Internet Branding

by: H. Vanoy Barton

Internet Branding by H. Vanoy Barton In the beginning there was traffic. It was easy to come by in 1993. Publish a web site and the entire web world would know about it and visit within a month. In fact in the days of yore one could visit every site on the Web. I know. I've done it several times.And the offline saw that traffic was good and they came - by the millions. Thereafter publish a web site and you would be lucky to have any hits other than your own development hits within a month. And the people knew that traffic was good, yet they had little, or none. Challenge spawns opportunity. Hence directories and search engines arose and the people rejoiced for the millions could now be found. And so the first iteration of the Web passed and the found and the lost were as one - eventually indexed. Commerce and competition arose, as it always does with every technological advance, business models decried the wild west confusion of the web and mandated order and profit. And the traffic remained good yet the people lamented because the ecumenical nature of traffic was replaced by the bought and the paid for. And the major brands rejoiced for the traffic was good and it could be bought, tamed and redirected. Yet, throughout it all the pioneers and the foolhardy and the diligent and the brave remained steadfast, for they had become digital in their outlook and on was the state of the Web. The traffic increased, though not for all. Traffic is the river that always flows. And so the second iteration of the Web passed and the lost were further still and the found paid with money or arduous labor. And the third iteration dawned and Google became the word bandied throughout the land. The clouds thickened for many and cleared for some, a new term arose in the digital land, although long a staple in the of the analog. The term is brand and the nature of it will continue with the next episode. -------------------------------------- copyright 2005 H. Vanoy Barton. You are free to utilize this article on your website or ezine as long as no changes are made to article, author byline is included and the following live link is included: Article courtesy of This Is Info http://www.thisisinfo.com About the Author H. Vanoy Barton, a fifteen year veteran of the Internet is founder of This Is Info.

 

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Stop Branding Your Products and Start Branding Yourself!

by: Wild Bill Montgomery

Branding has power. Real power. A power that you can measure. But for those of us who have the dream of creating our own Internet Empire from our home cubicle or kitchen table, the Real Branding Power comes not from branding your business or product, but from Branding Yourself! Branding "You" (a phrase borrowed from Rick Beneteau) is a power that you can't afford not to understand and use."Branding Yourself" is the application of certain techniques which will help you gain popularity on the Internet by making yourself well known, maybe as an Expert in your field. When people recognize you as an expert you will gain popularity by means of more free publicity than you can imagine. Picture seeing an article written mentioning your name as an authority on Marketing or mentioning you for nothing more than quoting something you said. The point I'm trying to make is that you are seen as an Authority or better put, a "Personality". Now, try to fathom thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people seeing you in the same light. This is what successful Self-Branding is all about. You don't need to necessarily be an expert. You just need to be seen, heard and talked about. How do you Brand Yourself? There are many techniques and methods, but it can be as simple as a hidden personality trait, a nickname (maybe something like "Wild Bill"), or helping others by consultation or assistance. You must look for ways to literally become a Celebrity in the eyes of the world or at least a small, select part of it. It could be by getting your name known as the "guy/gal who had the answer or made the comment". Is that all there is to it? Of course not. The one thing I am slowly and surely learning about marketing on the Internet is that you have to build a name for yourself before people will trust you and trust your products. Trust is a big issue on the Internet. Can you blame people? The Internet is overrun with rip-offs and fast-talking scam artists. Their whole existence is centered on the sole pursuit of relieving you of your money for a product with lots of promise and no result. I recently purchased a book by Rick Beneteau, called "Branding You and Breaking the Bank". Now you might think that Rick had some kind of big money backing him. "Sure", you say, "that's the only way to get into the big time". Well, let me tell you Rick started out a few years ago from the very bottom. The one thing that he understood that many of us don't, is that you must Brand Yourself, whether it's as an expert in marketing or the guy next door who'll help you out with a problem. But, one thing is for sure; Rick knows how to do it. Would you like to learn more about Personal Branding and how to get your name known and respected? Learn how to get thousands of dollars worth the free advertising? Is this a recommendation for a product? I have to say, without a doubt "YES"! But I am so thrown back by this book, that I simply had to write an article around it. Many of you may have read some of my articles, and I know that some of you read them religiously (thank you very much). Those of you that do, know that I do not write articles supporting products in this manner. I may have mentioned a product in the process, that's part of the Biz. But, I cannot stress enough the importance of "Personal Branding". I wholeheartedly support and recommend Rick's Book, "Branding You and Breaking the Bank". This Powerful new book puts YOU on the fast track to becoming an Internet Celebrity. Not only does Rick teach you step-by-step how he did it; he also asked many of the top Internet personalities to share their success secrets with you. If you're at all serious about achieving success on the Internet, you need to start Branding YOU and Breaking the Bank! Do yourself a favor. Check It Out! I'll be e-Seeing you Soon About the Author Wild Bill Montgomery Home of the "InfoZone" Business and Marketing Article Archives!

 

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Nation Branding and Place Marketing - The Place

by: Sam Vaknin

IV. The Place Some countries are geographically disadvantaged. Recent studies have demonstrated how being landlocked or having a tropical climate carry a hefty price tag in terms of reduced economic growth. These unfavorable circumstances can be described as "natural discounts" to a country's price. What can be done to overcome such negative factor endowments?In classical microeconomics, the element of "place" in the marketing plan used to refer to the locus of delivery of the product or service. Well into the 19th century, the "place" was identical to the region where the product was manufactured or the service rendered. In other words, textiles weaved in India were rarely sold in Britain. American accountants were unlikely to practice in Russia. Distribution was a local affair and networks of dissemination and marketing were geographically confined. A host of historical and technological developments drastically altered the scene and frayed the straitjacket of geography. The violent disintegration of the old system of geopolitical alliances led to the formation of massive, multiplayer trading blocs within which and among which the movement of goods and, increasingly, services is friction-free. The vast increase in the world's population - matched by the exponential rise in purchasing power - created a global marketplace of unprecedented wealth and a corresponding hunger for goods and services. The triumph of liberal capitalism compounded this beneficial effect. The advent of mass media, mass transport, and mass communications reduced transaction costs and barriers to entry. The world shrank to become a veritable "global village". The value of knowledge (processed information) has fast risen to surpass that of classical (physical) goods and services. Information has some of the properties of a public good (for instance, nonrivalry) - coupled with all the incentives of a private good (e.g., profit-making). Thus, the very nature of distribution had been irrevocably changed. The distribution channel, the path from producer to consumer (in our case, from country to foreign investor or tourist, for example) is less encumbered by topography than it used to be. Even the poorest, most remote, landlocked, arid, and disadvantaged country can nowadays leverage air flight, the Internet, television, cell phones, and other miracles of technology to promote itself and its unique offerings (knowledge, plant and animal species, scenery, history, minerals, cheap and educated manpower, cuisine, textiles, software, and so on). The key to success is in a mix of both direct and indirect marketing. Nowadays, countries can (and do) appeal directly to consumers (ads targeted at tourists or road shows aimed at investors). They present themselves and what they have to offer, circumventing brokers and agents of all kinds (disintermediation). Still, they should not fail to cultivate more traditional marketing channels such as investment banks, travel agents, multilateral organizations, or trade associations. With many of the physical obstacles to marketing removed in the last few decades, with the very concept of "place" rendered obsolete, promotion emerged as the most critical facet of nation branding and place marketing. About the Author Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, and eBookWeb , and Bellaonline, and as a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent. He is the the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.

 

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Branding, control and results - Submit Articles in Your Own

by: Andy Beard

Article distribution is currently booming on the internet. Authors do it for a number of reasons. - It is a good way to be picked up by the search engines. - The backlinks from your resource box can help your search engine position. - You have the possibility of secondary traffic if your article is picked up by a popular website or ezine. Various products and services have become available that help you distribute your articles to the 100s of article directories and mailing lists.a) Software that speeds up maunal submission, or can in some cases do this automatically. b) Services that distribute articles in your name c) Services that distribute articles on your behalf, but in their own name. The Double Edged Sword Many people pay a premium rate for article distribution on their behalf, without the worry of having to join various article directory sites as a member, giving their own email address, and receiving lots of emails from various Yahoo groups. Unfortunately what they don't realise is that often this devalues their work. 1) In the author section on many sites, the name of the distribution service will be shown, not that of the original author. 2) Author sections of many article directories are a unique marketing venue. Many visitors will visit the author profile before reading an article all the way to the bottom. Most profiles could have one or more websites listed. 3) Within RSS feeds from the article directories, the distribution service might be shown in the byline, not the original author. 4) Many article directories allow an author to change or modify their resource box. If an article was submitted using an account owned by a 3rd party distribution service, that avenue will be closed. Complete Control For authors who want complete control of their branding, either submit manually, or use article submission software. You will receive more emails, but can always have a special email address for this purpose. Googles Gmail service I find is an excellent choice. Article Announcer and Article Submitter Pro are two examples of such software. Limited Control Use an automated submission service that ensures you are the author. There are services that signup for members to directories on your behalf, using a username and password of your choice. One such service is Article Marketer. The Inconvenience You will have to confirm your membership to many distribution points, and some will continue to send emails containing articles from other people. Yahoo groups normally allow you to select a digest mode, or to not receive emailed articles at all. Most of this is a one time effort, although you will have to be on the lookout for important messages on the email account you use. The Massive Gain They are your articles, and you should gain maximum benefit from them. Using article distribution is much like a varient of Pareto's 80/20 rule. You potentially gain 80% effective results compared to manual distribution, for 20% of the work. However if your method of article distribution doesn't give you all the possible credit for your articles, rather than 80% effectiveness, you might only be getting 60% or less. Managing your own article distribution with tools such as Article Announcer or Article Submitter Pro gives you complete control to achieve your 80/20 goals. A service such as Article Marketer which gives you full credit, and reasonable control, might be 70% effective, for 10% of the work. Refining your processes, and only using the most effective method where it benefits you the most, you can maximise your return for the work invested. I use a combination of service and software for my own distribution. About the author: Andy Beard has worked in Sales, Marketing and Localization for the last 15 years, primarily in the computer games industry. On his blog Exploring Niche Websites read his review of 3 killer article submission products. http://niche-website.blogspot.com/2005/08/submit-articles-3-killer-products.html http://andybeard.name

 

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Magnetic Branding - How to Attract vs. Acquire Customers

by: Phillip Davis

What makes a company brand magnetic -- one that seems to effortlessly attract customers, revenue, media attention and employees alike? It only requires a look at nature itself to discover the answers. Invisible forces such as magnetism and gravity have a constant influence on our lives. They govern us without our awareness of their presence. Their enegies are not overt and go largely unnoticed, yet they govern so much of what we do. Just as in science, magnetic companies and brands are ones that are aligned and “pulling” in the same direction. Magnetism works when electrons are charged and line up in the same direction. In much the same way, when businesses are charged behind a unified and coherent message, employees and customers alike will begin to align themselves to that vision. The target customer is no longer a “target”, since they begin to find you. The emphasis slowly shifts from atrificially capturing customers to naturally attracting them. Magnetism then comes from a distilled and powerful sense of purpose. This purpose revirberates throughout the organization and intuitvely instructs the organization’s members to act and behave in ways that promote this vision. The cost of top down driven, internal messaging is greatly reduced. The process becomes more natural, more fluid and instinctive. So is this purpose the same as a mission statement or brand strategy? Yes and no. Most mission statements are written in boardrooms and sit in nice plaques on the walls. Purpose is something that comes from the heart, and it needs to come from the heart of top management. Again, this is about alignment, and if top management is all about maximizing the bottom line, it cannot create a magnetic company whose mission statement expounds the virtues of altruistic, self sacrificing service. It just won’t vibrate, resonate and ultimately attract the desired customer. So you can also say magnetic companies are genuine in nature. Their values are consistant at all levels of the organization. Profit then becomes a natural byproduct of doing what the company believes in, whether it’s delivering on price, quality or service. How does a company find its purpose? It’s already there, waiting to be acknowledged and promoted. For example, many owners I’ve dealt with felt passionate about their quality, but also felt compelled and pressured to compete based on price. They are brainwashed by their sales force or other outside influences to believe they can only compete by selling for less. When these company presidents/owners begin to realize there is an audience that doesn’t purchase on price alone, they become emboldend and that energy translates throughout the company- enegizing everyone. Soon “the talk” is about product quality and innovatioins, new customers appear and old (time consuming, complaining, incongruent) ones begin to leave. The company, the brand, the image, begin to align and “pull” in a quiet but powerful way. An Optometrist came to me years ago, desparte to create an image of speedy service, to combat the one hour vision centers that were devouring the market. When I asked him how long it took him to provide the service, his reply was “one week, but I think I can get it down to three days”. Someone looking for glasses in one hour is not going to be thrilled with waiting three days. So I designed a campaign with a headline that read “We take time.” It went on to extoll the vital role of vison in our lives and why it’s important to wait to make sure an eyeglass prescription is done right by a professional. The doctor felt I had completely missed his point, but he trusted my judgement and ran the campaign. The phone began to ring and one lady said “I haven’t had my prescription filled because I was waiting to find someone who took more than one hour to ‘grind’ my glasses”. He has run the ad for over 15 years and “taking the time” has now become his position in the market. His revenue, share and bottom line all increased when he became comfortable and congruent with who he was and what he did best- regardless of the market. Transforming a company or brand from mediocre to magnetic requires refocusing on the passion that created it and aligning all else around it. Rather than chasing the market, the market will find you. And that makes work, and life in general, much more attractive. About the Author Phil’s life goal of “creating environments where people thrive” reflects his desire to assist in both personal and corporate growth. With 18 years experience as the president and owner of a full service advertising and branding firm, Phil posseses a marketing "sixth sense" that has helped launch several national and internet companies. Phil resides with wife Michelle and four energetic offspring outside Asheville, North Carolina.

 

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CAFTA Drives Manufacturing PR Branding Messages

by: Thomas Cutler

TR Cutler, Inc.,(www.trcutlerinc.com), based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, specializes in public relations for manufacturers. According to Thomas R. Cutler, President & CEO of the firm, "The Central American Free Trade Agreement is benefiting U.S. manufacturers by eliminating tariffs on many American goods imported by Central American nations. Manufacturers in Central America are initiating PR campaigns to develop a market presence in the U.S.; U.S. Manufacturers are initiating PR campaigns to develop a Central American market presence."Cutler's team includes Dean Schmidt, Vice President of PR Advantage Affinity Program and works with manufacturers and manufacturing associations to determine what is newsworthy and merits media coverage. Schmidt brings operations expertise to the team and will establish measurable impacts and metrics for manufacturing clients and noted that, "The passage of CAFTA is a strong indicator of global marketing in the manufacturing sector. The need to establish branding and market awareness in new markets requires aggressive PR campaigns." Cutler is ranked as the nation's leading manufacturing journalist. Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium. This is a group of more than 2000 journalists worldwide writing about trends, data, case studies, profiles, and features in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Cutler worked with hundreds of media outlets to expand the coverage and importance of the manufacturing media coverage. Cutler created the Mass Marketing Manufacturing Media Blitz, a comprehensive 90 - 180 day program allowing manufacturers with little web presence or with a new product introduction to go from zero to sixty in a short-term PR campaign. Cutler has authored more than 1000 articles for a wide range of manufacturing, industrial, and business journals, dailies, and month trade B2B publications. Cutler also authored best-selling Manufacturer's Public Relations and Media Guide. Cutler has been the spokesperson of the ETO (Engineer-to-Order) Institute, since 2004. The organization has quickly become the key resource for non-repetitive manufacturers. www.etoinstitute.org. TR Cutler, Inc. www.trcutlerinc.com Thomas Cutler 954-486-7562 # # # About the Author Professional Marketing Firm

 

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ARE YOU BRANDING YOURSELF?

by: Tom Falco

Are you placing your email address and URL on all correspondence? Many people forget to add this to important mailings and even their business cards.Today, most people prefer to email messages than make phone calls, so it is very important to have your email address on all letters, invoices and business cards. Make sure your URL (web address) is on everything that you send out. Keep "branding" your business. Keep that URL out where it can be seen. It's not enough to have your phone number and fax number on your business cards or letterheads. Add your email address and URL if you have one. It's important also to have a signature on all emails that go out. There is a cool free "signature writing" service at: http://www.TheDiscountPrinter.com/freeads.htm check it out. Don't be left behind. Promote and brand your business every chance you get. It's the professional thing to do. Some say it takes up to nine times for people to see your name before they will do business with you. If that is true, then it's very important to have your name and email address out there. Try to encourage email exchanges. The more emails you have going back and forth, the more credibility you will build in your potential clien't head. Offer something free. Make people email you for information. This way you are opening the door to email correspondence without spamming. Your goal should be to have the person email you first asking for information or just a simple question. Once the ball starts rolling, your various email exchanges can easily turn into sales. It's important to have a pop account or an account that reflects your company or website. Using generic @aol.com or @hotmail.com really puts a damper on your look and makes you appear unprofessional. Plus, when you email a person with your own private "branded" email address, you are actually advertising your company just by the mere action of sending a message. Joe@bikeseller.com sounds better than joe@aol.com Or Mary@thegiftstore.com is much better than mary@hotmail.com. Isn't it? Brand yourself. Brand your business. Do it today. About the Author Tom Falco is moderator of "The Swap-O-Rama" List where you can swap anything from ezine ads to hotel rooms and more! For info, visit: http://www.XpectMore.com/Swap.htm or to subscribe mailto:TheSwap-o-rama-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Also "American Pop Trivia List" visit: http://www.XpectMore.com/pop.htm

 

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Branding Concepts

by: Michael Bloch

"Branding" is the process by which a company employs marketing strategies to get people to easily remember their business and products over anothers...essentially, it's applied psychology. As a child, I was introduced to a relatively new hamburger chain that had begun in Australia. I still visit that burger chain regularly 25 years later. Not a lot has changed over those years in regards to this particular company and I guess that's one of the reasons that I am still a customer. I know each time I walk into that establishment what I am going to have, where everything is and God help them if they ever remove the item from the menu! Even if they radically changed the decor, it would make me nervous. Many millions of people around the world would feel the same......One of our countries major supermarkets has a habit of occasionally moving products around in their stores. It works well for them as it increases sales. Customers who usually seek out particular products are exposed to other items as they hunt for their favourites. It is a highly annoying tactic and only works in this situation because the supermarket is very competitive in pricing and range of products. People are not so patient on web sites and continiously moving items around on your site will see you losing traffic....nothing surer. After having worked in management of another major fast food chain outlet, I learned that once a company has established a presence and become successful, any changes to operation must be carried out extremely carefully. Our patrons became very attuned to the company, they were essentially a part of it. Their perceptions and opinions needed to be taken into account every step of the way, and not just in regards to the products. Why? We have succumbed to the branding experience..... it makes us feel "safe" Branding isn't just about logos, it's the entire "feel" associated with a company. In these days of bleeding edge technology and rapid change, people still enjoy going to places that follow a pattern of operation. This very much applies to our websites. Your logo should appear on every page, your domain name and one line blurb contained in every email, your theme consistent throughout your site. Granted, quality content is king, but it's important that visitors remember where the content came from. Branding establishes recall abilities of your site. Recently, I decided that I was going to change the colour schemes on my site due to the research that I had carried out on the psychology of colour. Many articles I had studied suggested that black was not really appropriate for a site about web design. After discussing the plans with a few regular visitors, I was surprised by the response. The feedback was for me not to change the colour in any way. Even those people who did not feel that black was appropriate considering the nature of site did not want me to change it. They were "used" to it. It was a constant on the site, the same as the logo placement and general navigation structure. So it is all staying. My plans were to make the site look more in tune with other very successful web presences that focus on web design. What was I thinking!?!?!? Branding is not only about constants, but individuality.......... If some one told you that they were going to establish a hamburger franchise and the logo colour scheme would be red and yellow, you would probably think they were insane. Red tends to signify danger and yellow is purported to be the most annoying colour of all. But try telling McDonalds that..... But having stated that, if you are just in the planning stages your site, I suggest that you do be careful in your choice of navigation, logos and colour schemes. If your site is established with a good traffic flow and you are considering revamping it, it is of the utmost importance that you consult your visitors first via some sort of survey before any radical changes are made. Otherwise the many hours of hard work that you put into the upgrade, as well as the hours invested in developing the original theme, may be lost. .... along with your traffic. Michael Bloch michael@tamingthebeast.net http://www.tamingthebeast.net Tutorials, web content and tools, software and community. Web Marketing, eCommerce & Development solutions. _____________________________________________ Copyright information....If you wish to reproduce this article, please acknowledge "Taming the Beast" by including a hyperlink or reference to the website (www.tamingthebeast.net) & send me an email letting me know. The article must be reproduced in it's entirety & this copyright statement must be included. Thanks. Visit www.tamingthebeast.net to view other great articles FREE for reproduction! About the Author Michael is an Australian Information Technologies trainer and web developer. Many other free web design, ecommerce development and Internet articles, tutorials, tools and resources are available from his award winning site; Taming the Beast.net (http://www.tamingthebeast.net)

 

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Keywords (a waste)! Branding Comes First!

by: Meredith Gossland

Keywords, Keywords, Keywords... establishing an internet presence is said to be all about controling the hot keywords. But the fact of the matter is that establishing your company as an industry leader is much more important. I did a little research on the keywords used by large companies and found that keywords were really secondary to having a great brand identity.Coke.com uses a total of 3 key words, Saddleback Church uses just 2. Can you guess what they are? Building a great business and letting people know about it through traditional methods can drive business to your site and is far more cost effective than pay per click. Pay per click is like having a store on Main Street and being charged for everyone who looks in the window of your shop. Would you let a city do that? What if the newspapers charged you for everyone who read your ad in the paper whether they purchased from you or not? Focus on developing your business reputation and customer service, tell everyone you meet to check out your website, then give them services on the site that are useful, entertaining, interesting and are updated frequently. Why do you have a website? Internet customers are great but they are tremendously fickle. Not only that most are just surfers. What if you owned a business in a mall and the mall charged you for everyone who entered your store would you bid against a similar store in the mall to be charged a higher price for every person who walked by your window? Just as Las Vegas Casinos are the winners and gamblers are the losers. Search engines are the winners pay per click clients are the losers. The popularity of Saddleback Church is the result of marketing technique that is totally and completly dependant on building relationships from small groups. The church has 2,600 links on Google, 17,100 on Yahoo (Alta Vista) but these links were not purchased or created on link sites. They come from real people who have heard about the church and are interested in the product. Coke has 10,200 links on Google and 18,000 on MSN do you think they purchased those links. Look for Coke under the key word soda or carbonated drinks they aren't even in the top 50. These are companies that have worked to create their business first and the website followed. Go to www.sitereportcard.com and check out the keywords used by Coke and Saddleback Church. I don't think you will be surprised. They have built a name in their respective communities and can be found on the internet by that name. No 499 keywords, no pay per click, no cons or traps.... just good business branding and great reputations. If you want to see if your keywords are effective check out Wordtracker.com About the Author Owner Lasting Impressions 2 - Custom Business gift baskets, greeting cards, Customer Service Tips www.lastingimpressions2.com

 

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Internet Business Branding (Co-Branded)

by: Ross Dalangin

Branding Affiliate websites is an area that is creating a lot of money for many larger companies that offer affiliate programs. This is how it works you sign up as an affiliate and choose a template that has the look at feel that you like and your identity is promoted while the hosting company remains virtually invisible and undetectable to the consumer. Consumers will think they are ordering directly from your website. Branding Affilaites programs are designed to enable just about any website the opportunity to offer e-commerce with variety of different products and services. The idea behind branding is to give website owners the opportunity to offer products and services, without even having to stick the items. With the technology available today Branding Affiliates are now able to match their products and services that they choose to offer in their stores to their existing website, with even more transparency. By offering services such as this big companies get the opportunity to drive traffic to the branging affiliates, with transparency being the key element. This allows everyone involved to make money. Many of the other affiliate programs, do not send traffic back to the affiliate sites. Branded Affiliate programs provide additional traffic through other marketing methods as well. The goal is to help the affiliate make money while they make money. By selecting a store template the affiliate can make their store match their website so there is very little difference between the two when going back and forth. You have the opportunity to choose color schemes, page alignment, upload your logo. Many branded sites allow you to select up to 30 items to place in your online store. We highly recommend that you choose products and services that relate directly to your website. This will allow your visitors to your site to possibly convert to purchaseers. Branding Affiliates have the ability to change the selected items and modify the look and feel of their stores whenever they feel the need to. By offering services such as the ones above, this allows for a better working relationship between the affiliate and the company they are working with. Having worked with branded sites myself, it is clear that they are out to help you in any way they can by providing the best support and services. If you have ever though about working with a company that uses branded sites, now is the time to join in. You are bound to make money if you are willing to promote your site and help to get the people there. Remember your success will depend on the effort that you put in. However here's the eBook that can help you.http://www.webquartet.com/befamous About the Author Ross Dalangin Software Developer Since 1991 Computer Instructor Since 1994 Web Developer and Consultant Since 1995 Database and Network Administrator Since 1996 Search Engine Optimizer Since 2000 Web Publisher Since 2001 http://www.webquartet.com http://www.cbjunction.com http://www.recordname.com http://www.dalangin.com http://www.systemempire.com http://www.instant-weight-loss.com

 

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Branding Versus SEO

by: Kevin Kantola

Branding versus search engine optimization is a marketing dilemma that larger companies will need to come to grips with on the Internet. Often companies will need to decide whether to promote their own brand name as their main keyword phrase or optimize for a more generic keyword phrase.
For instance, one search engine report states that 1.3 million visitors per month search for the term "Best purchase." This same report states that the term "electronics" is searched for by 1.1 visitors per month. The obvious choice in this scenario is for Best purchase to optimize for their own brand name first and the word "electronics" second.
But, take a competitor such as Fry's Electronics. Approximately 95,000 visitors search for the term "Fry's" every month, far short of those who search for "electronics". Does this mean Fry's Electronics (a partner with Outpost.com) should optimize for "electronics" first and Fry's (and/or Outpost.com) second?

At this writing (August 2004), a search on Google for "electronics" will show that Best purchase does not show up in the first two pages. Fry's (Outpost.com) is on the third page. But let's take a further look to see who is in the number 1 position: Sony. And Samsung is a close second.
Sony, with 450,000 searches per month for the word "sony", has managed to grab the number one spot for its brand name and the generic word "electronics". A search of the Sony homepage source code will reveal that this page is optimized for both words, "Sony" and "electronics." By optimizing for both words Sony has grabbed a lot of traffic neglected by Best purchase and perhaps even exceeds Best purchases traffic in doing this.
Another issue in branding is trademark infringement. Courts have upheld that websites using another company's branded name in its meta tags is engaging in trademark infringement. For instance, a site about cats would be infringing if it put the name Best purchase in its meta tags in hopes of gaining traffic from this trademarked word. Large companies have to protect themselves from others stealing traffic that is rightfully theirs. These companies cannot however protect a generic term such as "electronics" as that is fair game for all electronics companies.
So in order to create the largest return on investment, large companies need to optimize their websites both for their own brand names and for the generic, high-traffic keywords and keyword phrases relevant to their sites. Otherwise, they are letting tons of online business just slip away.

Copyright © 2004 SEO Resource
http://www.seoresource.net
Kevin Kantola is the CEO of SEO Resource and has published many articles over the past 20 years.

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Branding Versus Search Engine Optimization

by: Kevin S. Kantola

Branding versus search engine optimization is a marketing dilemma that larger companies will need to come to grips with on the Internet. Often companies will need to decide whether to promote their own brand name as their main keyword phrase or optimize for a more generic keyword phrase. For instance, one search engine report states that 1.3 million visitors per month search for the term "Best purchase." This same report states that the term "electronics" is searched for by 1.1 visitors per month. The obvious choice in this scenario is for Best purchase to optimize for their own brand name first and the word "electronics" second.But take a competitor such as Fry's Electronics. Approximately 95,000 visitors search for the term "Fry's" every month, far short of those who search for "electronics". Does this mean Fry's Electronics (a partner with Outpost.com) should optimize for "electronics" first and Fry's (and/or Outpost.com) second? Currently, a search on Google for "electronics" will show that Best purchase does not show up in the first two pages. Fry's (Outpost.com) is on the second page. But let's take a further look to see who is in the number 1 position: Sony. Sony, with 450,000 searches per month for the word "sony", has managed to grab the number one spot for its brand name and the generic name "electronics". A search of the Sony homepage source code will reveal that this page is optimized for both words, "Sony" and "electronics." By optimizing for both words Sony has nabbed a lot of traffic neglected by Best purchase and perhaps even exceeds Best purchases traffic in doing this. Another issue in branding is trademark infringement. Courts have upheld that websites using another company's branded name in its metatags is engaging in trademark infringement. For instance, a site about cats would be infringing if it put the name Best purchase in its metatags in hopes of gaining traffic from this trademarked word. Large companies have to protect themselves from others stealing traffic that is rightfully theirs. These companies cannot however protect a generic term such as "electronics" as that is fair game for all electronics companies. So, in order to create the largest return on investment, large companies need to optimize their websites both for their own brand names and for the generic, high-traffic keywords and keyword phrases relevant to their sites. Otherwise, they are letting tons of online business just slip away. http://www.seoresource.net About the Author Kevin Kantola is the CEO of Search Engine Optimization Resource (seoresource.net) and has written many online and offline articles over the past 20 years.

 

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Importance of Branding: What's in a Name?

by: William King

Branding is perhaps the most important facet of any business--beyond product, distribution, pricing, or location. A company's brand is its definition in the world, the name that identifies it to itself and the marketplace. A model may be beautiful, but without a name, she's just "that girl in that picture." Where would Norma Jean be without Marilyn Monroe, or who would imagine Coca-Cola as just a soft-drink manufacturer? A brand provides a concrete descriptor to customers and competitors alike, a name for a product or service to distinguish it from anything else. Bob may run a hobby shop, but trying to advertise as "The hobby shop a guy named Bob runs down the street a ways" is financial suicide. Each customer will have to describe the shop, who Bob is, and what the shop does every time someone asks about it. This makes the process of recommending a good hobby shop too much work for the average customer, and far too much work for a user looking for hobby shops on the Internet. A customer looking up Bob's hobby shop will have an easier time of it if he or she knows to refer to it as "Bob's House of Hobbies," and the customer can then refer others to Bob's hobby shop by name, increasing the potential advertising exponentially. Developing a brand involves more than just picking a catchy name and placing an ad in the newspaper--a brand is more than a unique string of letters denoting a particular product; a successful brand is a mnemonic trigger that makes a consumer feel a certain way when the brand is thought of. For those who drink cola-flavored soft drinks, which is more appealing on a hot day: a cold cola soda, or an ice-cold Coke? Coca-Cola has spent 100 years developing their particular brand of cola-flavored soda as a refreshing beverage and a seminal representation of a market segment. Coca-Cola has used a combination of direct marketing, give-away techniques, and multi-product cross-branding to achieve maximum brand recognition and visibility in not only its immediately competitive market, but in markets as diverse as Coca-Cola branded race cars and housewares. Brand loyalty is an integral part of building a brand, as consumers usually have a choice of products in the same market segment, and so a successful company will come up with a way to keep consumers re-purchaseing their product or coming back to their location rather than going to a competitor. These brand loyalty-building efforts may come in the form of coupons, incentives such as many grocery chains' technique of "grocery discount cards" or "loss leaders," meant to draw consumers into the store, where they will hopefully purchase products along with the discounted fare at a higher profit ratio. In exchange for these discounts and grocery cards, many companies collect information about purchaseing habits and average spending amounts, the better to tailor advertisements and better-focus future promotional efforts. Once a consumer is hooked, brand loyalty tends to result in higher sales volume, as well as loyal customers being less sensitive to price changes of their favorite brands (within reason, of course), as well as less sensitive to competitors' incentives. Studies have shown that it takes 5 times as much money to gain a customer as it does to retain one. That's 5 times as much money as could have been spent on other things. A brand is who your company is, and what it is selling--it is as important as naming a baby, and should require the same amount of effort to develop it, but if done well, can mature into a successful and profitable adult. © 2005, Wholesale Pages UK. All rights reserved. About the Author William King is the director of All Wholesale UK, Wholesale Pages and Wholesale-Canada. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

 

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Branding Fiasco -- Better Be Who You Say You Are!

by: Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE

Our experience as customers offers great instruction into the concept of branding. Come with me on a recent "experience" and you'll see what I mean. Here's the situation: I want to order an 800 number. On my AT&T bill is a customer services number. I call it. A voice mail gives four options. None of which I want. Just TRY to get a representative. I am instructed to dial another number. I am given three options. Hit 0 for operator and the disembodied voice says I have called after hours. The hours are 7am - 10-pm Monday- Fri. Eastern Standard Time. Fine. It is now 4am Monday in California. They should be open. By 4:30am in CA I have called repeatedly and punched in all the prompts until I am ready to punch someone. I am still told by a disembodied voice that the offices are closed. I try another number. This time, I reach a computer voice. Computer:"I'll try and help you. Tell me in your own words what you want." Me:"Toll free service." Computer:"I'm sorry. I did not understand. Let me tell you what services we offer..." Me:"I want a person" Computer:"Tell me, in your own words, what you want." Me:"Toll free service!" Computer:"I am sorry. I do not understand what you want." Me:(screaming) "I want a person." Computer:"I am sorry. I..." SLAM!!!! I call 00 in frustration. "Operator!!" Operator: "How can I help?" Me:"I have been trying without luck to get someone in customer service. I have been caught in a voice mail hell with an atavistic voice. How do I talk to a person?" Operator:"I am sorry you are having problems. You can talk to a supervisor." Supervisor:"Can I help you?" Me:(heatedly) "I want to ask about a toll free number. I have dialed three numbers and cannot get in. It says the offices open at 7am and now it's almost 8am EST!" Supervisor:"Oh, sometimes they forget to turn off that message so the phones can ring through. We have to call and tell them." Me:(incredulously) "You mean the PHONE company has employees who do NOT know their first order of business is to turn on phones to answer customers!" Supervisor:(calmly) "I am sorry. Let me give you a different number than the one you have been calling. You need to call the office for AT&T 1-800 Easy Reach. "Easy Reach?!??!?" Who are they trying to kid! I call this "Impossible to Reach". Branding Lesson #1: Your name sets up an expectation. Live up to it or suffer. There is a promise established in what we advertise and name things. Southwest Airlines had thought to create a baggage claim delivery time slogan. Then they realized that due to the configuration in a few of their terminals, to quote such a time was almost impossible. They dropped the campaign even though it would have been true in MOST of their sites. Branding Lesson #2: Your business sets up an expectation. If you don't deliver for yourself - how can you deliver for the customer? A phone company that doesn't answer the phones is a scary thought. We'd expect it of any other business, but the phone company!! If you own a paint store and your store is in sorry need of paint, what does that say? If the waiters in a restaurant cannot tell you about food on the menu because they never get to eat it, what does that say? Look at your business with critical eyes. Would you do business with you? Branding Lesson #3: The past never counts. The present creates the brand. It is the actual in-the-moment experience that creates a brand in a customer's eyes. Brand is a living entity that is re-earned, renewed, or revoked with every interaction. Advertising only creates awareness. I am convinced the very best, most unique, most competitive maker of a "brand" is the well-trained, empowered employee who can disregard systems and procedures in order to continue a human interaction. As more organizations substitute technology for people, the company that answers its own phone and get humans connected in short order will win the day. (c) 2003, McDargh Communications. All rights reserved. Reprints are appreciated and must include byline, contact information and copyright. About the Author Eileen McDargh is founder of McDargh Communications, a consulting and training company specializing in inner and interpersonal skill development for the purpose of improving the life of a business and the business of life. Visit Eileen at http://www.EileenMcDargh.com or www.theresilientspirit.com.

 

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Tales of the Touareg and other adventures in branding

by: Charles Warnock

You’re not likely to see a Volkswagen in the winner’s circle at Daytona or Indianapolis. But if there were competition called the Brand-Building 500, you would find a Volkswagen in the winner’s circle, year after year. Everyone knows the touchstones of branding – creating value, consistency, visibility and loyalty. However, like auto racing, these fundamentals are easy to talk about, but a little more challenging to execute. Nearly anyone can steer a car around a track. But winning consistently against fierce competition in a variety of locations and conditions requires considerable skill. Few companies are more skilled than Volkswagen at building customer loyalty. Owners become emotionally invested in their cars, invent pet names for them and treat them like extended family members. In addition to automobile devotees, the company has many more admirers who are fans of the brand. Their irreverent image and clever television ad campaigns speak to young purchaseers today with a message that’s consistent with the one used to sell Bugs to their parents 30 years ago. If you’re a hip, free-spirited kind of person who wants a car with personality, come join us. Among marketers, the company’s promotional prowess is legendary: The last original VW Bug, forerunner of today’s modernized Beetle, rolled off the production line in 2003 – the last of 21,529,464 sold worldwide since the 1930s. In addition to dozens of Bug restoration and repair books, several compilations of VW’s popular print ads have been published. A “Transparent Factory” in Dresden, Germany features glass walls that enable residents to witness the manufacture of VW luxury sedans. Finished vehicles are displayed in a glass tower before being delivered to their new owners. In 1973-74, the company sold 30,000 VW “Things” – a re-badged German military vehicle that looks very much like the offspring of a jeep and a dumpster – to enthusiastic U.S. purchaseers. In fact, even as Europe’s largest automaker, VW has been successful in defining a sort of exclusive club for younger, educated drivers. Many of these purchaseers start with a Jetta or a Beetle before moving on to the company’s more luxurious offerings. And now comes the Touareg, VW’s entry into the luxury SUV market. Touareg is apparently a first-rate SUV with what USA Today calls “style, grace and growl.” But Touareg? Come on. Passat is an odd name, but “Touareg” sounds like something that needs calamine lotion. Worship me or die Perhaps Touareg has some poetic meaning in Slovakia, where it is built. Or perhaps the industry is simply running out of good car names. It’s a good bet that if you looked through enough sci-fi novels, you would encounter an evil warlord called Touareg the Terrible who aims to enslave a galaxy or kidnap a lovely Empress. What’s next? Ming the Mercury? The Plymouth Vader? On the other hand, a “Worship Me or Die!” ad campaign for the Touareg would be a refreshing change of pace from those friendly, self-deprecating Beetle commercials. On the plus side, it’s a pretty safe bet that Touareg doesn’t mean “won’t go” in Spanish and won’t offend Wiccans, Jaycees or the Saharan nomads the vehicle is said to be named for. But VW could have accomplished that by calling it the Type 181, which is what the Thing was called during its hitch in the military. Perhaps Volkswagen thought that all the good rugged locale names, like Tahoe and the Santa Fe, were taken. The VW “Peoria” or “Levittowner” just wouldn’t have the same caché. Likewise, many of the good predatory animal names are already taken. Some of the best mythical beasts, like the Thunderbird and Phoenix are also spoken for. Few people would be willing to take on a 60-month loan for a GMC Grackle, Mitsubishi Gerbil or Toyota Trout. Perhaps automakers can enter brand partnerships with corporate sponsors, as some sports and entertainment facilities have done. The introduction of a Nissan Nike or Plymouth Viagra may not cause much of a stir at this point. With bland brands like Vitara, Spectra, Elantra and Optima becoming more common, one could assume that there are even worse nameplates yet to come. In just a few years, all the good brand names could be taken and we’ll begin to see automakers settling for second-tier names: 15: Volvo Vanilla 14.Nissan Eeyore 13. Oldsmobile Earlybird 12.Lincoln Pimpmobile 11. Chevrolet Groin 10.Kia Uvula 9. Pontiac Schmontiac 8. BMW Strudel 7. Subaru Musty 6.Honda Pretense 5. Isuzu Achoo 4. VW Vin Diesel 3. Mercury Mongrel 2. Plymouth Scrota 1. Hyundai Albundai (for drivers who are married with children) Another possibility is for automakers to trade on the success of celebrities who have already built winning brands. I would expect that the Cadillac Sinatra would be popular with both older purchaseers and younger fans of the legendary singer. The Mazda Beyonce would be sleek, fun to drive, have a great sound system and a built-in celebrity endorsement. And it’s hard to imagine that a limited Elvis or Earnhardt edition of any pickup truck wouldn’t drive sales in the South. Passat? Bless you! Elvis and evil warlords aside, the bottom line is brand equity, and it doesn’t really matter whether Touareg is a successful sub-branding strategy. Even if individual VW models have names that sound like a sneeze or a rash, purchaseers seem to focus on the magic of the corporate brand. Mere marketing mortals should probably assume that VW’s positioning, promotion and publicity formula for the Touareg is on target. The vehicle probably will garner its own cult following, and Touareg clubs, meetings and Web pages will follow. But it’s not because of the name. It’s because the company has consistently excelled in developing the awareness, recognition and loyalty necessary to build a premium brand. After all, any company that has taken the purchasing decision from “Which car should I purchase?” to “Which VW should I purchase?” deserves the checkered flag. About the Author Charles Warnock is Director of BusinessTechKnowledge Inc., a South Florida firm specializing in marketing and technical communications, e-business and corporate training. Charles can be reached at cw@businesstechknowledge.com. This article can be freely reproduced with author's bio and contact information.

 

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What is Branding, and Why Do I Need It?

by: Melissa Werkenthin

The most valuable asset a company has is its Brand. You may laugh, but without an established brand or corporate identity you will have to work ten times harder and spend twice as much money to reach the same level of results as your competitor with a strong Brand. A prime example is Nike. Who does not know the "swoosh" Nike logo which appears on everything from running socks to bathing suits. Nike purposely positioned their Brand in various sporting goods markets as the best. This didn't happen overnight, but by constantly reinforcing their corporate message through intensive branding campaigns people now associate the Nike Brand with quality. However, Nike has the luxury of a multi-million dollar marketing budget. How can the new or small business owner run an effective branding campaign and still have money left in the budget for other marketing endevours? By following these guidelines, you can start establishing your Brand: (1) Establish a Company Mission Statement. This will help you define the purpose and direction of your company to yourself, your employees, and your customers. (2) Develop a Company Logo. (3) Develop a company slogan. This can go out of your mission statement, but should be a simple concept targeted at your customers that embody your company's image. (4) Use your logo and slogan on all internal and external communication. People will start to associate your logo image and slogan with your business. (5) Reinforce your mission statement through your customer service. A good customer experience will not only keep that customer coming back, but will help build your Brand. (6) Keep your message simple. Don't confuse your audience. Be simple and to the point of who you are, what your company does, and what separates you from your competition. Once a strong Brand is established, your customers will already have an idea of who you are and what you stand for. This will help you introduce new products, approach new clients, and expand your customer base. Though Branding does need constant reinforcement, it is one of the most valuable marketing tools and asset of your company. Melissa Werkenthin is the owner and founder of Loki Media, a marketing and advertising consulting firm specializing in electronic media. For more information about her services or if you would like to receive a free monthly e-newsletter, Marketing Your Business, please visit www.lokimedia.com or email Melissa Werkenthin.

 

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Experience Branding" ? How to Survive as an Online Retailer

by: Jake Gorst

"Are You Experienced?" asked guitar player Jimi Hendrix 35 years ago. Jimi wasn?t talking about e-commerce ? but his question is appropriate to today?s economic climate. These days many retailers, including online retailers, are discovering that their business suffers if they do not implement an "Experience Branding" strategy. What is that?"Experience Branding" is a way to describe a method of linking an identity to a business or product that involves customer interaction. In the long run, this method leaves a longer, and in most cases, LASTING impression on the consumer. Here's an example: 100 years ago, a person would purchase coffee beans and grind them himself. Then came along pre-ground coffee. Eventually, you could go to a vendor and purchase a nice hot pre-made cup of coffee. Today, companies like Starbucks not only give you the hot coffee, but they provide you with a nice comfortable soft chair to sit in, a paper to read, music to listen to, and an eclectic setting to enjoy these things in. They provide an EXPERIENCE. This is why people are willing to fork over $4.00 for a cup of coffee! An early case of this branding method put into practice was the Macy's Department Store Leisurama homes of 1963. Back then you could actually go to the 7th floor of the Herald Square store in New York City and see a full-blown house - completely furnished. You could purchase the house there - then 3 months later move in (these were built in Montauk, New York). The finished house was furnished right down to the toothbrush and everything was included in one single price. This method of experience branding was so successful that, down to this day, the owners of many of these houses still own the towels, dishes, etc. that came with the house. They enjoyed the experience and wanted to preserve it. Today, this method can be applied to anything - including web based businesses. An online vendor can give an experience to the viewer that will make a lasting impression. Some provide games for their viewers to enjoy. Most find that providing special information - an article giving the background of a given product presented with a human-interest slant ? is sufficient. Viewers can be invited to "register" - giving them access to an area of the site that the general public does not, where special information can be presented. This gives the viewer the feeling that they are part of something special - a private club. One example of this method of online "Experience Branding" is WeightWatchers.com. A registered user has access to message boards and a special catalog of diet recipes. A registered viewer becomes part of a community. It's an experience that will keep them coming back! "Experience Branding" is also helpful to non-profit organizations. JohnTaylorGatto.com, an alternative education resource, provides an online discussion forum that attracts teachers and parents, encouraging them to debate educational topics and share war stories. The Odysseus Group, the organization that owns JohnTaylorGatto.com, reports that interest in their web site skyrocketed when the forum was launched. So what do we learn from this? Gone are the days of impersonal service. If you want to survive ? offer your customers an experience! About the Author Jake Gorst is a writer, film maker, and president of Exploded View (http://www.explodedview.tv), a new media advertising and design company. He also is a frequent contributor to various trade publications on topics related to Web site and architectural design psychology and trends. Previously, Gorst served as Vice President and Chief Creative Officer for E-Media Publishing, Ltd. and as an Internet content developer for Citibank and other Long Island based corporations.

 

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Why branding is more than a pretty logo

by: Ryan Dickinson

Your brand is so much more than that cool little swoosh logo the graphic designer developed for you Remember the dot com boom? Every new company seemed to have some variation of a little ellipse logo and a bold font. It became very difficult to tell them apart. This was a product of rushing to market. There was so much insanity surrounding any company who could put a ".com" at the end of their name, that companies rushed to take advantage of the investment market. The logos were simply by products of incomplete branding. You see, your brand is more than the symbol you put on paper. Your brand is a larger, more compelling idea that is communicated in many ways. If your company was a person, it's brand would be it's personality. Your company's personality, just like that of a person, can be a complex set of beliefs and tendencies. It's the things we do, the things we want, and the things we stand for that all make up our personality. It is no different for your brand. Successful branding leverages those things about your company's "personality" that are unique, motivating and memorable. The brand should communicate the differences in your company and how they translate into benefits for your customers. A well managed brand is a very powerful asset that helps to focus your company's internal thinking, aligns communication efforts, and builds customer loyalty. When your brand is thoughtfully developed and managed across the "touch points" of your organization, it gains strength by reinforcing that personality with every piece of communication. These communications build on one another, compounding the message and impacting your target audience. As a small business, make sure you pay attention to your brand, not just a cool logo. It will pay off well into the future. Happy Marketing! About the Author Ryan Dickinson is a founding partner in Harper Design, a marketing solutions firm located in the Denver metro area.

 

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Branding Yourself To Increased Profitability"

by: Lanard Perry

Successful Realtors know the importance of branding their identities into the consciousness of the communities in which they live, like the big boys; Pepsi, McDonald's, Burger King, and other companies we know and have come to trust. Why is branding important? Think about it! When you want a soda do you purchase an unknown off-brand just because it's cheap? Or, do you reach for a Coke? I'm a Pepsi guy myself, but you get my drift! And why do you do that? Because there's comfort in familiarity and you know what you're getting when you purchase it. We spend mega bucks on name brand products just because we've been inundated with their marketing campaign messages. Don't believe me? Try this! Quick, who said "Have It Your Way"; "Soup and Sandwich, Soup and Sandwich"; "Oh, I wish I was an ____ ____ ____, that is what I truly want to Be…". Point made! People support businesses and products that they are comfortably familiar with, even when the familiarity is solely based on marketing campaigns, while avoiding the unknowns. The same is true for homeowners wanting to list properties for sale with real estate agents. Unless there's a compelling reason to do so they're not going to list their property with a rookie agent, or worst yet somebody who's been in the business for years, but who hasn’t really been in the business. Know what I mean? Now, we may not like it but we do understand it. Still, it's difficult for newly licensed and even some veteran real estate agents to make a living selling real estate because of it. So how does this impact you? It doesn't if you have thousands of dollars and can afford a couple of years to get beyond it. But if you're relatively new to the profession and have limited resources you just might have a problem. Established agents have already put in time and money cultivating their images, and when people in their respective communities want to purchase or sell real estate they think of them – not you. So, what can you do about it? Lots actually, but for now I'll focus on one thing; farming prospects. Why? Because when done right you can easily put hundreds of business cards, letters and other marketing materials in the hands of known sellers and potential purchaseers every month. Simply stated, the more people you contact the sooner you brand yourself as an agent worthy of consideration. Anything short of this is whistling in the wind. Take a moment and honestly assess your situation. How many contacts are you presently averaging - daily, weekly, monthly? Are they random contacts (shotgun approach) of people who might be interested in your services, or with real prospects known to need services right now (laser beam approach)? A good real estate listing system can help put you on a fast track to gaining name recognition within your community in months, instead of years. And it won't cost you thousands of dollars to implement. Let me suggest, though, that you avoid systems that appear complicated, or that are hundreds of pages long. If it takes days to read and weeks to comprehend whose really going to read it and follow through to boring completion, anyway? Not me! Also, consider the following before committing to a particular listing system. 1. Does it come with a satisfaction money back guarantee? 2. If you're purchaseing on line is a contact name and phone number readily available on the website? 3. Can you reach anybody or get a response to a message when you call before purchaseing? If the answers to any of the above are a resounding "no" then I suggest that you put your credit card back in your pocket and continue looking. Proceed with caution, but do proceed, as you need a system that'll give you a competitive advantage. Summarily, a good real estate listing system can help you brand yourself relatively quickly. So, get one as soon as you can and start claiming your share of the market! About the Author Lanard Perry is the author of "Farming Expired Listings", a real estate listing system that shows Realtors how to average 1-2 listings a week. Visit http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com for a FREE Sample Chapter.

 

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Britney Spears Branding

by: Sopan Greene, M.A.

How would you like to sell as much in one year as Britney sells in one day or in one hour? Have you put much thought into how marketing empires are created? If you're selling anything then you're a marketer and you should study the biggest successes to follow in their footsteps.We've all heard of branding, but do you do it? Have you branded yourself? If you have, are you expanding your marketing opportunities with your brand? Once you've created a name, built successful marketing campaigns and gotten people to know and like who you and your company are don't stop there. The real money is in building multiple streams of income. Once your brand begins to build you can diversify to create your own franchise. Think Star Wars, Harry Potter, the books for "Dummies." You don't have to be a celebrity or an acclaimed author to cash in, but we can definitely learn from them. Here are some examples: Britney Spears makes money on CD's, concert sales, posters, books, movie appearances, TV appearances, videos, Pepsi commercials and other endorsements. Paul Newman makes money on movies, and makes money for charity on salad dressing, pasta sauce, popcorn, salsa, lemonade, steak sauce, cook books, T-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield (The "Chicken Soup For The (fill in a lucrative target market here) Soul" authors make money on a series of books and tapes so large and profitable that they have their own book rack at Barnes and Noble stores everywhere. There are over 35 titles and 53 million copies in print in over 32 languages. What if they would have stopped with the first title and not bothered to expand the money making potential of their brand? Talk about branding! ...and they get other people to send them stories for free so they don't even write the books. Beyond this, they make money from other books and tapes, public speaking, joint ventures, and seminars. Robert Kiyosaki (author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad) makes money from books, tapes, board games, public speaking, seminars, an affiliate program, game events, teleconferences and real estate. There are limitless possibilities of where you can go in expanding or capitalizing on your brand. Mark and Jack have used their "Chicken Soup" fame to sell unrelated products that are also directed at helping people live the lives of their dreams. Paul Newman is using his fame as an actor to sell food and sauces that have nothing to do with the movies he's been in. So don't limit yourself. As your success builds over time continue to write down new and bigger goals. Imagine what you would do and what products you would create if you were already famous in your field. What would you sell? How would you market? How would you expand your empire? You are a brand and so is your company. Even before you had a business everyone you came into contact with had an idea of who you were (your brand) because of how you presented yourself. Now it's time to be aware of the brand your building and make the most of it. Hey, we can't all be Britney, but we're missing the boat if we don't learn from watching her cash in. About The Author Sopan Greene, M.A. is a marketing & life coach & editor of the Net Profits newsletter. Grab Your 2 FREE eBooks & a FREE report: "Million Dollar Emails" "How To Start Your Own Traffic Virus" & "The 13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every Business Is Making..." mail to: webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com

 

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