Branding & Beyond

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Can’t wait to see what the coming year holds.

May it be filled with new adventures and opportunities...

You have 15 seconds to grab a visitor’s interest on your website.

Yep, you read that right – 15 seconds.

Learn 7 reasons why people are bouncing...

https://brandingbeyond.com/website-design/why-people-leave-your-website/

The 7 Reasons Why People Leave Your Website | Branding & Beyond You have 15 seconds to grab a visitor's interest on your website. Here are the 7 most common website mistakes that make visitors leave your website

Before they know it, it’s been 4 or 5 years since their website and marketing materials were updated.

Unfortunately, your potential clients can see and feel this as soon as they visit your website, and this makes it look like you just don’t care that much. Think about it: how many solid sales leads go cold after they research you online?

Your Biz/Dev team are working their butts off trying to make connections and close deals, only to be undermined by the outdated website…they deserve better.

Your firm deserves better.

You deserve better.

What impression does a prospect get when they visit your site to check you out? Is it the impression you want to project?

What can you do to improve a potential client’s perception of who you are and why they should contact you?

Here’s our guide to common website mistakes that makes it look like you simply don’t care:

1. Confusing navigation
2. Hidden information
3. No clear message
4. Out of date info
5. Links that don't work
6. Out of date technology
7. Blurry photographs
8. Spelling errors

Show prospects you care! Think about and review all of the ways prospects and customers interact with your company.

Are you pumping your hard-earned cash into digital marketing but not seeing your bottom line increase?

If so, you might want to read this article...

Random marketing tactics won't solve your problems | Branding & Beyond Here’s the deal, marketing gets you awareness, if you're not seeing a good return on your marketing efforts, you need to ask yourself why - the answer may be a misaligned brand.

Stop offering to provide services on the edge of what you do.

Focus on what you do best.

The worst thing a company can be is a generalist.

Do you want to be profitable?

Do you want your name to be memorable?

Then read on...

7 Branding Truths To Save Your Business | Branding & Beyond Ok, that's a sensationalist title, but these 7 branding truths are what you need to hear today to help get your company out of that funk & into the green

Marketing and branding go hand in hand.

Marketing is paying for attention.

What happens once you've gotten their attention?

Are you bland and boring?

P**F, there goes that attention you paid for.

Get your brand strategy (your who, what, where and why) solid, then craft your core messaging BEFORE you pay for attention.

Marketing channels are where you spend a lot of time and money, but the key to multiplying your return doesn’t come from adjusting tactics and tweaking campaigns.

It comes from spending time getting your brand strategy and core messaging correct, way before you spend a dime on marketing.

Have you put your website on the back burner?

If so, find out why that's not such a great idea.

https://brandingbeyond.com/brand-foundation/common-website-mistakes/

Common website mistakes that Google hates Does your website let your company's image down? Do online visitors give you the cold shoulder? Here's our guide to common website mistakes that makes it look like your company doesn't care.

Do you know what your ideal client looks like?

Do you have that persona mapped out?

Have you written down what your firm is for and against?

What is acceptable and what is not? Have you identified your company’s core values?

If not, it is really easy for ill-fitting clients to find their way into your corporate house to wreak havoc.

Find out how to know when it's time to tell a troublesome client goodbye

How to Fire a Client Who is a Wrong-fit for Your Company Sometimes it is necessary to say good-bye to a client who is not a fit for your company. This is usually best for all - learn how to fire a client gracefully.

While working hard and keeping your head down is admirable, your business needs you to work on it – not just in it.

If you don’t, your reputation only stands with your current clientele – and once they leave, you’re left with basically no name for your business.

That’s when you become JUST ANOTHER VENDOR.

BUT WAIT! There is hope! Find out how in this article...

https://brandingbeyond.com/brand-foundation/avoid-becoming-an-accidental-commodity/

How To Escape The Race To The Bottom (Accidental Commodity) Feel like you're competing on price alone? Avoid becoming an accidental commodity, by shifting the power with prospects-positioning your brand in the right way.

Are you ignoring the big red flags of working with a client that is not a good fit?

Protect Yourself From Bad Clients - Work On Your Brand We've all been there - someone hands you a check & turns into a nightmare. Here's how to protect your culture, work on your brand and deal with out of control clients

I want to chat about something that happens way too often to good companies that can end up destroying their business...

Brand devolution, accidental commodities… what the hell are we even talking about?!

Just curious, how many have heard either term before?

I get it. You created it. You love it. You staffed it. You grew it. You love your baby. You love what you do. Do other people care? Probably not.

They don’t care about what you’re saying, they care about what you can do for them.

Read on to learn why nobody cares about your baby and 6 other branding truths.

7 Branding Truths To Save Your Business | Branding & Beyond Ok, that's a sensationalist title, but these 7 branding truths are what you need to hear today to help get your company out of that funk & into the green

Here's 5 red flags to look out for so you don't end up with ill-fitting clients.

How to Fire a Client Who is a Wrong-fit for Your Company Sometimes it is necessary to say good-bye to a client who is not a fit for your company. This is usually best for all - learn how to fire a client gracefully.

What does Yoda have to do with protecting your ass(ets)?

Read on to find out!

Protect Yourself From Bad Clients - Work On Your Brand We've all been there - someone hands you a check & turns into a nightmare. Here's how to protect your culture, work on your brand and deal with out of control clients

Repeat after me... "I am not for everyone. I did not build this business for the masses. I built it for a certain segment of the market. My job is to be true to my mission, not water my business down and say no to those I am not built to serve. My job is to go find the right segment of the market and let them know THIS is for them."

It is not rude to say or think, "I am build for these people and not those people". It's how you focus your time, money and effort. It is an expensive trap to try to be for everyone.

Walmart was not built for everyone. Harley Davidson was not built for everyone.

Focus on who you built your business to serve. Sometimes it takes getting real with yourself that your alignment is off and you need to pivot to a new group that is a better fit. Or admitting that you've never had an answer to who the right audience is.

Brand management is essential.

The expectation you set (brand promise) needs to authentic and align with the customer’s actual experience.

Have you ever had a really crappy experience with a big brand business?

Do share below 👇

Look here's some hard truth: No one cares about your baby. People view your company in the same light.

They don’t care about what you’re saying, they care about what you can do for them.

Read on to learn more branding truths that will help steer you in the right direction.

https://brandingbeyond.com/beyond-the-bs/7-branding-truths/

7 Branding Truths To Save Your Business | Branding & Beyond Ok, that's a sensationalist title, but these 7 branding truths are what you need to hear today to help get your company out of that funk & into the green

You are either a commodity that blends in and competes on price and are easily replaced or you are differentiated.

The more differentiated you are, the less interchangeable and replaceable you are.

It becomes much harder to find a substitute at a lower cost.

When your value is clear competitors melt away.

Do you feel like your prospects just don't get you?

Do they not see the value your company provides, no matter how many times you say it?

If they did, they would be beating down your door to hire you – but they aren’t.

Is your message wrong?

Don’t worry. You're not alone.

This is a problem every business has to deal with – not just in the commercial construction industry, but in every industry around the world.

Communicating what you do and why it matters to prospects, in a way that matters to them, should be simple.

So why is it difficult to actually do?

I share why here:

https://branding-beyond.com/marketing/how-to-speak-to-customers/

Wrong message alignment confusing your prospects? Having trouble connecting with your prospects? Wrong message, right audience? Here's how to find the right message for the right audience.

Branding and marketing aren’t just about sexy content and viral posts. At the heart of both is the need to connect with the people you’re meant to serve.
A huge part of connecting with your ideal customers is:

1 – Knowing who they are
2 – Understanding what speaks to them, what they’re looking for, and how you fulfill their needs

To do this, you’re going to need to build customer personas.

What is a customer persona, you ask? Sometimes they’re known as user personas, but the end result is still the same. It’s a fictional person that represents your target audience. It embodies the characteristics, interests, and goals of your ideal client.

You give them a name, a background, and understand all their pain points and life goals.

Customer personas help you reframe your messaging and marketing to the customers’ perspective – connecting with them on a deeper level and turning them into paying, repeat clients as a result.

Sounds amazing? It is.

How do you create a customer persona? Check out these five steps to create your customer personas and get better results from your marketing efforts.

https://brandingbeyond.com/business-strategy/how-to-create-a-customer-persona/

How to Create a Customer Persona | Branding & Beyond Customer personas are a vital part of any brand strategy. Learn how to create a unique customer persona for your company by checking out these 5 steps today.

Amen and Hallelujah!

Figure out who you are for and market to them. Never ever water your message down to appeal to the wrong market.

Luxury brands know this well.

"But I'm not a luxury brand..." you may say. If water can be branded and charge a premium, so can you.

Water! Think about it.

Why are you blending in when you know you're a badass?

You know your company does amazing work. So why aren’t you dominating your market with amazing sales figures?

You have great referrals and repeat customers but new prospects aren’t knocking on your door. But are you stuck in the low bid nightmare of RFPs? Do you struggle to attract new employees? But, deep down you know you're a badass firm!

You might have branding issues.

https://brandingbeyond.com/brand-foundation/branding-issues/

Why Are You Blending In When You're A Badass? | Branding & Beyond You know your company does amazing work. So why aren’t you dominating your market and slaying your sales goals? Learn how to identify your branding issues, stop blending in and start standing out!

Boundaries keep you loving your clients.

I want to shout this from the rooftops.

Boundaries keep you from losing your give-a-damn

Read my blog post.... for more on protecting your (ass)ets.

Here's 7 universal branding truths that will help steer you in the right direction...

7 Branding Truths To Save Your Business | Branding & Beyond Ok, that's a sensationalist title, but these 7 branding truths are what you need to hear today to help get your company out of that funk & into the green

You have insurance for the hard assets, but are you protecting your soft assets?

Your employees, your loyal client base, your family and most importantly your personal give-a-damn.

You may be asking: But how can investing in my brand protect all of these people?

Before we get to that, let me tell you a story about NOT investing in your brand.

Protect Yourself From Bad Clients - Work On Your Brand We've all been there - someone hands you a check & turns into a nightmare. Here's how to protect your culture, work on your brand and deal with out of control clients

The terms brand, branding and rebranding are thrown around a lot these days and the concepts can be a bit overwhelming and confusing.

If you are feeling this, you’re not alone! Get the facts you actually need in this article.

https://brandingbeyond.com/brand-foundation/what-is-a-rebrand/

What is a rebrand. When and why you should rebrand your company Define rebranding. This article sheds some light on when, why and what is a rebrand. Bring clarity, consistency, and credibility to your company.

Every opportunity comes with a cost.

Some opportunities cost too damned much by taking an unacceptable toll on your staff morale and your profit margin.

One bad-fit client can damage your culture.

A series of bad-fit clients can make your team feel unprotected – they have to manage the projects of disrespectful and demanding clients.

Stress rises and everyone feels it… your best clients also feel it, your family feels it and your bottom line feels it.

Read on to learn some red flags to look out for...

https://brandingbeyond.com/business-strategy/how-to-fire-a-client/

How to Fire a Client Who is a Wrong-fit for Your Company Sometimes it is necessary to say good-bye to a client who is not a fit for your company. This is usually best for all - learn how to fire a client gracefully.

Brands are built in two ways, by what you tell people and by what they experience.

Both are critical. But you can take an intentional role in shaping how you are known and remembered. Don't make people work so hard. Let them know clearly who you are for and what you do.

They can then file you away in their memory.

If you don't strategically shape your brand message, who will?

You don't want to know the answer to that.

Your website has two main audiences, search engines and your target market(s).

When it comes to writing and building a website, you need to tick some really basic checkpoints if you want Google to know you exist, let alone outrank your competitors.

So, without further ado, here's our guide to the basics of search engine optimization.

https://branding-beyond.com/website-design/website-invisible-to-google/

Got SEO issues? Is your website invisible to Google? Does it feel like your website is invisible to Google? Is your website not showing up, despite trying your best? You might have SEO issues.