Are you a Brand or a Business?

Written by Brian's financial musings on August 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment

You are both. The problem is that you might not think of yourself as a “Brand”. You think brands are Apple, Facebook, Starbucks, McDonalds, etc. Wikipedia says a brand is a…

“Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”

I underline the word “distinct” because I believe that’s the key to a good brand. So what’s distinct about you? Are you the BEST bookkeeper on the north side of Atlanta? The small business EXPERT in the western suburbs of Chicago? The LEADING firm for Accounting and Cloud Computing in Las Vegas? If you haven’t thought about this, or haven’t thought about this recently, you should. In this Social Media age, you need to establish yourself as something. Give your clients and prospects a way to distinguish you from all others that may offer a similar (but lesser) service.

Your website, newsletter, Social Media and Blog have a lot to do with your brand. These outlets can establish you as a thought leader. They give you the opportunity to make your case. Your well established brand will work to remind your clients of what you do and why they chose you. It also goes a long way to turn potential new clients into new clients.

A few steps to Establishing your Brand:

1. One Sentence. Boil down what you do best into one sentence. A sentence that accurately describes WHAT you do and WHY clients choose you. If I didn’t know you from Adam (or Eve), would that one sentence tell me what I need to know?
   
2. Logo. Do you have a logo that represents what you do? It’s never been easier to get a quality logo created… or updated. Choose a local artist, or use one of the many reputable online logo services. It may cost a few hundred dollars, but it’s worth it.
   
3. Website Re-write. Do the words on your website convey your brand? When was the last time you changed the content on your website? If you roll your eyes upward to think about your answer, it’s probably been too long. You get a double win here: A re-write of your website content to push your brand pulls all the above elements together. PLUS, this re-write will generate attention from the search engines to re-index your website. Your organic results in the right categories will be better. Win-win.
   
4. Newsletters/Social Media. Use newsletters consistently. Get them out regularly, post them to your Social Media outlets and post the archives on your site.

If you need help in any of the above areas, contact us. We can help. We can answer questions based on our experience and refer you to professionals that will fill in the blanks of your knowledge.
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