Tag: brand

  • Reputation Management and Social Proof

    Reputation Management and Social Proof

    Updated July 6, 2024

    Understanding Social Proof and Reputation Management

    I use the term “social proof” when discussing customer reviews because I emphasize the power of positive feedback. A series of glowing testimonials can put a business on the map—social proof is powerful. It highlights how positive reviews can validate your brand story.

    However, social proof focuses solely on positive feedback and doesn’t address negative reviews or provide strategies for handling them. We’re leveraging your customers’ positive reviews to support your story.

    On the other hand, reputation management considers the bigger picture. It’s a more comprehensive approach that deals with negative reviews and is commonly used in SEO and other industries, focusing on a business’s overall customer feedback.

    For additional information on the idea of social proof, you can refer to this blog post as well as in this webinar.

    Why Reputation Management and Social Proof Matter?

    The following statistics highlight why reputation management and social proof matter. If you ignored customer reviews before, you will now. These numbers are eye-opening and illustrate the importance of providing an excellent customer experience.

    • Most people (88%) like companies that reply to their reviews
    • Almost everyone (92%) trusts what their friends say, and many (70%) trust what strangers say
    • Most shopping (87%) starts with looking up stuff online first
    • Nearly everyone (97%) says online reviews help them decide what to buy
    • Sales pages sell 34% more with testimonials (people saying good things)
    • Over half (56%) of American social media users feel FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
    • Good reviews make people spend 31% more money.
    • Most people (83%) think reviews older than three months aren’t helpful anymore.

    40+ Social Proof Statistics (Latest 2024 DATA)

    Can I Pay a Company to Delete Negative Reviews?

    No! Negative reviews offer valuable insights into your business and how your audience perceives their experience. Deleting them won’t solve the underlying issues and can lead to a loss of trust. Instead, view each review as an opportunity to improve your customer experience.

    Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. The quicker you respond, the better your chance of improving your rating. Often, people want to be heard. Show empathy and put yourself in their shoes. Before making any judgments, ensure you verify both sides of the story.

    Use these experiences as teaching moments for your team. Negative reviews can be powerful tools for growth and improvement if handled correctly.

    Reputation Management: Key Steps for Handling Negative Reviews

    Negative reviews can significantly impact your business, as clients trust and value the opinions of their peers. Often, one negative review reflects the experiences of multiple customers who didn’t take the time to write a review themselves. Never underestimate the power of a negative review, but remember that handling it properly can help you gain respect and authority.

    Turning a negative review into a positive experience can demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Here are the steps you should take when dealing with an unsatisfied customer:

    Immediate Steps to Take

    1. Respond to the review immediately. The quicker you react, the higher the chance the reviewer will improve their rating. Resolving the issue within 24 hours makes the reviewer 33% more likely to increase their score. Additionally, responding to reviews shows future customers that you value their experience and are committed to ensuring each interaction is positive.
    2. Take the time to understand what happened. Listen for key phrases like, “if they had only,” or “I wish that,” which can highlight what the customer was hoping for. These insights are crucial for reaching a favorable resolution.
    3. If an immediate resolution isn’t possible, let the reviewer know you’re looking into the situation and set a time to follow up within 12-24 hours. This demonstrates your commitment to addressing their concerns promptly.

    Within 12-24 hours of Review

    1. Gather Information: Get both sides of the story. Did the customer mention names in the review? What was their impression of the interaction? Was anyone else present? Always discuss these details in private.
    2. Review and Reach Out: Assess all the information you’ve collected and then contact the customer. Seize the chance to develop a personal connection.
    3. Be Empathetic and Understanding: Show empathy and understanding while remaining impartial. Put yourself in your client’s shoes before responding. Each interaction is an opportunity to positively impact, it is not a burden.
    4. Listen and Resolve: Have a resolution in mind, but let the customer lead the conversation. This approach shows you value their input and are committed to resolving their concerns effectively.

    Within 36 Hours of the Review

    1. Find a Solution Quickly: Aim to resolve the problem by the 36-hour mark. Consider what it will take to make the customer feel better about their experience. Remember, a lost customer means lost revenue for a lifetime.
    2. Agree on a Resolution: Once you’ve found a solution, agree with the client. Before ending the conversation, ask if there’s anything else you can assist them with. Often, customers will give you another chance to impress them.
    3. Request a Rating Update: After agreeing on a resolution, politely ask if the customer can update their rating. Don’t request a specific score or offer incentives for a higher rating.
    4. Implement Changes: If the resolution involves changing policies, ensure everyone on your team is informed. This prevents the same negative experience from reoccurring with the same customer or others.

    Immediately Following the Resolution with the Customer

    1. Document the Experience: Take detailed notes on the incident, including the customer’s name, contact information, and specifics of the event. Record the resolution details and keep them on file for future reference.
    2. Respond Online: Publicly respond to the review. Apologize for the sub-par experience, mention the resolution, and thank the individual for their business.
    3. Educate Your Team: Use the experience as a teaching opportunity. Discuss the preferred solution for handling similar situations in the future. Focus on learning and improvement rather than punishment.

    Preventing Future Negative Experiences

    1. Make Necessary Changes: To avoid similar negative experiences in the future, consider what changes can be implemented in training, policies, or employee practices. Think outside the box to find effective solutions.
    2. Seek Additional Information: If you receive a negative review about an unfamiliar situation, don’t hesitate to contact the review site for more details. If the site cannot reach the customer to verify the details, they may delete the negative review.
    3. Follow Up Respectfully: If the customer does not change their review, reach out once to check if they are still dissatisfied. However, do not badger them to change the rating. Respect their decision and focus on improving for the future.

    Striving for the Ideal Outcome

    The goal is always a five-star review. We’ve fallen short of that goal when we receive a negative review. It’s time to make the best of a bad situation. Acting quickly, showing empathy, and truly listening to the customer’s concerns can transform a two-star review into a more acceptable rating. Demonstrate to your customers that you value them by addressing their issues promptly and effectively.

    Identify and eliminate pain points in your organization’s customer experience. Remember, your customer should always be the number one priority for your entire team. The moment the customer is no longer the focus, your business starts to lose ground.

  • 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    Revised June 2024

    Stuck in a Social Media Rut?

    You might be in a social media rut if any of these sound familiar:

    • Your content feels uninspired.
    • Your posts lack engagement and feel flat.
    • Every post feels like a chore.
    • You feel disconnected from what you’re posting.

    Don’t worry; we’re here to help! Revitalize your spirit and social media presence with these 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut. These tips will help you reframe, refocus, and re-energize your posts without wasting time and effort.

    Save yourself the hassle and try these 9 Ways first!

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 3 Inspirational Strategies

     

    Plan a Day of Inspiration

    The top recommendation for getting out of your social media rut is to plan a day of inspiration for yourself. Forget about social media and the stress it’s causing. Don’t post anything! Dedicate this day to activities that make you happy. Engage in things you love, whether related to your business or not.

    The idea is to spend a day genuinely focused on what you enjoy without considering social media. This break will help you re-center your energy and efforts on what truly matters. Content creation should come from the heart and reflect your passion for your business. Focusing on what you love will reignite your creativity, and meaningful content will naturally surface.

    A Day of Inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social

    A day of inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social can take many forms. I plan a day behind my camera when I’m stuck in a content creation rut. On this day, my focus is solely on what my camera sees, not on what I want it to capture. The key difference between a content creation day (where I control what the camera sees) and an inspiration day (where the camera leads) is this shift in perspective.

    I don’t plan where I’ll go; I simply walk and see where I end up. With no schedule or specific purpose, I let the camera guide me. This spontaneous walking clears my head. I’m not thinking about creating social media posts or how I will use a photo to tell my story—I’m just taking pictures.

    Get Unstuck by Looking at Leaders and Brands That Inspire You

    Do you follow leaders, influencers, or brands because their content inspires you? Have you ever followed a brand hoping to create content as strong as theirs? Looking at the content of others that inspire you is a great way to reignite your creativity. Sometimes, all it takes is one great post to pull you out of your rut.

    When using others’ content as inspiration, ask yourself:

    • How would this post work with my brand?
    • What creative elements would I use to make this my own?
    • How could I adapt this focus for my brand?

    By asking these questions, you can analyze the content’s objectives that inspire you and create something uniquely your own.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut by Getting Inspired by Your Competition

    What is your competition posting? Do they have a new product, concept, or campaign? Sometimes, a little friendly rivalry can spark inspiration. There’s no harm in observing what your competitors are doing and using it as a source of inspiration. However, it’s crucial not to compare yourself directly to your competition or copy their content. Instead, view their efforts as a springboard for your creativity. Your goal is to be inspired to create unique and engaging content for your brand.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 4 Content-Based Strategies

    Did the 3 inspirational strategies not catapult you out of your social media rut? Sometimes, it’s not just inspiration that’s missing; sometimes, you need to mix up your content and engagement strategies. If you think this might be the case, try these four strategies to help get you back on track.

    Invest in the Relationships You Have

    You have a relationship with every follower. Invest in those relationships by engaging directly. Respond to all comments, acknowledge likes, and answer your followers’ questions. Basic engagement strategies encourage your followers to keep interacting with your posts.

    Every time an audience member asks a question, it’s an opportunity. How can you resolve their problem in a post or a series of posts? The more questions you can answer, the more content you can create. More importantly, you become a valuable resource for them. Investing in relationships is not just a strategy to get you out of your social media rut; it’s also a great way to build a loyal following.

    Reframe Your Role

    This strategy is closely related to investing in the relationships you have with your customers. Position yourself as a resource and an expert in your niche. Reframing your role on social media can dramatically impact what you can post. Let’s compare the content from Jonathan Howard, Everyday Guy with 2 Puggles, and Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social.

    Jonathan Howard, Everyday Dog Owner

    • Posts about my dogs
    • Content about my house
    • Talking about my photos
    • Discussing what I ate
    • Day-to-day activities
    • Talking about my family
    • Where I am going

    Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social

    • All the things the dog owner can post about
    • Content creation
    • Social media strategies
    • Storytelling and Building Your Story Bank
    • Developing Your Signature Style
    • Basic business strategies
    • Small business success tips

    By reframing your role, you can expand your content possibilities and establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field.

     

    Get Unstuck by Reposting or Repurposing Existing Content

    This type of content creation became popular with the rise of short-form videos. Experts often suggest finding your top-performing piece and recreating it as a reel. Previously, many of us relied on photo + caption style posts. Over the years, we’ve touched on many topics but often don’t revisit them because we think, “I’ve already done that!” However, this mindset can hold you back. If the content is still relevant, you can repost it or change the format and repurpose it.

    One key to being recognized as a leader in your niche is consistently repeating your message.

    Transforming photo posts into video posts forces you to rethink how to deliver the content effectively in a new format. By doing this, you create a new and relevant post. Each format—whether a live video, a recorded video, a short-form video, or a YouTube tutorial—requires a different approach. This strategy can lead to a wealth of content simply by reframing what you’ve already created.

    Have Your Blog Help You Out of the Rut

    I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Your blog is a powerful social media tool! It’s one of my favorite strategies to expand your reach on social media because it maximizes each piece of content. Your blog is also a great source of material to post on social media. Pair your words, a quote, or an action item with a relevant picture, and voilà—you have a piece of content to post.

    What’s even better is that you can include a call-to-action (CTA) that links back to your blog. A CTA that directs readers to your blog adds authority to your post and drives traffic to your platform.

    Get Out of Your Rut with These Two “Lone Wolf” Strategies

    Let Users Create Content for You

    Social proof is a powerful social media strategy that enlists your product or service users to tell your story without brand bias. User-generated content (UGC) is a form of social proof created by your followers. While encouraging UGC by reposting it in your feed or stories is beneficial, it’s not the most effective content creation strategy alone, as it relies on your audience to create content.

    UGC helps you understand how your followers use your product or service daily. Once you know this, you can build content encouraging others to share similarly. It also allows you to create content that serves the needs of those using your products.

    Challenge Yourself with a Challenge

    Social media challenges are plentiful, but finding the right one can push you out of your comfort zone and revitalize your content creation. Join a challenge that is within reach but still challenging enough to keep you engaged. Avoid too easy or difficult challenges, as you’re more likely to quit. Look for challenges that require daily content creation and have a structure with built-in accountability.

    Unexpected Benefits

    Every challenge I’ve participated in has led to unexpected discoveries and a renewed focus on content creation. Challenges are designed to teach you something new, prompting you to review your current practices and see how the new lessons fit into your business.

    Eve Voyevoda — Business & Brand Creator — Visibility Gym

    “I wasn’t in a rut, but I wanted to stretch myself. I knew I needed to explore different ways to include video in my content strategy. I’ve always been afraid of video, and when the opportunity to participate in this challenge arose, I was looking for every reason not to do it. So, I signed up before I could talk myself out of it and couldn’t have been happier. Not only did I improve my video presentations, but I also ended the experience with a ton of fresh content ideas. While this was one of the best challenges I’ve ever participated in, the lessons and content inspiration are benefits that come with every challenge if you make the most of the opportunity.”

     

    Free Yourself from the Rut & Create Engaging Content with Ease!

    Utilize these 9 strategies to get out of your social media rut, whether you use them together or pinpoint your problem and use just one. Each strategy helps you get out of your head, stop comparing yourself to others, and create content that feels authentic to you and your brand. Remember, you are doing your best at any moment, but there is always room for growth and learning.

    Even if you aren’t currently in a social media rut, these strategies can be used proactively to keep challenging yourself. Create better content that engages your customers and fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships with your followers.

  • 7 Strategies for Successful Storytelling Webinar

    7 Strategies for Successful Storytelling Webinar

    Power Up Your Brand Story on Social Media Webinar

    We developed the 7 Strategies for Successful Storytelling webinar as a companion lesson to the blog post, Your Story on Social: 7 Ways to Maximize Impact. With storytelling being the foundation of the services we offer at JRH Graphics we wanted to take a deeper dive on this topic and highlight ways businesses can utilize these strategies immediately. We also wanted to highlight how each of these strategies could be utilized in various organizations and businesses so we provided specific exxamples of each in practice and shared some of the results we have seen.

    Storytelling on Social Media

    Goldfish attention span longer than human We reviewed the following seven strategies on the webinar, including why the strategy is successful and how to actually utilize the strategy.

    1. Get Visual
    2. Enroll Users Help
    3. Verify with Proof
    4. Create a Story Arc
    5. Expand on the Blog
    6. Enroll Influencers to Help Magnify Your Story
    7. Create Connections

    The 3 Big Win Strategies

    We focused the webinar of the following 3 Strategies that we consider our Big Win Strategies.

    1. Create an expanded narrative by utilizing the concept of story arcs. A story arc allows you to tell more of your brand story over the course of multiple posts creating deeper engagement. You brand story touches multiple aspects of your business so it should naturally touch multiple areas of your social media marketing.
    2. The second strategy is expanding your story on your business blog. Expanding your story on your blog helps highlight your knowledge within your niche and establishes you as a leader. This strategy can result in significant payoffs as blogging has a tremendous return on investment.
    3. BIG WIN strategy number three is to build relationships with your audience and followers. Social media is meant to be social, and businesses must utilize the tools available to build relationships with followers. Engaging with your followers will build trust. Talking with your followers builds loyalty. Educating your followers establishes you as an expert.

    Enjoy The Webinar

    Since we build flexible and adaptable solutions into our strategies all of the tips and strategies are moldable to your unique situation. We make sure that each strategy is adaptable to a variety of companies and that it will help you tell your winning story. Please enjoy the webinar. If you have additional questions or want to provide feedback or suggestions please reach out. Webinar also visible on the JRH Graphics channel on YouTube

    9 Essential Posts for the Holidays

    Please join us for our next webinar.  We will look at the 9 Essential Posts Framework utilized by JRH Graphics and review how to use it to get the most from your posts on social media this holiday season. Using the 9 Essential posts framework and pairing it with a content calendar you can plan the best ways to engage with followers. The framework makes it easy to provide varied content that is educational, entertaining and useful for your audience. Join us on this webinar, and “sleigh” your social media this Holiday! Get it, sleigh instead of slay!

  • Tell Your Winning Story with JRH Graphics

    Tell Your Winning Story with JRH Graphics

    Telling Your Winning Story

    At JRH Graphics, we help businesses tell their winning stories. It is the focus of what we do because we believe that your story is your most powerful tool. Your story can engage an audience and build customers for life. All the services we offer at JRH Graphics focus on this goal. Our business consulting services include services to define your niche, develop your brand, and craft your story. These services are laying the groundwork for your business.

    Reaching Your Audience on Social Media

    Once you have laid the groundwork for your company, it is time for us to tell your story. Using the brand and the key differentiators we have defined, we start to tell your story to your desired audience. Our vehicle for doing this is social media because the audience is active, engaged, and looking for businesses to follow.

    Supporting Your Story with Custom Content

    We pair our social media services with our content creation services, so what we are posting to your social media is unique. For us to effectively tell your story on social media, we need content that is specific to your brand. Generic content and stock photos do not highlight your unique differentiators. They also do not add value to the audience. The custom content that is created by JRH Graphics will highlight your unique business and its goals. Millions of pieces of content are added to social media every day; you won’t stand out on social media with generic content that adds no value to your audience.

    What makes JRH Graphics different? Multiple services all aimed at helping you reach your goal of telling your winning story to your audience.

    Flexible Options to Meet The Needs of Our Clients

    Every business is as different as the owner. For our services to work with a variety of companies, we offer flexible options to our clients. We allow each client to change the type or level of service needed on a month to month basis. Flexibility enables our clients to increase or decrease coverage based on needs. As well as allowing them to scale their services as they build the business. We focus on the needs of each client by only providing them services they want.

    To highlight how we can utilize the services offered by JRH Graphics to help businesses tell their story, we will look at Urban Jungle DC.

    The Story of Urban Jungle DC A Premier Botanique

    Urban Jungle developing the storyI had known Cody Alexander, owner of Urban Jungle DC for a few years before I began working with him. When I met him, he was a nurse, but his real love was plants, particularly orchids. Shortly after that, he and his partner began running a small garden center out of the first floor of their home in Washington, DC.  Over time they stared to experience some of the growing pains common in small businesses. They had too many clients to handle daily. But not enough clients or exposure to make a more substantial investment in the business. We had spoken about this by chance, approximately two days before I left my full-time job. I provided him with some tips based on my experience as a retail manager. I also offered him some details on social media marketing, as that was my current love.

    My Story with the Jungle Junkies Begins

    I joined the team of Urban Jungle DC as the “PR Guy” officially in January. Our first major test would be the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday. We had a lot of work to do in a limited amount of time. Luckily, I was able to have the Urban Jungle intern work on the specifics of the Valentine’s Day promotion. Meanwhile, I tackled other branding and story-related things. Those first few weeks, I spent a lot of time talking with Cody. I was asking a lot of questions about his brand, his philosophy on life, where he fit in as a business in the DC area, and more. I was gathering the information I needed to define his brand and differentiators. Additionally, I was observing the daily operations of the business.

    Business Consulting Services at Urban Jungle

    At Urban Jungle, the formula for success had a few components. First, they had the best exotic and easy to care for plants in the area. Secondly, we added some creative storytelling and themes to the mix adding in some quirkiness and interest. Thirdly, we focused on education and plant care. Finally, we made sure to feature the passion and love for plants that ower, Cody Alexander showcased in all that he did.

    Having the best available product does not automatically equal a win for a business. Our other key differentiators needed to be just as visible, if not more evident than the plants. Urban Jungle provided each customer with in-depth care for all of their plants, even if they did not buy them at Urban Jungle. Walk-in Clinic hours to help customers diagnose sick plants were also available. Quirky and unique containers for many of their plants was a fun aspect of the brand. We made sure that when customers came into the store, they saw lots of unique options.

    Cody Alexander as A Key Differentiator

    Cody was a Key Brand differentiatorA business without a heart, without a, why, without energy, and without passion will always fail. Cody was all of these things for this business and more. Cody was the key brand differentiator for this business. It was the one thing nobody else had. As a brand differentiator, Cody was the face of Urban Jungle. The success or failure of the company was tied to his success.

    When You Are Your Brand, Literally

    For this to be possible, we also needed to create procedures, standards and simplify other operational issues. Streamlining procedures would allow Cody to could continue positively contribute to the community, collaborate with other business leaders, and teach classes. Once these details were hammered out, we were able to start building on our successes. We were able to expand our offerings and our audience. While Cody focused on being the brand, I focused on promoting the brand.

    Social Media Management and Content Creation at Urban Jungle DC

    At Urban Jungle DC, my role as PR Guy. I managed all the social media accounts and created all the content for each profile. These two services were linked together for Urban Jungle but are not always depending on the business. Working with Cody, we developed a plan for the social media content to feature the educational aspects of the business, as well as a bit of quirkiness and fun. “Plants with Personality” became an important theme. It allowed us to tell the Urban Jungle story through the eyes of the plants. Other central aspects of the social media marketing included a focus on collaboration, building on successes, and finding unique ways to tell our story.

    Plants with Personality

    From movie start orchids running from papparazi to scorned succulents who hated supporting the orchids. All of the plants were part of the story at Urban Jungle, which was an amazingly successful storytelling tool. The audience would become connected to these characters. Some of the characters like the Wandering Cactus would make repeat appearances. Often people would come in looking to adopt a plant that was featured, calling them by the characters’ name in the social media post.

    Building A Community of Jungle Junkies

    From our first Valentine’s Day promotion, we focused on building a community around the Urban Jungle brand. A community of Jungle Junkies that loved plants. A community that became a part of the story. From influencers that became friends to customers that would come by daily, we made sure to feature as many of them as possible and build on a campaigns success. Once a Jungle Junkie always a Jungle Junkie!

    The Results

    The results we saw at Urban Jungle DC were incredible; through our efforts, he increased his followers on Instagram from 1,000 to 18,000. Sales doubled year over year. He expanded the footprint of his business and was featured in locations like Shop Made in DC, Steadfast Supply, and Think Local DC Markets. Urban Jungle was named the best place in DC to buy plants by the DCist. The shop was also featured in publications like the Washington City Paper and The Washingtonian. Urban Jungle DC was the new kid on the new kid on the block, but they quickly became a top brand and the Premier Botanique in the area.

    Flexibility to Tell Your Winning Story

    Flexibility and custom options allow our clients to select the services necessary to tell their winning stories. We focus on what our clients need at any particular moment and can build a package that will help them succeed. This different approach is what allows us to be successful with a variety of clients, no matter the strengths or needs.

  • Customer Service: The Foundation of Business Success

    Customer Service is So Out of Your Lane, Why Are You Talking About It?

    I am sure you are all thinking right now, why is this guy talking about customer service? Why not write about branding or social media or stories?  Stick to what you are good at, right?

    So to those questions, I have three answers:

    1. If you think that social media and branding have absolutely nothing to do with customer service, you are sadly very much mistaken.
    2. If you think that client relations is not customer service, you are in for a rude awakening.
    3. I am good at customer service. I am freaking amazing at customer service. It is one of my strengths, and it is very much in my lane.

    So, Let’s Talk Customer Service?

    I am talking about customer service because without customers (or clients) your business will close. If you aren’t marketing with customers in mind, your business will fail. Not treating your customers like family, the family that you like, then you are going to have a significant issue on your hands. Remember, the marketplace is more crowded than ever. Customers have more choices than ever before, and if you are not treating them like they matter, they will be gone. No matter how large or small your business, you need to be adding value. You need to surprise and delight your customers every single chance you get. From the first time, they contact you on social media, right to the 750th cup of coffee they buy from you. Every experience needs to give them a reason to come back.

    The Customer Journey

    Is it the first time you are coming in contact with the customer? What stage of the customer journey are thin? What have they heard about your business? From reviews to social media, to experts and peers impressions of your brand. A customer may have heard of your business name 30 times and gotten 15 good stories and 15 negative ones before they even contact you. As a business, you never know. Every single time I see an oversimplified version of the customer journey, I want to scream. Don’t get me wrong; the stages are valid. Their thoughts and experiences at specific stages in the buying process are essential to know so you can deliver the right message, content, and so that you understand the process. My problem is, no customer journey looks like this:

    If the customer journey were that simple, all businesses would be able to control the variables, eliminate the guesswork, and get customers from awareness to retention in 5.2 seconds flat. Seriously, these customer journey charts make it look like a walk in the park. But in the real world, the customer journey is littered with land mines, lobbed grenades, and all other sorts of marketing shrapnel. Because realistically the customer journey could look like this.

    Why Does It Matter

    The second diagram is more representative of the modern-day customer journey. Not as easy to map, not as easy to react to and about 100 opportunities for customer service to impact whether or not they decide to buy. If you look at the journey in the way that is represented in the second diagram, you realize how important it is for everyone in your organization to be on the same page. From customer service to social media, to call centers. If one hand isn’t telling the other one what it is doing, you are destined to have customer service issues that will cost you sales.

    If the overall customer experience is not a positive one, they are less likely to begin doing business with you. People like to feel good, make them feel good every step of the way.

    Customer Service and Profit

    Do you believe that this statement is true? To be profitable, you must compromise on the service you provide.

    Many companies operate in this manner, compromise the customer experience to save some money. Not everyone believes that the customer is always right. Many companies don’t see the value in making sure that the customer is delighted. This is a detrimental flaw in their culture and will lead to their demise. An American Express survey found that 78% of consumers have backed out of a transaction or failed to make an intended purchase because of sub-par customer service. Customers have options; if they are not satisfied with you they will move on

    Show Your Customers You Care By Adding Value

    Companies that value the overall customer experience are those that are successful. The only sure-fire strategy to maintain your market share is to build your policies and procedures with your customers’ interests at heart. Provide value to every customer. It doesn’t matter if they stop on your social media page, enter your store, or visit your website. Everyone should leave feeling like their experience with your company added value to their day. Be proactive, anticipate problems, provide solutions, and meet them where they are. It is your customer’s world, and you are just living in it.

    More to the Foundation

    Yes, what I have already mentioned represents a strong argument for making customer service the most critical thing in your business, but I have more for you. There are integral parts of this foundation like customer service is representative of the culture in your industry. Issues caused by poor service may be a symptom of more significant problems in your organization. Or the fact that lousy service leads to bad reputations which lead to customers choosing other businesses to meet their needs. Failure to keep the customer service foundation stable will lead to significant issues within the organization.

    Bad Service Is What People Remember

    Customers will remember and talk about the negative customer service experiences much more than the positive ones. Every negative customer service experience can potentially lose you as many as ten customers. Every negative experience can hurt your reputation, and a lousy reputation can destroy your business. You need to get it right every time to avoid a damaged reputation. Training your employees and hiring people who believe that the customer experience is the most important task at hand will help make this part of your culture. Anticipating issues and proactively solving them as well as educating and informing your customer base can go a long way in preventing negative customer interactions.

    Excellent Service Strengthens Your Brand

    Hey, look who is back in his lane! How you treat your customers is directly related to your brand. Poor service and a customer may choose another brand over you. Conversely, if you are well known for delivering a fantastic customer experience throughout a customer’s journey that may be what causes people to choose you over your competition. When everything else is equal,  customers and clients are much more likely to choose a business that delivers a great experience.

    How You Do One Thing, Is How You Do Everything

    Sloppy? Poor communication? When somebody sees the way you do something, they assume you do everything in that manner. Therefore, allowing for poor customer service in your business tells customers that you may not have the highest standards. It leads them to assume that maybe your products aren’t the best, or perhaps the food you serve in the cafe is not prepared under the proper conditions. Sure, one negative situation, maybe a crisis averted, but that same crisis will arise again if you do not address the root of the issue.

    Customer Service Issues Can Signal A Larger Problem in the Organization

    Many times customer service issues arise as a symptom of other problems in an organization. I still believe that people are inherently good, and when given the tools necessary, and under proper conditions, they want to make other people happy. Poor service many times is a sign of inadequate training and poor communication in a business. Other times it is a result of employees not being empowered to make decisions. Or a management team that is reluctant to participate in the daily operations of a business.

    Make Informed Decisions By Talking To Your Team

    If things have been going great, and then suddenly you see a rise in complaints look at the changes in your organization. What roles are different? Were associates not trained on specific procedures? Are there open lines of communication? Or are people unaware of policy changes? Engage your staff and ask for input. Listen to what they have to say. Many times employees will tell you what they perceive to be the problem, and they may be 100% right. Even if your employees don’t see the issue in the same way, they will appreciate being consulted. No matter what, don’t just ignore the problems.

    When Service is Great Things Are Just Better

    When you treat your customers like family, they will return the favor. You will be less likely to have angry customer issues, complaints about the operations of your business, and fewer lawsuits. Because when you treat your customers right, you are opening the lines of communication and allowing for the flow of ideas. Your clients and customers are much more likely to approach you to discuss issues rather than resorting to other alternatives. Treat your customers poorly, and you can almost be sure that you’ll run into problems at one point or another. They don’t have a connection with you, they don’t know your story, and they don’t care if you succeed or fail.

    Delighted Customers Leads to Advocacy, and Social Proof Money Can’t Buy

    When you provide a delightful customer experience, from start to finish, Across all avenues for every customer, client, and audience members. You will begin to see people pinballing through the customer journey into the advocacy phase. With some people arrive at the advocacy stage quicker than others. It may take more time to earn the trust of other customers. But continue to deliver the same positive experience, and they will reach the advocacy phase as well.

    What is magical about the advocacy phase is your clients and customers are doing some of the marketing for you. In our blog and webinar on social proof, we highlighted the power of a brand advocate. Someone who writes reviews or recommends your business to peers is proof that you are practicing what you preach and delivering value to your clients. It is a big win for your business so keep up the excellent work. And don’t forget, to keep the trend of positive proof going by using the great reviews and testimonials in your marketing.

    Keeping Customers Is Cheaper than Attracting New Ones

    Remember those profits you were protecting by settling for mediocre service; you can say goodbye to those right about now! Another reason customer service needs to be the foundation of your business is that keeping a customer is cheaper than attracting a new one. Once a customer purchases with you, they are more likely to continue to use your services if you continue to meet their needs. Keep in mind that those needs include being treated with respect and continuing to see value in the relationship.

    Attracting new clients requires a business to attract leads. Engage those leads and provide them more value than the competition. Hopefully, a high percentage of those leads are converted to replace the customers you lost due to poor customer service experiences. And if the cause of the negative experiences is unresolved, you will continue to lose customers you acquire. Keep your clients when you delight them with a fantastic customer experience. Then build your business when you receive new clients not just maintain the status quo.

    Customer-Centric Businesses FTW

    When your business is customer-centric, it will make sure that the experience every customer has is a positive one. Your people will go above and beyond to deliver the service that your clients expect. You will anticipate and resolve potential problems making the lives of your customers better. And you will see growth as you retain clients, move customers into the advocacy phase and continue to add value. The only path to business success is having a customer-centric business, and doing all that you can to make every decision with the customer experience in mind.

  • Your Story On Social: 7 Ways to Maximize Impact

    Maximize the Impact of Your Story On Social Media

    Your brand story is a powerful and versatile marketing asset. Here at JRH Graphics we believe that your brand story should come first. When told correctly, it can connect with your audience at an emotional level and build relationships that can lead to loyal customers, brand advocates, and eventually, customers for life. There are many things you can do to maximize the impact of your story, including the 7 Strategies we outline below. Using the 7 strategies on social media will result in an audience that is more engaged with your brand as well as fiercely loyal to your business.

    story strategy get visualVisual Storytelling

    Using videos and images to tell your story on social media because after all, a picture is worth 1000 words, or more!

    Today, people have an attention span of approximately 8 seconds. As a result, images are more important than ever, especially on social media. Our brains can process images much more quickly (about 60,000 times) than words, and it only takes a few milliseconds to recognize a familiar object. Also, humans can recall images better than text. So by using images to tell your story, you will be able to get your point across quickly. Plus the audience will be able to recall your message better than if you used words. 

    Similiar to photos, video content boasts similar numbers because our brains are hardwired to understand visual cues. Video also has the power to ignite emotion and personal connections, and it entices viewers to seek more information. Social media is seeing a huge increase in video content because it’s ROI is the highest of any form of media. Check out these incredible video stats, and then if you have any questions about why you should use video, you can let me know!

    Visual Storytelling Should Be Standard

    If you aren’t utilizing visual storytelling techniques, you are missing out on an excellent opportunity to engage more customers. Make sure your visuals are unique, powerful, and contribute to your story. Keep this in mind to get the most benefit from visual storytelling. Create videos that speak to your brand and entertaining to get the most engagement. Include your videos on your site, on YouTube, and share them on social media. If you are concerned about spending too much money or time creating video content, start by creating videos for the content you consider to be evergreen. AKA the everyday stuff that ain’t changing!

    story strategies users helpEnroll Users Help Telling Your Story

    Encourage the creation of user-generated content. Repost and credit users for any user-generated content that you receive. In last month’s Social Proof Webinar, I reviewed the value of social proof in the form of User-Generated Content. But as a reminder, the most significant value of user-generated content is that it is someone else supporting your story. A consumer recommending a product or sharing how they utilize a product will always have more power than a brand or business talking about a product or service.

    More Powerful Story with Bias Removed

    As a business or marketer, you are inherently biased. A customer is relatable and not biases in favor of your business. Therefore, the audience trusts what they have to say. People listen to their peers. Some of the most potent recommendations are peer recommendations. Peers share the same experiences, struggle through similar issues, and take suggestions from one another. After all, who do you go to if you need a dentist, plumber, new massage therapist, or recommendation on where to go for yoga? Your friends, family, loved ones, and other peers. 92% of consumers trust recommendations made by their peers. User-generated content is an indirect recommendation for a service or product.

    When you get user content that supports your brand story, you should use it but make sure to use it properly. Get permission from the person who posted it. Schedule it to run in support of a campaign or at a time when the visibility will be highest.Tag the content-creator when you repost. For more info on the proper use of user-generated content, see this post.

    story strategies social proofDo More Than Talk the Talk

    The next way to maximize the impact of your story on social media is to verify your story with social proof. Positive reviews show your audience that you are doing more than just talking the talk. You are actually, walking the walk. Your customers have noticed and provided positive reviews that prove that you do what you say. This is incredibly important for a new business that is attempting to establish themselves and build a new audience. It is also vital that existing companies don’t lose sight of the importance of reviews and verifying their story with social proof.

    I Got the Reviews; I Am Good Now!

    Your first year in business, you were great at encouraging customers and clients to leave reviews. You even had an email campaign and links in your email signature that led right to Google and Yelp. In 2016, when you opened you got 44 reviews that were 4-Stars or higher. You also recieved eight 3-Star Reviews! In 2017 the reviews stopped pouring in as your regular customers had already written reviews. Your campaign to push for testimonials grew tedious, and you had other things to worry about. In 2017 you received ten reviews that were 4-Stars or higher, ten 3-Star Reviews and two 1-Star reviews. For 2018 you got three 3 Star Reviews, and in 2019 you have three 2-Star reviews.

    In total you have:

    1. Fifty-four 4-Star or higher reviews
    2. Twenty-one 3-Star Reviews
    3. Three 2-Star Reviews
    4. Two 1-Star Reviews

    The problem is the customer is going to value the most recent reviews more than the older ones. Older ratings are more likely to be discounted because time has passed, and things change. A potential customer may see you as a business that is now less focused on the customer. A place that used to get great reviews but is in a state of decline.

    Every Day Opportunities

    As you build relationships with clients and customers, you have plenty of opportunities to surprise and delight them. So you have a similar number of chances to ask them to write a review/recommendation/testimonial. Make it easy for them; some retail establishments even provide them with a computer on-site to write the review. Remember, don’t offer sales and promotions in exchange for good reviews. And always frame the discussion as a way to help other customers.

    story strategies create arcCreating an Arc

    Maximize the impact of your story on social media by merely telling more of it. When you create a story arc, you can feature more of your story. This increases engagement and builds a deeper connection with your audience. Plus with the possible elimination of “likes” on Instagram, saves will be the most influential metric for Instagram to measure the value of a post. It is likely we will see a shift towards longer-form captions that make creating a story arc easier. Creating a story arc also helps you plan and deliver content that is EDUTAINING (educational, useful, and entertaining).

    Planning is an essential step for creating a story arc. Make sure that all the posts that you weave together highlight varying viewpoints and aspects of the story. They all must also contribute to the main idea in the story arc. Where possible, attempt to weave in user-generated content, and social proof to help “prove” your story.

    Practical Uses and Notes on Story Arcs

    Not only can you utilize the concept of story arcs to tell your brand story. You can also use story arcs for a more practical purpose. Many times we see great content we wish to share like a post highlighting the 6 Skyscrapers You Must See Before They Topple, or 4 Amazing Sharks That Look Like Celebrities. However, 6 Skyscrapers is a lot to feature in a single post. Utilize the story arc in these situations and deliver these cool but poorly constructed buildings in a 4-6 post arc.

    Providing content in this way also creates a bit of anticipation and excitement. It keeps your audience wanting more! If you do utilize the concept of story arcs and don’t post the posts consecutively, make sure you let people know when to expect the next post.

    story strategy expand on blogExpand The Story On Your Business Blog

    As a small business owner, you want to establish yourself as a leader in your niche. A blog allows you to go deep on topics, flesh out concepts more fully, and create usable tools that will engage your followers. In previous posts, we provided statistics and other great reasons to start blogging, take a look at them if you have not yet begun to blog.

    A blog does fantastic things like allowing you to engage your audience, on your own platform, on your terms. Blogging also expands your footprint on this little thing known as the Internet. Every time you blog, you add a page to your website, a page that can be indexed. What is so great about that? Every time you pop up in a search, you have the potential of reaching a new client or customer.

    Powerful Blogs

    Having a blog drives more people to your website. A blog helps you engages more people. It’s a powerful tool that converts your audience into clients. Your blog positions you as an expert in your field and helps foster a deeper relationship with current customers. Your business blog functions as a lead generation tool. Having a blog allows you to create in-depth content that will add a great deal of value to your clients and audience. Your blog is a searchable place to dump all that incredibly useful information in your head and share it with others. Expanding your story on your blog will lead to greater sales and higher conversion rates. It will help you build a loyal audience that will turn to you when they need your product or service.

    story magnify with influencersMagnify Your Reach With Influencers

    Want to know something that has the potential to be better than a celebrity endorsement? Working with an influencer to help maximize the reach of your brand story could help you make a mark for your business. Influencers are influencers within a specific sphere, a particular audience that is interested in let us say fashion. The influencer is a peer of this audience, but they are the super cool peer that everybody wants to be. They are the ones that throw the best parties, get invited to all the events you want to go to and use all the same product, and wear all the same designers as you. They also discover all the freshest new products first, but once they discover them, you and all your friends must have them. Man, if only you could be the super cool peer!

    Okay, Let Me Tell You A Secret

    The influencers don’t discover all the coolest new products. The products are found for them by a savvy marketing guy who knows what audience they want to target. A marketer that has researched who has pull with that specific audience. Then he narrows it down from there by weeding out those who work with a competing brand, or have an aesthetic or overall brand doesn’t match the product. Finally, they meet with the remaining folks and decide who is best for the campaign, and pitch it to the influencer they choose. Most likely they don’t let the other finalists know they are out until the preferred one agrees to the campaign.

    Now, maybe it is a little less dramatic than the scene I painted rbut you get the idea. eIn order for influencer marketing to work, you need to select the right influencer, that has access to the market you are looking to access. Your brands must complement one another sand they must actually, currently use, or want to use your product. You don’t want it to look forced or fake. If that is a possibility, it could hurt or even destroy the reputation of the influencer and your brand. Look at it this way, what fashion influencer who has long been photographed in the most elegant red souled shoes would suddenly start wearing the Crocs out in public. Not any influencer that cared about their credibility with their audience. (let the hate mail from Croc lovers commence)!

    build connectionsCreate Connections and Build Up An Engaged Following

    Easier said than done? Maybe! But when it comes down to it, the best tool to magnify the impact of your story on social media is to create connections with your followers. Listen to what they have to say. Deliver content that is engaging to your specific audience. Respond to those who take the time to reach. Yes, every single one. Why? Because you are building an authentic brand that wants to fulfill the desires of your audience to connect with them. Build these connections, both online and in-person.

    Connections That Matter

    In my past life, I had a Professor walk up to me in the local convenience store and ask if I was in a rush because he needed to grab something for me. Sure, I was off the clock, but I waited, and he came back from his car with his textbook order and handed it to me. He knew the deadline was today and was so sorry he missed it, but he wanted to get it to me as soon as possible.

    Build those connections, and your story will go farther than you could ever imagine.

    Maximizing the Impact of Your Story On Social Media

    As you can see, there are many different ways you can maximize the impact of your story on social media. Some of these will work better for your brand. Try them all and try mixing them up. Make sure you are delivering quality content and that your story is the right story for your target audience. If you want to continue to explore the ways to maximize the impact of your brand story consider joining me on Monday, October 7 at 6:30 PM for the 7 Strategies to POWER UP Your Brand Story Webinar on Zoom! Snag your free tickets below.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

  • Branding Workbook: 9 Brand Components

    Branding Workbook: 9 Brand Components

    Creating Your Brand Is Not Easy

    Are you in the process of brand building? It is overwhelming, isn’t it? There are so many things that you want to say. So many services that you offer and they are all to solve problems that are loosely related. Or you are offering an alternative to the status quo. It doesn’t matter it feels like it is going to be impossible to get all of this into 10-15 words that speak clearly about your brand! It is not impossible, many have done it and you can as well. We created the “9 Components of Brand: Branding Workbook” to help you get organized and break you “brand” into pieces that you can manage and help you work up to the big picture.

    For more information on Brand, click here

    What Exactly Is Brand

    Remember that a BRAND is not your logo. It is not your identity and your BRAND is not something that can be sold. Brand is moments, memories, sights, sounds, tastes and smells. It is a gut feeling that a person has about your business. A BRAND is emotional because humans are emotional and they make decisions based on feelings. Therefore, your brand is not what you say it is… it is what your audience feels it is. You have to make your audience feel something. What are you going to make them feel?

    For more information on Brand Storytelling, click here

    Getting the Most Out of the Branding Workbook

    In order to get the most out of the Branding Workbook, you should set aside time to work on each of the activities, time that you can focus on just the topic at hand. Be completely honest with your answers. Make sure that you are realistic with your strengths and weaknesses so that you aren’t building your brand on false pretenses. As you proceed through each component in the workbook, take a look back at the previous components and see if they align with one another. If they don’t think about why that is the case and how you may reconcile those differences as you continue to develop your brand and brand story.

    Most importantly, be open and honest with yourself about why you decided to do what you do and why it matters to your audience. Your “why” is the foundation for all the other components, if you aren’t honest with this then your brand will forever fail to be authentic. Branding is an iterative process, you won’t complete this workbook and have the perfect brand statement immediately, but you will get there. What you will have is a better understanding of all the components you should take into consideration when working on branding your business.

    What Are the 9 Components?

    1. You
    2. Your Competition
    3. Your Differentiators
    4. The Audience
    5. Your Business Personality
    6. Your Story
    7. How you React In Crisis Situations
    8. Your Vision (Goals, Plans and How You Communicate them)
    9. Perceived Authenticity

    You Are the Number One Component

    The first component of your brand is you. It is your business, after all, so it makes sense that you are the number one component of your brand. Component one is where you are going to look at your passions, your values, the things you want your business to be known for, and most importantly, you examine your “why.” Take your time with this section; honestly think about your answers to the questions.

    Don’t stretch the truth; don’t overstate the facts, and think about how your answers will be received by the audience. You are building all the other components of Brand off of this foundation, make sure it is stable. If you nail this component, you are well on your way to creating a viable brand.  Your chances of being seen as authentic by an audience are not good if you lie, stretch the truth or “fudge it.”  Be honest, real, and emotional in your answers.

    The Next Component Involves Examining Your Competition

    Presumably, you are entering the marketplace with a product or service that was not available before, or you have an improvement to an already existing item. To know this, you examined the marketplace and what other vendors and businesses had available. What were the voids in the market before your product? How does your product fill those voids? How does your product/service change the lives of users? This is a basic before and after arc in a brand or product story, and the only way to tell it is to examine your competition. Honestly and objectively look at how you compare. They will naturally do some things better than you, and you will do other things better than they do.

    Component Number 3 is Defining The Differentiators

    You have determined what you do well, you have looked at and compared what others in the market do well, and you know how you, your business, and your products compare, So now, what are some of the critical aspects of your business that makes you different. At the core level, not superficial things but a differentiator that will make someone choose you over your competition.

    Differentiators should be marketable things AND something that your customers/clients will value? Remember you can’t be everything to everybody, so if your differentiators narrow your audience down a bit but open the opportunity to have more engaged followers who share your values and believe in your business, then that trade-off is undoubtedly worth it.

    Without Component 4 Your Brand Does Not Exist

    Your audience holds a great deal of power in this process and it is imperative that you examine the likes, dislikes, habits, and expectations of your ideal clients and make sure that your brand is offering them what they are looking for. Your audience is your potential customer base and they are the reason you are in business. Without your audience, you have no customers. No customers mean no business. Oh, and if you don’t have an audience then you don’t have a brand, remember your brand is based on the emotional response to your business. So take the time here to do some research and develop a few personas that accurately represent your customer.

    What Emotion Directly Proceeds the Purchase

    You felt overwhelmed, so you bought a planner to help you keep organized. You felt old, so you bought a bright red sports car. You felt betrayed by corporate America, so you get your coffee at the local coffee house. An emotion directly proceeded these decisions to purchase and emotions are powerful motivators. Marketers know this and that’s why they capitalize on them to sell products, yes even the local coffee house does, and it’s not betrayal it is a smart business strategy. So what emotion are your customers feeling right before they come in to make a purchase with you? Pinpoint that, and your business changes. Emotions are universal, sell the emotion everybody will get it.

    Your Business Personality

    Businesses have personalities just like the people who run them. After all, you would not expect Oprah and Gary Vaynerchuk to run a business the same way. Oprah’s company has a different character, then Gary V’s who curses all the time provides blunt, real advice, and he most certainly will not be wearing a gown to a gala anytime soon. The idea here is if you are representing the company, the personality of the company should match your personality.

    If you are the chief behind the scenes guy, then the personality should match your chief front of house officer. Neither is right or wrong, but it may feel incongruous and impact the perceived authenticity if the eccentric scientist at the head of your company was forced to waddle out on stage for company presentations in a tuxedo he only wore for those occasions, and shoes he always fell in. Let the man wear his Birkenstocks and lab coat for goodness sake.

    Your Brand In A Crisis

    We don’t like to think about things like a crisis, but you are better off preparing for a disaster that will never happen then assuming it will never happen and having to scramble to make difficult decisions in unfriendly conditions. Have plans in place, communicate plans clearly, and if the worst happens, you activate those plans. The essential thing to keep in mind here is how you will respond to the crisis without undermining your values. In a crisis, you must make decisions based on your company values do not abandon them for the business as you are merely prolonging the demise. A business shaken by a crisis can recover, a business that leaves its values to save face is doomed to fail.

    Component Number 7: Your Vision

    The goals and plans for the company and how those are communicated to employees (if one of your goals is to grow).

    A vision statement is a form of internal branding that reflects the values of the company and plan for where the company wants to be in the future. Every member of your business should be able to identify with the vision statement .it should make them all feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Think big and stretch the concept of your business with your vision statement. Your own little business may surprise you and show what it is really capable of.

    Bringing It All Together With Your Story

    Component 8 is where we start to pull it all together. You are looking to engage your followers with an authentic story that answers important questions like the following:

    • What do you do?
    • Why do you do it?
    • What problems do you solve?
    • Who is your ideal customer?
    • Who else do you serve?
    • How are you different from your competitors?
    • What does the company believe in?
    • Why should the audience care?

    Man, that is a mouthful… and I even forgot something, you need to be able to boil your story down to 10-12 words at times! As you begin the process of building out your story you may feel a need to go back to a previous component and revise it because it does not quite ring true to you. That is okay, it is why we call it a workbook. You are working to develop your brand and you should do everything possible to make sure it feels right for you. If it doesn’t feel right for you it won’t feel right for others. Go back tweak it,  make it feel good.  Be honest, and be real. Include your struggles and don’t forget your journey.

    Once you have your brand story you can use it to create your key messages, brand talking points, and other marketing materials, Brand story first so that your brand identity is reflective of the values and story.

    What is Number 9?

    Branding Tip Make decisions based on values and build relationshipsThat last component of a brand is an essential one, and that is authenticity. You have not arrived at your finalized brand, brand story, and visual components to support it until you can say, “yes, I feel good about all of that and I have no problems defending that statement for as long as this company is in existence.”

    Ask yourself if you are being real. If you can answer a truthful yes to all these questions you might be ready to go.

    • Does your brand story sound like something a human would say?
    • I can not identify a single place I embellished the story, used hyperbole, or misrepresented my experiences.
    • I made sure the emotions portrayed are real and will connect with others.
    • I talk about the struggles and hard times for myself and the company.
    • I let my passion show?
    • I highlight the unique qualities of the company in a way that will appeal to our audience.

    You know your business better than anyone else. You know what is true and what is a lie and so will your audience. Branding is a long term strategy when it is layered together with storytelling, and engaging your followers regularly on social media it helps you build an audience that likes, knows, and trusts you. An audience that will call you first when they need your services, or know somebody who does. Don’t rush it. Sit with it for a couple days, allow it simmer in your brain and if it feels good in a couple days then try it out on somebody. Edit based on the input you recieve, let it sit, repeat.

    9 Components of Brand LogoDownload Your Copy of the 9 Components of Brand: Your Branding Workbook Today

    This workbook is created as a tool to help you focus on your brand and what items should be taken into consideration when brand building. We believe in the power of stories, We recommend you develop your story first and then focus on the brand.

  • Your Brand Is Not This… Discover the Key to Branding

    Brand is Not

    … your colors, it is not your logo. The business does not control it. These things are all part of your identity, and while they may speak to your brand, they are not your brand. Your audience defines your brand. It is an emotional response to your business that includes sights, sounds, tastes, and past experiences.

    In the following video, Jonathan Howard, the owner of JRH Graphics, discusses how a company can impact its brand, how every single interaction with a sales associate, or operator, or online service bot can influence the customer’s perception of your company. He also reminds people that it is incredibly important to believe in your brand. Make sure that everything you put out to your audience is representative of the values you think are essential. Be unabashedly true to your beliefs; don’t water them down to appeal to the masses. A company that aims to please all people ends up pleasing nobody.

    Differentiators

    The idea behind differentiators is also discussed in this video. A brand is what makes someone choose you over another company. So what is it that makes you different? Why would somebody decide to use you instead of another company? Branding is the art of differentiation, and if you don’t stand out, you aren’t going to win. For more on differentiation and how to win with your unique values, check out this blog post.

    What is the Key?

    The key is to find out what makes you different and find an audience that values those differences. Once you have discovered that audience, begin engaging them and providing solutions to the problems that they are facing. Keep your audience in mind whenever you are launching a program, product, or service offering.JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGWW5CcXd1UDlhTkUlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==

  • What? That’s Just Stupid of Course I Control My Brand!

    Welcome to A Rant on Brand:

    Your Brand Is One of the Most Important Things You Can’t Control!

    I could fill pages if I was asked. I have filled hours at the front of a class (hours no joke) talking about a brand. Things like misconceptions about it, why it is important, what differentiators really matter, what connects with your audience and the list goes on and on. But it always comes back to one important thing…

    How do you even define a brand?

    Dare to be distinctive

    What makes you different? Why would someone select you over another? But the differentiators are just the start. Yes, it is important to be able to speak to why are you different from X. What do you offer that Y doesn’t? What do you do better than Z? These all help consumers decide if they value what you offer more than they value what another has to offer. But differentiators are not the end all and be all.

    It is important to remember that a comany is not in control of it’s brand. All you really control is the identity- the colors- the language – the logo and the differentiators.

    BRAND IS…

    …WHAT HELPS PEOPLE DECIDE ON ONE OVER ANOTHER.

    …IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS

    …IS MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES

    …CAN BE SIGHTS SMELLS SOUNDS

    …BRAND = EMOTION!

    A company can not directly control the emotion of others.

    So why is all of this important?

    Why should you dare to be different? Why should you remember that brand is more than just things you create that represent your brand identity?

    It is important because

    BRAND SHOULD INFORM AND DIRECT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITE, AND BRICK AND MORTAR REPRESENTATION OF YOURSELF.

    It should be front and center in everything you do. Not just because you want all your things to look pretty, but because every customer interaction, every social media post, every experience is creating those memories and moments that truly create BRAND.

    Every employee you hire can impact your brand, every social media post you like without fully understanding what the author represents impacts it. Every product you decide to carry, every product you decide to not carry. All of these decisions impact the emotional responses of your customers to your company and therefore impact brand.

    My Suggestion

    I have always made one suggestion to all my clients when it comes to brand. The first thing you need to do as a company is to define your brand clearly. What would your company say in difficult situations? What are your core values and what do you offer to your customers? But what is most important is simple… you need to believe in your brand and show that belief in all that you do, all that you say, and in every interaction with your customers/clients. The moment you waver is the moment you have a brand identity issue and in this social media age, an identity issue could mean major issues for your company.