AtlantaEvent.com NewsFlash - Branding, search engines and more!

Intro From Jeff Glaze

Jeff Glaze
Editor



"Buy my eye-opening ebook!" from Jeff Glaze, The editor of AtlantaEvent.com

Greetings from Jeff,

Take a look at the ad below for the Small Business Showcase. I want to strongly recommend that you attend this event. There will be several hundred business owners and business people there for you to meet and begin building a business relationship with. We have been working very hard to get the word out for this one and people from all over Atlanta are coming. If you are concerned that you might not meet prospects from your area, don't worry. I assure you there will be people from all over town and each one of them is an opportunity for you to expand your business in a dynamic way.

Be sure to print and use the coupon at the bottom of this page!

There are also a few tables left and they are going fast, so if you were on the fence, get off it and call right away, space is limited for tables.

Now to some other thoughts...

More new authors again this week with some powerful information, feedback is encouraged on these new contributors.


Have a great week!

Jeff Glaze
www.AtlantaEvent.com Editor

Again an important notice:

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Atlanta's Largest Business-to-Business Networking Event
and Business Showcase
Network with hundreds of business people!

AtlantaEvent.com and
AtlantaBusinessCalendar.com presents


THE SMALL BUSINESS SHOWCASE
This event will replace the Atlanta Business Mixer for March
See Dis*count Cou*pon at bottom of email

Thursday March 24 ~ 3 to 7:30 p.m.

@ Upscale's Event Facility
6600 Roswell Rd. at Abernathy
2nd Floor above Aldo's
Complimentary hors d' oeuvres ~ Cash Bar
Admission: $10 at the door ~ No Reservations Required

Display Tables & Sponsorships Available ~ Call (678) 508-5975
Companies that reserve a table for this event get a FREE table
in the Online Virtual Business Expo (see below)

Bring plenty of Business Cards!

Is Procrastination Holding You Back?

by C.J. Hayden, MCC

Before the Internet, small business owners like yourself were usually limited to a local market -resorting to expensive advertising and brochures, direct mail, cold-calling, networking at the local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary. You hoped customers found you through word- of- mouth or a Yellow Pages ad.

Today, you can work with a consultant, a financial planner, or a business coach across the country as easily as someone across town. In the Internet age, prospects often find you (instead of the other way around).

This is the age of the virtual customer. Yet, although the Internet has made it perfectly reasonable to land a major client you've never met in-person, it has also created new expectations among consumers.

Prospects now "Google" around to find someone with your skills. They expect you to make a good virtual "case" for yourself. If you don't pass the test, or make a bad impression, or appear lackluster compared to your competitors, you will lose the potential client.

The only way to be truly successful in business is by establishing a good reputation. And understanding the way business has shifted in the Internet age can help you bring the potential of marketing your business into the virtual world.

The Virtual First Impression

The Internet has increased the expectation among consumers that businesses will have a credible online presence.

Many of us now form "first impressions" of people and companies via our Internet browsers. From the moment your name and business appear in a Web browser to the moment your Web site loads, your first impression often means the difference between a shot at your prospect's business, or being shut out.

Think about it. You have probably used the Internet to research a company or a person you're considering doing business with. Certainly potential clients and customers are checking you out online, too.

Prospects you've never met are forming opinions about your business at the click of a mouse. Internet first impressions are not just influenced by how your Web site looks, but also by how often your business appears or how high it ranks in a web browser.

Become an Online Center of Influence

We all know people who command rapt attention whenever they speak. Others want to listen to, learn from, and emulate them. They are centers of influence, a distinction you can pursue online by developing the following qualities:

* Share inside knowledge with your target market;

* Participate, listen, contemplate, and offer thoughtful responses;

* Be willing to voice an opinion;

* Assume leadership positions in your industry

Certainly, experience counts. But this is not the only prerequisite to becoming an online center of influence that will earn you the distinction of 'trusted advisor' within your target market.

Start by making your Web site a resource for your industry. Feature lots of useful information, including articles, links, downloadable files, customer resources, and anything else of use to your target market. Be generous and give, give, give!

Create a Virtual Podium with Teleclasses

Teleclasses are a great way for businesses to develop a virtual reputation. They can be promoted easily by email, and provide information to prospects, clients, and customers all over the world, with minimal cost and effort.

Business coach and teleclass leader Michael Losier set up a teleclass about exhibiting at trade shows: 'I had 60 students in my first class, which was very profitable, and many later hired me as a consultant."

Also, it may be just as effective and less effort to participate as a guest lecturer in another professional's class rather than producing your own teleclass.

Placing Articles Online

Online articles draw upon your expertise by providing useful information that Web site visitors are actively seeking out. Online articles position you as an expert in your field and convey a level of authority that establishes trust and sets the stage for sales.

When high-traffic, high-credibility Web sites and newsletters publish your articles, you ride on the coattails of their loyal relationships with readers. Your articles are seen by visitors as referrals from trusted friends.

Some of the most prime "real estate" in the world these days is at the top of the search engine listings. The most widely used search engines rank Web sites by the quantity of other Web sites that link to them. This means that every article you publish that links to your Web site can improve your search engine rankings.

To find out about a new program that can help you quickly publish articles about your business on web sites that reach your target market, please visit: http://www.getslightlyfamous.com/services/article-placement.html

Build Online Relationships

Most business networking used to happen when we recommended an associate, swapped business cards, or connected with colleagues over lunch. But increasingly, social networking is migrating to the Internet.

Through social networking Web sites and online discussion lists, entrepreneurs can access virtual communities of prospects and associates while developing virtual "platforms" to generate leads and sales and establish themselves as recognized experts.

Marketing consultant Max Blumberg credits his involvement in Ecademy.com, a business networking Web site, with elevating his business profile and generating new clients. "When I first encountered Ecademy I'd never heard of online networking, but the benefits of a large community where I could share ideas and cultivate new relationships was very appealing."

Blumberg started by posting a profile about his business, then started sharing his knowledge with other Ecademists. "I set up a club where members could get help with common marketing challenges. Many of these people became clients and friends with whom I socialize. We reciprocally use each other's services," says Blumberg, whose Ecademy presence has even been noticed by large companies who are starting to contact him.

The key to building a niche community is identifying your ideal customers and the communities they belong to. By targeting the best, most favorably inclined prospects within a niche, you can become your target market's vendor of choice, and sell more with far less effort.

Steven Van Yoder is the author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort. Visit getslightlyfamous.com to read the book and learn about 'slightly' famous teleclasses, workshops, and marketing materials to help small businesses and solo professionals attract more business. Get Slightly Famous is a trademark of Steven Van Yoder.

Phantom Brands

Bill Nissim, 2004

Read Chapter 12 In "Guerrilla Marketing in 30 days" about AtlantaEvent.com

If you search the term “branding” on the Internet, you’ll be inundated by a plethora of theories, assumptions, and case studies which implicate the quintessential approach to this elusive topic. This mystification leads most organizations to relegate brand management to lower level functionaries and relies on tangibles, such as revenues and EBITDA, as a measure of market viability. The strategic use of branding only surfaces when the organization experiences a turbulent period in time and applies brand principles as a life preserver.

The fundamental problem with the application of branding lies in its strategic importance and execution throughout the organization. If top management views branding as a “marketing function,” their cursory involvement implicates a tactical view and permeation throughout the organization will not congeal. What arises is a PHANTOM BRAND – one that exists in the murky shadows and becomes a vague reminder of an organization’s true self. Conversely, an organization that embraces their brand as the strategic cornerstone of the business and obtains cultural acceptance will emerge with a strong identity and market position.

The intent of this article is to identify phantom brands and understand why they fall into disrepair. Published authors’ who have investigated various facets of this topic will be cited and their findings summarized. The by product of this exercise will alert management to patterns and red flags that signify brand dilution.

Branding Defined:
Branding has been defined by many specialists over the years. Michael Dunn, CEO of Prophet Consulting, states “…the brand acts as a sort of shorthand that consumers use to decide between competing products. In the broadest sense, the brand is a combination of a product or service's public image.” Another branding expert of 31 years broke the concept down into 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (Al & Laura Ries, 2002) in which law number five deals with brand ownership. They assert that “if you want to build a brand, you must focus your branding efforts on establishing a word in the prospect's mind - a word that nobody else owns.” Finally, David Aaker, noted expert on brand strategy states “a company's brand is the primary source of its competitive advantage and a valuable strategic asset (Building Strong Brands, 1996).” Now that branding has been defined, let’s examine common foibles of brand management.

Common Branding Traps:
David Aaker has identified four brand identity traps which can lead to ineffective and dysfunctional brand strategies. These “traps” include image, position, external perspective, and product-attribute fixation traps. Aaker contends that a brand image reflects the past and is passive in nature, whereas the brand identity is active and focuses on the future. Let’s briefly review the essence of each trap.

1. Brand Image Trap:
The essence of this first trap is how customers perceive your brand image. If left un-checked, the brand image slowly becomes the brand identity. The problem here is that both the customer and the marketplace are defining your identity verses the company creating a more accurate portrayal of your future brand promise.

2. Brand Position Trap:
A brand position utilizes the value proposition to actively communicate and demonstrate its brand advantage in the marketplace. The trap occurs when the focus is on product attributes rather than brand building activities (personality, associations, symbols, etc.). As a result, the brand lacks depth and significance and could be equated to a movie with a weak plot – dull and uneventful!

3. External Perspective Trap
The common viewpoint of organizations is to maintain an external focus – how customers perceive the brand. Most organizations fail to internally communicate the vision and values of their brand. Test this concept yourself: Ask anyone within your organization what your brand stands for – if you get a blank stare or a numerical response (like sales goal), then you’ve got issues. How can your employees execute the brand promise to your customers if they lack passion, inspiration, and understanding?

4. Product-Attribute Fixation Trap
The failure to distinguish between a product and a brand is the essence of a product-attribute trap. Most companies view product attributes as the basis for purchasing decisions and competitive strength in the marketplace. Although Nike produces professional quality running shoes (as does others), the identity-association of owning the product has greater meaning to the owner than the product itself. Ask someone what they drive? If they possess a sense of pride, they’ll quickly respond with the brand name – not horsepower or torque ratios!

New Brand or Position:
Al Ries recently discussed three mistakes companies make when launching new products (or brands) in the marketplace. The first common mistake is to spend big during the initial roll-out. The reasoning is – if they don’t know you’re there, they won’t buy! According to Ries, new products (brands) take off slowly and advertising inherently lacks credibility. Successful organizations have built their brand solely by utilizing public relations (such as The Body Shop, Swatch, and Red Bull).

The second mistake is using a research-driven name. The biggest brand name in online book sales is Amazon.Com, not “Bookfinder.com.” Why? History has demonstrated that consumers seek differentiated identities online and organizations such as pets.com and etoys.com (generic) have also failed.

The third mistake is broad distribution. Whether the placement of products or advertising to launch a new name/product, Ries suggests you start small. When you narrow your focus and concentrate on one method (market, distribution point, etc.), your brand has a better chance of being recognized verses being lost amongst the giants in the same environment.

Phantom Brands:
Author Matt Haig suggests that “consumers make buying decisions based around the perception of the brand rather than the reality of the product (Brand Failures, 2003).” He goes on to say that the value extends beyond the physical assets of the organization and that perception is fragile at best. (His work exemplifies those entities that discarded the immutable laws of branding and suffered the inevitable consequences).

Snapple: Beverages
Quaker Oats Company bought Snapple for $1.7 billion in 1994 and decided to change the brand formula. They shifted its distribution and advertising campaign to reflect something that it wasn’t, and within three years, sold the floundering company for $300 million. The lesson learned? Quaker Oats didn’t understand the brand’s value, both in place and presentation, and diminished the value in the consumer’s mind.

Planet Hollywood: Restaurant
Most of us have “tried” Planet Hollywood and enjoyed the novelty of the experience. This organization was launched in 1991 with the premise of celebrity hype and movie memorabilia, with food being a side-line. By 1999, the company went bankrupt and its fortunes invested lost. What happened? Since the “food” wasn’t the reason to visit Planet Hollywood, once you’ve seen the sights, there was no compelling reason to return.

McDonald’s Arch Deluxe: International Chain
The tag line for this product was “Burger with a grown-up taste” it was McDonald’s biggest flop. The value proposition for this organization is friendliness, cleanliness, consistency, and convenience. The product concept was well researched and the consensus was positive. Why did Arch Deluxe fail? McDonald’s ignored their values and offered a more affluent product that didn’t match their brand identity. Market research should be considered as input, but if it denies your brand, put little trust into it!

Phantom brands arrive at our doorstep in many forms. For some, a serious lack of brand management allows the organization’s most valuable asset (the brand identity) to erode over time and become less valuable to their customers. For others, a deliberate act (Snapple) for profit’s sake quickly destroys the point of differentiation in the consumer’s minds. Phantom brands become remnants of an organization’s true value/inspiration and quickly drive the organization into disrepair. Why does this occur?

In my experience, the problem lies squarely with senior management and their incomprehension of the brand concept. The spot-light shines on revenues and relationships, which is the fuel of business, but the engine remains the brand. As a result, they miss the warning signals and unconsciously make decisions that ultimately diminish the organization’s value. Since the CEO is typically the chief marketing officer, it is his or her responsibility to care and nurture their brand identity. Without such awareness, the dark shadows of mediocrity slowly engulf the brand and tarnish its very soul.

Summary:
This discussion briefly covers what brands are, traps that organizations fall into, and common mistakes made when launching or re-branding products or services. Several companies were identified in addition to brand dilution errors that each made. In most cases, brand management takes a back-seat to top-line revenue and financial metrics. In the three examples provided above, management ignored the basics of branding and paid an exorbitant price for doing so.

Bill Nissim consults with nonprofit organizations on brand management issues. His website contains reference materials, links, and helpful articles on the many facets of branding at ibranz.com.

The Myth of Link Exchange

By Jeff Glaze

www.besomeone.org
"Helping Children
One Move At A Time"

BeSomeone.org is the Official supported charity of AtlantaEvent.com

If you have a web site that is getting much traffic, you will sooner or later be approached by someone who will want to link to your website and have a link from yours to theirs. It has been widely reported that this will help you get better positioning in search engines. This is and is not true.

While having someone link to your site might drive traffic if they visit your site from a link on that site, having links that are not relevant to the content on the linked sites may actually harm your ranking on the search engines.

Search engine positioning on sites like Google are based on a point system. This system adds or subtracts points from you for various reasons. For example it used to be that if you hid keywords on your page repeated over and over, you moved up in the search engines on a relevance basis. This practice over time became known as a form of "spamming the search engines". When you have hidden text on your page (hidden text is when you make the text the same color as the background so it is invisible to the user) you lose points in the rankings and move down the list.

Search engines have been made very intelligent by their creators. They do things like compare the keywords to content, look for content changes, and compare the content of site links contained on the site to the sites they link to. If the content is relevant to the site chances are it helps your site rating. If the links are not related, it can hurt your ranking.

It seems then that to have effective linking we should only link to sites that contain complimentary content. If I have a business site, my site should link to other sites with business content. To link my site to a beauty salon site would probably do very little good for me as far as traffic is concerned and would very likely be detrimental to my site ranking.

Now I do not want to deter you from having advertising on your site. Ads are a different animal. Links usually are all grouped together on a page of suggested links while ads are usually mixed in with the content and take the form of banners. These types of ads will not hurt ranking. Most profit driven web sites have some form of ads on their site and the search engines are made to take these ads into consideration.

To sum it all up, links are good only to sites that are relevant to your content. If someone asks you to do a link exchange that is not relevant to your site, thank them for the offer and decline politely. If their content is related to yours be sure to make it happen if you have a way to do it.

As a web master who enjoys a top 5 listing on most search engines on the internet I can say that when it comes to learning how the search engines work it is better to have linked and lost than to have never linked at all. ;-)

Jeff Glaze is the Editor of AtlantaEvent.com and this newsletter.

Jeff also offers the most cost effective site optimization available with his company Mostcool Media, Inc. Call today to find out where your web site ranks on the entire internet and for a free consultation (it will take about 10 minutes of our time over the phone). 678-508-5975