How Can You Brand Yourself?

 Big brands, we all recognise them immediately. What's the one with the curly letter "M" again?

How do you get to be as instantly recognised as those big brands though? Start somewhere. Jon Allo gives a run through some techniques to get you off the mark

Personal branding is important for any business owner or person who wants to promote their business, products or services. When the public views you as an expert, they are likely to trust you more and want to hear more about what you are saying about a variety of topics. They will buy from you more readily because they trust you as an expert.

Become an Author

Publishing a book as an author can open many doors, especially if the book is well received. Today it's easier than ever to add "author" to your list of accomplishments due to Kindle Direct Publishing. Don't allow anyone to tell you that it won't work and it's not a good way to become an expert. It does, and it is.

Become a Speaker

If you have a lot of knowledge about a particular topic, consider adding public speaking to your resume. Speaking to groups of people has long been established to advance expertise, and nothing has changed. After all, the audience members will automatically assume you know what you are talking about or you wouldn't be talking.

Create an eCourse

Teaching what you know to others is a clear sign that you've mastered something enough to demonstrate and teach it to others. You can put courses on your own website, deliver them through email, or put them on a third party site like Udemy.com.

Blog Regularly

Don't stop using your blog as a method to get your words out to your audience just because you move up in the world. Keep blogging at least weekly, but perhaps create longer content that is more authoritative in nature, providing a lot of in-depth information to your viewers.

Become a Regular Guest

You can be interviewed on radio, in print, and online by making yourself available. Contact your local press and let them know that if they do stories on your niche, you are available to speak to them. They are good people but busy, so they'll be more likely to use someone who's offered than to chase down those who haven't.

Start a Mastermind Group

A private mastermind group is a great way to establish and build your personal brand. You'll end up with a good solid fan base that knows your secrets and understands how you tick. They'll become promoters of your work, and in the process you'll earn some extra income.

Study Your Niche

Never stop studying. Time goes forward and things change. What was true just a month ago might not be true today. Don't be afraid to change your opinions and ideas based on the information you learn. To stay relevant in a niche you have to stay connected enough to understand what's new.

Branding is important for small business owners as well as large ones. If you have a limited budget, smart branding is perhaps the most inexpensive business tool you can create. To learn more about how to make you and your business stand out, download my free checklist, Branding For Small Businesses at https://jonallo.com/branding

About the author: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Allo/1079948

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10299463

Choosing an Affiliate Program

A popular choice in getting started for generating income online is through affiliate programs.

If you are looking for tips on what to consider when choosing one, then read on

By: Kevin Sinclair

What should you consider when choosing an affiliate program? You need to think about two key things: what business are you in and what can the affiliate program provide to your customers.

No matter what business you are in, the largest investment you make will be customer acquisition. If you have your own product, and have acquired a base of satisfied customers, then single product affiliate programs could work very well for you.

However, if your business is acquiring customers for other businesses, that is, purely affiliate programs, then a better choice for you could be affiliate programs with multiple products or services. This will help you to capitalise on your investment in customer acquisition.

The key to choosing successfully is to ensure that the affiliate program offers products that meet the needs of your potential customers. Coupled with this is the need for the products to be high quality and for the supplier to provide excellent customer service. Remember, your credibility is on the line every time you refer someone to buy through your affiliate relationship.

Some of the other factors I consider when evaluating affiliate programs include:

Is the affiliate program a reputable business? You can check out a business you are considering a relationship with in variety of ways. Talk to the Better Business Bureau in your local area or a similar body. In addition, I find web sites that monitor affiliate programs to be worth looking at. The best I have found is Associate Programs www.AssociatePrograms.com. Allan Gardyne pulls no punches and tells it as it is.

Does the program enable you to share in the lifetime value of the customer? Great programs will give you commissions on all future purchases of the customers you introduce. This is where the real profits are. These types of programs, in effect, allow you to partner with the supplier.

Does the program reward you for introducing other affiliates? This type of program is commonly referred to as a two-tier program. Often your customer may become an affiliate also and you will be rewarded for this.

Is the supplier interested in your success as an affiliate? The top affiliate programs engage in a process of coaching or information sharing to help you succeed. Affiliates are provided with regular newsletters outlining what is working for successful affiliates and providing updates and details on new products.

Is the commission reasonable? Commission rates on commodity products such as books and CDs are low. This is because there is very little margin in the products due to competition. Look for products that have a commission rate of 15% or more that are not commodities - that way you will be better able to recoup your customer acquisition investment.

Are statistics provided? The higher the level of statistics provided, the better off you are. This will enable you to measure the success of your marketing efforts and to determine the best places to invest your marketing dollars. Insufficient statistics is a sign that the affiliate program is not sufficiently interested in your success.

Are new products being developed regularly? To get the full value from lifetime commissions, new products need to be introduced on a regular basis. Without this, lifetime commissions can be worthless. Also, look for consistent high quality in new products introduced.

How frequently are commissions paid? The more frequently commissions are paid, the better off you are. Good quality affiliate programs will pay you monthly. In some situations, commissions are not paid until a certain level is reached. If the program you are considering has this requirement, check how many sales need to be made before the level is reached.

Have you read the affiliate agreement? This is a key area that you should look at. Some affiliate agreements are totally in favour of the supplier. Others are more balanced. Some agreements restrict your ability to promote similar products from other suppliers. Most agreements have anti-spam provisions. Look for agreements that are fair and that do not stack everything against you as the affiliate.

While there are other factors that can be considered when choosing an affiliate program, following the suggestions above will help you to make superior business choices that will lead to long-term success.

Author Bio

Article by Kevin Sinclair, CPA, of Personal & Business Success Resources. Visit his website at www.business.ksinclair.com.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Good management of customer interaction is crucial in building up relationships for sustained online sales. The question is how to best approach online interactions, especially in reviews.

I came across this study by Racheal Morrow, founded in cited references, that looks at this exact point. Considering the points Racheal Morrow makes, how do you handle public facing reviews?

Optimizing Online Review Management for eCommerce Brands

Racheal Morrow

Effectively handling both positive and negative reviews is an essential part of marketing and online reputation management for your eCommerce brand. As much as negative reviews can harm your brand’s reputation if left untouched, ignoring positive reviews is a missed opportunity for growth.

On the other hand, not responding to either type of comment can be more damaging to your brand reputation than the comments themselves. This is because avoidance comes off as insincere, leading existing consumers to feel as though they are not a priority and that you only care about making the sale. Meanwhile, potential customers may see avoidance as a red flag, even if your other marketing efforts have convinced them to really consider a purchase.

Furthermore, customer complaints aren’t bound to review platforms. Negative content can show up in your search results for all to see. As a result, conversion-ready customers could decide to buy from your competitors.

To avoid damaging the reputation of your brand amongst existing and potential customers, put a plan into place to regularly monitor any reviews or comments that are made about your brand across the internet. Below, we’ve compiled some useful tips to leverage review management and boost your brand image.

Understand how online reviews work

There are many platforms to consider when managing reviews. Some reviews are more formal, like a comment or star rating on Facebook, Google Reviews, or Yelp. Others can be left in a comment on Facebook or Instagram, and can even be via a tweet on Twitter.

Don’t forget to check your direct messages (DMs), too– it is still just as important to foster this channel of communication even if it isn’t public-facing. This one-on-one interaction not only encourages repeat purchases, but it also does wonders for attracting new customers in terms of word-of-mouth recognition. Outside of the large platforms mentioned above, do a Google search of your organization’s name and relative keywords to find other places that may be collecting reviews.

According to BrightLocal, the average consumer reads at least 10 reviews before feeling as though they are able to trust a business. But don’t panic if you have one or two negative reviews. Review profiles that are 100% positive can come off to potential customers as fabricated, and consequently, untrustworthy. Negative reviews are inevitable for every brand, so treat them as an opportunity to improve your business. Doing so shows potential customers that you’re listening and that you care about their experience with your brand.

Remember, not all negative reviews come from so-called internet trolls. So before you jump to conclusions, sort out the fakes from the legitimate complaints. Real customers tend to make a more compellingargument for their grievances with plenty of details. Fakes, on the other hand, are most often filled with general statements, like “the food was terrible,” or “the staff was rude.”

If you see that a complaint is rational, it's a chance not only to respond and turn this angry customer into a happy one but also to see what's going wrong in your business.

Long story short, negative yet rational feedback from customers helps you spot problems and fix them to prevent further complaints. It's an opportunity for you to grow. Doing so shows potential customers that you care about communication and are dedicated to ensuring the satisfaction of your customers.

Use reviews as an opportunity to communicate with customers

Ecommerce brands have many advantages over brick and mortar entities. For example, set up and maintenance is usually quicker and easier, overhead costs tend to be lower, and you have the potential for reaching a wider audience.

There are, however, a few drawbacks to operating your business solely online. For instance, customer communication can lose its personalization without face-to-face contact. At times, this can make it more difficult to leverage brand experience in hopes of developing customer loyalty, especially if their comments and messages go unnoticed.

Responding to comments and reviews in real-time helps to fill that void and build the lasting relationship every eCommerce brand strives for. When customers leave positive feedback, take the time to thank them so that they feel appreciated and connected with the brand. When customers leave negative feedback, be sincere in working with them to resolve their issues. Even though this interaction is happening behind screens, tried and true customer service best practices still come into play here:

• Listen first, then speak
• Make a customer feel as though they are right (even when they aren’t)
• How you say (or write) something is just as important as what is actually being said
• Follow up days later to ensure their issue has been resolved

It is equally as important to implement customer-first strategies in eCommerce as it is in a traditional storefront setting. Enhance customer personalization even further by investing in different customer service related tools like secure personalized payment forms and platforms that allow for the customization of eblasts and messaging.

Use reviews to improve your product, service, or processes

No one likes to receive a complaint, but oftentimes, they are necessary for growth. Customers can make valid observations and suggestions about your products, services, and processes that you may not have considered before. Pay close attention to these suggestions, especially if you find many customers are repeating the same thought points or suggestions.

Implementing customer-driven changes shows that you’re listening and that you genuinely care about their experience with your brand. If you do make a change to your business processes based on customer suggestions, be sure to communicate these changes across the board by highlighting them on your social media channels and within your marketing. This type of customer-firstmindset can help you improve your business across the board.

Use positive reviews as a marketing tool

Positive reviews can be a great marketing tool for your business. Show off kind words and testimonials from happy customers in your social media posts, eblasts, graphics, targeted ads, or promotional videos to increase your credibility with potential customers.

Using real testimonials from satisfied customers is an extremely effective way to convince potential buyers that your product and customer service can be trusted. Nielsonresearch suggests that “92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and 70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.” In other words, your company can sing it’s own praises until the cows come home, but advertising other’s praises of your company can be that extra nudge for potential customers who are currently sitting in the decision-making process.

How to generate more reviews

If you followed the first tip and searched your company’s name under all of the top review platforms, you may find that your current pool of reviews is rather sparse. Though you may feel a sense of relief that you have managed to go unscathed by negative comments, you will want to put a plan into place to start generating some reviews. Having no reviews can negatively impact your conversion rate, too.

Case in point– imagine that you’re looking at two similar properties on AirBnb for a future vacation. One with about 100 reviews– mostly positive with a couple of negative experiences mixed in. The other, slightly cheaper, but with no reviews at all. Which rental would you go with? It’s safe to say that most would choose the location that has reviews. Why? Despite having a handful of negative comments, the reviews provide a sense of security for the consumer. To choose the slightly cheaper option without reviews would feel like a risk since you aren’t provided with any validation of the services advertised.

It’s never too late to generate feedback! Start by offering incentives for customers who leave reviews– it could be something as simple as 10% off or free shipping on their next purchase. For a more direct approach, consider customizing your purchase confirmation emails. Here, you can thank them for their support and kindly ask for a review. Or, you could target returning customers with chat software encouraging reviews. Make it easy on them by including links to your major review platforms right in the prompt. Customers are more likely to leave a review when they don’t have to go too far out of their way.

Proper online review management should be an integral part of your eCommerce strategy. Even negative reviews are an avenue for growth! Managing feedback is an impactful way to create brand loyalty and keep existing customers coming back for future purchases.

Article Source: https://www.promotionworld.com/articles/ecommerce-sales/200619-optimizing-online-review-management-ecommerce-brands

The �� Hottest Digital Marketing Trends for 2020

How Online Communities Can Build Your Brand

Jon Allo

When you start thinking of your customers and potential customers as a community that you want to be involved with, a lot will change in terms of your branding efforts. Branding is all about what your customers (and people who aren't customers yet) think about you.

How does seeing your logo, your content, and your face make people feel? How do you want them to feel?

Building an active, purposeful community around your audience is a great way to build your brand even further than you may have thought possible. To do that, you can get started by setting up a Facebook group, a Ning.com community, a forum on Delphiforums.com or even start your own network via mightynetworks.com. It depends on what you want to accomplish.

One thing the customer expects today is personalized and customized experiences and right now, starting a Facebook group is an easy and effective way to deliver this to them.

Gives Your Audience Access to You

When you invite your customers into your community, giving them access to you, it will make them feel very special. They're going to love getting an inside look into your business as well as finding out early about new products or services that you're launching.

Builds an Emotional Connection with your Brand

When people get to talk to you and other customers or soon-to-be customers on a regular basis, they become emotionally connected to you and your brand. This means that probably they're going to buy almost everything you put out and promote you to their friends and family too.

Builds Brand Loyalty

Once they have access and a relationship has developed, and that emotional connection has formed, brand loyalty will be built. This means they're going to keep buying from you, tell people about you, and be part of your community for a long time.

Puts the Focus on Relationship Building

When you have a community and are communicating with them on a regular basis in this personal way, the focus ends up being on relationship building rather than sales. But, sales happen anyway, and it feels good and more natural.

When you put an online community on the front burner to help you get closer to your audience, build a connection with your audience, and build brand loyalty due to the relationships you're building, it will make all the difference in the world for your branding.

Facebook groups can generate leads, build your email list, give you access to more prospects and sell your products and services. But if you do it the wrong way it can lead to lasting damage to your reputation and brand. However doing it the right way ensures that you have the best possible chance for business success.

Original article by Jon Allo at https://ezinearticles.com/?How-Online-Communities-Can-Build-Your-Brand&id=10216402

7 Actionable Strategies For Greater Social Media Impact

Susan Regier

With the growing expanse of social options to create brand awareness, do you know where you should be hanging out?

It's impossible to be everywhere, so choose two or three platforms where your customers and prospects are hanging out and post, share, and comment regularly.

To get the most out of your efforts, here are my top 7 actionable strategies to ensure your brand is receiving optimal impact.

1. Include an Engaging LinkedIn Headline or Facebook Intro: Don't say you're "Self Employed" or a "Business Consultant." Instead, tell people exactly what you can do for them; for example, "Copywriter, Marketing Strategist & Brand Storyteller to Accelerate Your Sales & Profits."

2. Write a Compelling Summary or About Section: Answer the question, "what do you do?" As with all your marketing messages, write from your customer's point of view. So what challenges do you solve or solutions do you provide - meaning the outcomes that your customers receive when working with you?

3. Update Your Contact Info: Please, please, please include your phone number, your complete address if you're a storefront (link to Google Maps), and a link to your Website. I'm probably not the only one who has been on the road searching for a particular store and feeling frustrated as I scroll around trying to find an address or phone number. And similarly, I've arrived at closed stores, even though their hours are listed as being "OPEN." If you change your operating hours, change your Website and all social media listings!

4. Use Brand Images: When it comes to graphics, be sure to use a professional headshot and not a cute image of your dog. Seriously! This is your brand we're talking about. Include a branded cover photo or background image as well - don't leave the default blue background (LinkedIn) or blank space. This could be your first impression - make it a great one!

5. Customize Visual Content: Each social platform has its own design standards when it comes to graphic size, so be sure to size your graphics accordingly. I use Canva to create my graphics as they make it simple to resize an image for various platforms with a quick click of a button and a few minor design adjustments.

6. Share Your Videos: According to LinkedIn expert. Goldie Chan, videos get shared three times more than static images. Create short (one to two minutes or less) videos that clarify a point, teach a lesson, or offer a helpful tip. Add your logo and a call to action.

7. Create a Social Media Calendar: By creating a framework of posts, you can easily share content that resonates with your audience and promotes your brand effectively. Use an Excel spreadsheet or download a free template online to get started. List the products and services that you want to promote each week along with inspirations (Motivation Mondays or Fun Fridays), customer stories, blog posts, video tips, shared articles, etc. The list is endless. Creating a framework for each week or each month takes the headache out of deciding what to post each day and ensure you're not too salesy. These are "social" platforms, not a sales call.

Original article by Susan Regier at:
https://ezinearticles.com/?7-Actionable-Strategies-For-Greater-Social-Media-Impact&id=10247696

How I Built An eCommerce Business That Does $6,000/Day