Once a Day Marketing: February 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

7Cs of Successful Inbound Marketing©: Part 1

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are sharing the first of a two part blog around what I call the 7 Cs of Successful Inbound Marketing.

When you are launching or managing a social media campaign, it's important to ensure you address each of the 7Cs which include:

1. Commitment

2. Customers/Clients

3. Campaign

4. Content

5. Consistency

6. Capture

7. Cultivate

Commitment: You have to make a firm commitment to your effort to achieve success. Inbound marketing delivers results but it doesn't happen overnight. Benefits begin to accrue immediately but the tipping point will come later. This means that you have to be committed to allocating the appropriate time and/or financial resources.

Customers/Clients: The great thing about inbound marketing is that you can target existing & potential customers, niche markets or even capture the interest of individuals who were never on your radar. Determine who you want to follow your content and messaging, this list of candidates will help shape your inbound marketing campaign.

Campaign: Determining target customers will enable you to develop an inbound marketing campaign and identify which social media platforms to leverage for sharing content. Chose from Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc. To be successful you don't have to utilize all of channels. Your campaign should use social media avenues that best reach your targets.

Content: Content is king in the social media environment and it is imperative that content be relevant so it will resonate with your audience. Creating and posting meaningless content is a waste of time, creates clutter, and will be quickly "unfollowed" by your followers. Appealing content consisting of videos, photos, blogs, text messaging, etc., will be followed, shared, liked, re-tweeted, commented on, and easily discovered through search engines.

Once a Day Marketing™ inspires clients to brand bold. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Branding a Honky-Tonk Americana Band (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Honky-Tonk Americana Band Half Broke Horses

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed branding and marketing of a Santa Fe band.

Joining us on the show was Tasha Curtis, Singer and Manager of the honky-tonk / Americana band Half Broke Horses. Their country music audience enjoys songs ranging from western danceable to story-telling and ballads.

Glover shared that whether or not they are aware of it, Half Broke Horses is branding all the time and it is up to them to take charge of the message customers hear about them. He also thought it would be fun to create persona for each band member and fans would follow their favorite.

As performers, Half Broke Horses has two customers; agents that book them and their fans/followers. To engage their audience, Half Broke Horses has a Facebook page and is continuously learning new songs that will resonate with their fans. To further engage listeners, Glover thought it would be fun to put song lyrics on tables for the crowd to sing along with the band.

Another element of Tasha’s brand is a mason jar. She sips water from the jar when she is on stage because it aligns well with the Americana theme. As a list building technique, Glover suggested that the band could give away a mason jar at every performance.

Half Broke Horses branding challenges include a variety of responses to their songs. When a booking manager is not pleased with a particular set of lyrics it is difficult to overcome that bias and obtain future bookings. Those Branding Guys suggested letting the agent know that the Band has grown and made adjustments as a result of this experience. Setting expectation prior to a performance is a great idea as well.

Enjoy the show.

Monday, February 22, 2016

A Brand is Like an Elevator (Knowledge)

Hello, I’m Marianne Tenenbaum, Branding Strategist, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are sharing an example that illustrates how your brand resides in the mind of your customers.

We have shared many blogs regrading brand identity, brand image, how a brand resides in the mind of your customer and is comprised of simply everything. Here is a great example of just how quickly a customer’s perception of a brand can change.

Last week I was very much looking forward to dinner in a restaurant I had visited before and had enjoyed a fabulous meal and a great customer experience.

On my second visit I ordered something completely different, anticipating I would be wowed by a wonderful entrée. Imagine my dismay when the dish arrived with chicken tepid, vegetables too hard and potatoes with excess garlic. The brand of the restaurant in my mind was on the express elevator to the basement. I was thinking I would never come back here again!

I decided to be bold and offered my waiter construction feedback. He was clearly well versed in how entrees were prepared and explained the kitchen’s methodology. While not making my meal any better, I understood why this meal was so dramatically different from my first experience. Perhaps future diners would benefit from my input. Brand slide to basement is averted.

Following the conversation with the waiter, the restaurant manager arrived at the table. He had been told of my feedback and there was no need to repeat any information. He encouraged me to give the restaurant another try and offered a discount card for my next visit.

The caring response by both the waiter and the manager turned my perception of the brand around. While not back to the stature gained after my initial experience, the restaurant brand is back on neutral ground and I will visit again with an open mind.

Your brand has positive and negative encounters with customers every day; you are aware of the ones customers bring to your attention, however, your staff should be trained to pick up on customers that are not having a good experience and do what they can to improve it and maintain brand stature in the mind of your customers.

Once a Day Marketing™ inspires clients to brand bold. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact Marianne Tenenbaum at (505) 699-7849 or email mten@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

3 Keys to a Great Brand (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we review three foundational elements that all great brands have.

Every business has to stand out from their competitors through differentiating products and services, providing a superior customers experience or being an innovator in the area of business; preferably all of the above.

To set your brand apart, consider these 3 Keys concepts:

1. Unique

These are the characteristic that make your product or service special. Perhaps you offer something that is handmade or the only one of its kind in the community. Determine what is special about your product that no one else can claim.

2. Compelling

A product is compelling when there is consumer demand for the attributes you offer or provide. You can make the greatest widget in the world, however, if it didn’t meet a consumer demand it would not be compelling and creating a market for it would be very difficult. Consider what makes your brand compelling to customers and what they will care about.

3. Believable

When they make a purchase, consumers trust your brand to be what you claim and that you will deliver on your brand promise. Think about why customers trust your offerings, perhaps you have extensive experience or special knowledge.

Once you know what is unique, compelling and believable about your brand ensure you are using these factors to tell your story through your advertising and social media. Every little improvement will go a long way to enhance the stature of your brand.

Friday, February 12, 2016

New Mexico Magazine: Branding Bold (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Award-Winning New Mexico Magazine

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed tourism and the branding of New Mexico with the Editor of the state’s magazine.

Joining us on the show was Dave Herndon, Editor-in-Chief of New Mexico Magazine which is part of the Department of Tourism and reflects the state’s brand. The 93 year old publication promotes travel throughout the state and focuses articles on history, culture, cuisine, lifestyle and related activities. This aligns well with the current New Mexico True advertising campaign.

New Mexico magazine has evolved over time; however, they have remained true to their mission and vision. Dave shared that New Mexico Magazine serves as a community for lovers of New Mexico. They have 96,000 Facebook followers as well as incredible core audience loyalty. The average length of subscription is 10 years.

The magazine is always building on this loyalty and developing their audience through social media, PR and events. The January issues covered the emerging entrepreneurial class that is being nurtured in Santa Fe which is resulting in improvements across Santa Fe in areas including art and food.

The goal of NM magazine is to boost the New Mexico brand and also focus on keeping their own brand fresh. Herndon shared that the January issue has bold new fonts, a new layout format and a 2016 feature called Movers & Makers.

Herndon’s branding tip: Show your assets in a positive light at the same time accurately represent your offerings. When you don’t set customer expectations correctly, it will lead to disappointment and a less than optimal experience.

Check out the New Mexico Magazine here.

Enjoy the show.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Branding Spaceport America (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Ask Those Branding Guys™ radio show podcast: Spaceport America

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys™, we discussed re-branding one of New Mexico’s leading edge businesses.

Joining us on the show was Tammara Anderton, Director of Business Development for Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built, commercial spaceport, located in Sierra County, New Mexico, just west of the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range. Their mission is to provide a supportive home for commercial space tenants and customers so that they can make great contributions to the industry and also inspire and delight visitors.

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and SpaceX are just two of the enterprises working on suborbital space launches. In addition to space launches, Spaceport America hosts special events, photo-shoots, filming and air-related activities. Southern New Mexico's 340 sunny days make Spaceport America an ideal place for all of these activities.

To create more awareness for Spaceport America and to provide a unique space experience, a visitors center has opened in Truth or Consequences, NM and tours are now offered to the property by Follow the Sun Tours and Ted Turner Expeditions.

Tammara shared that Spaceport’s biggest branding challenge is ensuring people understand that facility is not owned by Virgin Galactic. Spaceport America is owned and operated by the state of New Mexico and Virgin Galactic is a tenant and strategic partner in the promotion of the property.

Enjoy the podcast.

Monday, February 8, 2016

5 Ways to Win Customers for Life (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Marianne Tenenbaum, Branding Strategist, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are sharing 5 ways to help you win customers for life.

When it comes to customers, effective strategies to attract new and retain existing customers are both essential to success. Focusing of your current customer base is critical to maintaining a strong brand.

1. Offer a Strong Value Proposition

A strong value proposition means that customers feel they receive a good value in exchange for their hard earned dollars. Value proposition may include how your product makes the customer feel, what is included in the offer or a product performance guaranteed.

2. Provide a Great Customer Experience

Customers are the lifeblood of your company. Ensure you and your employees think of them in this manner and treat them accordingly; provide an outstanding experience every time they visit your business.

3. Knowledge is Key

Know all you can about your existing customers, even at the individual level where possible. Calling someone by name when they walk into your establishment will leave a lasting, positive impression

4. Appreciate Customer Loyalty

Demonstrate to customers that you appreciate their business. You might create a loyalty program or offer advance notice of new items or events. Social media and online tools offer numerous avenue of communications at no or low cost.

5. Engage with Customers

Leverage social media platforms to interact with your customers. Encourage followers to share their own experiences with your brand, solicit ideas and commentary, share stories about your company that will resonate with your audience. Remember to respond promptly to all comments and questions generated by customers.

You should always work to attract new customers; never do this at the expensive of your current client base. It's substantially easier and cheaper to generate revenue from existing customers than it is to capture sales from new ones.

The mindset that existing customers always come first will increase your opportunity to develop patrons for life.

Monday, February 1, 2016

How to Hire Experts – Media Producer (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are sharing the fourth installment in a series of discussions all focused on practical advice you can use when you consider hiring experts to assist you with branding and marketing.

Media is an essential tool to promote your brand and products. Using video increased SEO over sites with text only and watching a product video makes consumers feel more comfortable about their buying decision. When it is time to create the video about your company and brand, invest in professional media production to ensure you are sharing the right message and meeting customers' needs in a crisp and polished video production.

There are two main areas of expertise in creating video: media producers and media production companies. The media producer is the person who provides creative input and manages the production as well as other professionals. Media production companies are sometimes just that. They know how to capture images and edit, however, they may not have the creative capabilities you require. Selecting a first rate media producer is the most important element to a successful video.

Qualifications to review when you are considering a media production company include general production skills; they should be very familiar with cameras, capturing images and providing the kind of shots you are looking for. The professional you hire should also be very competent in audio production.

Graphics and animation are powerful tools that will enhance the production value of a video or media production. Validate the company you are interviewing has a good graphic eye, knows animation and how to make images appear on the screen as you expect them to look. Editing is another important element. The media expert should be able to take the footage they shoot and turn it into a compelling story that has a beginning, middle and end regardless of the length.

Lastly, the media professional should be comfortable working across various platforms. They should know traditional video production and understand what it takes to run video successfully on a smart phone, computer, tablet, video wall, kiosk or any of the other environments where media is used today.