I am a writer, graphic designer, and ranked by Google,MSN and Yahoo America's Favorite Love columnist I am engaged to Rick London a writer, cartoonist and brand designer, together, we own the seo and branding firm Pen And Ink Inc.
In an economy already squeezing small businesses one underutilized tool is an advertising and branding equalizer. Twitter is the fair playing field where even the smallest entrepreneur can compete with the corporate giants. Everyone starts on Twitter with zero followers, zero tweets and generic background to build from. This Free tool can promote your product or service to the almost twenty-five million daily visitors.
Twibs the Twitter business directory is a great place to start to size up your competition and learn from their failure or success in garnering followers. You can search the business index either alphabetically or by keywords to find relevant information. Look at Twitter bios and their following statistics then go to their profile page to see what is working or not working for those in your field of business. From @Oprah with 1,019,191 followers to @bead4you with 173 followers a wide range of celebrity brands and businesses can be found in the directory.
After you have done your research there are several basic rules you will want to follow when getting started. Do not begin by tweeting a hard sales pitch 42% of Twitterers polled said it was the main reason to unfollow. If you are unsure how to get started review other businesses for ideas for a tweet stream that will work for you. Next have a custom background designed to display your business logo and carry your branding in to a Social Media Forum. Your Template can contain both text and images so consider adding your URL, email and product images.
Make you first tweets conversational with humor, news links, video links or famous quotes. If you sell Hair Care products provide links to styling tips or links to recipes if you sell food products or services. Follow twitterers that follow your competition they will already have an interest in what you are selling. Begin slowly integrating sales tweets into your daily conversation and monitor changes in your following totals then adjust your message accordingly.
Research your competition, brand your background, Tweet and interact with your following. Tweet information that will encourage your following to seek you out each day. Provide your followers with coupons, discounts, promotions and links to items on your website. Your impact on Twitter will be directly proportional to the time you invest on building and keeping your following.
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Showing posts with label Branding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Branding. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Branding: Building your online Social Networking Identity
I am a writer, graphic designer, and ranked by Google,MSN and Yahoo America's Favorite Love columnist I am engaged to Rick London a writer, cartoonist and brand designer, together, we own the seo and branding firm Pen And Ink Inc.
Branding is often referred to as the “Goodwill Portion” of your business. It is an intangible that can be of greater value than your liquid assets. Being "brand aware” involves continuity in your physical and today more importantly your online presence. Social networking sites Twitter and facebook allow organizations to determine what people are saying, thinking and doing about their brands. What does differentiate these two from each other as branding tools is a difference of depth of information and rapid distribution.
There are several great business and celebrity examples of being proactive via social networking with their online brand. Whole Foods Markets can be found on both facebook and Twitter. They actively communicate with buyers providing both product information and consumer alerts. Facebook offers them a chance to provide forum based knowledge sharing, whereas Twitter has become a rapid alert venue for product update & recalls.
London Times Cartoons CEO Rick London takes a personal approach putting himself forward as the face of his company on both Twitter & facebook. He provides links to his humorous cartoons, promotes his celebrity clients & freely interacts within the online community.
Author, wife & mother Kathy Ireland takes a selfless approach on Twitter not promoting herself or her brand. Her tweets are both personal and focused on promoting her charitable causes. She shares the wisdom from her most recent book “Real Solutions for Busy Mom’s: Your Guide to Success and Sanity” is an invaluable resource for moms who struggle with real life issues.
Mariel Hemingway was born pre-branded via her last name (maternal granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway). On facebook you see her warm personal messages to keep her fan base informed while on her busy schedule. Twitter for Mariel it is a combination of educating people about healthier living and promoting her new book “Mariel's Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life”.
Twitter and facebook each offer different active social networking features. Facebook is journal format that allows customers to add and comment on your entries. It is perfect for building a long term relationship with your customer base. Unlike facebook, Twitter offers businesses & individual branding via the design background feature and rapid 140 character tweets. Your background is billboard that can feature web and email addresses, product information and photos. Tweets allow rapid timely distribution of your product & service information. By integrating your branded advertising and marketing materials on Twitter and or facebook you will become more memorable in your prospective customer’s minds.
Branding is often referred to as the “Goodwill Portion” of your business. It is an intangible that can be of greater value than your liquid assets. Being "brand aware” involves continuity in your physical and today more importantly your online presence. Social networking sites Twitter and facebook allow organizations to determine what people are saying, thinking and doing about their brands. What does differentiate these two from each other as branding tools is a difference of depth of information and rapid distribution.
There are several great business and celebrity examples of being proactive via social networking with their online brand. Whole Foods Markets can be found on both facebook and Twitter. They actively communicate with buyers providing both product information and consumer alerts. Facebook offers them a chance to provide forum based knowledge sharing, whereas Twitter has become a rapid alert venue for product update & recalls.
London Times Cartoons CEO Rick London takes a personal approach putting himself forward as the face of his company on both Twitter & facebook. He provides links to his humorous cartoons, promotes his celebrity clients & freely interacts within the online community.
Author, wife & mother Kathy Ireland takes a selfless approach on Twitter not promoting herself or her brand. Her tweets are both personal and focused on promoting her charitable causes. She shares the wisdom from her most recent book “Real Solutions for Busy Mom’s: Your Guide to Success and Sanity” is an invaluable resource for moms who struggle with real life issues.
Mariel Hemingway was born pre-branded via her last name (maternal granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway). On facebook you see her warm personal messages to keep her fan base informed while on her busy schedule. Twitter for Mariel it is a combination of educating people about healthier living and promoting her new book “Mariel's Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life”.
Twitter and facebook each offer different active social networking features. Facebook is journal format that allows customers to add and comment on your entries. It is perfect for building a long term relationship with your customer base. Unlike facebook, Twitter offers businesses & individual branding via the design background feature and rapid 140 character tweets. Your background is billboard that can feature web and email addresses, product information and photos. Tweets allow rapid timely distribution of your product & service information. By integrating your branded advertising and marketing materials on Twitter and or facebook you will become more memorable in your prospective customer’s minds.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Five Steps To Building Your Brand On Twitter
I am a writer, graphic designer, and ranked by Google,MSN and Yahoo America's Favorite Love columnist I am engaged to Rick London a writer, cartoonist and brand designer, together, we own the seo and branding firm Pen And Ink Inc.
There are 5 basic steps to effectively branding your business on Twitter. Create a custom Twitter background, attract followers, build your base, interact with the community and make your sales pitch. This is not an overnight processes but with a customer base 50% of which have a college degree and earn $60,000 plus each year is worth the slow cultivation.
(1) Your Custom Twitter Background
Twitter’s unique design a background feature is a free billboard for you to promote yourself or your business. The design can be an extension of an existing website, promote a product or be an effective online business card with contact details. The unique background template is not a static item. It can be edited to attract or inform followers about new products, services, or web site locations.
(2) Attracting Followers
It is after all about who is following you on Twitter and by extension those who follow your followers. In the beginning tweeting famous quotes, music, humorous videos and news is an effective tool to attract followers.
(3) Build Your Base
Your base will not be successfully built with a hard sell approach. In a recent survey of twitterers 42% of respondents said they unfollowed other twitterers because they were tired of watching them self promote with links and no interaction. An effective way to build follower numbers is by manually following those who follow your followers. Your base will likely have a following with the same interests that attracted them to you.
(4) Interact with the Community
This is not a time for the sales pitch you are cultivating a client base. Tweeting information about subjects that potential customers might find of interest is the perfect introduction to your business. If you sell tackle tweet the latest fishing contest winner or chocolatiers could post news links to health benefits of chocolate.
(5) Making Your Sales Pitch
Now that you have their attention you can test a few sales tweets. Check for rise or fall in follower levels after each tweet and adjust content accordingly. Using humor to pitch your product can launch Twitter version of viral “the retweet” and send you message out to people far outside your base.
Design, attract, build, interact and sell are all the tool you need to successfully promote you brand on Twitter. Following these steps will ensure you are building a permanent base of repeat customers in the Twitterverse.
There are 5 basic steps to effectively branding your business on Twitter. Create a custom Twitter background, attract followers, build your base, interact with the community and make your sales pitch. This is not an overnight processes but with a customer base 50% of which have a college degree and earn $60,000 plus each year is worth the slow cultivation.
(1) Your Custom Twitter Background
Twitter’s unique design a background feature is a free billboard for you to promote yourself or your business. The design can be an extension of an existing website, promote a product or be an effective online business card with contact details. The unique background template is not a static item. It can be edited to attract or inform followers about new products, services, or web site locations.
(2) Attracting Followers
It is after all about who is following you on Twitter and by extension those who follow your followers. In the beginning tweeting famous quotes, music, humorous videos and news is an effective tool to attract followers.
(3) Build Your Base
Your base will not be successfully built with a hard sell approach. In a recent survey of twitterers 42% of respondents said they unfollowed other twitterers because they were tired of watching them self promote with links and no interaction. An effective way to build follower numbers is by manually following those who follow your followers. Your base will likely have a following with the same interests that attracted them to you.
(4) Interact with the Community
This is not a time for the sales pitch you are cultivating a client base. Tweeting information about subjects that potential customers might find of interest is the perfect introduction to your business. If you sell tackle tweet the latest fishing contest winner or chocolatiers could post news links to health benefits of chocolate.
(5) Making Your Sales Pitch
Now that you have their attention you can test a few sales tweets. Check for rise or fall in follower levels after each tweet and adjust content accordingly. Using humor to pitch your product can launch Twitter version of viral “the retweet” and send you message out to people far outside your base.
Design, attract, build, interact and sell are all the tool you need to successfully promote you brand on Twitter. Following these steps will ensure you are building a permanent base of repeat customers in the Twitterverse.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Social vs. Selling - Promoting your Brand on Twitter
I am a writer, graphic designer, and ranked by Google,MSN and Yahoo America's Favorite Love columnist I am engaged to Rick London a writer, cartoonist and brand designer, together, we own the seo and branding firm Pen And Ink Inc.
Twitter and other Social media sites are changing the way businesses market themselves on the internet. They are seeking for innovated ways to gain new followers to convert into potential clientele. Often striking the right balance of friendly conversation and product pitch is the dilemma.
In February of 2009 @AlexKaris posted the following question ion Twitter: What is the NUMBER 1 reason you unfollow people? The winning response with 42% of the votes was "tired of watching them self promote with links and no interaction."
My dilemma as a businesswoman on Twitter is the more I communicated and became part of the Twitter community I became cautious about making a full sales pitch to my followers. Early in my foray into Twitter I noticed the followers who only sent out a barrage of sales Tweets with zero interaction became annoying. My goal was to avoid becoming "that guy/gal" who only tweeted 140 character Twitfomercials.
There are several questions I asked myself. If I interact too much, too little, give an occasional sales pitch or lay low will I be unfollowed? How do I communicate about my website its content and customer service without alienating potential customers? How do I avoid sabotaging the positive reputation I was building on Twitter?
You cannot find a better example of the social vs. selling balance on Twitter than that of @ricklondon. Rick London Group, LLC CEO Rick London's personal approach involves putting himself forward as the face of his company on Twitter. He Tweets freely with the online community promotes his celebrity clients and provides links to his humorous cartoons.
With these steps you can market yourself and your brand to the Twitter community. Increase your following first by communication with those in your current network. Tweet famous quote, favorite music and Jokes if you are not comfortable with online conversation. Lastly your tweets can be used to invite and entice your followers into visiting your website.
Twitter and other Social media sites are changing the way businesses market themselves on the internet. They are seeking for innovated ways to gain new followers to convert into potential clientele. Often striking the right balance of friendly conversation and product pitch is the dilemma.
In February of 2009 @AlexKaris posted the following question ion Twitter: What is the NUMBER 1 reason you unfollow people? The winning response with 42% of the votes was "tired of watching them self promote with links and no interaction."
My dilemma as a businesswoman on Twitter is the more I communicated and became part of the Twitter community I became cautious about making a full sales pitch to my followers. Early in my foray into Twitter I noticed the followers who only sent out a barrage of sales Tweets with zero interaction became annoying. My goal was to avoid becoming "that guy/gal" who only tweeted 140 character Twitfomercials.
There are several questions I asked myself. If I interact too much, too little, give an occasional sales pitch or lay low will I be unfollowed? How do I communicate about my website its content and customer service without alienating potential customers? How do I avoid sabotaging the positive reputation I was building on Twitter?
You cannot find a better example of the social vs. selling balance on Twitter than that of @ricklondon. Rick London Group, LLC CEO Rick London's personal approach involves putting himself forward as the face of his company on Twitter. He Tweets freely with the online community promotes his celebrity clients and provides links to his humorous cartoons.
With these steps you can market yourself and your brand to the Twitter community. Increase your following first by communication with those in your current network. Tweet famous quote, favorite music and Jokes if you are not comfortable with online conversation. Lastly your tweets can be used to invite and entice your followers into visiting your website.
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