Facebook and your brand

Now that you have ventured onto Facebook and searched for your competitors...what did you find? Most likely some are there and some aren't. Some have many "likes" and some don't. At the very least you have measuring tool of where you fit within your industry's online landscape.

Newt Gingrich has 198,000 likes. Mitt Romney has 1,202,000. These numbers won't dictate winners and losers, but you get the sense of who has been at it longer and has a strategy for success.

As you set up (or revise) your Facebook page think like a marketer first, then factor how you will use this new tool to your advantage. Are you clear about your brand and how it is perceived? Can you demonstrate the outcomes you generate for your satisfied customers? What is it that makes you different from others in your industry? Facebook, or any other marketing tool will become more effective when you have answered these questions.

Are you successful on Facebook? Share your story. Are you afraid to venture into these alligator infested waters? I'm here to help. All marketing tools are scary when you lack clarity about your own brand.

Is Social Media in your 2012 Marketing Plan?

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being extremely knowledgeable) where do you rate your understanding of how to use social media?

Don't be ashamed if you gave yourself a low number. You are not alone. If you gave yourself a "3" today strive to get to a 5 or 7 in the next year. Social media is not going away, and there is a chance your competitors are using it to get a leg up on you now.

My fascination with social media is because it wasn't established as a concept 1000 years ago. I can't read the writings of Greek philosophers who will show me the way. There are excellent books about social media. They have been written by people who chose to jump into it and learn by doing. Their expertise is now in great demand.

Suggestion #1: Log onto Facebook. In the search section enter the names of 3-5 competitors of yours. Do they have a Facebook page? Do they have followers who "like" them? Are they engaging in dialogue with their prospects and customers?

This is the first installment of a series that will address wading into social media. Please join us.

Blimps, Zambonis & Jumbotrons

Marketing is about the message. What message will resonate with your prospects to get them to engage with your business?

The options to broadcast your message are endless.

The "Met Life" blimp. The "Budweiser" Zamboni clearing the ice between periods. The "Sony" Jumbotron shows replays in high definition. Sports fans are bombarded with messages, some more intrusive than others.

If you struggle to develop a message, call your best customers. Interview them and you will get the best perspective of what you deliver. Use their words and phrases. Soon you will have a message that will put a smile on someone's face.

You have accomplished the hard part. Now it's time to call the blimp owner.

What defines integrity these days?

When you describe your values to someone do you use the word integrity? Do you act with integrity? If yes, how so?

Here are today's headlines:

• Penn State scandal 
• "Fast and Furious" investigation 
• Congressional insider trading
• NBA lockout

It's easy to find places where integrity is scarce. As Seth Godin professes...scarcity creates value. 

In a world where bad behavior makes headlines we should strive to define our personal integrity. You will demonstrate value to an employer, client, friend, neighbor and so on. Acting with integrity can be summed up in a story or two about what you have done to help someone else.

Throwing around terminology without definition ("I'm for world peace") tends to be seen as generic. When you hear something that makes you say..."aren't we all" take it one step further and present it from your vantage point. This lays the foundation for your brand.   

Do you initiate, react or stay silent?

Since the inception of LinkedIn in May 2003 we have seen a spin off industry of experts who teach LinkedIn classes. Are you new to LinkedIn? Do you want to learn advanced techniques on LinkedIn? There's something for everyone who has a craving to understand this social media network.

LinkedIn has surpassed 100 million members and continues to grow. The percentage of users who initiate or react to content is much smaller. I call this "eliminating the social" from social media.

As a branding advocate I emphasize proactive behavior. I can post a profile on LinkedIn and hope that the masses find me...but that is not likely. How do we teach people to initiate and promote versus having a passive approach?

In Remarkable Personal Branding we focus on initiating and promoting. The LinkedIn world is waiting to hear from you...and your pursuits will be aided by your connections if you give them the chance to help you. When you determine your passions, unique attributes and personal mission you will be able to proclaim what it is that you want to be known for. You will have laid the foundation for a proactive mindset.

What is keeping you silent on social media? Let us help you break down the barriers and develop a remarkable brand!

Real "hope and change"

My friend Mary sent this email recently to tell me about her good fortune (I have put x's in the place of names that should be kept confidential).

"A while back, you told me to search out "doing something I love". I knew that already, but the future seemed hopeless. By complete good fortune, I got laid off from my despised job in June. I am continuing my counseling work at xxxx in an expanded role, have secured a really great job with xxxx (I do drug screenings at the data center construction site here) and am taking classes in Hospice Life Care at the xxxx). Very grateful to have gotten my foot in the health care door. And, I've never been happier. All of my positions are part-time, so I still have plenty of free time to spend with the grandkids and elderly parents." 

Mary proves that "hope and change" is truly something of value when applied in this manner. Even better, Mary has a story that she can tell to an audience that needs to be inspired.

Your brand is enforced by the stories you tell. I suggested that she find ways to do some public speaking to amplify how she is living her life. There's too much doom and gloom in the world. Don't believe me? Turn on the evening news.

People judge you by the words you use, and the stories you tell. My hope is that this story will inspire you to do something you didn't think was attainable.

Inspiration and Desperation

Twenty-five years ago my friend Bill made this proclamation..."my greatest accomplishments in life occurred because of desperation, not inspiration." It was an example of his self-deprecating humor and that events in life happened when he was least prepared.

Are you inspired or feeling desperate in your life today? Others can tell. Your brand is what people think about you...and see in you when they interact with you.

I don't have Dr. Phil's credentials but can tell you this...find a way to become an inspiring person. Your inspiration will pay off in ways you cannot imagine. You may motivate someone to do something they feared. You may influence a family member to develop a healthier lifestyle. Your passion is a trigger and others will feed off the genuine emotion.

If the best revenge is a life well lived...lead a rewarding and fulfilling life by inspiring others who will follow your example.