Twitter will not triple your Web traffic overnight.

A press release will not get journalists banging down your door.

Harsh truths, I know, but ones you need to hear. The problem with small businesses and marketing is they want instant pudding. They want to see a spike in sales or Web traffic instantly, and that simply doesn’t happen unless you’re Old Spice. Freshly showered men aside, all your marketing efforts should lead to one thing: trust.

Why Trust Is Important

Is trust necessary? Not really. You could sell a thousand widgets to a thousand people and never see them again. Or you could work to build trust with these customers, and rely on them to become your brand evangelists, to let them tell others how great you are because you’re a trustworthy company. Let them blog, tweet and share their love on Facebook.

Trust keeps customers coming back. If what you sell costs a lot of money, it gives them the confidence to drop the $100, $1,000 or $10,000 on your product.

How to Build Trust

Every component of marketing is about trust-building, if done properly.

• Social Media. Face it: You probably haven’t bought much from brands on Twitter just because they’re there. If a brand you’re following is having a promotion, you might click the link and buy. But that’s promotion. Not marketing. So your role in social media is to use it as a channel to build trust. Create conversations, whether they’re related to your industry or not. Share relevant links, even if they’re not from your own blog. Interact. Give people a reason to seek your brand out on Facebook or Twitter. A great example of a brand that does this is Mabel’s Labels. Under @mabelhood, the brand shares bloggers’ links and rallies behind its supportive followers. They’ve created a community that translates into trust, and then into sales.
• Press Releases. Sometimes trust is just about being there consistently. Putting out a press release each month can go a long way to say, “Hey! We’re still here doing awesome things.” And while journalists may not be clamoring to publish your news, searching for keywords that lead them to one press release after another from your brand certainly shows that you’re consistent. And consistency is one of the cornerstones of a healthy relationship, is it not?
• Blogger Relations. If you’re smart enough to be working with bloggers to spread the word about your products, kudos. But how you work with them can have just as much impact on your brand as what they think of the product. First off, pay your bloggers. Their time is as valuable as yours. But be there for them too. Make sure they know you’re partners in the blogger outreach campaign you’re working on, and make sure to address any questions or concerns they have before they post. If you build that trust, they’ll go beyond the call of duty for the campaign and talk about your brand on all the social channels, resulting in bonus play for you.

Leap of the Week: Where to Go From Here

If I’ve put you into a tailspin, don’t worry. Keep doing what you’re doing in marketing, but shift your thinking.  Don’t focus on how many (or few) website visitors that last Facebook contest netted. Instead look at how you built the trust of hundreds of loyal fans. If they are engaged in what you’re doing, you’re successfully building that trust. Keep it up, and those relationships will come to fruition.

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Big thanks to Owen Clark from Byzhub.com for this great idea!

The next time you are with 4 people who you know and are close to, ask them for 6 minutes of their time. Prep them that you are going to tell them your 45 second infomercial about what you do and while you are talking you want them to think of 2 questions each.

As soon as you are done your 45 seconds, ask them one at a time what questions about your business they came up with in their heads. DO NOT answer these questions, instead write them down, get 2 questions from each person to total 8 questions.  You should actually be done in 3 minutes!

The answers to those questions are now your next 8 blog posts, do one blog post a week and now you have 2 months of content.

Keep your answer simple, because simple is hard enough, think of a catchy headline for your blog post and after you create your post, figure out six 140-character posts that you can schedule/publish daily on twitter at various times to drive traffic to your blog.

Do not sell, Add Value only.

Not only will you learn way more about your business in the next 2 months then you have in the last year, but you will also be positioning yourself as an expert too. Your daily social media activity is activity based, meaning, become a crack addict, social media is like grout, you can fit it into the cracks of your day.

Leap of the Week:

Thanks again Owen for reminding us that content can be simply created, and that the best lessons are learned by asking and listening!

Have fun with this one Leapers!

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Video is such a strong emotional connector. So strong, that it is capable of establishing brand awareness in ways no other communication tool can. Check out this video series for Honda as an example (http://dreams.honda.com/). Honda calls this a documentary series focusing on huge dreamers and how they make their big dreams happen.

Before this web series, you may have assumed Honda’s brand was all about reliable vehicles, built with exceptional quality. Reliability and quality are great brand identifiers for Honda, but Honda is also about dreaming huge dreams and they’ve done a lot of “Big Dream” research and technical work, well beyond the automobile. They wanted that part of who they are to be known across the world, so they made this series to help share this part of their brand.

This video series is a clear demonstration that Honda understands how to harness the power of online video to educate the public about its brand… If only that were true for every business! Many businesses, particularly small businesses, often don’t take the time to work on the content of their video, ensuring that it represents their business and its brand the way they want it to.  This is such a disastrous mistake, because just as quickly as video encourages an emotional loyalty to a brand, it can easily fall flat and miss the mark entirely.

When video is used wisely, it is the most powerful brand identifying tool out there. When used hastily and with little thought as to how you want the public to identify your brand, it can dry up your marketing budget with little to no results.

Leap of the Week: While making your own videos, keep this in mind… Whether the videos are homemade or professionally produced, it is essential that you always, ALWAYS keep your brand identity in the forefront of your mind while creating video content, because if you don’t, your videos might actually dilute your marketing efforts, and work against you in the end!

Have fun with your videos,

Danielle
The “Chick In Charge” at Velvet Pumpkin Productions

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Download your FREE copy of the best-selling e-book “The Next Big Thing: Top Trends From Today’s Leading Experts to Help You Dominate the New Economy” just for signing-up to the ever-growing online business resource site myleaptools.com! The first chapter is written by no other than LeapZone’s own Isabelle Mercier Turcotte and Margarita Romano! (A value of $19.95)

Your MyLeapTools.com membership instantly opens the doors to:

• Simple and effective tools, tips, templates and strategies that can be implemented easily and quickly.
• A valuable online business resource with a constantly growing collection and over 20 categories.
• Accessing a virtual coach, through informative and fun tutorials.
• Creating the momentum you need to perform like never before and leave your competition in the dust!
• Saving time and money, while turning your business into a well-oiled machine.

For only $9.97 per month you can get all of this and more…so sign-up today and get instant access!

Check out our FREE MyLeapTool™ samples to experience the kind of simple and effective resources you can implement easily and quickly when you become a member of this constantly growing collection of valuable business resources!

Join now and take advantage of all the useful resources just waiting for you to discover and benefit from. There are no set-up software requirements; everything is online, organized in easy-to-use categories, ready for you to select and download. It couldn’t be any easier!

So, what are you waiting for, become a member today!

Need more incentive?

No problem. Here is a special MyLeapTools™ VIP Discount Code especially for you: Enter TWOVIP in the coupon code area of the MyLeapTools™ Order Form to gain instant access and 2 FREE months on a yearly subscription. It’s ridiculous value we know…and we also know that you looove that!

Every entrepreneur wants to have their company’s brand “WELL KNOWN, TRUSTED & DESIRED” …but not all brands are worthy of that privilege.

What is branding? Well, let me start by clarifying what branding is not:

• Branding is NOT marketing and branding is NOT a logo either. A logo means absolutely NOTHING, unless of course, the company behind it does.

The truth is that successful branding is not represented by a cool logo, it’s much more than that. Successful branding is a combination of an authentic promise with a clear, aligned and consistent delivery. These elements are crucial because the promise and delivery are what build trust in your company and increase customer loyalty.

Here are 5 tips to help you move forward in building a successful brand:

1. BE CLEAR ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S PURPOSE.
A purpose is the big WHY behind the WHAT you and your company are truly meant to be doing and it’s what gets you and your team out of bed in the morning. Know and share that purpose and learn to “Stay On Purpose” with everyone you work with and everything you do. A brand is not a brand without a strong cause.

2. DEFINE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT.
Not all clients are ideal clients – far from it. Know who you truly want to work with and who you are best suited to help. Know what companies inspire you and why. The why is important as it is usually closely linked to fulfilling your purpose and aligning with your core values. (Core values are what you stand for, your decision makers).

TIP: Make a list of all the companies that you would LOVE to work with and simply ask all of your existing ideal clients for contacts or connections. You will be amazed as to how many of your existing clients are somehow connected with some of the companies on your wish list. Give it a try! If anything, it gives you the opportunity to stay connected with your clients.

3. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SELLING.
It is important to be very CLEAR (internally with your team and externally with your communication tools) on what you are selling. If you are not clear, how can you expect your prospects to be! For example; What does Nike sell? Before I answer this question, let me tell you what they don’t sell. They don’t sell sneakers, socks or sports apparel. Now, I can already hear you saying, “What? I’m wearing Nike sneakers right now!”

So…what does Nike sell?
Nike sells athleticism and victory.

If you watch any Nike commercial, you will find that they don’t talk about how long the laces last, how they manufacture the soles of their shoes, and they never mention the durability of the leather.

So what DO they do? They tap into the emotional connection with inner drive, our profound desire to push past our limits and achieve something great. What you will see in Nike commercials is a group of kids in the street playing ball with a stick for the love of the game; a basketball player hitting a three point shot on the buzzer to win the championship; or the look of determination on the early morning runner’s face as she blazes through her town.

The tangible product or service we all sell is the catalyst that addresses the deeper emotional need.

4. FIND YOUR NICHE.
Don’t try to be everything to all people. Be clear about what you are BEST AT SOLVING in this world and offer that to those who get it, need it and want it. The more you define and focus your brand on the one thing that you do better than anyone else, the more clients will recognize you and respect you for it, therefore contributing to building a stronger brand.

5. BUILD GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.
Margarita and I built our previous business’ reputation solely on great relationships and ideal referrals. I truly believe that if you take care of your clients, and understand and deliver on their needs, other great people and other great brands will want to be a part of that.

Building a successful brand is like building trust, it takes time and needs constant attention. All the little things add up, from how you answer the phone, to your post sale client care and everything in between. It is a mixture of attracting new ideal business, hiring the best people and delivering on your promise day in and day out.

And that is the simple truth about branding!

Leap of the Week:
Take a few minutes to think about what you are really selling, beyond your product or service. For example, a bookkeeper does not sell data entry, they sell peace of mind.  Chiropractors do not sell adjustments, they sell health and fluidity.  A bridal shop does not sell wedding dresses, it sells fairy tales. At LeapZone, we sell clarity, pivotal shifts and momentum.

What do you really sell? How is your product or service making life better?

HELPFUL TOOLS:

1. Brand Wheel (PDF download)
Click here for the Brand Wheel Simple Instructions

2. Character Scale (PDF download)
Click here for the Character Scale Simple Instructions

WANT MORE?

MyLeapTools.com
http://www.myleaptools.com/category/branding/

LeapTV.com
http://www.leaptv.com/

To learn more about how LeapZone Strategies can help you increase brand popularity and profitability through business and branding strategies, strategic planning, performance coaching and brand development, fill out our free Needs Assessment Questionnaire today!

Follow LeapZone on Twitter.

Scribble on our Wall

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1. The rule of One
A brand must always stand for one, clear idea.
Example: Volvo stands for “safety”, Coke stands for “happiness”.

2. The rule of Leadership
A brand sets or elevates the standard for an industry. Don’t be afraid to do things differently to shake up an entire industry.
Example: Provident Security – They have revolutionized the Security Industry with their promise of 5 minute response time when the industry norm is 1.5 hours.

3. The rule of Authenticity
A brand only becomes what everyone in the organization is willing and able to consistently commit to and deliver, day in and day out. What does that mean? Make sure that your tribe believes wholeheartedly in what you believe in.

4. The rule of Trust
A brand is the result of consistently delivering on your brand promise, rain or shine, to create trust and over time, a flock of raving loyal fans.

5. The rule of DNA
A brand is distinct from all others, and it wears its identity as a badge of honour.

6. The rule of LeapZone
A brand is unique, passionate and accountable.

Do you need help discovering or clarifying what your brand stands for? All you have to do is fill-out our FREE Online Needs Assessment to establish your needs and see if we are the right fit for you. Looking forward to reading you soon.

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