You are here: Home / Archives for branding
July 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

What your business can learn from the Mormon Church

For those who may not be aware, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other less formal labels for this denomination include “LDS” and “Mormon.” My faith is a source of great happiness in my life and I am always happy to answer questions about it. However, this post is not about religion, so I would ask that if you have any religious questions about the LDS faith, please contact me directly and I will be happy to discuss.

The LDS Church is one of the largest religions in the world. It has over 14 million members and is the second-fastest growing church in the U.S., according to the National Council of Churches. Other statistics on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be found in the LDS Newsroom.

All spiritual debates aside, it’s easy to see that the LDS Church is doing something right. What are the Mormons doing that has lead to such dramatic and steady growth and how can it apply to your business?

Strong systems

The Mormon church is extremely systematic about everything from building churches and temples to teaching sunday school. If you go to a Mormon church anywhere in the world, you will find that they all follow the same meeting agendas, the same processes, and even teach the same lessons. If you attend a church meeting one Sunday in Indianapolis and then attend a meeting the following Sunday in California, it will be very familiar and you will be be able to stay on the same lesson plan. If the Mormon Church wants to form a new congregation, it follows a proven system for setting up the meetinghouse and can very quickly set in motion a process to get it up and running (complete with local clergy) very quickly and with very few issues. This saves time and money.

In a similar fashion, your business can benefit from strong systems that allow you to execute tasks and projects quickly and consistently. If you have proven systems for sales, marketing, product delivery, and customer service, your business will run much more efficiently and enjoy faster growth. If you’re unfamiliar with creating business systems, check out The E-Myth (affiliate link).

Member empowerment

The LDS Church makes it a high priority to encourage members to share their faith with others. In fact, one of the three main components of the mission of the church is “to proclaim the gospel.” Church members are encouraged to talk about their faith, share information with others, and speak openly about religion. This creates a culture that empowers all members to become “marketers” for the church. They are encouraged to follow their enthusiasm for their faith and make it a part of their everyday lives and communications. As a result, almost every member of the LDS church is prepared and eager to be a polite but ardent evangelist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Your business can also turn employees into evangelists. If you continuously encourage your employees to talk about your company with others, share your brand, and openly talk about their jobs, your company will enjoy greater name recognition and awareness. This will result in more leads and potential customers. Empower your team to use tools like social media to inform the public what your company is all about.

Training

The Mormon Church has a phenomenal training program for its 52,000+ missionaries around the world (who are volunteers, by the way). Before serving, a missionary must spend anywhere from three weeks to three months in a training program that helps them utilize systems, processes, and procedures for reaching prospective new members. Every missionary goes through the exact same proven training process. If some part of the process is improved, it is rolled out to every missionary in the world. The Mormon Church is very serious about proper training and equips its missionaries with the systems and support they need to be successful.

Does your business provide sales training? If not, it might be worth considering. Proper sales training gets all your sales people on the same page, gives them a system to follow, and provides ongoing coaching. My favorite sales system is the Sandler system. If you’re in the Indianapolis area, I recommend Trustpointe or Lushin.

Rapid embracing of technology

Technology evolves at an frenzied pace and it can sometimes be difficult to keep up. However, the Mormon Church sees almost every form of new technology as an opportunity to grow the church’s brand and message. You’ll find that the church has a presence on just about every major social network in use today and even organizes messaging among specific focus areas, including newsroom communications, and member training just to name a few. The church has an incredibly strong SEO strategy which brings lots of relevant traffic to its websites. Additionally, the Mormon Church facilitates messaging through the use of apps, blogs, video, mobile, podcasts, and email. The church even has web portals and apps that allow all members of a congregation to instantly download directories and leadership information directly to their phones in order to facilitate easy communication between members. Most church buildings also now have wireless Internet access in order to encourage members to make use of these technologies as learning aids.

Your business can also benefit by embracing new technologies. If you look at each new form of technology as an opportunity to share your message, your brand will travel faster and your business will grow. Just as the Mormon Church does, carefully study each new tool or technology that evolves, decide how it can strengthen your brand messaging, and then deliberately integrate it into your business.

Partnerships

The Mormon Church does not see other religions as competition. Instead, church leaders throughout the world work with leaders of other faiths to serve and provide humanitarian relief. Some notable examples include Indian Ocean tsunami relief efforts in which the Mormon Church partnered with Islamic leaders and the church’s partnership with the Catholic Church to bring aid to Niger. Other less-dramatic events include interfaith concerts and other social events.

In a similar fashion, your business can also grow faster by leveraging partnerships. Instead of viewing other businesses in your space as competitors, try reaching out to them and looking for ways to work together. Not every prospect will choose to work with you and some may choose your competition (just as some people will choose another religion over Mormonism). However, if you have a positive working relationship with your competitors, you can create opportunities to refer to each other and network constructively, which raises the level of respect for everyone.

Conclusion

The Mormon Church continues to grow quickly and recruits new members very rapidly. With new churches and temples being built all the time, it’s obvious that the methods in and practices of the church lead to growth and success. So what can your business learn from the Mormon Church? By creating systems, embracing new technology, utilizing sales training, creating partnerships, and empowering your employees, you can have a business that enjoys similar growth and success.

Filed Under: Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
June 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Personal Branding with Social Media E-Book

Personal branding is becoming more important today as people are becoming more interested in relationships and personal communication. Sales professionals, job-seekers, and professionals in a variety of industries are finding that how they relate to people and how they are perceived in the marketplace on a personal level makes a huge difference in how successful they are.

Social media is enabling us to strengthen our personal brands like never before. In order to address this, I’ve written an e-book to help others understand the dynamics of personal branding using social media and how to take advantage of social tools to strengthen their personal brands.

The e-book is free and you are encouraged to share it with others. If you have any personal stories you would like to include, please feel free to contact me and I would love to include your notes.

The e-book can be downloaded here:

Personal Branding with Social Media (PDF)

As always, comments and feedback are welcome.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Smart, simple solutions

There is an abundance of complexity in the world. It occurs pretty much everywhere. Companies create products with way more features than we need, bosses over-complicate policies and procedures, and our government passes ridiculously complex legislation that no one even has time to read.

We do it to ourselves, too. We think we need big, complicated systems to run our accounting and business systems. We create convoluted policies to try to anticipate every possible scenario. We look for that magic piece of software that will do all 500 things we think we need it to do.

After the air clears and we’ve spent a lot of time and money on our complex solutions, what happens? We usually end up only using 10% of it.

This is why our brand promise at SpinWeb is “smart, simple solutions.” We happen to build websites but our over-arching goal is to help you work smarter with simple online tools. Rather than sell you a big website with 27 tools, we’re more likely to encourage you to consider a smaller site first that does 3 things really well. You’re probably more likely to use it and you’ll save some money, too.

Ask yourself if you really need all the complexity that is currently in your business, or in your life. Could you serve your customers, employees, and partners better if you simplified?

Filed Under: Design, Lifestyle, Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
February 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Don’t use consumer email for business

I frequently attend networking events during which I meet a variety of business owners. Often we exchange business cards and I continue to notice a trend which disturbs me: the use of consumer email as a business email address.

I often see email addresses using the domain “sbcglobal.net”, “yahoo.com”, or (shudder) “aol.com” listed on a business card. This really makes me cringe. It’s poor branding, and says to the world that your business has not invested in a proper email system. It’s also risky to operate your business on a free system or a system that is designed for consumer email due to the lack of support and functionality.

When you are using a proper email system for business, your email address will match the address of your website. For example, my email address is michael@spinweb.net, which matches my company’s website address: www.spinweb.net.

There are many options for excellent business email. At SpinWeb, we provide Google Apps for Business for our clients, which gives them a complete email, calendaring, documents, and collaboration system. Other companies may want to consider using Microsoft Exchange, which is a great business communications system. Scott Sells at ZingTech provides an excellent Exchange solution.

Let’s get rid of the consumer email addresses on business cards. Brand your business properly and use a system you can rely on.

Filed Under: Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , ,
January 21, 2010 By 3 Comments

Stop shouting from behind your logo

It seems like more and more businesses are starting to use online tools to market and communicate their messages. Social media is new and shiny and companies are eager to find more ways to broadcast commercials using Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. However, it frustrates me to see that so many businesses are still applying marketing 1.0 tactics to web 2.0 tools.

Traditional marketing utilizes techniques that broadcast a message to the masses. Make a commercial, buy some airtime, and shout at your viewers for 30 seconds in hopes that the message sticks. Buy a billboard, paint it with your logo, and capture as many eyeballs as possible. Now that social media has opened up new channels of communication, business owners and marketers are eagerly applying the same tactics to new mediums and then wondering why it’s not working.

Facebook? Sure… let’s put a company logo in place of the profile photo, insert the company name, and splatter commercials all over the news feed. No one really knows who works there. Twitter? Great… let’s just use a single Twitter account for the company and shove all communication through it without letting anyone get to know the employees.

What businesses are consistently failing to understand is that people are craving contact with actual people. Social media is a space for humans to communicate, not faceless logos. Rather than hiding behind your logo and keeping your employees a secret, empower everyone to exist online as a person. The CEO should be blogging and signing his name to his postings. The marketing director should actively talk to people on Twitter as a real person. Employees should be encouraged to connect with clients and associates on Facebook as themselves. Your team should be empowered to manage their own LinkedIn profiles as people.

Setting up a company Twitter account with your logo on it is a good thing. However, the messages distributed through this account should be redistributed through personal accounts because this is where real conversations happen. A Facebook fan page for the company is the right anchor point for publishing information. However, it’s the personal profiles that should share the content with their networks. This is where conversation happens.

This is an age of personal contact and human stories. Successful companies need to embrace the shift in customer expectations and blend corporate branding with personal branding. If asked what their most valuable assets are, most companies would quickly respond with “our people!” If that’s true, let them show their faces to the world and to your customers. If you are creating a positive environment and hiring the right people, your employees should be proud to represent your organization.

Remember, people want to do business with people they like and trust. Let your people show their faces. Stop shouting from behind your logo and instead have a real conversation with your customers.

Filed Under: Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , , , ,
November 17, 2009 By 1 Comment

Credit union website design tips

In today’s market, credit unions are enjoying renewed popularity among consumers due to their membership-driven policies, personal service, and local community ties. Many people are drawn to these features of their local credit unions and are starting with research on the web.

For this reason, progressive credit unions must capture the attention of these researchers with a compelling online story via a modern corporate website.

Great design. This should be obvious but many credit unions still utilize outdated websites with poor design and awkward usability which hurts their credibility. Prospective customers are making decisions about where to put their money. They need to feel trust and a strong design is necessary to communicate brand integrity. Credit unions should focus on a clean, crisp design that stays very content-driven.

Social media. Today’s consumers are on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and they sometimes read blogs. Smart credit unions will take advantage of this by creating special promotions for “fans” or “followers” on these networks in order to build a list of permission-based constituents. Each presence on a social network links back to the appropriate content piece on the credit union website.

Blogging. Every credit union website should feature a blog. Educational blogging helps build authority and places the credit union in a position of “trusted advisor” to its customers which opens the door to up-selling additional products. Blogging also boosts search engine rankings.

Up-to-date rates. When consumers are researching your credit union online, makes it easy for them to find rates. Keep in mind that your rates do not have to be the best. If you post your rates clearly and your competition keeps it a secret, you will create more trust in prospective customers because you are giving them an easy path to information, which increases their comfort level.

Online registration for seminars/webinars. Being very member-focused, credit unions are in a great position to offer educational seminars to their customers. Make it easy for people to sign up for these events via your website. Also consider conducting webinars to allow your customers and prospective customers to learn valuable financial information by participating from their computers over the Internet.

Usability. Credit union websites should pay strict heed to common usability norms. Navigation should be in logical places, nav items should use common naming conventions, and sectional or sub-navs should be well-structured. Since credit unions typically have so much content to publish, card sorting exercises should be used to determine the most logical structure to present to users. Over and over, most organizations are finding that “About Us” and “Contact Us” are the two most popular nave items that website visitors click on. Don’t deviate from common conventions like these.

Professional content. The underlying foundation of all these other tools is content. On the web, content must be clear, concise, and logical. Follow the inverted pyramid rule and keep it simple. Make sure your content is written by a professional to ensure that website visitors feel a sense of trust and credibility as they research your credit union.

As member-focused financial organizations that value education and community, credit unions are in a unique position to connect with customers using web tools like never before.

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
October 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Personal Branding with Social Media

You may be familiar with branding as it relates to companies and organizations. A company’s brand is the essence that should affect everything it does. How often, however, do we pay attention to our personal brands?

Yes, a person has a brand. Anyone who works, communicates, or participates in society at any level has a personal brand. Your personal brand is made up of a number of different factors and it influences how you are perceived by others.

Job-seekers should pay especially close attention to their personal branding as it can have significant impact on how successful they are.

Traditionally, personal branding was affected by communication style and appearance. Today, however, social media and online communication has made it possible to strengthen personal branding to a greater extent. The way someone presents himself or herself online can make a big difference in how that person is perceived before any personal contact is made. For this reason, it’s important to manage your personal brand online. What are some ways to do this?

Acquire a clear, professional head shot photo. Use the same photo on all of your profiles. This gives a strong first impression and strengthens your personal brand in multiple places.

Complete your profiles on social networks. If your LinkedIn profile stays stuck at 80% complete, it looks like you don’t care. Many companies don’t want a resume anymore – they want to see your LinkedIn profile. Don’t shortchange yourself.

Collect LinkedIn recommendations. A profile with no recommendations is a red flag which means that person does not do much networking. Reach out to people and recommend others so they will return the favor. A good list of quality recommendations strengthens your personal brand by showing that others value your work.

Polish your writing style. Few things damage a personal brand more than poor writing. If you don’t write well, do some research or take a class and learn to write in a clear, articulate fashion. This will help as you blog, write your own bios, and communicate in general with others.

Create and post presentations on SlideShare. Even if you don’t do any speaking right away, go ahead and put some slide decks together to have them ready. This positions you as an authority in your field which may lead to speaking engagements. Be sure to link to your presentations from LinkedIn using the built-in SlideShare application.

Link your profiles together. Be sure that it’s easy to find you on various networks. Your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles should link to your blog. Your blog should link to all your profiles. Link together as much as you can.

Articulate your goals. When someone asks you how they can help you (whether online or offline), be sure to have a clear, consistent answer. Understand who your target customer is, the type of job you want, or just who you want to meet. Be able to deliver your message in 30 seconds or less. Post your goals in your bio on social networks.

Blog. This can be a difficult thing for some because writing does not come naturally for everyone. However, even a blog that is updated once a month can make a difference. Blog about your perspectives on your profession, your area of expertise, or offer educational content. This helps others get to know you better.

Communicate and distribute content via Twitter. Twitter is a great tool for sharing your content with others and having concise conversations. Balance your Twitter activity between posting your own content and engaging in conversations with others. Don’t forget to re-tweet information from others that you find interesting. What you re-tweet says a lot about you.

This may seem like a lot of work at first, but your personal brand is important. It can affect your communication, your work, and your success. Take care of it and utilize social media to strengthen it.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,
July 1, 2009 By 6 Comments

Don’t Throw Your Business Card

I had a meeting with someone today and was turned off by a behavior that I sometimes see from people as they are networking. We had chatted for a few minutes and the conversation was progressing normally. When we got to the part where we exchange business cards, he pulled out his card and casually tossed it across the table to me. It was very dismissive and it gave me an unfavorable impression of him and his business. I thought to myself, “wow… he doesn’t think much of his business.”

In Japan, where improper business card etiquette can kill a business deal, they show respect for the process of exchanging business cards and take great care to give this ceremony the attention is deserves. I often wish we were quicker to show that kind of respect in this country.

Whether you think about it or not, how you treat your business card says a lot to other people. Your business card is part of your brand. At the same time, similar respect should be shown to the other person’s business card.

Take a cue from the Japanese and think about this next time you exchange business cards. How you treat it reflects how you represent your business. Don’t throw it.

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,
December 27, 2007 By Leave a Comment

A Response to “Logo Misapplication”

Rob Alan recently sent me a link to an article titled “Logo Misapplication” by Andy Rutledge. I enjoyed the meat of the article and agreed with much of it but I felt compelled to reject some of it. For starters, what I agreed with:

“No, this new logo will not fix your crappy company.”

Right on. While I do feel that a great logo can do great things for a company (which I will get to shortly), I do agree that it takes real work to fix, improve, or grow a great company. It takes more than a fancy logo. It takes time, effort, cleverness, wisdom, vision, and many other things to truly support a strong logo.

Next:

“Your logo is not your brand.”

Agreed. A logo is a pivotal visual representation of your brand, but a strong brand is made up of much more. A strong brand is supported by a clear vision from company management, sincere buy-in and execution by the team, and a commitment to excellence. A company’s brand is made up of its logo, marketing message, print collateral, web site, color palette, customer service, verbal cues, language, culture, personalities, philosophies, reputation, customer experience, and much more.

So where do I disagree?

“It is hard to look across the table at these business owners and explain to them that building an identity that supports an ideal counter to their practice or ability is the wrong move.”

“Of course the best course of action for most of these clients would be to build a healthy, honest, formidable company. Having done that, their current logo will likely work just fine.”

I feel that the spirit of this message is incorrect and does a disservice to a company’s efforts to reach greatness. I have seen numerous examples of logos and identities that actually help propel companies toward greatness when they otherwise might be stuck. While a logo can’t “fix” a broken company, it can be part of an impetus that sparks a rebirth or refresh in the organization.

Oftentimes during a consultation I will encourage my clients to allow us to create a logo that represents where they want to be in 5 years. Creating a logo for today is short-sighted and, in my opinion, a waste of time and money. Instead, a great logo should exude optimism and professionalism that transcends the current situation. It should be a beacon of inspiration that keeps the company pointed in the right direction. When this happens, team morale improves, executives find new inspiration and passion for their companies, and customers take notice. Though sometimes difficult to measure, these effects should not be discounted when creating and executing strategies for company growth and success.

In conclusion, you certainly should not hang on to unrealistic expectations for your logo. However, don’t underestimate the influence a great logo can have when building your brand for the future.

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: ,
November 5, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Make My Logo Bigger!

Tara from SpinWeb sent out a hilarious link today. Do yourself a favor and take a break to watch this video:

http://www.makemylogobiggercream.com/

While this gave us all a good laugh, it is also sad commentary about the challenges we face as creative professionals. Do the things in this video spoof really happen? Yes, sometimes we do get requests to “make the logo bigger”, “get rid of the whitespace”, or otherwise simply ruin the design based on the short-sighted whims of the CEO or Director of Something-Or-Other. Do we love our clients? Yes. Do we want our clients to at least listen to our recommendations? Yes. As creatives, we certainly don’t want to slip into a the trap of arrogant complacency. However, we were hired based on our expertise and track record. Keeping that in perspective will make for a happier team and a more successful project.

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: , ,