| |
PLEASE DONATE
If you have found the information on this site of value, please show your appreciation by donating:
|
SEND TO A FRIEND
Know someone who would benefit from this great information? Help us reach 100,000 small business owners. Send them a quick, personalized email containing this link:
|
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Please send them with the convenient form below.
|
|
 |
Small Business Branding Ideas, Thoughts and Reviews
Small Business Interview: Dance 101 (Part 1)
Small Business Interview: Dance 101 (Part 2)
Small Branding Technique: Cheaper Pricing Doesn't Make a Brand Better
If you read my book, BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5, you will probably notice that I mention very little about pricing when positioning your small business brand. If your brand provides a great experience, cost may be the least important issue you face. Customers are (consciously or subconsciously) willing to pay a little extra for something they feel more comfortable interacting with. Seth Godin, author of The Purple Cow and Small is the New Big, sums it up very nicely in one of his recent blog entries: Seth's Blog: Cheaper: I just got an angry note from Anna in the Midwest. She read one of my books, got the coupon for unlimited free consulting by email and decided to cash it in. She sent me a note asking me to persuade her bosses that the best way to grow their resort was to lower prices.
When I responded that perhaps she ought to consider raising prices and using the extra money to create a remarkable experience, she got really angry with me. Of course, I refunded her consulting fee. Actually gave her three times back what she paid...
Here's what I think: Cheaper is the last refuge of the person who's not a very good marketer. Cheaper is easy and cheaper is fast and cheaper is linear and cheaper is easy to do properly, at least at first. But cheaper doesn't spread the word (unless you are much cheaper, but to be much cheaper, you need to be organized from the ground up, like Walmart or JetBlue, to be cheaper). They are, you're not.
Cheaper is a short term hit, not a long term advantage. Cheaper doesn't create loyalty, because the other guy can always figure out how to be cheaper still, at least in the short run.
Even free isn't cheap enough to win in the long run. Not if other people can figure out how to match what you've got.
So, if you can't be cheaper, be better. Well said, Seth. TECHNORATI TAGS: Small Branding | Small Business | Branding | Brand Experience | Value | Customer Experience | Experience Design | Marketing | Entrepreneur | Entrepreneurship | Solopreneur
READ ENTIRE POST >>
Clever Small Business Name?: "Curl Up and Dye"
Small Branding Technique: Optimize your Brand for a Customer's Heart (Just Like Web sites do for Search Engines)
You type a word into the blank rectangular box on a search engine page and hit the enter key. Before you know it, you are delivered ordered results. It lists the links that it thinks are the most relevant first, and the others are placed in a descending pecking order. It seems like magic. How did it do that? Welcome to the fast growing world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search engine technology is the most advanced artificial intelligence created whose goal is to deliver the most relevant content to your search parameters. The top listings of the search results are from websites that have shaped their Web pages according to a search engine's strict filtering process. These engines are the most effective "police" force in online business because they ensure brands are clearly saying what they offer. People search and rank businesses based on many similar parameters that search engines do. Just as fast as the search engines determine relevance, people have a lightning-fast, subconscious filtering process that they go through when selecting one business over another. So, just as you can have your website optimized to heighten your result ranking; you can also optimize your small business to rank higher with customers. Here are seven valuable "brand optimization" lessons that your small business practices can learn from the basics of SEO tactics:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #1: Pick primary keywords that your customers will likely search you by. Instead of picking "fashion design" as a keyword, be specific with "European fashion design."
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: This is an equivalent to having a clear focus for your brand. In BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5, I highlight that the single most important aspect of a business is VALUE, which is partly made up of having a clear Focus. You must know specifically what niche you offer, why it's important to your brand, and why it's beneficial to your customer. This underlying VALUE must shine through everything you are saying and doing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #2: Make sure your site's title is clear. Titles are what appear on the top of your Web site pages and must include your selected keywords from Tip# 1.
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: This is an equivalent to your soul pitch (a passionate elevator pitch). It's how customers understand the benefit they will receive from your brand. If they "feel" they will get something significant from your brand right from the first encounter, they will interact with you further.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #3: Keep your Web site text detailed and brief. The more precise your words are, and the more relevant they are to your keywords, the better your chances of getting ranked higher.
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: Your business must demonstrate VALUE in every touchpoint a customer encounters. The clearer and to the point your small brand is in describing how you fit into their life; the higher your brand will rise in their hearts.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #4: Take Advantage of Heading Tags. Heading Tags are the titles of the sub-sections in your Web pages. These are often overlooked and play an important role in rankings.
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: Every portion of your business needs to be clear in how that part fits in with the overall VALUE the small brand provides. This creates a subconscious hierarchy of importance in a customer's mind.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #5: Don't abuse Meta Tags. Meta Tags are invisible keywords and descriptions that define your Web site. Don't say "Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee" repeatedly. Search engines know when you are overdoing it.
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: Your customers feel the "invisible" things of your business such as the tone in which you speak, the signs your business shows, and all the little DETAILS that make up your brands larger picture. The more desperate you appear; the more uncomfortable they will feel. You must demonstrate natural CONFIDENCE.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #6: Use hyperlinks effectively. Incorporate keywords in the text of your links, as well as before and after the link. (e.g. Providing quality coffee all day long is tough for cafes. Here are a few brewing tips from Wyoming's Best Coffee to help you understand the basic rules of making a consistent cup of Joe.)
Applying this lesson to your Small Business Brand Practice: One of the suggestions I offer in BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5, is to form Shared VALUE Groups. This is a small business alliance formed in your geographic area that you refer business to. Listen to your customer's needs. It's important that you believe in the VALUE they provide. Then "bake" it in when referring your customers to other businesses that they could benefit from. (i.e. "You are wearing such beautiful custom jewelry. A boutique owner down the road who shops here a lot has this incredible collection from a local artist.")
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SEO Tactic #7: Don't try to trick the search engine. Some sites try to add repetitive keywords on a page with the same color as the background, use more than one title tag, duplicate pages, or write out keywords as a list in the Web site text. You run the risk of being blacklisted from search engines if you try this, because they know what your angle is.
Applying this lesson to your for Small Business Brand Practice: Just as search engines are receptive to deception, so are your customers. Bait and switch tactics, discount sales, coupons, etc. may draw customers into your business. But, the less desperate measures you take, over time your brand will appear to have higher quality.
By comparing your small business brand with the basics on how Web sites are ranked on search engines, you can see that the important factors are:
- To be precise and clear with the benefit your brand provides and;
- Demonstrate that VALUE in every DETAIL, especially during customer encounters.
In BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5, I stress that VALUE is the foundation of your business. Let your customers sense your VALUE and you will rank the highest in their heart.
TECHNORATI TAGS: Small Branding | Small Business | Branding | Brand Experience | Value | Customer Experience | Experience Design | Marketing | Entrepreneur | Entrepreneurship | Solopreneur | Search Engine | SEO
READ ENTIRE POST >>
Small Business Interview: Chef on Request
Clever Small Business Name: "Sun in My Belly"
Small Branding Technique: Educating Customers
 Darker Roast Coffee = More Caffeine, right?Actually, no. Many people, such as myself, have had that misconception for most of our lives. I discovered the truth the other day while visiting my favorite café. After having finished a cup of my usual dark roast coffee, I asked for a lighter roast refill, citing that I wanted less caffeine. She immediately corrected me. Turns out that darker roasts have less caffeine than lighter versions because the beans expand during a longer roasting process, which diminishes the stimulant. I love learning, so naturally I was open to the comment. But inside I felt, well...dumb. After drinking coffee for most of my life you'd think I'd know that by now. Then I found I wasn't the only one when the guy behind me said, "Wow, I didn't know that." If customers generally aren't familiar with the caffeine levels in different roasts, why haven't independent coffee houses taken advantage of enlightening customers with that fact? Especially when it comes down to helping them make a quicker, more educated decision. It can be as simple as making a small, unobtrusive "caffeinated meter" sticker next to each roast's name. Of course, this may seem like such a small DETAIL, right? Why should any coffee house spend time doing this? Because small business brands thrive on little things like that. Each seemingly minor DETAIL plays an important role in a customer's overall perception of a small brand. Subtly educating customers is one of the best ways to develop great relationships. Consciously or subconsciously, customers (people) always appreciate tidbits of knowledge. Each time they recall that information, their mind will associate it with the brand that informed them. So, what were to happen if a coffee shop put a "caffeinated meter" on its signs? If anything, customers may inquire about it. This is great because the Baristas will be prepared to answer it effectively, demonstrating authoritative wisdom in the art of coffee consumption. This is also an opportunity for coffee shop personnel to strike up a friendly conversation with the customer. Anyway you look at it, that DETAIL helped that brand to glide a few millimeters deeper into the hearts of customers. You can find out more about the importance of DETAILS in your small business brand by reading my Free eBook, BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5. If you've seen something like this, or actually use this idea, enter your comment into this post and let us know if it offered you saw any benefit. TECHNORATI TAGS: Small Branding | Small Business | Branding | Brand Experience | Value | Customer Experience | Experience Design | Marketing | Entrepreneur | Entrepreneurship | Solopreneur | Coffee
READ ENTIRE POST >>
|
|
Join Jamarie Milkovic, Brand Consultant and Editor of BRANDING TO THE POWER OF 5 and Ofelia de la Valette, owner of Dance 101, as they discuss the benefits of small business branding in Part 1 of this 2-part Podcast interview.
Join Jamarie Milkovic, Brand Consultant and Editor of 
DOWNLOAD THE E-BOOK +
THE ART OF THE START 
THE E-MYTH REVISITED 
SMALL IS THE NEW BIG 
GOOD TO GREAT 
BLINK
THE TIPPING POINT
BRAND AID 
HOW CUSTOMERS THINK 
U R A BRAND 
HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN 90 SECONDS OR LESS 
HOW TO READ A
THE BRAND GAP
EMOTIONAL BRANDING 
A NEW BRAND WORLD 
THE DESIGN OF