Quite a headline, huh? But it's absolutely true! Long time internet marketer Lee Cornell really has made $400,000 (and counting) using public domain material from a couple of old books from the early 1900's to create an instructional video on how to become a ventriloquist! You know, one of those people who talks to dummies without moving their lips.
As a reminder, public domain works are books, films, audios, maps, documents, images, government publications, etc., that for one reason or another are no longer protected by copyright. You can use this stuff anyway you want to create your own products with no payments, fees, royalties, nothing - to use the original content as your own.
Lee has been a ventriloquist nearly his whole life and picked the niche because it was a passion of his. His original one-page "Ventriloquism 101" website that sold the video has grown into a multi-page resource website for ventriloquists and performers. To date, Lee has made over $400,000 from that initial product! All thanks to public domain.
There is an unlimited supply of public domain materials that can be turned into money making products. Don't think it's possible? Lee will prove otherwise!
Read Lee's fascinating story andcheck out Public Domain Fortune here! And watch a cool video of Lee and his dummy (shhhh...I hear they don't like to be called that) Nick Woodson explain everything.
Looking for a simple to operate ecom business in a RED HOT niche where you never touch a single product?
In fact you;
* NEVER ship anything
* NEED NO website * NEED NO list * NEED NO tech skills
* Have immediate access to ravenous buyers
So what is this product that people LOVE & CRAVE?
Believe it or not this business is about offering novelty designer coffee mugs!
You may have come across this idea before (it is SO lucrative and easy to set up that there are a raft of courses about it out there) – but stay with me here, this is the best course I have seen on the subject AND it doesn't come with a multi hundred $ price tag.
Mugs like these are in HUGE and growing demand, they are snapped up as novelties, gifts and impulse buys for family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours, teachers and more. They make unique, conversation starter gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, mother's/father's days, Valentine's day, new job etc. etc.
Etsy marketing experts Stuart Turnbull and Bart Hennin have pooled their vast iknowledge, skill and experience and have put together a brand new course; “Mad Money Mugs!”. They hold nothing back!
They take you by the hand and step you through the entire business (with nothing left out) – how to find the hottest selling novelty mug designs, how to customize them to make your own unique designs (all simple to do).
Then they show you how to set up your own fully optimized Etsy shop ready to make sales. The final piece of the jigsaw is the gold in this whole model – they show you an Etsy authorized, print on demand company with US and European fulfillment bases that FULLY INTEGRATES with your Etsy shop - RESULT.............Your business runs 100% HANDS FREE!
Stuart and Bart don't stop there, they also include 4 bonus courses that have been exclusively created to complement MAD MONEY MUGS!
There is so much value in this package I urge you to check this out now while it is still available on early bird pricing – it gets my highest commendation – a great idea, professionally presented in an easy to follow, step by step way
We all want websites that are search-engine friendly. But sometimes when you are busy it's easy to publish a new blog post and be off to the next thing on your to do list.
Over time, this can really hurt your SEO efforts. That's why I've put together this short hit list of things you can do to boost your WordPress SEO.
Schedule these tasks in your calendar to make your blog traffic soar!
1) Post New Stuff Regularly
Google has a bias towards fresh content. Part of Google's algorithm looks at how new the content is and gives preference to more recent results. So publishing original content on a regular basis is important.
Also size matters when it comes to content. Generally longer content ranks higher than shorter content. So strive to make your post at least 500 words.
2) Create a Keywords List
If SEO is a priority, then you'll want to develop a keyword list. This is basically a list of keywords and phrases that describes your products and services. These keywords should include words from search terms that are more likely to be used to find your offerings online.
Google has some incredible tools to make keyword research easy including Google Search, Google Suggest, Google Instant and Google Wonder Wheel.
Hint: if you want a really targeted keyword list, hire an SEO expert! 3) Install an SEO Plugin
This will allow you to set keyword-rich custom titles and Meta descriptions for your posts for search engines.
A couple of popular SEO plug-ins to consider are All in One SEO Pack and WordPress SEO by Yoast.
Again, this is something your web designer or an SEO professional can easily install for you.
4) Hand Submit to Search Engines
What good is a site if no one can find it? That's why getting listed in Google and the other popular search engines and directories is one of the most effective ways of getting free targeted traffic to your website.
You have probably seen lots of automated submission services where you pay a small fee for them to submit your site to hundreds of search engines. These services not only won't help - they can actually hurt you.
Almost all of these free directories never send an actual visitor to your website and getting links from them can hurt your ability to rank in the real search engines like Google and Bing.
The best practice is to manually submit your site to search engines yourself. WordPress makes this easy once you set up an account in Google, Bing and Yandex Webmaster Tools.
If unsure, just ask your webmaster or SEO Specialist to set up these accounts. 5) Add Tags to your Posts
WordPress, straight out of the box, comes ready to embrace search engines. The tags features is one of those SEO friendly features you should take advantage of.
Be sure to add relevant keyword-rich tags to every post you publish.
6) Leave Comments on Other Blogs
Start linking more to other people's posts on their blogs and encourage them to link back to you.
One search engine factor that Google considers is backlinking. A website that has more backlinks is considered more of an authority site and gets higher rankings.
7) Block Spam Comments
When people leave comments on your blog, it counts as content to Google. So if you have a website about DIY crafts and someone leaves 5 comments about "cheap enhancement pills' that ruins your keyword relevancy and hurts your rankings.
So blocking spam comments from posting to your blog will improve your SEO - as well as make your real blog readers happy. 8) Internal Linking
One easy way to get more traffic is to add internal links to your blog posts.
For example if you have an article on Overcoming Your Resistance to Blog Writing, then at the bottom of that article you can post links to "Other Related Articles You May Enjoy": 4 Content Marketing Trends for Business Owners in 2017 and other related articles. WordPress SEO by Yoast does this automatically for you as you can see at the bottom of this post.
9) Use Image Alt Tags
For each image you use in your post, ensure you add the Alt tag to help them rank better in image searches. This is another excellent place to put relevant keywords.
Google has an image search function that works in pretty much the exact same way as the webpage search with keywords and relevance. So adding Alt tags helps Google find and include your images when someone does an image search. 10) Tweak Blog Post Titles
If you quickly wrote titles to your blog posts before, take time to review them first before publishing.
Your blog post titles are vitally important to your SEO rankings so compare the keywords used to your keyword list and make your blog titles more keyword rich.
11) Add Social Media Sharing Buttons
When Google sees a blog article is getting a lot of posts and shares on social media, it boosts the ranking of that blog post.
So making it easy for readers to share your posts helps others Tweet and share your great content!
12) Update Your Theme
Not all WordPress themes are SEO Friendly and the free WordPress themes may be hurting your search engine rankings because of this.
Having a premium WordPress theme ensures your content will be indexed by the search engines, since the developers have taken special time to optimize every aspect in terms of both security and SEO.
It's smart to make sure your theme programming isn't bloated with inefficient code that slows down page load times. We find this a lot with purchased themes and that's why we only provide custom designed and built WordPress themes for our clients.
Susan Friesen is the founder of eVision Media, a boutique web development and Digital Marketing firm of over 15 years that specializes in designing, building and marketing professional, unique websites for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations.
Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and grab your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".
Necessity rules the world. People rarely act, unless compelled to.
Most people are so subjective, that nothing really interests them but themselves.
Which is why inviting a person (even if financially and mentally qualified) who hasn't been pushed outside their comfort zone to join your business opportunity is a waste of your time.
They might listen.
But their mind is off wondering about the latest Game of Thrones episode.
Your pitch simply falls on deaf ears.No matter what you do. No matter how good your offer is. No matter how "professional" your landing page is.
Solution?
Focus all your marketing on "uncomfortable" prospects who've been pushed outside their comfort zone. This is when they're most receptive. This is when they're desperate for solutions.
This is when money isn't an issue.
And this is when you're least likely to appear a "salesman," because you bring good news in a form of a solution to their problem. Which they desperately need right now.
You're no longer an enemy. You're a guest... an ally... a brother (sister)!
Makes sense?
Great! Next up...
Where do these "uncomfortable" prospects hang out and how to best get to them without killing yourself in the process?
After selling over 20,000 copies, my friend Naidy Phoon has decided to re-open the doors to his flagship traffic generation program Ultimate Traffic Monster.
3 Ways to Help Better Position Your Business for Market Success
Finding your business niche is the first step of defining your brand. If you don't understand how to position your business in the market place or know what you're selling and why, then you won't be able to effectively market your business.
It's important to find your business niche so you can:
• Differentiate yourself from your competitors;
• Optimize your website for the right keywords;
• Have a clear message on all marketing materials;
• Develop new ideas or products that appeal to your target market.
Here are 3 ways to make finding your business niche easier:
1. Narrow your focus.
You've heard the saying "Go big or go home?" Not in this case. To stand out from the competition and attract more visitors to your website, you need to be very specific about what you offer.
For example, business may offer a variety of marketing services. However, they wouldn't get very far if we only used the keyword "marketing services" on their website or put that term on their business cards.
Instead, they promote a number of different services on their website, marketing materials and in the real world such as Brand & Marketing Consulting, Website Development and SEO.
Get focused and you'll find your business niche or niches.
2. Define your target market.
You'll hear this again and again in marketing advice: finding the right audience to target is crucial.
Many business owners make the mistake of trying to be everything to everybody, or launch a website filled with content that doesn't speak clearly to the people they want to reach.
Think about who wants what you're selling. Is it entrepreneurs? HR professionals? Stay at home dads? Tech-savvy millennials?
Once you're come up with your target audience, you can narrow down and define your business niche even more. Plus, you'll be able to craft search engine-optimized content that will engage and inform exactly who you want to be buying your products or services.
3. Know the competition.
It's essential to know what kind of competition you're up against when you're defining your business niche. Start with Google.
Search the keywords people might use to find your business. If you see pages and pages of results and a lot of PPC ads (those are the paid ads that appear to the right and sometimes above the organic results), competition is high for that keyword or keywords.
You'll probably want to narrow down your niche even further, or find another niche to target. For example, if your niche is corporate fitness training but there's a lot of competition, brainstorm some other keywords to optimize your site for - maybe in-office corporate training, executive fitness training and corporate weight training.
The trick is to find the balance between low-competition keywords that have a decent search volume. If you're the only one using a specific keyword but nobody is searching for it, you're not going to get the results you want.
Once you have defined your business niche, you'll be able to market your products or services more effectively.
You'll know your focus, target market and competition, which will make differentiating your brand and defining your unique selling proposition (USP) much simpler.
A good brand strategy takes time, and ideally some professional help to ensure you've got everything you need for a clear, concise and compelling brand message.
Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.
If you are new to Social Media and online marketing or find it overwhelming and confusing, my monthly group coaching program, AMPLIFY! Business Academy http://amplifybusinessacademy.com/ is a perfect way for you to incrementally learn the best strategies and tactics to help you grow your business online.
Ability to send unlimited emails to unlimited subscribers for just one-time price
100% Secure system for all of your systems, subscribers, campaigns and funnels
Import Unlimited Subscribers Don’t Lose Even a Single Lead
Boost email delivery, click and open rate instantly
and 50+ Amazing features.... How Will We Handle Monthly Mail Sending Expenses When We Are Giving Unlimited Sending In One-Time Fee To Everyone?
xMails will on monthly recurring price ($97, $197 & $297 per month) after This Week.
Cost coming from 1000s of users who join us late after this week in a monthly plan
will help us in maintaining and growing xMails as Smartest Email Solution.
With autonars, you can have as many attendees as you want!
Not to mention the pre-recorded "smooth webinar" technology
ensures you have the highest conversions every time...
without EVER having to give a live webinar!
This means no unforeseen embarrassing technical issues,
and no problem profiting even if you have stage fright.
Autonars is the first software that puts your webinar profits
on autopilot with ease, while avoiding expensive monthly fees altogether.
When you get in on Autonars now, the software is yours FOREVER
without ever having to pay a monthly fee.
This means you won't be bleeding money and can
use the software for FREE whenever you like.
With these done for you webinars you can start building a list
and earning affiliate commissions right now, without having to do any work!
With autonars, you put all your presentations on autopilot
and don't even need to be there! This means you can
scale up your profits while doing literally none of the work
you had to before - let the software do it for you.
Many online businesses start out on a limited spending budget and think they can't manage to pay for advertising. The good news is that there are now many more options to start online advertising than even just a few years ago. Even better, there isn't a sharp learning curve to be able to use them and get a good return on your investment.
Paid ads do cost money, but they're scalable, so when you produce an effective ad, you can increase your spending to show your ads even more, for more traffic and profits.
PPC Networks
PPC stands for Pay Per Click. As the name implies, you only pay if someone clicks on your ad. There main two PPC networks. Google AdWords
This is the most well-known network. It shows ads on its own search engine results pages and on a range of other sites. Some of the sites are owned by ordinary people who want to make money from their website, so they join the Google AdSense program.The system is challenging to use, however. It's so full-featured, there are courses online to teach you how to use the system.
Bing
Bing, by Microsoft, amalgamated with Yahoo PPC ads a number of years ago in an attempt to compete with Google. Although you might not get as much traffic from Bing as you do from Google, the Bing ad program tends to be less expensive and simpler to use.
Social Media
There are a number of social media sites you can use for online advertising as. Their ad programs are highly targeted, and they're easier to use than Google. The ads are driven more by matching your ads with the interest people have stated or shown through their likes and content they engage with.
Facebook
Facebook ads offer some hard rivalry to Google AdWords because their online advertising rates are less expensive, the system is much easier to use, and the website traffic can be much more highly targeted. You can get the same amount of traffic for pennies on the dollar in comparison with Google once you learn their fairly straightforward system. You need to have a Facebook business page to run ads. And all your ads will have to have an image.
Ad Marketplaces
There are also ad areas like BuySellAds or Chitika where you can connect with various sites who take advertising. The objective here would be to find a substantial website that matches the niche or industry you are working in so you can get "qualified traffic," that is, people most likely to be interested in what you have to sell.
Facebook wants you to succeed using their advertising platform. This just makes sense. If you achieve your business goals while spending money on Facebook advertising, you're likely to use that marketing practice again in the future. To learn how to make your Facebook advertising successful and profitable, download my Free Checklist, Successful Facebook Ads at https://jonallo.com/FBads
As I begin the journey of finishing my working career I look back at messages I have received throughout my lifetime about money and the idea of saving money. Of course, as a young man I never gave much thought to saving. After all I was young and I had a lot of time to save.
It was a plan built on wishes and fantasies. A plan which gave me all sorts of money to party and put me on a path of self-destruction. While I had some amazing times, albeit a bit crazy, the memories have lasted me a lifetime. But those memories did nothing for me when I had an emergency.
It got to a point where I could justify not saving money. After all, with all the debts I had how could I possibly save a penny? The question should have been how could I not save a penny?
One of the easiest ways to save money and to also get a raise in pay is through your pension plan at work (401K). People don't do it because... well it goes back to my early beliefs that I was young and I'll worry about it tomorrow.
Let's look at a simple example of how this can help. This is just an example using simple financial amounts. During the month you make $1000. Let's say that 20% is taken for taxes. Your take home pay is $800. That is everything you make for the month, so saving money is impossible, right? I. Say. Wrong.
I'm still learning the UK pension plans, so I'll use the 401K models that I am used too. Let's say your employer will match your contributions up to 5%. So if you put in 2%, they will contribute 2%. If you put in 3%, they do 3% and so on up to 5%. So if you contribute to a 401K and only contribute 2% (in this example) you are losing money. You are losing 3% of the money your employer would contribute.
In the above example, based on a 100 hour work month, your hourly wage was $10. By contributing 2% to a 401K, which your employer matches your monthly wage grew by $20. An hourly increase of 20 cents. So the hourly wage grew to $10.20. But without taking advantage of the employers 5% maximum the employee is losing $30 a month and 30 cents an hour.
Yes, to get this increase you will have to give money from your check that you say you don't have. 401K contributions are taken into account before taxes. So if you take 5% from your monthly check of $1000, your taxable income is $950. Then the 20% taken from that amount leaves you with a take home check of $760. A loss of $40. But you are adding $50 to your account and your employer is adding another $50. So for the month you added $100 to your account, which only cost you $40.
These are simple figures but it is crazy not to use pension plans to your advantage. I have heard from people in the UK that plans are garbage. The only horrible plan is no plan. To take advantage of any plan, contribute at least the maximum that your employer will match and also look at your plan. Many plans offer different investments to grow your money. From simple safe plans like bonds and CD's to more risky investments from international funds.
Just don't view a plan as rubbish. Look at it, invest in it and make plans for your future.
Dave Harm is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for over 20 years. He is an NLP Master Practitioner, Hypnotist, and Life Coach. He is the author of three books and the creator of two musical CD's.
He shares his experience and journey on his website http://www.daveharm.com
That doesn't mean filling it with receipts for all the items you've bought with your credit card. It means, fill your purse with money. And the best way to do that is to spend less than you earn. This cure follows from the first law of gold that we looked at last week: aim to save 10% of your income. Minimum. Save more than that if you can. Save for the long term, for your mortgage deposit or pension, depending on where you are in life. If you need to save for short to medium term things, such as a holiday or car, that should be in addition to and separate from the 10%+ that you save for your long-term needs.
Your 10% can include your pension contributions, ISAs, premium bonds or any kind of high interest/restricted access savings account. With compound interest, your purse will get very plump over the coming months and years, even if interest rates remain low.
2. Control your expenditure.
If you're going to save at least 10% of your income for the long-term, you must make sure that your current spending is no more than 90% of your income. This means wherever you are on the income scale, you'll need to apply some self-discipline when it comes to treating yourself and your loved ones.
For a start, keep your credit card(s) for emergency use only, and if you do use them, pay them off before you start racking up interest. Similarly, avoid taking out loans, unless you can justify the interest you'll end up paying for that privilege. A car acquired on one of the popular leasing schemes can be justified if it's essential for your work or business. But a loan for a holiday? Staycation would be a better choice. Learn to distinguish between wants and needs. A roof over your head and food on the table are needs; a month in the Maldives is a desire. Treat yourself to that when you have saved 10% of your income for a year or two and you can afford to fly off to paradise without dipping into those savings.
The secret to controlling your expenditure is to build a budget and then stick to it. If you have Microsoft Excel you can download a template to help you track your spending over a week or month. You can also find ready-made templates on the internet or apps for your phone. Work out how much you spend on mortgage, rent, travel to work etc. and set yourself limits on items such as eating out, entertainment, travel etc. This will help you keep below 90% of your income.
3. Make your money multiply.
You are looking for steady returns over the long-term, not a lottery win. What you need is a steady increase in your capital, your core wealth, such as compound interest from an ISA or savings account, or - more risky - dividends from shares you hold in well-managed companies, including your employer, if they have an employee share ownership scheme. If you are not an expert in financial products and investment vehicles, find someone who is. Don't make any commitments until you talk to a professional financial adviser. Explain what your investment goals are and ask them to help you develop a plan for realising achieving them.
4. Guard yourself from loss.
The sickening nightmare of seeing your dreams of wealth turn to dust as Bitcoin plummets or the bloke you met in the pub the other night disappears with your life savings. One way to guard against loss is to make it an unbreakable rule that you do not touch that core wealth that you are saving and investing for the long-term. Keep a ring of steel around that! If you are tempted to try your luck with Bitcoin or currency trading, only use money that you can afford to lose. That means any money that you have left over after you have saved your 10%, paid the bills and filled your belly. Money that you might otherwise spend on nights out can be handed over to the online bookies, if you can budget for it - see the second cure above. Never use a credit card or a loan for spread betting, gambling or any high risk investments. Before you engage in any high risk investing or betting, though, make sure you have thoroughly researched the field and that you understand what you're getting into. If online poker is your dream, practice with your mates for match sticks first.
5. Make your home a profitable investment.
Owning your own home (and ideally a few buy to let properties) has become an obsession over the last thirty or forty years. Given the way property prices have ballooned over that time, it makes perfect sense to get on the property ladder as soon as you can, particularly when house prices are increasing at a much faster rate than incomes.
However, be aware that at some point the bubble may burst. Yes, people have been saying that for years and it hasn't happened yet. But it is becoming increasingly likely that the authorities will take steps to let some of the air out of the property market. Potential measures include revaluing property tax bands and punitive taxes on buy to let properties and properties left empty. A major increase in house building is unlikely to have much impact on house prices by itself, but when combined with the potential tax changes, we could see prices reach a plateau and stay there for some time.
Given all that, the best approach is to find an affordable house or flat in an area where you would like to live for the foreseeable future, bearing in mind such things as local amenities, schools and the journey to work. Think also of the benefits of paying a mortgage and gradually acquiring total ownership (leasehold and freehold issues aside) of your home over 25 or 30 years, compared with being beholden to a landlord who can raise the rent or evict you at a month's notice, and who will still own the roof over your head despite all the £000s you put in his or her pocket.
If you can't afford to buy outright in the area where you want to live or work, consider such options as shared ownership and self-build. Check out what schemes are available in the area where you want to live.
If you already own your own home you can use it to generate extra income by taking in a lodger. If you live in a major city, a good source of lodgers is contractors - professional people working on a project local to you who need a place to stay for a few months and don't want to use hotels. Often they will go home for the weekend so you have the place to yourself. Another option is to take in exchange students. They will usually come in for a week or two. You provide them with a bed, breakfast, a packed lunch and an evening meal, and get paid for doing so. Another option is to use your home for holiday lets while you're on holiday yourself. This works particularly well if you live in a major city or a historic town.
Even if you rent, take a lodger (if your landlord will allow this) or run a home business (see below). You can still make your home a source of extra income, even if you don't own it.
Two other things to consider. First, home and contents insurance. Make sure you have adequate cover for the worst that can happen: fire, flood, burglary. Second, if you have a mortgage, look at insuring it against unemployment and illness. Take advice and make sure that any policies you take out are fit for purpose and will pay out if the worst happens.
6. Develop a future income.
Who wouldn't want to wake up in the morning knowing that whatever happens, they are assured of a steady income for eternity? Well, you can achieve this through your long-term savings, that 10%+ that you put by month after month, year after year.
When you talk to your financial adviser (as you must!) about your saving and investment goals, the first two issues you should focus on are a pension for you (and your partner, if you have one) and providing for your family when you're no longer around, i.e. life insurance. Your financial adviser should also point you to other investments that can deliver additional income for you and your family, such as ISAs, unit trusts and government bonds.
Your aim is to ensure an adequate income for a long old age. Remember, people are living longer, but not always healthier. It's not pleasant, I know, but think about the worst that can happen to you (short of an early death). You or your partner become chronically ill or disabled and need long-term care. How will you fund that? If you sell your home what will you leave to your children. This is the kind of issue you need to discuss with a financial adviser. You need a pension, plus other income streams, that will pay for all your needs for perhaps thirty or forty years after you stop working. Develop a plan, implement it, then get on with enjoying life.
7. Increase your ability to earn.
There is no such thing as a job for life anymore. These days, even professional occupations such as lawyer, accountant and insurance underwriter are threatened with automation and off-shoring. So, it makes sense to develop additional skills that you can make use of if you find yourself out of work.
If you think you're at risk of being replaced by a robot, you should look very carefully at "future-proofing" your career. Think about jobs that are unlikely to be automated or off-shored in the future. They tend to be ones that involve face to face contact e.g. complementary therapies, nail technician hair stylist, personal trainer, life coach, counsellor. Also, jobs where a local presence is essential: electrician, plumber, lock-smith, builder.
Of course, many of these jobs are relatively low-paid and are in highly competitive sectors. That means you need to find a unique selling point: something you do that no one else does, or no one else does as well as you. Focus on something you are genuinely interested in - or better still, passionate about - and that you know you can be brilliant at. Be realistic about the potential income, the competition and the time and energy needed to make it work. Unless you already have experience in your chosen field, you will need to devote a lot of time, and perhaps money, to acquiring the necessary skills and certifications. You will also need to decide how you will operate: sole trader, limited company, franchise? Take advice before committing yourself to anything.
A popular option for generating extra income is online selling. Even if you're in full time work and happy with your income, you can try it in your spare time and get a feel for what's involved. A regular declutter will reveal all sorts of things you can sell: clothes, DVDs, mobile phones, unwanted presents. If you enjoy online selling, you could develop a successful business without risking your core capital.
Apply the Seven Cures diligently and you will place yourself firmly on the road to greater wealth and peace of mind.
3 Steps to Help You Create This Essential Part of Your Business Brand Identity
Creating your brand identity involves many different facets including the logo, taglines, website colours and brand voice.
Every brand has a voice. Your brand is unique, so your brand voice should be too. Your branding voice is the constant personality you use when communicating your message to the world.
From digital advertisements to social media posts to product packaging, it's important to have one consistent and unique branding voice across all your marketing materials. Otherwise, you'll end up with a muddled message that won't resonate with your customers on any level.
Here are some brand voice examples from well-known brands:
• Quirky, casual and fun.
• Friendly, optimistic and joyful.
• Inspiring, powerful and positive.
• Helpful, encouraging and funny.
No matter what you're selling, you need to create an engaging branding voice that's authentic to your values.
Here are 3 ways to make defining your marketing easier:
1. Make your brand voice relevant.
Think about who uses your product or service. You want to define your efforts to speak to your target audience and create an emotional connection to what you're offering.
If your audience is millennials who love yoga, your voice is going to be different than if you're targeting 40+ women shopping for clothing.
Some good questions to ask are:
1. How do your customers (or how do you want them to) define your brand identity?
2. What's the greatest benefit your product or service provides to people?
3. How do you want people using your product or service to feel?
4. How does your product or service stand out from the competition?
Once you've answered questions like these, you can...
2. Start with three words.
What three words do you want to reflect the personality of your brand? Three is the number commonly used by organizations to define this voice. Choosing more will just duplicate what you already have or water down your core characteristics.
Here are some examples of words to describe brand voice:
• Enthusiastic
• Confident
• Helpful
• Innovative
• Inspiring
• Fun
• Authoritative
Next, choose limitations for each word. For example, confident but not cocky. Funny but not silly. This will help you further define your brand identity and write targeted brand copy (or give your writers a guide when they're writing your copy).
3. Implement your brand voice everywhere.
If you're going to keep your brand consistent, you need to ensure every piece of writing reflects your brand's personality.
This means looking at your website, emails, social media accounts, and print materials such as business cards. You may have to rewrite older copy to reflect your voice or create totally new content, but don't skip this important detail.
Imagine getting an email with no defined plan or a totally different brand voice than the one you get on a company's website - it's jarring, confusing and doesn't evoke a feeling of trust.
These three steps will help you define your business as part of your bigger brand identity. Once you've defined your brand's identity, you can start speaking to your customers in an authentic and compelling way.
Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.
If you are new to Social Media and online marketing or find it overwhelming and confusing, my monthly group coaching program, AMPLIFY! Business Academy http://amplifybusinessacademy.com/ is a perfect way for you to incrementally learn the best strategies and tactics to help you grow your business online.
