Corporate Brand Marketing vs. Personal Brand Marketing

Corporate Brand Marketing vs. Personal Brand Marketing

What is Corporate Brand Marketing?

Unlike Personal Brand Marketing, Corporate Brand Marketing is a way to market your company and establish brand reach, recognition, and loyalty. While your company may be your baby, it is a separate entity from yourself, and has its own family, history, voice, and traditions. Your brand’s personality goes far beyond the established corporate name under which you do business, and what your brand means, and stands for, affects your customers, your industry and your employees.

Corporate Brand Marketing communicates your brand to the world via your company website, social media pages, email, telephone, video, photography, colors, copywriting, etc.  All of these elements come together to create a consistent feeling and message about your business, what you offer, how you work with partners and clients, and why people should choose you over the competition.

Corporate Brand Marketing also uses social media channels to help connect with clients and deliver great brand experiences, but it takes a different approach to using those tools, and integrates them with other channels to establish your brand and reach customers:

Corporate Brand Marketing on LinkedIn:

Your business page on LinkedIn can be used for a few different things. It helps establish the HR side of your brand, connecting to employees and sharing more about your corporate and work culture to attract excellent potential new hires. It’s also a great advertising platform, especially if your business is B2B-focused, and your target markets are using these channels. You can help reach and connect to customers through posts, but if you want to extend your reach, you can also use LinkedIn’s paid advertising and job-posting options.

Corporate Brand Marketing on Facebook:

Your Business Page on Facebook is also a great place to advertise to potential clients through Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, and to share content from other platforms, like your blog, or website. You can use it to highlight current promotions, engage followers to sign up for newsletters, and much more.  One of Facebook’s best features, however, is Messenger, which offers a direct chat option with clients. This means you can offer live conversation and customer support, and be available to customers on one of their most used platforms. You can also set up a chatbot in Messenger to help automate responses to specific keywords, making this communication process more seamless. It’s important to remember that your responsiveness as a brand is an important part of your brand personality, and building client trust and word-of-mouth. Facebook business pages also include options for online selling directly through Facebook. As social media platforms go, Facebook continues to be one of the most multi-featured, offering a variety of tools to support your business.

Corporate Brand Marketing on Twitter and Instagram:

Twitter and Instagram can also both be used for direct communication with clients, but they’re also great platforms to share branded content that establishes your company’s brand personality.  Since Instagram does this through images, it should connect with your overall brand feel and colour scheme, and emphasize the visual aspects of your brand. In contrast, Twitter, is more about sharing ideas, and having online conversations, making it a great place to develop and share the voice of your brand personality.  It’s also a visible platform for talking to clients, publicly showing how you respond to the customer.

Corporate Brand Marketing on You-Tube:

You-Tube is one of the most creative tools you can use for Corporate Brand Marketing, and often requires the most skill to get it right. You-Tube can be used for sharing your own corporate videos, or you can access You-Tube advertising options and put your ads in front of a wider audience. Corporate videos can showcase products, share corporate events, highlight company values, or demonstrate company culture to help hiring.  Whatever they do, they need to do it well in order to engage your audience, so it’s worth investing, time, thought, and money in order to get the most out of branded company videos.

Email Marketing:

Setting up an ongoing e-newsletter is a great way to increase your brand reach, and connect with some of the most qualified contacts. Sending regular emails puts your brand directly in customers’ inboxes, and since customers actively sign up, you know they really want to receive it. E-mail marketing is a great tool to provide value to your customers though tips, expertise, promotions, brand stories, and more.

Blogging:

Your company blog is the place to establish the expertise of your brand, and provide added value to help your potential customers. Establishing a blog helps drive SEO to your website, but more importantly, it helps customers to move down the sales funnel, and/or become repeat customers, by providing information they need to make decisions about your brand, or to get the most out of your products or services. Creating ongoing blog content also supports all of your other social media platforms, as you can re-share this valuable information on a variety of channels. And if you have a sales team, blog content is a great resource for them to share when clients have questions.

The important thing with Corporate Brand Marketing is to create consistency throughout your social media posts, web content, visual and written messaging, and in the the way you do business.  With so many online tools and platforms available, companies have a lot of power to establish the strength of their brand and reach clients. But at the same time, clients have a choice, and these very public and conversational channels allow customers to dialog with your company when they’re happy, and when they’re not. This means how you do business, how you communicate with customers, and how responsive your company is, all play important roles in your Corporate Brand Marketing, and brand image.

If you need help with your personal brand marketing or corporate brand marketing, get in touch!

How Personal Brand Marketing Can Help Your Organization in 2019

Happy Personal Brand Marketing Year!

 2019 is well on it’s way! Welcome to the year of opportunities!  At the start of a new year, we know most small business owners are looking for ways to build customers and contacts, and planning how to grow their business in the coming year. Being a business owner myself and managing a lead generation and digital marketing agency for over 15 years, I have the privilege to provide advice to my fellow business owners and entrepreneurs on which small business marketing tactics will help you achieve the business growth you’re looking for!

What is Personal Brand Marketing?

As the name suggests, personal brand marketing is all about the person (or people) who own and run a business, and how they network and build relationships with other business owners, clients and industry leaders. Personal Brand Marketing is about building direct, peer-to-peer personal connections with other business professionals. Through these real connections, business owners can introduce their companies to other business owners, and build trust with their prospects and customers. These days, business owners can build and nurture those direct personal relationships through a variety of social media platforms, maximizing their personal accounts to build and nurture ongoing relationships, and modern “word of mouth.” Here’s how you can use some of the most common online platforms to develop your personal brand marketing:

LinkedIn Prospecting:

Build your personal network of peer relationships through LinkedIn, and get in the habit of sharing expertise through this platform. LinkedIn is a great place to maintain connections that you make in person at events, or you can seek and reach out to potential contacts who may be a good fit with your business. When adding new contacts, go directly to the person’s page, and write a personal message when you connect reminding them where you met, or telling them why a connection might be valuable for you both. LinkedIn also has groups for shared business interests, and for many industry organizations, so this is really your go-to-hub for b2b connections, business advice, hiring and more.  And don’t forget to add your LinkedIn address to your business card!

Facebook Networking For Business:

Personal Networking on Facebook provides a variety of different opportunities for Personal Brand Marketing.  You can invite fellow business owners to become your personal friends, and then request their help growing your business page following, and do the same for them.  You can also look at joining existing groups that may be relevant to your business, or creating your own groups. Group participation is especially powerful, as any group messages you post notify group members directly, whereas the reach of your Business page posts depends on your advertising and/or post boosting investments. Making use of your existing personal networks, and working to expand them is a great way to get your personal relationships helping with your business growth.

Twitter For Business:

Twitter isn’t just for big corporations and famous Hollywood stars, it’s also for you, the small business owner!  We recommend creating and managing a personal Twitter account to provide your followers with the real personality and passion behind your business. This is a great place to share your ideas and expertise, and have conversations with other business owners online. Twitter is also a top platform for journalists to hang out on, so if you’re looking to get a bit of publicity, it pays to explore which journalists write about topics related to your business, start following them and build a relationship. You can do this by commenting on relevant stories they post, and showcasing your knowledge. Building the right relationships with journalists will help you be top of mind the next time they’re looking for a topic expert on an article that relates to your business.

Instagram For Business:

As one of the most high-engagement online platforms currently in use, Instagram is an excellent place to build your personal brand, and share the real you that stands behind your business. And since Instagram is image-focused, many business partners find it easier to tell their story through great photos. A picture is worth 1000 words, and it’s a lot faster to create and share! To maximize Instagram for Personal Brand Marketing, make sure to direct message your followers thanking them for liking your images, and engage with their content regularly. These are just some of the tools you can use for Personal Brand Marketing. Overall what you need to remember about Personal Brand Marketing is that it’s direct, relationship-focused, and, well, personal! As long as you let your personal business passion shine, your friends, business connections, and potential customers are sure to notice, and feel excited to do business with you!

Digital Marketing Vs. Traditional Marketing

Digital Marketing Vs. Traditional Marketing

The world is an ever changing place, and right now we are in the middle of the digital age. Marketing professionals everywhere are stuck in a certain debate about which technique is better: Traditional or Digital Marketing? Many professionals believe that digital marketing is taking over the marketing world. Let’s find out if they’re right.

Defining Traditional and Digital Marketing  

Traditional marketing includes many facets, mostly involving tangible items. These marketing items include print ads in newspapers and magazines, brochures, business cards, and billboards. Word of mouth and commercials on TV and radio are also typical avenues  for traditional marketers to explore.

Digital marketing is currently evolving, and will continue to evolve as long as technology is advancing. Some of the strategic avenues that digital marketing professionals explore include websites, YouTube videos, banner ads, and social media. When you break it down, digital marketing can seem very similar to the traditional marketing route. The key difference between them is that digital marketing focuses on the use of digital devices. By using digital marketing, people will be able to find you from the comfort of their own home. This happens by surfing the web and coming across your company’s content and brand.

Digital Marketing’s Advantages

When choosing digital marketing, the results are much easier to measure. This is because you can see the statistics right in front of you. Another massive advantage found in digital marketing is that your audience is not limited. The internet allows your company’s content to reach an infinite amount of people. You can also control your marketing strategies better by varying your target markets for each campaign. Furthermore, digital marketing is a technique that is very interactive, especially when using social media. You get to interact directly with your audience and hear about what matters most to them. There can be plenty of direct contact between the audience and the business which means that the business can get some very valuable consumer feedback.

Can There Be A Balance?

As a marketing company, it is imperative to know all of the most up to date and buzz worthy methods of marketing. Our world has transitioned into a very digital environment, so it is key to use this to your advantage. Ebooks, online magazines, and reviews all happen in the online space now, as more and more of our time is spent on all things digital. It’s common sense to invest in a digital marketing campaign, due to this rise of the digital age.

Traditional marketing does still have it’s space, but digital marketing will allow you to become much more successful. Communicating with your clients and consumers has never been easier! You can even personalize your web pages and social media profiles to help connect with your clients. If you’d like to take the leap by using digital marketing campaigns, schedule a free consultation call with us. We’ll help you start off on the right foot, and we can’t wait to get started for you!

Prospect Solutions, October 2018

 

Instagram Marketing Builds Businesses

Instagram Marketing Builds Businesses

When people think of Instagram, they usually think of swiping, liking, and scrolling through thousands of images on a smartphone. What many people have not yet realized is that Instagram Marketing is a fabulous new tool that can be used to help grow your business’ customer base. When used correctly, Instagram Marketing has the capability to grow a business exponentially, as it is much more than just a social media platform.

Instagram Keeps Your Name in Conversation

Instagram Marketing is extremely valuable because it is a strategy that encourages customer participation. With your business profile on Instagram, you get to interact directly with your fans, clients, and customers daily! They see your posts, and have the ability to “like”, “comment” and “follow”. When they do, be sure to reply and engage with them as well. It’s important to keep the conversation going. The more they recognize your brand and content style, the more likely they are to engage with it. They might even tell their friends about you! Instagram Marketing works best when combined with your other marketing efforts, so be sure to fuel your Instagram Marketing content to other social medias and content from your business.

Building Social Trust

The concept of “social trust” is one of the key factors in why Instagram Marketing works so well. Having a business profile on Instagram allows you to build a personality for your business. This is key in establishing your brand in a sea of other businesses and corporations. Be authentic about yourself and your business. Instagram Marketing can give your followers a “behind the scenes” look on your company’s day to day and inner workings. This will make them more likely to trust your business.

Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Followers And Potential Customers

There are many Instagram Marketing strategies that can be used to strengthen your relationship with your followers and potential clients. With Instagram ads you can reach the people who matter most to you. This is done by using their detailed criteria selection for who sees your advertisements. Furthermore, you also gain access to the data of who is viewing/liking your ads and what they are generally like. This allows you to get to know much more about your customer base. Companies who leave out Instagram Marketing from their social media strategy lose out on an otherwise unreached customer base. Who knows how how many potential clients/consumers you’re missing out on!

Conclusion

The world of marketing is constantly evolving, and the best businesses will be keeping up with all the new  social media strategies to help grow their business. Instagram Marketing strategies and tools are not something that you want to miss out on, and there are many more strategies that we didn’t get a chance to highlight in this article. Still not sure where to start? Contact us to get a head start on your Instagram Marketing fine tuning.

4 Reasons Why Your Marketing Department Is Not Successful

4 Reasons Why Your Marketing Department Is Not Successful

Why Your Marketing Efforts Aren’t Successful

Many companies and entrepreneurs have claimed that marketing simply doesn’t work for them. But these are usually the same business owners who lack a structured strategy and take a short-term approach to marketing. Businesses that go this route often see a lack of progress or any real long-term results. They end up frustrated and feel that their marketing efforts were a waste of money.

But having the right marketing strategy can make or break a company. If you are struggling to see success with your marketing efforts, here are the four mistakes you could be making:

No Dedicated Budget for a Marketing Department

Instead of investing in a dedicated marketing department, many businesses settle for smaller campaigns. They are often one-off efforts that entail hiring a contract telemarketer or an SEO freelancer to promote their web rankings overnight. But a successful marketing strategy takes time to build, and should be an ongoing effort. Temporary marketers will come and go, resulting in a lack of any real long-term results. Having a designated budget for a permanent marketing team is essential to achieve long-term success.

Marketing Department is Isolated From The Rest Of The Company

Don’t isolate your marketing efforts to just your marketing team. The whole company should be a part of your marketing strategy. Providing stellar customer service, for example, has become a critical part of a successful marketing campaign. Positive reviews and feedback from customers will generate more business and build the company brand.

No Integrated Marketing Strategy

With the rise of the internet, integrated marketing has become more important than ever. Marketing is most impactful when the message remains consistent both online and offline. This means combining traditional methods, like newspapers or billboards, with online methods such as social media. Marketing campaigns are most successful when they are time-bound and measurable with KPIs or CRM tools. The data gathered from a campaign can help your marketing department understand what works and what doesn’t for when they plan the next one.

Not Staying Current with the Latest Marketing Tools

Outdated marketing tools are almost as bad as no marketing tools. Invest time and money to finding the best CRM technology for your business. Send your marketing team for training on a regular basis to keep their skills up to date. This is critical in order for your marketing department to stay competitive and on par with the rapid pace of change in today’s digital world.

Conclusion
A short-term, poorly strategized marketing effort will result in your company “winning battles but losing wars.” A business leader who truly committed to their company’s long-term success will make the proper investment their marketing department. Find marketing success for your business by growing an in-house team, or investing in an outsourced marketing department.

How to Turn Instagram Followers into Leads

How to Turn Instagram Followers into Leads

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Today, almost every business has an active Instagram profile, but does not know how to turn Instagram followers into leads. Here are some useful tips on how to monetize your Instagram marketing:

Understand Your Target Audience

Sometimes, unresponsive Instagram posts could be simply a result of your poor knowledge of your followers. Make sure to design and write your Instagram posts with the target audience in mind. Before scheduling your next daily post – make sure to do your research, and know who is listening.

Appreciate Your Followers by Following Back

The best way to connect to a potential client is to contact them directly. If you are looking to turn your followers into leads, it’s important to let them know are aware of their existence. Next time you receive a notification of a new follower, make sure to follow them back, or even send them a quick Thank You note and ask them to check out your business website. Perhaps, this could be your next big client!

Highlight  Your Current Clients

Whether you are a service industry or manufacture products, it is important to let your audience know that your are customer-focused. Highlight and Cross-Market with your current customers and clients, especially if they are a small business just like yours. Your current clients will be happier than ever, and your potential clients will be dying to learn how to get into your next post. Make sure not to forget to @tag some usernames!

Conclusion:

There might be over 50 different methods on how to engage your Instagram followers. With over 15 years of marketing experience, we decided to share the three top methods that worked best for our business clients. Not sure where to start?
Contact us to get a head start on fine turning your marketing and turn Instagram followers into leads.