Brand Me, Baby!

What is branding? The official definition:

1. To mark with or as if with a hot iron.
2. To mark to show ownership.
3. To provide with or publicize using a brand name.
4. To impress firmly; fix ineradicably: “Imagery of the war has branded itself into the national consciousness.”

How does this apply to your Web site or online business? By being aware of and working to brand your business, you are setting yourself apart from all the noise and competition out there going after your market.

I’ve been asked about my competition. To which I always respond “I don’t have any.” There may be perceived competitors but there are a rare few who have been doing this as long and as successfully.

Notice how I said “perceived” competitors. Your branding efforts depend on you doing all you can to ensure that your brand, your company name, your methodology when logically compared to others in your industry will not be perceived as competitors. Because your brand sets you apart and there is no comparison!

But there’s the rub… We live in a culture with the attention span of a gnat. Onliners don’t want to read, they don’t take the time to pay attention to details and unfortunately, they don’t have much of a desire for knowledge acquisition. So how do you tackle that?

Realize there is only so much you can do and that you can’t be everything to everyone — so brand yourself to cater to your target market. But brand you must!

Figure out what is unique about you, your company, your product or service and use that consistently in everything you do, in every marketing effort you make. You need to clearly be different than any other Web site or similar business — you want to stick out like a sore thumb and be remembered! That’s how you brand! Whether it be a slogan or a methodology that carries over to all actions and reactions that involve your business, sit down right now and determine what is going to represent your brand.

Being I am a one-woman-show, I am my brand and I do not hesitate to let my personality shine through. That in of itself sets me apart from most techies who lack in the personality department. Combined that with my particular set of skills and experience, there really is no other “me” out there to directly compete with me.

Some of the ways I brand myself is using the same handle on all forums and social media sites, my sign-off and the name of this site “At Your Service…” and by having the best and most responsive customer service out there (when that is a rare commodity on and off-line).

Once folks begin communicating with me, compared to most they’ve run into, I make an impression. I’ve made my “mark with or as if with a hot iron.” And, I deliberately reinforce that branding as our relationship grows and matures.

Check out this interesting report Trends in Branding, 2009. You might become inspired or at the very least learn a bit more about the importance of branding and how it can work for you!

Do You Know Über?

As in Über Serious, Über Committed, Über Competitive, Über Realistic!

Über or ueber comes from the German language. It is a cognate of both Latin super and Greek ὑπέρ (hyper), as well as English over (as in “overkill“).

Super… Hyper… Overkill!

To get found, to get exposure for your business; to stand out from the rest is a task no longer for the weak of heart.  Über has to be part of your vocabulary and part of your modus operandi! That is simply a fact.  Not something I’ve made up or say to make things more difficult than they have to be as some have actually insinuated.

It is clear there are those who hang on to what they prefer to believe or what they can deal with rather than opening their eyes to the reality that is doing business online in today’s environment.   I see just as many clients today as I did when this all began get ripped off, throw good money at those who don’t have a clue (but have a good pitch), try services and software that claim to take all the work, time and necessity for knowledge and skill acquisition off the table.

Rare are the niches that are not yet saturated with serious business start-ups and fly-by-nights alike. It is to the point where opening up the physical “brick and mortar” may offer a competitive advantage.   A complete turn around from the days where the Web was supposed to shut down Main Street.  At least with a brick and mortar you can rely on locals knowing where you are who will frequent your establishment.  Online?  You are lucky if you get found — that is unless you add “Über” to your program!

Now, online is the arena of rabidly Über competitive serious businesses. If you don’t look the look, walk the walk and back up the talk — you won’t get orders or inquiries.  To think that online you can market an established business for pennies on the dollar or start a new business and quit your day job in the year 2008 is a thought based in wishful thinking.   That is unless you are friends with Über!

Don’t get me wrong. There are still opportunities and potential for those who approach their program from a business point of view based on solid established principles, methodologies (including some that may not even have been tried or thought of yet) and the necessary costs to get there. These smart businesses, with an “überly” realistic attitude,  know the difference between the hype and the reality.

They embrace the challenges that are required to succeed and rather than ignore them and try to find an easier way (that many times is non-existent), they attack these perceived obstacles and make things work for their enterprise. They are truly Über Netrepreneurs because they know nothing less will suffice!

Leave the hypey sales pitchy blah-blah-blah behind.  If it sounds too easy, too cheap, too quick — know that it is.   Embrace the reality of what online business entails because only then can you even hope to attain the success you desire.  Can you say Über?

Courage and Your Dreams

UPDATE 07.25.08: The man who inspired my post in May (below) passed away today. I know that Randy would not want us to be sad; but to view his video and celebrate and live our lives as he did.

I usually don’t post on Fridays, however, today I found out about Randy Pausch and I have to share his story with you now. Watch his “last lecture” and tell me if you are not inspired to go for your dreams, no matter how difficult, how intimidating, how much of a hassle doing so may seem at the moment.

Puts your life in perspective, does it not?