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Apr 11 2017

6 ways to make your brand stand out in the crowd

One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is standing out among a sea of other small businesses… Don’t even get us started on stepping out of the shadow of the industry giants! As a small business owner, whether you are a solopreneur or you have a team working with you, you need to have a strategy in place to create a strong brand foundation so you can enjoy business success.

Here are six thoughts to consider to help your brand stand out in the crowd.

Showcase your brand personality

Brand personality gives your audience something they can relate to – that is what they will buy into, not just your products and services. You should take the time to define your brand personality at the beginning before you launch. If you never did, it’s ok, better late than never. Do this brand personality exercise!

Understand your audience

Once you know who you are as a brand, make sure you get to know who your audience is. After taking an in depth look at who you think your target audience is, you might realize that they don’t exactly match your brand personality, so you should consider reaching out to a different group of people that has the same values and interests your brand supports. The more connected your target audience feels to your brand, the more you will stand out. And don’t forget to treat them like VIPs!

Consider your brand integrity

Brand integrity has everything to do with your audience and how they perceive you. However, its defining factor is whether you deliver on your brand promise. When an organization is driven by their brand promise, and they deliver on it consistently, they will create loyalty among their audiences.

Be consistent

Brand consistency is the key to building awareness and long term recognition. Make sure to keep your visual style and message consistent across all platforms and outreach channels.

Build relationships

You will be more memorable if people feel you are invested in them long term. If you are only talking at people there is no way you will get to know them. Build relationships with your customers like you would with your best friend. Create meaningful dialogue and listen to what they have to say.

Don’t be blind to your weak points

It’s very easy to “wing it” because you don’t put in the work in advance to plan your branding out. However, you won’t see the results you want. Constantly revisit your strategy to make sure that you are on track. Ask yourself the tough questions about your brand and marketing outreach that need to be answered.

Remember, like anything, your brand is only as good as the work you put into it. If you hope to remain memorable in the long term among your target audience, you need to make sure you build a strong foundation in the beginning.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Candace Huntly · Tagged: audience, Be Consistent, brand integrity, brand personality, build relationships, Candace Huntly, making your business stand out, Songbird Marketing Communications, stand out, stay on track

Jul 09 2014

Three C’s of Social Media for #SmallBiz

 Kelly headshot (2)

It’s great when someone tells a new business owner that they “have” to be on Social Media. But, what does that look like? Where do you start? What can I spend the least amount of time on? What’s essential?

Entrepreneurship in the 21st century demands a knowledge of so much more than just what your specialty is. A business owner today needs to be adept at all facets of business, or at least how to navigate through all the outsourcing options to find the best resource at the most cost-effective rate. Social Media is no different. There are numerous companies who will manage your online presence, but like other outsourcing options, it is up to the business owner to dictate how and what that presence will look like. That demands an understanding of the unique realm of Social Networking.

To help you get started, here are three essential C’s for every small business social media marketing plan.

Be Consistent – Accounts on all major networks with the same username so customers/clients can follow you. The top 10 networks (at the time of writing) include: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest,  Instagram, Vine, Tumblr, Flikr. While choosing which platform best suits your demographic, companies should have a consistent presence across all social media platforms, whether or not the profiles are equally active.

Be Cohesive – Cohesive branding across all accounts is the key to gaining brand recognition. Your logo and/or profile pictures on all your social networking accounts should represent your brand. Colours used in posts and in your email signature should also be representative of your brand. Take the time to ensure that you have the required sizes of your logo for all the different platforms (no, it’s not as simple as having one image file for your logo!) and that they are formatted and centered correctly.

Be Connected – To grow your followings on your social networks, make it easy for your clients and contacts to find you! Include your Social Network links in your email signature, on every page of your website or  blog. Then, link back to your website from your social media profiles. Making navigation easy for your followers will build brand loyalty and consequently increase your network.

  

Kelly Farrell is the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Teach Me Social, a visionary company that has a mission to empower small business entrepreneurs to take control of their own online presence and manage it in-house to maintain an authentic voice for their brand. Teach Me Social has been providing valuable Social Media and online marketing support to small business owners for 2 years, while Kelly’s personal experience in the marketing and Social Media realm extends over 15 years.  Connect with Kelly via her WEBSITE, TWITTER, or FACEBOOK page. You can also email her at info@teachmesocial.ca

Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Kelly Farrell · Tagged: 3 C's, Be Cohesive, Be Connected, Be Consistent, business development, business entrepreneurs, business owner, Canadian Small Business Women, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Facebook, Flikr, google, Instagram, Kelly Farrell, Linkedin, Pinterest, small business, small business development, social media, social media platform, Social Networking, Teach Me Social, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine, YouTube

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