When You Represent A Company

Outsourcing your social marketing strategy

Outsourcing is a very common practice for businesses everywhere. Whether it’s analyzing data or public relations, resources and time can be managed far more effectively by utilizing the services of other agencies that can effectively manage certain portions of your business.

However, outsourcing does not come without a cost- both financially and functionally. Specifically regarding public relations, such as social account handling and customer service, it is necessary that both you and your outsourced agency understand each other and communicate effectively. 

Be clear

The most important thing is that your outsourced agency represents your business with clarity- who is who and who said what? When it comes to social networks and associated communications with the public, it can be difficult to decide who has the ultimate authority unless you make it clear to everyone. 

When discussing recommendations and conversations- is there transparency? Is it apparent that the company has the final say in responding? Or do you promote the image that the company is wholly responsible for what is said? When an outsourced agency represents a company or brand, it can become difficult to maintain effective communication and ensure that each department has a clear definition of its role. 

Work out how to respond to the public

When it comes to social networks, responses come in all forms, negative, neutral, and positive. At times, they can even be considered as a referral for word of mouth marketing. There lies the question of how these referrals are handled by an outsourced agency. How does that particular business want to handle them? Basically, who will be in charge of responding? Does it need to go through the company or does the agency have the authority to make responses that reflect the image of the company? When you represent another company, it is crucial to make sure that each entities role is well defined before you begin designing a marketing campaign. 

Avoid miscommunication and misrepresentation of your brand image as well. Representing another brand or company will be affected by who is ultimately in charge. If you are contracted to assist, but do not have the final say in public relations, be clear about it. Allow the company to take responsibility for themselves in this type of situation, avoiding any misrepresentation of your personal brand. 

Deal well with both positive and negative feedback

Is it good to keep recommendations hidden or leave them open for public viewing? It is always possible that you will get an occasional negative response, but how it’s dealt with will decide its outcome and effect on the image of your represented brand. In many scenarios, a negative recommendation can be turned positive by handling it properly, thus effectively applying word of mouth marketing (visibility allows for others to witness expertise). Be sure that this particular topic is discussed with your represented company.

Communication is a key element to success, especially for those that represent another brand image. Whether you are responsible for an entire brand image or perhaps just in the role of administering recommendations, it is up to your company to define its role and ensure that your represented company receives the product they desire. 

Running Your Business Remotely

Personal branding even when you are away from the office

It isn't necessary to be at your business's headquarters to run your business effectively. Growing numbers of small business owners are starting to figure out that they don't have to be bound to any given physical location to do their jobs effectively. Of course, there are effective ways to get your work done outside the office and there are ineffective ways. Adopting good strategies for getting work done will help you to free yourself from the confines of your office and still remain effective.

Learn How to Set Clear Boundaries

The best thing about working in an office is that it is easy to set boundaries between your personal life and your work life. Once you get outside the office and start working from your bedroom or your hotel room, the boundaries become blurred. If you really want to learn how to work effectively outside the office, you need to figure out how to separate your work life from your personal life.

The best way to go about this is to mark off an area in your bedroom or hotel room or wherever you want to work, and reserve that area for work alone. That way, whenever you enter that area (however small it might be), you will notice yourself starting to shift into a work mindset. And, when you leave that area, you will find yourself better able to transition away from a work mindset.

Pay Attention to Ergonomics

The biggest problem with working outside your office is that most non-office spaces do not have furniture that promotes good posture and comfort while working. Most hotel furniture is not designed to be used as office furniture and while upscale hotels often have desks that can work in a pinch, most hotels do not have furniture that are going to enable you to work at your best for long periods of time without feeling cramped or uncomfortable.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. If you have a good tolerance for ergonomic nightmares, you might not even need to solve this problem. If on the other hand, you are like most people, you might want to consider shopping around for some good portable or lightweight office furniture. A simple folding table and chair can work wonders and aren't too difficult to haul around.

Guard Your Health

Although health is often overlooked as an important factor in success, the truth is, health is one of the foundational pillars of a successful career. The better your health is, the more energy you have, and consequently, the more likely you will be able to persist in pursuing your goals.

Unfortunately, working from the road or your bedroom is not conducive to good health. There's just something about working in an informal environment that encourages bad food choices. Nothing's easier than grabbing a fat-laden snack while you're in your pajamas and working hard in your bedroom. Ordering a pizza is a cinch when you're working out of a hotel room.

In order to protect your health, make a conscious effort to make good eating choices. Healthy options are almost always available wherever you are, even if they are usually less visible than unhealthy options. Make a little extra effort to put only healthy things down your throat, and the quality of your work will be improved.

Keep a Handle on Your Relationships

Relationships make the world of business go round and round. Unfortunately, most business relationships require regular face-to-face contact to flourish or even survive. We live in the digital age, but there is absolutely no replacement for face-to-face communication. However much you detest your office, you will have to return occasionally to meet with your employees and keep valuable relationships going.

Try not to make this into a chore. If people sense that you are meeting with them only because you feel you have to, you will have a hard time maintaining good relationships with them. Always try to be sincere in your efforts to build relationships. The more sincere you are, the better the results you will have.

(Word of mouth marketing is another excellent example of an activity that is only effective when you are sincere. There are no effective word of mouth marketing experts who don't believe wholeheartedly in what they're doing.)

Questions to Help You Improve on How Well You Work Outside of the Office

1. Do you have a clearly delineated workspace?

2. Is your impromptu workspace meeting your ergonomic needs?

3. Are you watching your diet?

4. Are you maintaining important relationships at the office?

Your Personal Brand is Always On

Personal branding even while on vacation

Personal branding has become essential in our changing world. It’s because the competition today is incredibly fierce – you really have to ensure that you stand out from the crowd and that you are invaluable in the current market. You can’t let your knowledge and skills get stagnant, or else you’ll be left behind, forgotten and obsolete.

Wherever you are – whether you’re at work, on a meeting, eating out with friends, even on vacation – remember that your personal brand is always on. Everything you do says something about you, Don't forget that you’re always being assessed and evaluated by the people around you.

We all need some time off, some time for ourselves. We get exhausted from all our work and we get burned out. When this happens we really need some time to relax and build ourselves up again. This is why many people enjoy taking time off to have some vacation – it’s a way to clear our minds from all the problems and troubles at work, and to spend time with our family and friends.

Some people think that going on vacation is something private and does not affect our personal branding, but they are wrong. even what we do on our vacation tells something about us.

Vacations enhance personal brands

Though many may doubt this, our vacations actually enhance our personal brands at work. What you do during vacation says a lot about you, and affects the perceptions of your boss, colleagues, clients and customers.

People form opinions about you based on what you say and what you do. If you go on a family trip with your loved ones, people may see you as a family person – nice and dependable. Or if you like exploring new places and doing new things such as mountain climbing during vacation, people may view you as someone who’s adventurous and willing to take risks. Or maybe you enjoy giving back, helping out at charities and shelters during vacation – people will see you as an altruistic person, someone who really wants to give back to the world.

Truly, where you go and what you do during vacation offers an insight into who you really are. It is able to enhance your personal brand, so people don’t see you as just a one-dimensional person who only concentrates on work, work and more work. You’re now a multifaceted person with different layers, interesting and unique.

Vacations help your personal brand stand out

Your vacations also help you stand out in the sea of competitors, colleagues and similar professionals. It helps people remember and recall you – you’re not just another random working colleague or employee who works well but never stands out.

Typically, the question that people will typically ask you before you go is, “Where are you going on vacation?” Then when you return they will ask you, “How was your vacation?” How you answer really helps people remember you.

Of course, if you’re the type who goes to the same place every time you go on vacation, or simply stays at home and wiles away the time watching TV, then that isn’t going to help you stand out. It may even be detrimental to your brand since people may view you as someone who resists change, and who’ll probably remain in the same position until retirement. Your vacations can make you stand out not only in a good way, but also in a bad way.

Social marketing during vacation

As a personal brand, you can actually continue to update your followers and audience even when you’re on vacation by using social media. Wherever you are, you can just log onto your account, post a quick picture or status update in order to update everyone. Staying in touch with your audience has never been so easy.

Of course, some people would consider that social marketing during vacation is a bit too much work. After all, how can you enjoy the moment when you’re busy updating your Twitter, Facebook page or blog? But for others, keeping in touch regularly with their audience is essential. For them, it’s critical that they express their life through social media, updating regularly even when on vacation.

Personal branding even on vacation

The important thing to remember is that your personal brand never goes on vacation. Even when you’re relaxing and enjoying yourself in the Caribbean Islands, remember that your personal brand is always on. Balance in life is important, so make sure that you show your boss, colleagues, clients, customers and audience that your life is balanced – you enjoy your work as well as your vacation, and consider taking advantage of your vacations to enhance your personal brand.

Being Better, Socially Speaking

In the past, most brands relied on advertising to promote their brand. It was all about making sure that people recall you when they see your ad on TV or hear about it over the radio. The more that people hear or see your ad, the more likely they are to buy your products and services.

Times have changed, however, and people aren’t as easy to convince as they were before. Also, the competition among brands has become fierce, since many similar products and services have become available on the market. Whether you’re a personal or a small business brand, you really have to do your part in standing out from among the crowd to ensure that you’re noticed, so that people will buy from you. Advertisements don’t work well anymore – what works nowadays is social or word-of-mouth marketing.

The success of your brand now relies on how effectively you socialize and engage with your customers and audience. You need to build a relationship with them, and not simply consider them as random people you need to convince to buy from you.

This is the reason why brands have invaded social media. Since this is where most people are whiling away their time, it’s become essential for brands to connect with their audience using these platforms.
Of course, it’s easy for brands to create a website or a blog, to get a Facebook or Twitter account, and to start creating boards on Pinterest. But the challenge lies on how to connect and build a relationship with your audience within these platforms.

Here are some tips to help you:

     1. Update regularly

Nothing’s worse than an abandoned blog or an abandoned Facebook page. If you don’t plan on posting at least once a week, then you may need to reconsider your social marketing strategy. People need regular content from you in order to interact and engage with your brand. So make sure that you regularly update your blog and other social media accounts, so you can continue to have a good number of followers and readers.

     2. Respond to your audience

Interaction needs to be a two-way street, so it’s essential that you respond to your audience whenever they comment or make suggestions in your blog or your other social media accounts. When you respond to people’s comments, they will feel appreciated and validated. You can also pay special attention to people who comment and interact frequently with you, since these people are typically loyal to your brand and can easily become your brand advocates.

It’s a good idea to monitor mentions of your brand’s keywords so that you can respond to them. You can easily set up Google Alerts or do a search on Twitter to see who’s mentioning you. This helps you interact with people who have questions, comments or suggestions regarding your products or services.

You can also comment on your audience’s blogs. People typically leave their URLs whenever they comment, so it’s very easy to simply click the link and leave a reply on their page.

     3. Follow your audience back

Your audience will be flattered if you follow them back. So discover their other social media accounts and follow them on Twitter or even on Pinterest. This helps you connect and interact with them, since no one wants communication to be a one-way street.

     4. Ask an open-ended question

A great way to interact with your audience socially is to ask an open-ended question that’s related to your brand. This helps create buzz and conversation around your brand, and also helps you learn about what your audience wants and what they think of your brand.

     5. Create a poll

Many people enjoy answering polls, and these polls help you gain insights regarding the products and services you’re offering. Once the poll results are in, make sure to talk about the results to create conversation and buzz about your brand.

There are so many ways for brands to connect with their audience. Advertisements may continue to bombard people every day, but right now, it’s the people who choose to interact with a brand or not. So to succeed in this world, it is essential for your brand to be socially interactive.

Don’t focus on selling your products or services. Instead, focus on building a great relationship with your audience. The more they get to know you and the more you interact with each other, the more willing they will be to avail of what you’re offering.

When you become better at word-of-mouth marketing, your brand can really become successful.

What You Need to Do to Make YouTube Work for You

Though you may think that YouTube is full of homemade videos of people who are hoping to become famous, utilizing YouTube in your marketing campaign can actually help you promote your brand. It is the largest video sharing site in the world, with over 800 million viewers per month. Videos are very powerful branding tools since they help you connect more intimately with your audience. With the use of video, you can reveal more of yourself or your surroundings, and it really helps people connect with you better.

Of course, it isn’t enough to simply create a channel in YouTube for your brand, upload videos there, and hope that they effectively promote your brand. YouTube doesn’t work for everyone, but it can work for you if you use it wisely. Here are some tips to help you do this:

     1. Make sure to brand your YouTube channel

You want to ensure that your channel represents you and your brand, so it’s essential that you brand it. If it’s your personal brand, make sure that you use your full name in your channel. If it’s your small business brand, then you should use the name of your company.

Set up your profile properly – ensure that all the details are filled up so that people can find you. You want to link your personal or business website to your YouTube so that people who watch your video can learn more information about you or your business.

Also, the overall feel and theme of your channel should reflect your brand. Make sure to put up your picture or company logo, then use colors or designs that are associated with your brand so that people will remember you whenever they visit your channel.

Don’t forget to change the title of your channel! You should put a title that really represents you and what your brand is about so that people will know what to expect when they watch your videos.

     2. Create interesting, remarkable and short videos

To effectively promote your brand on YouTube, it’s essential that you create videos that people are going to watch, of course. So you have to create interesting and remarkable videos that are preferably short and sweet, since most people have short attention spans. You want to keep them engaged and then direct them to your website at the right time; you don’t want to bore them to tears with a long, rambling video. Keep it short, sweet and simple. Or short, quick and amazing. That will get people’s attention.

     3. Promote your channel

The great thing about YouTube is the fact that it easily integrates with many social media platforms, so you can easily promote the videos you upload. So if you want to make YouTube work for you, you need to get the traffic up in your channel. Specifically, you want more subscribers so that whenever you upload new content, you will have viewers.

So what you can do is promote your YouTube channel in your different social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also promote it in your blog. Make sure to encourage your audience to subscribe to your channel, not just watch your videos and leave.

Also, you should utilize SEO techniques so that your YouTube channel and videos come up in search engines when people search for keywords related to your brand.

     4. Interact with your audience

The comment section in your channel as well as each video allows you to interact with your audience on YouTube. You have the option of allowing all comments to be immediately published, moderating them before they’re published, or disabling them.

If you plan to allow comments, you should make sure that you monitor them regularly so that you can respond to your audience as well as moderate content.

     5. Monitor Analytics

A great feature of YouTube is the free analytics that come with it, so you can monitor your channel and learn what videos are particularly popular among your audience, as well as understand who your main viewers are. By knowing the demographics of your audience, you can create better videos that are focused and targeted towards them.

Making YouTube work for you isn’t that difficult. But it’s important that you understand the site you’re using, brand your channel so that it represents you, create videos that people will want to watch, promote your channel in your network, interact with your audience, and monitor your analytics. Videos are truly a powerful medium for promoting your brand, so make sure you use it effectively.

Best Tips for Connecting One on One

Doing business now is different compared to how it was done a decade ago. We live in a fast-paced world because of technological advancements. Before, we needed to set aside a lot of our time if we wanted to meet with clients or gain customers. It also required more energy and cost more because we needed to pay for transportation and other expenses we incurred while we were outside meeting with potential customers. Marketing was another strategy that cost a lot if we wanted to reach out to our target market and gain a reputation.

Technology changed all that and it is making it easier for businesses to gain customers and win their trust. Through the internet, mobile phones, and other tools available today, we can easily reach out to customers without spending on transportation and meals. We can enjoy all these advantages if we can establish an effective online presence. Like we professionals, consumers now prefer to just talk on the phone, exchange emails, or start a conversation on social media sites. We can make this work for us if we make it easy for consumers to find us online.

Here are tips on how to connect with customers:

Your online profile – When you promote your online profile, make sure that you are prepared to give your visitors what they need to know about you or your business. When they click on your link, your profile must make a great first impression. This is how you attract consumers. Fill your profile with important information and content that will make them stay longer. Let your profile speak to them until they start to “Like”, add, or share your profile to others. Remember that your online profile serves as a virtual business card.

Make sure that you fill the important spaces on your profile. Remember to add a photo because consumers don’t like connecting with people online who don't  have a profile picture.

Mix it up! – Now that you have completed your profile, it’s time to manage your content. It is important that you have a constant flow of content on your profile. You can write articles, share videos, and other information that can help consumers. You can create content based on how your business can help consumers, or provide general tips. The goal is to keep your audience interested, and the only way to do that is to consistently post content on your profile. This will make them feel that you care about them and that you are always online. Remember--mix it up with articles, videos, photos, and even audios.

Interact with your audience – now that you have made them feel that your profile is active at all times, your audience will start interacting with you. They can either comment on your posts or mention you. When they do, talk to them. Say thank you or open a conversation. Start closing that gap between you and your audience. Make it comfortable for them to reach out to you. This is the phase where you can start building strong relationships with your customers.

Strengthen your relationships – if you keep interacting with your audience, you will soon recognize who your valuable customers are. Of course all of them are important and will share ideas on your profile every now and then, yet there are those who will share you with their sphere of influence and will act as “brand advocates” of you business or personal brand.. Keep building strong relationships with these people because this is important to any business or brand. Build strong relationships, strengthen your network, and widen your reach.

If you are going to move your business online, it is important that you plan how you are going to follow these tips. These will help you strengthen your online presence and make it easy for your business to connect with individuals online. Remember that trust is earned: you have to take time in completing your profile, creating content, thinking of ways how you can help your audience which gives them a great forum to sample your character and competence.

Does Your Picture Really Capture Your Brand?

Social media can help our brand make a good impression if we do it right. Part of making a good impression is choosing the right profile picture for our accounts. When people visit our profiles, the first thing that they notice is our picture. This picture can either lure them to know more about us or simply close the window and move on.

Profile pictures matter because it should reflect who we are and people are likely to be drawn to our profiles when we have the right picture there. According to a study on Facebook, the most clicked part of a Facebook page is the profile picture. When our audience goes on our page and clicks on our picture, we want to make an impression that is aligned to our brand. How do we know it’s the right picture for our brand?

Here are some tips on how you can do it right.

Smile – when you are smiling in your profile picture, your audience will get the impression of happiness. It could give a pitch that says you are happy and they will be too with your brand. It could also lead to better social relationships because your audience sees that you are approachable.

Body language is one way for people to read you. People can either see you as open or closed just by how you pose. For example, folded arms and closed hands mean that you are not open. A trick to show openness to your audience is to open your mouth a bit when you smile.

Babies, cartoons and pets – because you are using social media for your business, it’s best to avoid using pictures of anyone but you. Don’t use your baby’s picture, your pets or a cartoon version of yourself because there’s a big possibility that your audience will not take you seriously.

No logos – using your brand logo may seem like a great idea but people are more drawn to connect with people than logos. So avoid using your brand logo as your profile picture. However, you can try to include your brand logo in your picture like wear your brand’s color, use it as a background, mini-logo in the corner, or portray your brand.

Same applies to QR codes. QR codes are good for your website if you want to direct others to your content but it’s not going to work as a profile picture. You want people to remember your face as a brand and not as a QR code.

Stand out with bright backgrounds – personal branding is about standing out from the rest and one way to do that is to use bright backgrounds. Try experimenting with different bright colors and see which ones look good and effective for your brand. Rand Fishkin, founder of SEOmoz and web research mastermind did exactly this and said that orange works well for him and earned him more Twitter followers compared to other colors.

Where you look and what it means – looking straight to the camera will look like you are making direct eye contact with your audience. It seems like you are talking to them and that they have your full attention. It’s a good way to make direct contact with your audience.

Studies also show that your audience will look at the area where you’re facing in your picture. If your face is looking to the right, your audience will look at that area. It’s the same if you are looking to your left, up or down. You can strategically look at your left if you want an audience you go through your tweets.

Stick with your picture for long periods – part of being consistent is to keep your profile picture on for months at a time. Changing it every week or every month will only confuse your audience. You have to give it some time for your image to stick before changing it. Some are even dependent on profile pictures. They search for the image instead of looking for the name because it is easier to remember.

There are different ways on how to make our profile pictures work for our brand. Think about your brand and your goals, and then capture that image you want your audience to see. Once you have an idea, hire a professional photographer to take your photos.  It’s a good investment.  You only have one time to make a good first impression.

How Your Personal Brand Makes the Sale

Some businesses have the budget to market their products while some do not. If you are someone who does not have the budget to hire someone to advertise your business, there are still ways you can market your products without spending too much. If you have the passion and creativity, you can still attract customers. If you invest time and use the tools available to you, you can still make that sale.

As a small business owner, paying for marketing and advertising is normally not part of the budget. However, there are ways to get customers' attention and the chance for your business to attract more. In this kind of business setup, making an impression will go along a way. Because you are catering to a small number of customers (compared to big companies), you have that chance to give your customers a more personalized experience. You are more likely to face your customers and talk to them compared, say, to CEOs or big company owners.

Here are some tips on how your personal brand can make the sale:

·         Make the experience worth it – when a customer looks into your shop or drops by your restaurant, make them feel special. Grab that opportunity of having the time with them by giving them a level of service that will make their visit worth it. If they come by your restaurant and you get their name, call them by it. If they ordered something in your shop, call them to see that they received the package and ask if they are satisfied with it, or if they have any questions about it.

·         Something extra – offer your customers a little extra when they shop with you. Together with their order, you can add a little product sample from your shop. Give them a taste of something new. It is one way of introducing other products from your store at the same time, the possibility of getting more orders from them next time.

·         Partner with local groups and organizations – partner up with fundraising events in your community. Offer something to those who will participate in the event, give them coupons or a discount when they visit your business. Doing this will give you benefits like brand awareness, getting people to try your business, and a chance to make an impression that will earn you more customers.

·         Offer free workshops – host your own event by offering free workshops at your business place. Be creative and teach people how they can use your products. If you are a coffee shop owner, you can host a dessert or drink-making class. If you sell different things in your shop, you can do a workshop on decoration or creative holiday cards. Teach people something that they can use in their daily lives with the help of your product. Doing this in your place of business will give them a chance to look around and buy things that they need after the workshop. For sure they would like to try what they learned once they get home.

·         Social media – make use of the internet. Social media sites are a cost-effective way to market your products and services. You can create a Facebook, Google+ or Twitter account under your business name and ask those who visit your shop to add you. If you invest time in these sites and promote, you will soon have a place where you can get in touch and announce the latest on your business. If you have an event, sale, new products, post them on these sites. It is an easy way to reach out to your customers and a place where you can start selling your products.

Another reason why social media sites are great for your business is because it’s become the way that people get their information and news. And, often they’re accessing this information on their phone.  They check movie schedules online or browse for restaurants near them. If you can update your customers when you have specials or discounts, you increase your chances of being chosen.

You might only get one chance with a person to convert them into a customer, so make the most out of it. Make a good impression and make them feel that they are receiving their money’s worth. Do follow-ups and assist them in the best way that you can. Find ways to help them. They might not buy your products the first time, but the impression that you leave will surely make them come back. And when you gain customers, make them feel special or important, because it is easier to keep a customer than to find a new one.

Achieve Versus Impede

Sometimes you must upgrade the relationships in your life to pro-actively surround yourself with people who will help you achieve the life you want rather than impede the progress.

This is not saying that you only hang out with people who can do something for you or help you get ahead yet it does mean that you take a good strong look at who you know and who you spend time with to see if they are “taking away from you” or “getting in the way” of you achieving your life goals.

There are some people you will connect with who can stand beside you and be a support, compliment your strengths and create a synergy. There are those that will “leech” on to you and drain you. There is a great difference in being “needed” and associating with those who are “needy”. And, while “users” can come dressed in “sheep’s clothing” (I know this from personal experience!), their true intentions, over time, will reveal themselves. Hopefully, you’ll get really good at seeing what you are putting up with and realize that you do not have to tolerate their behavior or neediness.

Do you have:

1. Friends or connections (even family members) who criticize and judge you always? Often their statements start with “here’s what you should do.

2. People who take you for granted?

3. People who manipulate?

4. People who “expect” things from you - feel you owe them?

Rid yourself of these people! It’s time to do some “spring cleaning” for your mental health and successful well-being.