vacation and blog design are one package. As part of the prize you get to live with new blog design for one year or you happily get to pay the designer.

It’s time for you to accept the prize by signing your permission and releases.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Bloggy Question 37: Excuse Me, that Content on Your Blog Is Mine!

February 18, 2007 by Liz

I Never Gave You Permission to Use That

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

You’re checking your links at Technorati, and you find one that is obviously a scraper. The blog has picked up several of your articles and republished them without your permission. It is running ads next to them — making money from your work.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Self-Promotion as Easy as Knowing What You Do

February 15, 2007 by Liz

Self Promotion Made Easy

When people asked me why I quit teaching grade school, one of the reasons I offer is that I found myself at parties answering the famous question, What do you do? like this.

I’m a teacher, but not like any teacher you ever met.

What do you do is an opportunity to sell yourself.

I knew enough to know that I was losing the passion for my job. What I didn’t know then was that I had stumbled onto a key part of self-promotion –understanding what people will think of what I’m about to say.

When someone asks What do you do for a living? How do you answer?

If you say the name of your job, butcher, baker, dancer, writer, web developer . . ., you offer them the chance to attach to you all of the preconceived notions they have about folks with that job. You’re walkng right into their box.

Bob Weiss knows. If your answer is: “I’m a lawyer,” you’ve missed a marketing opportunity.

Bob knows that by saying you’re a lawyer, you’ve turned the conversation to the topic of lawyers and away from what you do. No possible clients will be happening. Instead you’re probably going to be hearing what people think about lawyers for the next while. You’ll be up against proving what you’re not or maybe proving what you’re as good as.

Either way,to name a job is to invite comparison.

Of course, I’m no longer a teacher. I’m an entrepreneur. My job depends on the people knowing what I do and that I do it well. So I’ve learned to answer that question with a little finesse.

When folks ask what I do I say I help individuals and small businesses find their vision, focus their business, and layout a strategy that allows them to do what they love and make money meeting their customers’ unexpressed needs and desires better than their competition does.

Yes, I have a shorter version too, but you see where I’m going. I don’t start by saying I’m the Perfect Virtual Manager. I know that would only get me blank stares.

So think for awhile and then tell me . . . what do you do for a living? If you would like to write in the comment box under a code name, please feel free to do so. If you have trouble getting it the way you want, let’s find the right words together. All of us can probably get you to a lovely description of what drives your passion for the reason you work everyday.

When you can answer the question, it won’t feel like self-promotion. It will be you talking about what you do every day.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you’d like to help with your brand or business,check out the Perfect Virtual Manager on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Bloggy Question 36: When She Started Serenading

February 11, 2007 by Liz

Bloggy Buddy Forever

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

At a tech social two months ago, you talked to a woman, an independent contractor like yourself. She’s a person who you keep meeting at such events. You hadn’t spent much time with her, but this time you got to know her, what she does, and her business views.

She told you that she has clients in many cities, that she travels 6-12 days a month. You discussed how you both dislike hotel rooms, how isolating they are. She seemed vibrant, intelligent, and curious. You left the tech social thinking of her as extra help for your business when you need it.

She sent you a CD you had talked about as a thank you for the tech social conversation!

One month ago, you met her at Panera and spent a work session together. As a friend, you introduced her to blogging. You thought that blogging might help her business and give her something to do when she’s on the road.

Every day since, she has linked to every post you put up. People are talking about your new blogging buddy — especially after someone mentioned the roses your new friend sent you to thank you for teaching her blogging.

You seem to have. . . um . . . a ”needy” blogging buddy forever.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Two Important Ideas in a Brand Identity and Why We Have to Live Our Brand

February 8, 2007 by Liz

Two Important Ideas

A brand identity defines our unique value — what we bring that no one else can — by naming the one thing we do far better than anyone else. Uniqueness and specificity are the two messages in one Big IDEA.

If we name the one thing that we want to be known for, and we live it 24/7, customers notice that. By choosing only one thing our message is clean, clear, and focused. Choosing one thing doesn’t limit. As Seth would say, “Small is the new big.” Highlighting only one thing gives focus. Folks extrapolate from that.

That’s the key to successful branding, unique value, specificity, and living it 24/7. Of course, the last part can be a problem.

Honey, Don’t Make Me Live My Brand

When I tell a story, I like to elaborate. It’s a writer’s thing, at least I think it is. My husband prefers to deal in basics. It’s an engineer’s thing, at least he says it is. So when I begin to relate an event, it doesn’t surprise me when I hear, “Honey, don’t make me live it.”

That request works for my husband and my stories — not for a brand.

Much as we’d like to, we don’t get to pick what we’re known for. We only get to suggest our finer traits. But if we live what we’re suggesting other folks are more likely to agree with us. Other folks and brands can’t be separated. The minute we leave other folks out of the picture, we stop living our brand.

People have a way of letting us know we forgot to consider them. They do that by redefining what they think of us and telling each other the new definition. Here are some ways I have forgotten to live my brand in the past.

I fell in love with the details. I thought every detail of what I did was important to everybody. That breaks the “one thing well rule.”
I thought my history was important. Most folks weren’t alive for my history. Folks care about what I deliver now. My “unique value” is based in current time not history.
I tried to be something I’m not. No unique value there. That’s just a bad facsimile.
I tried to be all things to all readers. No specificity there. That’s a sitcom done badly.
I didn’t define what the one thing is that I do well. I was confused and so were my readers. Moving targets only stay interesting for a short while. Then our eyes get tired.
I thought that my brand was obvious. If I don’t say what I’m about why should anyone know?
I made all of my decisions to serve ME.

I can count the holes in my foot the times I’ve shot myself there.

Customers decide our brands, we don’t.

If we choose a brand that fully expresses who we are, living it 24/7 is nothing more than being ourselves and sharing that one unique, outstanding quality that defines us. People will notice. People will talk about it.

That’s the cool thing about being you. You have a corner on how to do it better than anyone else.

What one thing do you feature as the one thing that you do well? Come on out with it. Write it down for everyone to see.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
To have Liz help get your brand just right, click on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
Branding: A Tagline Is Not A Brand Ã¢â¬â How to Build a Positive Brand in 3 Steps
Branding, Self-Promotion, Selling: Are You OverDoing?

Branding: A Tagline Is Not A Brand — How to Build a Positive Brand in 3 Steps

February 6, 2007 by Liz

Your Unique Brand Identity

People talk to other people about other people, products, and companies.

What we say to each other about what we like —

the other people, products, and companies we champion and warn folks about,
the other people, products, and companies we hold up as models and that we boycott
the other people, products, and companies we don’t ever mention, i.e. that we make invisible,

— becomes the brands that define the other people, products, and companies we talk about. Not one voice, but many voices form a brand. The branding voices come not from the ones who wear the brand from the ones who interact with them.

Everyone has brand.

Your brand may be as simple as You are unknown.

Not everyone has a unique and positive brand identity.

A Tagline Is Not a Brand

Some folks seem to think that putting a tagline on their business, their product, or their blog establishes their brand. Would that it were so easy.

A unique and positive brand identity is a concise, consistent, compelling message that conveys your unique value. It arrives before you and lingers after you’re gone. It describes you, defines you, and develops positive interest in you. It’s very definition of you weeds out people with whom you prefer not to interact.

This following statement is key.

A tagline is not a brand. It’s a suggestion for folks to start thinking about your brand.

These key assumptions underpin the ability to establish a positive brand.

Start by knowing that other people decide what they think about you.
Realize that their perceptions will be their reality.
Know that most people fit you into THEIR world view.

Knowing that our role in a branding strategy is to provide the unique and compelling reasons and the outstanding examples folks need to naturally want to share. In other words, as Seth would say, “It’s about being remarkable.”

A tagline is just words. A brand is actions that people talk about.

How to Build a Positive Brand in 3 Steps

Because customers are the branders, it makes sense that they should be the center of any branding effort. Customers at the center means that they get to talk. We get to actively listen. If we’re fixing a broken brand, we get to spend even more time with them while we’re listening, because they’ll need to hear our apology.

Step 1 — Listen to Your Branders

The first step is to find out what folks already think. Focus on the people — to know their needs, desires, and pains — and to find the one thing you might do to serve them better than anyone else can. Here’s how to do that.

Find your branders. Find the folks who talk about you. Find those who say both positive and negative things. Find the folks who don’t know who you are. Ask permission to talk to them.
Talk to them as much and as often as you can. Be a learner. Explore their thinking with them. Use it all to identify what skills you have to offer.
Listen actively to what they are not saying as well. Find their unexpressed needs and desires. Look for their points of pain. Look for solutions that you might be able to offer.

Gather all you’ve learned from your branders. Reflect on how it matches your unique skill set and your personal passions.

Step 2 — A Promise that You Put Others First

Use what you’ve gathered to write a customer-centered tagline to say you . . .

Do what you love in service to those who love what you do Steve Farber says.

Think of your tagline as a promise.

Not: The oldest bank in the Western Hemisphere.
But: Your bank, when you’re available, with your interest at heart.

Step 3 — Live Your Promise

Live your promise. Be your brand 100%. Actions speak. People tell more stories about what happens than they do about what they’ve read. Positive actions that meet people’s needs speak loudly and are shared with friends.

Have you heard stories about the great things that these two do? I’ve told a few myself.

Phil or Wendy live their unique brands. No need to try to live theirs, yours is just as uniquely compelling and just as important to the world.

Successful-Blog is where you’re only a stranger once.
After that, you’re a friend.
–ME “Liz” Strauss”
To have Liz help get your brand just right, click on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
Branding, Self-Promotion, Selling: Are You OverDoing?