Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Brand Building in a Digital World

The American Marketing Association's premier event, MPlanet, is taking place January 26-28 in Orlando. You can get more information on it at their website: www.mplanet2009.com or you can visit their Facebook page.

In preparation for this event, MPlanet has asked bloggers to talk about one of the four themes for this 2009 event. Having heard about this from Scott Titus, I thought I'd add my thoughts to the mix.

The biggest challenge for all business leaders in today's economic climate is to shift from becoming simply another commodity or a "me too" option for our clients. The challenge, as I've heard from a number of people who subscribe to my blog, is an age old one: "How do you brand yourself?"

I recommend that you consider the following:
  • What do your clients most want to hear more about?
  • What ideas can you focus on that will help?
  • What are some key ways you can help your clients in the growing digital world that we now live in and set yourself apart from the confusing mix of competitors?

Get plugged in and focus on critical ways that you can communicate with your clients. The following list identifies some great ways to do this.

  1. Send a consistent, regular eNewsletter
  2. Blog
  3. Interactive Web Pages
  4. Public Speaking
  5. Provide free written reports or whitepapers
  6. Facebook
  7. Brainshark presentations
  8. Webinars
  9. Live seminar or workshop events
  10. Twitter

These are just a few of the great ways to begin building your brand in a digital world. I use all of these with the lone exception of Twitter (I'm still deciding if that's the right forum for me). As a result of the efforts that I've put in, my clients recognize the value that I bring to the table. In fact, one customer commented on the fact that the brand I have created for myself is the most impressive and informative brands he's been exposed to at the local level. I've captured a portion of his mindshare with my brand!

Capturing mindshare, afterall, is what we're really striving for when we build our brand! To learn more about the ideas I've shared here and how you can create the "ultimate differentiator" with your clients, please feel free to visit my online presentation by clicking here.

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