Your Online Identity
It never ceases to amaze me how we become identified by certain pictures we post. For some people, their avatar becomes their "brand" of sorts. You will see the same avatar used on any number of social networking and shopping sites. You always recognize them. When you see they have left a comment in your guest book, you immediately know who it is without having to look them up.
For others of us, we are identified by the first picture we post or the one that has grabbed the readers attention. They will always remember you by this picture.
Either way, you are remembered by what you allow the world to see. Remember this when choosing your "brand" the first time.
For others of us, we are identified by the first picture we post or the one that has grabbed the readers attention. They will always remember you by this picture.
Either way, you are remembered by what you allow the world to see. Remember this when choosing your "brand" the first time.
Your Personal Brand
Let's think about this for a moment. Everyone wants to have their own personal brand if they want to do any kind of business either on the internet, in mail order, or in a store front shop.What are you trying to sell? Information or products? Do you have a niche? Niche marketing has always been a huge business. Look at La-Z-Boy for instance. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Most people just brought up a picture of a recliner and many included the "feeling" of comfort in that image. It's an unmistakable brand. Is yours?
It takes commitment to your niche market to eventually gain that kind of brand recognition.
Most smaller companies have a niche. Consider restaurants. I have not seen one yet that I couldn't comfortably place in a niche in my mind. Whether it's fast food, home cooking, barbecue, seafood, diner, coffee house, steak house, they all have a niche. Small business or big business they all started that way. What does the name Folger's conjure up your mind? See?
PotPieGirl has made her own personal brand a huge success and is now teaching her secrets!
What Is Niche Marketing?
Well, what is a niche? A niche is a focused area. Like a small corner of a room where you place your collectibles or a small corner of the internet where you sell your collectibles.A niche market is a small, focused market, such as Pink Tool Kits For Women or Unique Toilet Seats For Your Home. It might even be gift baskets in flower pots! Those are very focused niche items.
If you find a niche that is not saturated and has any potential, you can really do well. Don't just think up anything and try to start selling it. Do the research!
Once you have decided on your niche and your demographic, begin working toward creating your "brand".
The Experiment
Like many entrepreneurs these days, I use Twitter as one of my marketing tools. I have always used a real picture of me for my profile. I felt it gave people a sense of me being a real person and would build trust.A few weeks ago, I changed my profile picture to one of the cutesy cartoon avatars, but only for Twitter. The strangest thing happened. People no longer re-tweeted my messages and most didn't even respond, even my actual friends.
The lesson learned here was that unless people recognize you, they won't trust you. You have to build trust between you and your audience.
Interesting, isn't it? You are not really known online by your name, unless you have chosen a name that is just too hard to forget, may be outstanding or obnoxious in some way, OR you are branded by the name and not the avatar.
Branding by name usually only happens over time. For instance, Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade and any other number of household names will always be recognized even if they change their logo a bit through the years.
You, however, being a single person or small business will rarely, if ever, have this luxury.
Are You "Branded"?
Here you will find some phenomenal books on creating and maintaining your brand. Whether you plan to sell online or get people to your brick and mortar store, this is where you will learn to advertise and get your brand noticed.
Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands
Amazon Price: (as of 12/24/2009) 
List Price: $45.00
Branding For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 12/24/2009)
List Price: $21.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Accidental Branding: How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/24/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Identity Crisis?
So why the picture of the dog? Most people who have been to my lenses in the past know Shadow. She is my d-o-g, or I am her human. Whichever way works best for you, works fine for me too.I began to be identified by her picture when I published my Book of Shadow lens for a RocketMoms assignment.
So now, sometimes when I post other places, people will say "Oh! You're that girl with the wolf-dog!" or "You're Shadow's mommy!" Yes, I am both. I have a picture too. Look in the upper right corner. Yep, that's me!
Shadow even has her own Zazzle store. She hasn't created many items yet but here are a few.
What Is Your Passion?
Everyone has something they care deeply about. Whether it is a cause such as child abuse, breast cancer, animal welfare or it is collectibles, writing, computers, or art of some sort, everyone has something.It has been my experience that the things I care most deeply about are the things that I can create or find a niche for and market exceedingly well.
Find your passion. No matter how juvenile, romantic, silly or serious it may be, there is someone out there who wants it. You may even have an invention you are passionate about that will help others .
What if Bill Gates (Microsoft) or Steve Jobs (Apple or MAC as it's commonly referred to) had said "I'm not going to create and market software for home computers because hardly anyone has them"? They didn't RIDE the wave into the home computer and internet age. They CREATED it.
What if no one ever decided to explore our universe? Reach for the sky! It can be achieved!
Strategic Brand Management
Professor Kevin Lane Keller on brand value and marketing
Kevin Lane Keller, E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing at the Tuck School of Business, discusses the value of marketing in todays economy. Keller wants marketers to ask themselves what kind of value are they creating for consumers and how it compares to what competitors are doing.
Runtime: 144
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curated content from YouTube
Are You Really Serious About Your Brand?
Strategic Brand Management (3rd Edition)
Take a look at these reviews and who they are from:
"Keller understands that to successfully build a brand, you must reach consumers on their terms. Meaning, the consumer is boss." -- Jim Stengel, Global Marketing Officer for Procter & Gamble
"Kevin Keller gets branding! He provides an up to the minute and accessible guide to the cluttered world of branding." -- Allen Adamson, Managing Director Landor Associates
"Kevin Keller has become one of the world's most astute observers of brand dynamics." -- Scott Bedbury CEO of Brandstream Author of A New Brand World
"Kevin Keller's branding insights provide structure, and definition to an area, that until recently, was ruled by emotion and opinion." -- Joanne Bischmann Vice President Marketing, Harley-Davidson Motor Company
To have these giants saying great things about a product means it's serious!
Corporate Branding and the World
Lenses That Teach Branding
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What Branding Means To Me
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What exactly is branding? Well, a rancher takes a hot iron and sears the hide of every steak on hooves that he owns. Oh. I'm betting you didn't come here to read about that kind of branding did ya? You probably want to read about corporate branding o...
Have You Been Branded?
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Nov 18, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
- That's interesting--what happened when you changed your Twitter avatar. I find I do get more interaction when I use my real picture instead of my "ramkitten," come to think of it.
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- kimmanleyort kimmanleyort Nov 2, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
- I don't see how you can successfully create a brand without passion. Love the way you have linked brand-niche-passion. Adding to Finding Your Niche Lensography.
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Reply
- mukunda22 mukunda22 Sep 15, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
- To the point about branding and hopefully behind the brand is an authenic self!! That is what we must strive for.
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- sam3erry sam3erry Sep 2, 2009 @ 6:09 am
- Awesome lens,
very inspiring ;) 5*
(i have a cat called shadow, hahaha)
cheers
sam
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Aug 17, 2009 @ 5:19 pm
- Yep -- I have been branded JaguarJulie for over 12 years! I have or had a friend named John -- he is local to Jacksonville and used to work at FANG as the communications officer. He told me once that I need to commit myself er let me explain -- to show that I was committed to the work that I was doing, he said get your own website. Well, it kind of started there and then blossomed! Wow, how time flies when you are having fun.
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About 24Websurf
Lensmaster 24websurf has been a member since July 18 2008, has rated 1,877 lenses, favorited 872, and has created 79 lenses from scratch. Holley donates their royalties to Wild Animal Sanctuary and Epic Farms. This member's top-ranked page is "Self Worth and the Abused". See all my lenses
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