Today, change occurs at a pace faster than ever before. In fact,
things are shifting so fast, we believe it is reasonable to say, “If
you and your business aren’t building a presence online, then you
will flat-line.” Online changes happen even faster than in the
real world. Interestingly, in terms of a business model, these
changes are happening in a direction that is more like that of
pre-industrial age business than the business model that has been
prevalent for the past 60-100 years.
Think of business years ago. John owned a blacksmith shop and he
attracted customers because in his town, John’s reputation was
good. Notice that it wasn’t “Blacksmithing, LLC” that had a
good reputation but John himself. When people came into town, and
asked about a blacksmith, they found out about John. Business was
more about people doing business with people in those days.
Due to technology and the Internet, business is once again
becoming a person to person business. Sure, in today’s world we
have corporations to limit liability and gain the best tax advantage
but personal branding is becoming important once again. The
difference is when John was starting his business, he learned it from
what he saw before him and there was no Internet. Now, people have
forgotten how to brand themselves. The internet is also a new way of
“getting the word out.
These days, in order for your business to survive, no matter what
you are doing, no matter the industry, and no matter the
circumstances you must be
online and you must brand yourself. You don’t want
to find yourself playing catch up when it comes to this… trust us.
There is a simple way to identify how to brand yourself online.
The first question to ask yourself is, “If I am an expert in just
one thing what would it be?” This question will help you narrow
down your passions, your interests, and your biggest skill set.
Remember, for right now, just pick one thing.
Next, you want to look at how you want to be found online. When
people search Google, Bing, or Yahoo, what search are they most
likely to use to find you. What would you like that search term to be
that finds you? This is your niche market. Understanding your niche
is about nothing more than identifying who you are and who you are
becoming. Do not take this lightly! It is absolutely crucial that you
identify who you are becoming because it will be a guide for
everything
you do online and perhaps even offline as well.
Now let’s talk about how big a brand you want to build. Think of
building a brand like building an actual building. Before you can
start building you need to know if you are creating a one story
building or a 50 story skyscraper because they require different
actions.
In the online world, knowing the size of the brand you are
creating will guide you to the actions you need to take and the order
to do them. Optimization is a big word in the online world and it is
all about efficiency. Clearly defining who you are, the path you are
on, and where you want to end up… so that anyone and everyone can
understand it, is OPTIMIZATION.
If you want to brand a slogan, now is the time. The slogan must
encompass who you are, the path you are on, and where you are going.
Slogans are great and can become your key phrase but make sure it is
extremely relevant and appropriate to what we have discussed.
Then there is perhaps the most important question you could ever
ask yourself. Would you follow you?
The Internet is buzzing with talk of email lists, social media
followers, and lots of other cool terms that sound neat. Yes, there
are ways you can manufacture higher numbers and force growth but the
real point in all this is being completely missed. Would you follow
you? If the answer is “no” then no matter how many people you
have on email lists, or following you on Twitter and Facebook, your
success will be temporary. You may attract people but you won’t
keep them.
Remember John the blacksmith? Well he may have been the only shop
in town, but sooner or later, if he didn’t provide quality service
and add value, he’d be out of business. You are the same as John
except it is highly unlikely you are the only business in town since
your town today is the entire online world!
Take action and create the brand you want. The online world awaits
your new brand!
By,
Michael Bloxton,
President & CEO,
oneMYnd, LLC.