THE BRAND BOUTIQUE - Your Brand is Your Story. Get Yours Out There.

I hear alot about 're-purposing' in marketing, what does that mean exactly?

2010-12-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

You know what the problem is with marketing - It can feel like you are reinventing the wheel every day. Well, I'm not a fan of daily reinvention....I have too many other things to do, as do you.

This is why Re-Purposing is a key work in marketing. Re-purposing means you give many uses to your marketing so you are not always starting over.

So, if you write an article, for example, that article can be published in publications and can be posted on your website.

That same article can be broken down into smaller blurbs and used on your blog, in an eblast or on Facebook. Even smaller pieces can be used on Twitter.

Write enough articles, and they can be put together in an ebook or a teleseminar.

See with re-purposing, a little can go a looong way.

YOUR BRAND IS YOUR STORY. GET YOURS OUT THERE.
www.Facebook.com/Jodi.Riddick
www.Facebook.com/BaroqueHorseMarketing

Why is "Telling Your Story" so important to your marketing and your success?

2010-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Because if you tell a story, you have an audience. And if you have an audience, you'll have customers.

Want your business to grow?

Become a storyteller.

YOUR BRAND IS YOUR STORY. GET YOURS OUT THERE.
www.Facebook.com/Jodi.Riddick

How can I use video to build my brand?

2010-11-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

‎4 Ways to Use Video To Build your Brand:

1. Do an About Me Video
2. Do a Video Tutorial
3. Answer Questions or Comments by Video
4. Explain why you Chose a Product or Service by Video

Hope that helps.

YOUR BRAND IS YOUR STORY. GET YOURS OUT THERE.
www.Facebook.com/Jodi.Riddick

I'm having my website re-designed, what mistakes should I avoid?

2010-10-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

10 WEBSITE MISTAKES TO AVOID:

1. Using visitor counters. Most visitors don’t care how many other people have visited your site. And if the counter number is low, this can drive people away from your site because they might think you don’t offer a quality service or product.

2. Using long sentences. If a reader has to try to remember the beginning of the sentence by the time they finally get to the end of it, more than likely, they will miss the whole point of the sentence.

3. Having spelling and grammar mistakes. We all have made typing mistakes, but please spell & grammar check your content before you publish it.

4. Using background music. It can be quite a distraction and will run people right off your site.

5. Using inconsistent page layouts. The navigation bar, colors, fonts, links and overall theme should be consistent on all pages, otherwise the site just seems confusing, and the message will be missed.

6. Forgetting to prominently display your phone number & email address on every web page.

7. Having a barrage of banners – This will just make your site look busy and cheap.

8. Using busy background wallpaper – This just detracts from the message of the site & the pages.

9. Not telling people exactly what your business does – Never leave people guessing. Right on the home page, tell people what you do.

10. Having old information – If you still have 'Latest News' information up from 2008 or early 2009, it’s not good. Especially in this economy, if your website information is outdated, people will wonder if you are still in business.

And remember....
YOUR BRAND IS YOUR STORY. GET YOURS OUT THERE.

An Equine Marketing Question: Why am I not getting any responses to my ad?

2010-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a typical horse ad....

16.2 hand, Bay Andalusian Mare out of……blah, blah, blah……

As a potential customer, you had me for a couple of seconds, but the minute your ad starting looking like everyone else’s, you lost me.

What I really want to know is– What’s in it FOR ME?

What are the benefits of buying a horse from you? How does your horse make my world better?

If your ad (or website!) doesn’t answer this question, a sale is going to be very challenging.

Many horse people get caught up in describing the features of the horse – the height, color, breed, pedigree, etc.

If you want to make a sale, tell the customer the benefits of your horse in addition to the features.

If I was looking to purchase a new computer, do I want to hear all that “techie talk” about the inner workings of the computer, or, do I just want to know that
it’s fast, it won’t freeze and I can play my favorite DVD’s on it. (Ding, ding, ding…sale!)

The same holds true for horses.

Here’s an example, “…the horse has a great temperament.” We see this all of the time, right? But what does that mean to me, say, if I was an amateur rider?

Maybe that means I can take a group lesson and not have to worry about the horse kicking another horse or bucking me off. Maybe that means (Ooops!) when I give the horse the wrong leg aid, he will be forgiving and try to figure out what I was asking for. Maybe that means the horse is respectful and he won’t step on me, push me around, or drag me all around the barn.

Turning features into benefits is about translation – it’s about turning the description of the horse into a description of how wonderful my life will be because I bought this horse from you.

Want a response to your ad? Tell the customer the benefits.

In Need of a Business 'Pick Me Up'?

2010-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

To my fellow business owners, freelancers and empire builders:

If this is one of those moments when you feel professionally beaten up, uninspired or just plain in need of a 'pick me up', here is some food for thought:

Be true to yourself. Work when and how and with whom you want. Treat your clients well. Charge what your worth. Keep setting new goals for yourself. Branch out into new niches. Learn new tricks and acquire new skills. Plant your ass in the chair and make time to refine your craft. Read interviews with your career heroes. Follow the news of your field. Take classes on anything that excites you. Go to book readings, art exhibits, concerts or whatever else inspires you. Rub elbows with the like-minded business professionals at happy hours and conferences. Make new business friends - even with competitors. Encourage, cajole and collaborate. Celebrate your wins. Learn from your defeats, but don't dwell on them. And above all, remember to have fun.

- Michelle Goodman (My So-Called Freelance Life)

Why can't I run just one print ad or send one e-blast or newsletter?

2010-05-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

In marketing, one is the kiss of death.

Successful marketing is based on frequency and consistency.

The whole point is to be memorable - when it comes time for the consumer to spend their money, you want them to spend it on your product, service or business.

But if they don't know who you are or remember who you are, no money is coming your way.

Who and what you are must play over and over again.

It's like when you hear a song on the radio. You may not like it at first, but after hearing it over and over again, you start to like it. Next thing you know, you are singing the hook when the radio isn't even on.

That's effective marketing and that's what you want.

So when it comes to running print ads, and sending out emails or newsletters - think 'over and over', think frequency and consistency.

Ads, emails and newsletter should be sent out monthly, and all year long.

Are you catching it all on BET?

2010-04-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Final Draft, the music group behind the Get At Cha video, will be appearing on The Mo'Nique show on BET on Monday, April 19th at 11pm.

Mark it down on your calendar...Don't miss it!

www.TheBrandBoutiqueOnline.com

Did you see it on BET?

2010-04-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Did you see the David M video - Lest We Forget - on BET's Video Gospel?
It aired Sunday, March 28th.
Keep an eye out for it if you missed it.....It will air again soon.

And, if you need help getting your video on BET, please give me a call.

What are the top marketing strategies for 2010?

2010-02-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

For effective marketing in 2010, there are two strategies that are a must:

1. Email Campaigns
2. Social Media Campaigns

Marketing in 2010 is about talking directly and personally to your target audience.

For Email Campaigns, it's important to improve email performance, grow opt in lists and utilize list segmentation.

And, Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, etc.. - should be integrated into the email campaigns.

Social media and direct email campaigns work hand in hand, and are the way to go for 2010.

Is setting up a Facebook page enough of a social media marketing strategy?

2010-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

No. Creating a Facebook page is part of your social marketing campaign (...and a good place to start), and your social marketing campaign is part of your overall marketing strategy – Facebook is one element of your overall campaign. For an effective social media campaign, I suggest setting up Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn and Blog pages. Get your business out there…mingle…be social!

Marketing is a conversation you have with your audience – Are you a good conversationalist?

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

You know the type, you meet someone for the first time at a meeting or a party, and that person is just talking and talking, they are talking at you, they are not having a conversation with you. (In fact, you are sure if you walked away, that person wouldn’t even notice your absence for at least 60 seconds.)

Marketing is like a conversation, and you don’t want to speak at your audience – You want to have a conversation with them. You must know your audience and interact with them. Your website, prints ads or publicity campaign should not just blurt information at the consumer. Your marketing should offer information, provide edutainment, and spill ‘insider secrets’. And it should do all of this while being engaging to boot.

Think of great marketing as a good conversation with a friend - it’s easy flowing, reciprocal and fun. Want effective marketing? Be a great conversationalist.

IT'S THE 1ST - BRAND NEW YEAR, BRAND NEW MARKETING?

2010-01-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's a brand new year and that calls for new and improved marketing strategies.
But today, New Years Day, relax...reflect...regroup.
Tomorrow - We begin.

Happy New Year!
Jodi

WHAT IS A BRAND?

2009-10-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

A brand is two things – it is the representation of a business, and it’s the emotional association in the consumer’s mind.

Your brand is a fully expressed description of your company, product or service, and its position in the marketplace. This includes your business’s personality, its feel and the lifestyle associated with the brand.

Your brand represents the fundamental principles of your business – your company’s ‘reason for being’, and this should be understood by anyone who comes into contact with it.

Your brand is what the consumer thinks and feels about your company, product or service – it’s this mental and emotional association that is behind a consumer’s purchase.

It’s the inherent and perceived value the consumer places on your business.

A brand is a shortcut into the consumer’s buying power. It’s a direct ‘plug in’ to the emotion involved in a purchase.

Your brand is a promise; a promise of quality, satisfaction and authenticity.

A brand determines the position and strength of your marketing strategies, as it is the ‘vocabulary’ for all of the your ‘conversations’ in the marketplace.

Tumultuous Economic Times = Good Times

2009-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

The stock market is this, the banks are that...yeah yeah, I get it…the economy…it ain’t good. We all get it, these are challenging times. I have heard enough of the gloom & doom. I want to focus on the positive, and believe it or not, there is good in this economy.

Challenging times force all us to get resourceful, to discover new markets, to create new strategies. This economy has forced many to try new approaches and to cut the fat, and these are great things.

For example, trimming the fat on a website can lead to very effective marketing.

When it comes to websites, get to the point. There is no need to have 5 or 6 pages of miscellaneous or random information. Yes, some of that information is entertaining or educational but you have 3 seconds to get that visitor’s attention.

1…. 2…. 3…. That’s it, it’s that quick.

Three seconds and the viewer will decide to stay or to go to another website. If you only have 3 seconds, you had better make it count.

Trim the fat and get right to the point.
What is the call to action?

Do you want the customer to call or email? Then your phone number & email address are the first things the customer should see on every page of your site.

Do you want the customer to purchase your product/service? Then the benefits of your product/service are the first things the customer should see, as well as the options for payment, on every page.

Think with the end in mind – What do you want the customer to do? – And get to that point.

PS – Both my website & blog have a new look. I would love to hear what you think. Let me know….

CONTENT IS KING

2009-03-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Brand Boutique is a marketing company driven by content – we focus on content marketing.
Now more than ever, 'Content is King'.

What is content and Why is content important?

Content is the call to action – It is that which persuades, influences or causes the potential customer to become an actual paying customer.

It’s the answer to the question, ‘What do you want the user or visitor to do?’

Content marketing is the conversation between you and the customer – It’s about leveraging that dialogue.
Content should speak to the customer, not at them.

Yes, you want to provide the pertinent information about your product or service, but you don’t want to ‘monopolize the conversation’.

What do you do when you meet someone and all they do is talk about themselves?
Exactly….Goodbye!

You don’t want your potential customers to say goodbye, you want them to buy.

In this economic climate, if you want to be first in line for those limited customer dollars, think content.

Think effective, efficient, entertaining and educational content.

Remember – Content is King!

The Brand Boutique provides content for:
Websites
Blogs
Bios
Press Releases
Articles
Newsletters
Brochures
Product/Service Reviews
Print Advertising
Forums

Current Brand Boutique Projects:
Macys Indy Racecar Event, April 1, 2009 (Tampa, FL)
The Hands Movie – Film Screening, April 2, 2009 (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
Fidelis Foundation - Public Relations Campaign
Other Paths – Website Creation

Search Engine Optimization – SEO Content

2009-02-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

Having a website is simply not enough.

You must get the customer to your site – repeatedly.

The money is in the traffic; in the frequency and quality of visits to your website. You want the customer to come often and stay long, and, of course, to buy your product or service.

In order to get these visits, you need Search Engine Optimized (SEO) content.

You want your web content packed with SEO keywords so that the search engines rank your website as extremely relevant.

Saying the name of your company, or what you do, 32 times in one page is not search engine optimization – It’s obvious, boring and a sure fire way to make sure the customer avoids your website in the future.

Artificial repetition is not search engine optimization.

Offer the customer information about the whole of your business and your industry.
Keep the customer engaged, and plugged into your site & business.

For example, if you are a horse farm and you sell horses, include content about different riding disciplines, horse care/management, various types of tack or horse show events, in additional to content about your horses and their pedigree and achievements.

Content must be entertaining, informative and relevant. It must also be well written.

Include great SEO content on your site and watch your business grow!

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS

2009-02-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

TIP: Play to your Strengths

Let me state up front, this is NOT a shameless plug.

Okay now….When running a business, please, please, please play to your strengths and do not try to ‘fix’ your weaknesses. Fixing is a waste of time. You will get exponentially more results from playing up what you are good at. Go with the gifts given to you. Work with those tools.

That being said, don’t waste time doing things that someone else could do better. Hire someone and move on. Don’t waste time or money trying to build your own website, create a newsletter or letterhead, or coordinate an event if that’s not what your are good at doing. It’s a waste of resources. If you started your business because you are good at that product or service, then do that, and hire someone else to do what they are good at.

What could take you hours or weeks to produce a mediocre product, could take someone else, who specializes in that service or product, less than hour or just a couple of days to produce a superior product.
Which do you want representing your company, mediocre or superior?

Superior wins every time in my book.

Note: Now if you are looking for someone to create a website, execute a PR campaign or coordinate an event, please contact The Brand Boutique, 305-433-2993.
Now that was a shameless plug!

NEW YEAR -- NEW OPENING

2009-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Hello & Happy New Year!
We have hit the ground running in 2009 here at The Brand Boutique.
We have a new showroom opening that we want to tell you about, but before we get to that, let's tie up some loose ends from 2008.

We had a fantastic response to our holiday logo analysis campaign. Thanks to all of the companies that sent us their logos -- We look forward to working with you in 2009.

A special thanks to all of our Brand Boutique clients....Thank you for making 2008 a prosperous year!
2009 will be an even bigger year!

Okay, so here's what's going on in 2009......
Teas Etc, a specialty tea company based in West Palm Beach, FL, is opening a new showroom in Atlanta this weekend.

Check out the press release:

TEAS ETC OPENS NEW SHOWROOM IN ATLANTA AMERICASMART

Teas Etc, a female owned importer of specialty, direct trade teas, is pleased to announce the opening of a new showroom at the Atlanta AmericasMart, January 6-14, 2009 on the exciting new Gourmet Floor in the new Building 2 West Wing!

“I am thrilled about the new location and being on the innovative new Gourmet floor, a terrific concept that has been beautifully designed by the Mart” says Beth Johnston owner of Teas Etc. “The fresh idea of combining various products on one floor, I believe, gives us access to a broader range of gourmet buyers that we might not have touched in a typical set up. In addition to increasing our overall visibility it allows us the opportunity to showcase our market niche, premium private label tea products” adds Johnston.

To celebrate the opening the company will host several special events including a Tea Tasting Presentation – 8th floor demo kitchen, Sunday, January 11th, 4-5 pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from Johnston, a highly sought after industry expert and taste a handful of rare, limited harvest teas. Johnston will share tea facts and demonstrate the value and quality of specialty tea and why it differs from typical tea. She will give insight on what is driving current tea industry growth and how buyers large and small can profit from the trend.

For a totally different take on tea, the company is hosting a MarTEAni cocktail party. Guests will be served hors d’oeuvres and tea cocktails demonstrating teas versatility and main stream allure. The event takes place on Friday, January 9th, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, at their showroom - 8112A bldg. 2 west wing, 8th floor.

Teas Etc is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida with a satellite office in Shanghai China. The company is USDA certified organic, manufactures a complete collection of gift sets, samplers and glass tea ware. They provide various levels of private label services meeting the needs of buyers large and small. Most notable Teas Etc is the only female owned company to have a winning entry at the 2008 World Tea Championship, with five other entries being award a top five finalist rating.

See you at the Opening!!

THE LOGO.....FREE ANALYSIS

2008-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

You've worked hard developing your product or service, you've created the perfect name, you've chosen just the right colors and fonts. It all looks fabulous.

One question though – Do you have a great logo??

Your Logo is a mini ad for you company. Just as your company name represents you - your company, your brand - so too does your logo.

Your company name, logo and tag line are all part of a cohesive business package. Each must ‘present well’ for your brand.

When a potential consumer sees your logo, do they know what your company does or what your product is?

Will they know what industry you’re in?
Does the logo match the company name?

The answer to all three questions should be yes.

The Brand Boutique Holiday Gift:
For the months of November & December, The Brand Boutique is offering Free Logo Analysis. Just email your logo, your company name, and the industry you are in, and we will offer helpful hints and suggestions for your Logo.
(One logo analysis per company.)
Happy Holidays!

Fitting In is for High School

2008-11-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Fitting in is for high school, it is not for business and it’s especially not healthy for your brand.

It’s more than just the tagline for my company, it’s how you succeed in business – you must be bold to stand out.

Be bold. Stand out.

If there is certain advertising style or marketing trend that is popular, think about how you can go the other way and make yourself stand out.

I’ll give you an example. I deal with companies in the equestrian industry, more specifically farms and horse breeders. The majority of the ads you see in horse publications are the same. Most utilize the ‘standard’; a large full body shot of a horse, a few smaller shots (either movement shots or headshots), use of a script-ish font, and inclusion of pedigree and award information. You see lots of “quality” this or “bred for…” that. Typically the horses are beautiful, so the ad makes for a pretty picture, but it’s not memorable, and memorable is the name of the game.

I can flip through a horse publication and “oohh and aaahhh” over all of the pretty horses, but ask me if I remember any of the farm names. Nope. Do I remember the names of the horses in the ads? Still a no.

If you are doing what everyone else is doing, though it may be pretty & nice, you will just look like everyone else. Looking like everyone else does not make for a strong brand.

Be bold. Go against the grain. Do what others are not doing, or what others have not thought of doing yet.

Be a pioneer. Set the trend instead of following it, and you set your brand up for success.

Are You Prepared for the Holidays?

2008-11-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Is your store, your website, your brand ready for the holiday season?

Being ready means you are working the Incentives, Events and Emails.

Incentives
Offer discounts, coupons, gift cards, shipping deals.

Special Events
Have a holiday party, fashion show, trunk show or gift giving event in your store.

Emails
Create a holiday email campaign; send e-cards to your customers.

Work these three and you will have a Happy Holiday Season!

www.ThumpQuackMoo.com

2008-10-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

www.ThumpQuackMoo.com is the latest website project from The Brand Boutique, and the perfect example of a well done website.

Here are 10 reasons why this is a great website:
1. The Navigation bar is visible on each page without scrolling.
2. A picture of the Thump Quack Moo book is highlighted and visible on every page (top right).
3. The “Join the Mailing List” icon is visible on every page (below navigation bar).
4. The theme & and style of the website match the theme & style of the book itself and all brand identity (letterhead/business cards/notes).
5. The site links to other high traffic sites.
6. Google Analytics is installed.
7. Meta tags relating to Thump Quack Moo, Doreen Cronin and all of her books are utilized on the site.
8. A “Tour Dates “Page was created to drive traffic - to create repeat/multiple visits.
9. A “Notes from the Author” (blog style) Page was created to drive traffic - to create repeat/multiple visits.
10. We used graphics directly from the book, which offers the visitor a sneak peek of the book (prior to purchasing).

Check it out for yourself!

Google Analytics

2008-10-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Use Google Analytics.

Simply go to http://www.google.com/analytics.

Google Analytics offers great features to help you max out the marketing potential of your website.

You’ll learn what’s working - what’s bringing visitors to your site, how visitors found your site, what web pages they are looking at and how long they are viewing those pages. You'll also learn what parts of your site are not working so well, or (Eeee-gaddd!) not at all.

Check it out.

Brand Identity - Get it right the first time.

2008-10-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Take your time. Get it right.

When it comes to Brand Identity, take your time, get it right.

Better to delay things a bit and develop the right brand identity for your company, than to put one together that does not truly represent your brand, and then have to re-do it.

TIP: Do it Once, Don’t Re-Do.

Re-do’s make for confused or unengaged customers, and those customers will move on to the next company whose brand they understand and connect to.

Your brand identity is every bit as important as the product or service you sell.

Do it once, and get it right.

Upcoming Brand Boutique Events:
October 23rd – Macy’s Passport Fashion Cinema Events (Nationwide)
October 29th – Girls Inc, Westchester – Eileen Fisher Fundraising Event

Impressions - Not the First Kind

2008-10-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

There are many key points to keep in mind when creating or executing a marketing campaign.

The one point I would like you to think about today is 'Frequency'.

In today’s economy, many businesses are decreasing their budgets, marketing budgets included.

Please keep in mind though, that good marketing is based on frequency or impressions.

The more times a consumer sees your ad, the more likely they are to be aware of and feel connected to your product or services. This connection and awareness leads to sales. The more ad views - the stronger the impact.

TIP: Get the Impressions.

Creating a marketing campaign that gives you very few impressions, or worse yet, spends your marketing dollars on one event or campaign, is not effective.

The quick & dirty of it……Don’t ‘blow your wad’ on one event or a campaign that has a small window for success.

Set yourself business up for success not failure.

So if you need to be frugal, be strategic with your budget.

Figure out how you can get the most impressions for fewer dollars.

Do you have a full time staff?

2008-10-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

You do if you have a well done website. A good website is like having a full time staff that offers great customer service.

The site is your staff, and the layout and content are your customer service.

A good site should answer all of the potential customer’s questions – The who, what, where, why, when & how of it all.

The Home Page tells us the Who, What & Why.
The Product/Services page tells us the What and the Why and the benefits of both.
The Shipping or Ordering Page tells us How.
The FAQ page also tells us How.
The About Me page should tell us the Who.
The Contact page tells Where and Who.
The Press page also tells us Who.
And an Events page tells us the When.

TIP: Your website must work for you 24 hours a day.

Your website should be working for you day and night…. Like the best around the clock staff you have ever had.

When it comes to websites, follow Tim Gunn’s (Project Runway) advice…”Make It Work!”

Let’s start with FREE

2008-10-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying, for those of you who having been visiting the Free Marketing Tips Page at the Brand Boutique website and receiving the Brand Boutique newsletter, welcome to the Free Marketing Tips Blog!

In order to give you more frequent marketing tips and to better answer your questions, I have decided to blog about free marketing tips, instead of posting it on the Brand Boutique site.

So here we go……

Let’s start with Free…a word that always works for me.

“Free” is highly sought after in business, especially when it comes to free marketing, advertising or public relations.

TIP: Become an Expert

One way to get free exposure is to become an expert and write articles for magazines and newspapers.

Perhaps you cannot afford the full page ad in the magazine, but you can afford to write an article that will appear right next to that ad, in that very same magazine.

Writing articles that showcase your expertise in your industry adds credibility to you, your company and your products or services. People come to know you as a pro and will actively seek out your ‘superior’ products or services.

Writing articles is also great for the ‘pass along’ factor – people will pass on an interesting and informative article to their friends and associates.

And, for those articles that appear online, including a link to your website is great way to drive traffic to your site.

So get started today…start writing…I’ll have more for you tomorrow.