I’ve been working on the outline of a presentation for a client and thought I’d post it here for sharing.
The Internet as been creating many opportunities for small companies (including sole proprietors) to act bigger than they could afford in the offline world, and the branding world is no exception.
My client is a successful, talented, and established artist. He is looking for help in differentiating himself from the abundant competition going forward. Considering his openness to innovation and taking a unique path from typical artists, I believe his biggest opportunities for differentiation are not in the content of a future painting but in establishing himself as a brand that encompasses his artwork and extends far beyond it.
This presentation will focus on leveraging the power of the Internet to create a brand with much further reach than could be achieved by an individual offline.
Please feel free to borrow what is useful (as I’ve borrowed from others to create this) and leave any comments if you think I’ve left something out.
I’m particularly looking for some strong examples of small businesses or individuals who’ve created a well-known brand online — ideally outside of the tech industry, to prove that you don’t have to work in tech to use technology to your brand advantage.
OUTLINE
- Why do I need to build a brand?
- What is the Internet’s role in branding?
- How does this brand extend into the real world?
- Why build a dialogue and a community?
- How do I build a dialogue and a community online?
- How does this extend into the real world?
IN PROGRESS
- What are examples of (personal) brands built online?
- What are examples of dialogues and communities built online?
- What is my brand?
PRESENTATION NOTES
Why do I need to build a brand?
- People do not connect to products or services.
- They connect to the brand accompanying a product or service.
- Consumers have too many choices — a brand provides differentiation
- Perceived value beyond the basic commodity level is carried in the brand
- The brand is the expectation or promise of value
- A strong brand reduces the need to compete on price alone
- A strong brand gives employees focus and a sense of purpose in their work
What is the Internet’s role in branding?
- It’s easy to be visible on the Internet
- You are able to publish up-to-date information whenever you want
- The information is available to anyone with Internet access around the world
- Information on the Internet is largely persistent
- Once it is created, it exists “forever”
- A piece of information only has to be published once for it to be communicated continuously
- Example
- In the analog world, a story about the inspiration for a print must be told individually to each customer, or broadcast in a newsletter
- After its initially delivered, its power to impact additional customers falls off quickly
- In the digital world, the same story is published once but lives onward, easily being forwarded to others, referenced in links, and arrising in search results
- A larger audience can be reached and in serendipitous ways
- In the analog world, a story about the inspiration for a print must be told individually to each customer, or broadcast in a newsletter
- People increasingly look to the Internet first to learn about a company before making a purchase or to answer a question
- Your website will be the first impression for many potential customers — what do you want it to say about you?
- Digital information is easy to share with others
- Nothing builds a brand more intimately or effectively than a recommendation from a trusted friend or family member
- Your Internet branding machine is working while you are sleeping
- You can take a vacation half way around the world to New Zealand, but your brand can still be growing as, for example, a blog post you wrote sparks discussion on a much-debated topic
- The Internet can bring your products to life in a way that is not possible on paper or through words
- Videos, slideshows, and capturing navigation add interest and depth to information
- Most popular tools for online branding
- Blogs, online videos (YouTube), social networks (Facebook), websites, email newsletters
How does online branding work offline?
- All content created for online publication can be repurposed for printing or presentations
- Offer to be a presenter at banquets, art shows, fundraisers, conservation group meetings — anywhere you can share knowledge and be seen by potential customers
- A blog post forces you to think through an experience, event, activity, or piece of knowledge and put it into words
- This composed, thoughtful perspective is then prepared next time the topic comes up at a banquet, art show, dinner, or interview
- Writings can be distributed in print magazines and newspapers or with purchases
Why build a dialogue and a community?
- Fans, customers, friends, and colleagues are an important marketing vehicle for your brand
- What they say about you is crucial to the shaping and publicizing of your brand
- Communicating with people in a dialogue rather than talking at them engages and compells them
- These people are much more likely to share your brand with their family and friends
How do I build a dialogue and a community online?
- Be yourself
- Be compelling to your audience, open, authentic, consistent, transparent, and well-known
- People forgive mistakes and differences in opinion when the speaker is sincere and honest
- Share and talk about your own passions
- The topic won’t have impact if it’s something you don’t love
- Be a teacher
- Share with people from your unique knowledge and experiences
- If you give away something of value, the receiver feels valued
- Ask questions
- To learn what customers want
- To learn from others’ experiences
- Use your influence
- Use your name, publicity, and network to reach out and help others
- Be open to contact
- Publish an email address and answer all emails within 24 hours
- Share a common cause with the community
- Chances are you share a common passion outside of your business connection with your customers
- Examples: conservation, environmentalism, green living
- Designate a place for these people to meet and share ideas and experiences
- Social network, blog
- Make it easy for the community to share what they’re doing with their friends and spread the brand
- Chances are you share a common passion outside of your business connection with your customers
How do I take online dialogue and community offline?
- Meet in-person with customers beyond purchasing decisions
- Have important, engaged customers visit the studio and see Larry at work
- They will more than make up for the time required with their recommendations to new customers
- Talk about more than the artwork when giving presentations
- What do you care about?
- People will see who you are as a whole person (your personal brand), not just a painting-creator
- Have important, engaged customers visit the studio and see Larry at work
What are examples of personal brands?
- Gary Vaynerchuk
- Took a wine store and made it undeniably unique in personality
- He does not try to appeal to everyone — that would only water down his brand and his uniqueness
- He is himself and people appreciate it
- He gives a face and a personality to what is otherwise an impersonal experience — buying wine online
- He does all he can to engage with his fans
- Answers all emails
- Encourages people to write
- Looking for more great examples! (Particularly outside of the tech industry)
What are examples of dialogues and communities built online?
In progress
What is my brand?
Will work through this exercise with the client
Some sources at which you might take a peak:
Gary Vaynerchuck has built a phenom brand online centered around wine.
Hugh McLeod does similar stuff for a winery out of South Africa.
It’s difficult to find new, non-tech businesses online that have successfully branded themselves–much easier to find established brands that moved online, or tech companies surfing the early-adopter wave.
Seth lists companies from time to time…