The Buzz
Personal Branding 101

Personal branding has exploded. Over the last few years, it has become the buzzword for many marketing professionals. I personally think that the concept can be very effective, but as many powerful concepts, you have to handle it correctly. For the positive, it allows people to present themselves in a compelling way. For the negative, if everyone is trying to make a name for themselves, how can you be seen and be heard among all the noise?

To help outline the basics, we borrow tips from  a personal branding guru, Guy Kawasaki. From his book "Art of the Start", we highlight five secrets of personal branding success.

· Make Meaning, Not Money. If you're into personal branding with the goal of making money, stop now. You will attract the wrong kind of people into your life. Instead, start with the goal of making meaning. Try to align your actions with your long-term goals. Kawasaki suggests two ideas for inspiration; right a wrong, or prevent the end of something good. How can you make the world a better place?

· Make a Mantra. In three words or less, what are you all about? Kawasaki believes that mission statements are useless. He says, make a mantra instead. FedEx stands for "peace of mind." What do you stand for, in the simplest terms?

· Polarize People. Personal branding pundits often advise against being a "jack of all trades," or a generalist that isn't very good at something specific. Guy believes  in being great for some people rather than trying to please everyone. Embrace the thought of people strongly siding against you as much as with you.

· Find a Few Soul Mates. We're all on this journey together. It's silly to think we are alone in our careers or in life. Find people who balance you. Then make time for them. You're only one person, so surround yourself with people whose skills round you out.

· Don't Let the Bozos Grind You Down. There are people who will dislike you. People will disagree with you. That's a fact of life. So never let criticism bring you down. As you live out your mantra, it's your responsibility to be strong in the face of "no," and "you can't do that." Ignore people who say "you won't succeed". Use this negativity as motivation. Prove  these people wrong.

It all boils down to one question. What is your essential quality? Identifying what you can do for people will help define your personal brand. The more benevolent, the better chances you have of making a strong personal brand.

 
In wrapping up this two part series, we would like to thank Bob Leduc for the content. We did noticed one tip missing, so we included  it as a bonus tip. Missed part one? Please view the June Newsletter on our Archive Page.

5. Trim Your Ads

Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.

6. Set up Joint Promotions with Other Small Businesses

Contact some non-competing small businesses serving customers in your market. Offer to publicize their products or services to your customers in exchange for their publicizing your services to their customers. This usually produces a large number of sales for a very low cost.

7. Take Advantage of Your Customers

Your customers already know and trust you. It's easier to get more business from them than to get any business from somebody who never bought from you. Take advantage of this by creating some special deals just for your existing customers ...and announce new products and services to them before you announce them to the general market.

Try to convert your customers into publicity agents for your business. Develop an incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of your products or services. An endorsement from them is more effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.

BONUS TIP: Network

The power of networking will always be your ace in the hole. Continually keep networking events in your calendar and follow great networking practices. For some great ideas for networking opportunities, please revisit "The Buzz" article in May's newsletter "Cures for Summertime Networking Blues".

 
After five years of dealing with the intersection of Tudor and Lake Otis, Buzzbizz Studios is moving their offices downtown. Some might argue the parking situation, but the new location is sandwiched between two parking areas and a generous loading zone right in front of the building.
 
As of August 16th, we will be located at 716 West 4th Avenue; better known as the Legislative Affairs Building. Doors to the current location at 2518 East Tudor Road will be open until July 30th, 5:00 PM.

From August 2nd though the 13th, Buzzbizz Studios will be operating remotely. All orders will be picked up  and delivered free of charge. All phone numbers and e-mails will continue to function as normal throughout the move.

Parking and access to the new location will be outlined on our website before we open the doors. We will also send out an e-mail with directions the week of August 9th.

Follow the move on Twitter or through our Facebook fan page.