Your branding questions answered!
I recently was interviewed by Jennifer Love, Founder of JenniferLove.com and Co-founder & CEO of NibMor, the yummy and successful organic chocolate brand, for her weekly video series on business building. If you are serious about your brand this is a session you won’t want to miss. You can watch the video chockfull of tips HERE. Read below to learn how knowing your brand well can help sky rocket your business.
As a followup to the video Jennifer and I answered branding questions in a Twitter chat, using the hashtag #Branding101. It was great fun connecting with Jennifer and the Twitterverse. If you haven’t already connected with us on Twitter, please stop by for a little brand talk at @JCottin. You can connect with Jennifer Love at @JLoveBiz.
Here are some excerpts from our chat , we covered everything from the right time to start thinking about your brand to how to take a page from Richard Branson and rock your personal brand…and most importantly how great brands WALK THE TALK.
@JLoveBiz – Welcome! To get started today >> @JCottin Many have asked: How & where do I start developing the right #brand for my #business?
@JCottin – Start TODAY. If you are re-building your #brand or #business, start defining your brand promise right now.
@JLoveBiz – @JCottin YES!!! Great tip. Start today, start where you are. Also, know who your consumer is and get intimate with them.
@JCottin – Your #brand’s promise will be a decision-making filter, to help attract the right investors, employees & #customers.
@JLoveBiz – Entrepreneurs want to know: What mistakes are made when starting a #business & developing a #brand?
@bevisible – RT @JCottin #1 mistake #entrepreneurs make is not enough time & energy really defining their #brand.
@JCottin – If you spend enough time upfront building & understanding your #brand well it will help the rest run smoother.
@JCottin – Small businesses should add more personal story into their #brands. That’s why people choose small. They want authenticity.
@JLoveBiz – “Rather than saying you’re a different kind of company. Prove it through every single touch point.” – @JCottin
@JCottin – Definitely @JLoveBiz brands are relationships and you need to know what your consumer needs, what keeps them up at night?
@JCottin – Your loyal consumers are your best brand ambassadors. Nurture those relationships above all else!
@JCottiin – It’s not enough to tell consumers what your product does, bring your #brand promise to life via actions and experiences.
@JLoveBiz – I’m often asked: What can building a #brand do for my #business?
@JCottin – A strong #brand gets people to ask for you by name, minimizes other choices, and attracts the best employees.
@JCottin – A strong #brand helps people get what you offer right away. Helps them see your difference and why they should buy.
@JLoveBiz – @JCottin great point. Standing out from competition is so important & a way to do that is by delivering a great experience.
@JCottin – A strong #brand allows you to charge premium price for your and keeps you from having to get trial by discounting.
@JLoveBiz – A frequent question @JCottin is: How does a personal #brand differ from a #business brand; do I need both?
@JCottin – A personal #brand’s how you tell your own story, what makes you unique and it supports your #business brand.
@JCottin – The more memorable your personal #brand is, the more memorable your #business may become, too. Definitely need both.
@JCottin – #RichardBranson’s personal brand of having fun and challenging the status quo supports the #Virgin promise to shake things up.
@JCottin – #Personal brand matters: you will have many #jobs over time but you will always be you. Need to cultivate it.
@JCottin – A strong personal #brand adds credibility to a #business & helps in repairing glitches.We all mess up, even @richardbranson.
JCottin – Be careful. Your #personal brand is not you – warts and all. It need to be authentic but also managed.
@JCottin – Yes! @JLoveBiz the experience you deliver IS your brand.
@bevisible – Like this: The experience you deliver IS your brand. Think we try to reinvent when our strength is what we’ve been doing.
@JCottin – Your #brand is your #business. It’s an entrepreneur’s secret weapon!
@JCottin – Brand = more than logo, website or colors – it’s a reliable promise you deliver that customers can count on.
@JCottin – #Branding for small biz is the same for big biz, but smaller biz need to be smarter with resources. Use their brand everywhere.
@JCottin – Great #brands big or small solve problems. They are useful and help people get more done and feel better doing it.
@JCottin – Great #brands are stories well told. We want to read them over and over and they become best sellers.
@JCottin – Great #brands WALK the TALK!
