The Internet helped unravel a long-standing belief of how business was done. The paradigm that a brick-and-mortar located business as a vital sign of a companies legitimacy was rampant among those entrepreneurs holding on to the past. The new technology helped break down old stereotypes opening amazing marketing possibilities for companies that did not have access or funding to utilize great creative talent. The Internet leveled the playing field and high-quality marketing services became available to companies doing big things in small towns all around the world. Low to no overhead, logical efficiency systems, and a virtual team working on projects from anywhere in the world became the standard. Smart companies have been using virtual marketing services for these reasons to help them grow.

Today, companies hire virtual marketing services every day without any consideration of their physical location or number of in-house employees as long as the communication and creative deliverables are aligned with what was promised. 

Growing Pains

The early days of the Internet were a world-level learning curve. There was now a tool that connected everything and everyone with a few strokes on the keyboard. As with all new big things the doubt and skepticism was a process that took time to overcome. Only larger companies with strong financial backing gambled on possible future payoffs through the Internet. The smart business owners watched and embraced the new technology and learned how it can help them build awareness, drive sales, and maintain steady growth. The smaller companies eventually built up enough courage to invest in Internet marketing and the rest is history. With so much growth in a very short time frame, many business owners did not know what to look for and what questions to ask to accurately qualify service providers. Some companies were great, others not so much. Shady online marketing businesses came and went hurting the overall industry image. Legitimate marketing and creative companies developing websites and new media technology felt the negative effects. 

The Collective Cry for Help

Companies like Google began setting standards through algorithms that required specific programming that made it more challenging for fly-by-night web developers to scam business owners. Websites became standardized making the user experience better.  Finding exactly what you search for and receiving laser-focused results became the norm. Business owners shared with others what they had learned and the next group of entrepreneurs were better equipped to make more informed decisions. More creative marketing services with integrity began to pop up offering a variety of unique styles and visions that business owners craved. Maintaining a lower marketing budget while utilizing incredible commercial art services was now a reality.

On-Demand Virtual Marketing Services

Today, owners of marketing companies come from backgrounds as chief creative officers to marketing directors of large companies. They have established their own virtual offices providing the wealth of knowledge acquired while working with multimillion-dollar campaigns and filling their ranks with trusted world-class creative talent at affordable costs. Virtual marketing companies now are the standard for large and small companies that know what it takes to grow. Selecting the right marketing company should be based on intuition and reinforced by their communication, creative, unique vision, marketing legacy, and ability to provide comprehensive marketing proposals. When an entrepreneur is paired with the right marketing company, creative is continually remarkable which inherently returns as positive growth.

Our legacy with clients has taught us many lessons. We create customized workflow systems that allow clients from anywhere in the world to easily collaborate with us. From an eco-friendly chocolatier in Costa Rica to an internationally distributed kitchen appliance brand with production facilities in China, through clear and accurate communication any project can be accomplished successfully. Hiring a trusted virtual marketing company should be at the top of the list for any business interested in the growth of their company and brand. If you have any questions about how our virtual marketing services can make a difference for your business, contact us NOW to schedule a FREE 30-minute marketing consultation.

As a small business owner, it is important to have an amazing brand and logo to stand out from the competition. A logo and brand are not just about having a recognizable look, but also about fostering brand loyalty, customer trust and engagement. This article will provide you with an overview of how to create an effective brand that can supercharge your business and design the logo.

Creating a successful brand is essential for businesses of any size. It can help to distinguish a business from the competition, build customer loyalty and create a memorable brand identity. To do this, it is important to consider several key elements. In this article, we will discuss how to develop a strong brand story, be authentic, live the brand, and use visuals to reinforce the brand. With these components, businesses can start to build a successful and recognizable brand.

In order to create an effective brand, consider the following:

1. Develop a Brand Story. A strong brand story will help to capture the essence of your brand and will help your customers and potential customers understand what your brand stands for.

2. Be Authentic. Your brand should be authentic, which means being true to yourself and your company’s mission.

3. Live Your Brand. Live your brand and ensure that everything you do is in line with your brand’s message and values.

4. Use Visuals. Visuals are an important part of any effective brand. Use visuals that are consistent with the tone of your brand and that capture the essence of your brand.

A successful branding strategy should involve all of the above elements, including a strong brand story, authenticity, and visuals. Logos should also be a part of this strategy, as they are a powerful visual representation of your brand. Logos should be designed to be eye–catching and memorable, and should accurately reflect the values and message of your brand. With a strong brand story and effective logo, you will be able to create a strong and recognizable brand that consumers will remember and recognize.

Logos

Creating a memorable logo is important for any business or organization. When designing a logo, it is important to consider various elements to ensure that the logo stands out and accurately reflects the values of your brand. Let’s discuss three essential points to consider when creating a logo: keeping it simple, using colors, and thinking about typefaces.

When creating a logo, it is important to consider the following:

1. Keep it Simple. The best logos are simple, yet distinctive. Avoid using too many elements or details as these can be distracting.

2. Use Colors. Colors can help to convey the personality of your brand and help make your logo memorable. Consider using a limited color palette of two to three colors.

3. Think About Typefaces. The font used in your logo should reflect the personality of your brand. Avoid using too many typefaces or combining multiple typefaces as this can be confusing. Two different fonts can work well in a logo, but more than two may be too busy. Consider how the font is affected by its size and weight, and how different fonts interact with each other. Make sure the fonts and typeface sizes are balanced and visually cohesive.

Creating a logo is an important part of branding for any business or organization. When designing a logo, it is important to consider three elements, keeping it simple, using colors and thinking about typefaces. Keeping the logo simple and clean allows it to stand out and be distinctive. Colors can convey the personality of the brand and help make the logo memorable. Finally, when considering typefaces, remember to keep it simple and balanced, and ensure the font sizes work well together.

Creating a remarkable brand and logo that speaks to your target audience can help to supercharge your business. A strong and memorable logo will help to create brand recognition, while a well-crafted brand story will help to foster brand loyalty and customer engagement. Don’t be afraid to be creative when designing your logo and crafting your brand story. With the right approach, you can create an effective logo and brand that can help to take your business to the next level.

Your identity tells the world who you are. Corporate identity is, in essence, your company’s physical representation of itself to the outside world, expressing your uniqueness and setting you apart from all others. At its core, corporate or brand identity is thus conceptually similar to our own, as reflected in our facial features: visible details that differentiate us from all others. Detected in our features are the various characteristics that combine to shape our individuality.

Similarly, a company distinguishes itself via the identity it presents to the world. A logo—a combination of visual cues including colors, designs, and words, and marks—is strategically deployed to make an optical statement, communicate a corporate ethos or philosophy, and show consumers how you want the company to be remembered. Various assets, ranging from websites and TV commercials to large format aviation graphics, display the company’s identity and are an extension of its culture.

What does a strong identity do for you?

A robust corporate identity conveys the strength of the company, contributes to brand power, and inspires a degree of consumer confidence. Consistently implementing your identity across all marketing platforms creates a strong brand. A great company can have great products, but if the corporate identity is uneven or mismanaged or fuzzy in the minds of consumers, they may not feel sufficient confidence in the brand to develop loyalty. Because perception is reality, maintaining a consistent, strong identity over time nurtures the consumer’s connection to the brand, fostering trust and affinity.

A strong corporate identity cohesively unifies your value proposition, the systems you use to create that value, and the products or services you provide, which represent that value to consumers. In this way your corporate identity gives consumers confidence and transmits proposed value to them, sometimes even before they have used your product.

CRED: 4 requirements for strong corporate identity

These four time-honored factors are recognized in marketing as the gold standard of brand identity. They are vital to creating and sustaining a strong brand.

Consistency: To generate credibility among the public, all branding activities, marketing communications, and user experiences with the brand need to be in alignment. Consumers repeatedly exposed to the same simple messaging across all points of interaction with a brand find the message easier to trust; consistency thus fosters brand acceptance.

Relevance: Companies need to connect to what people care about by listening to them and deeply understanding their needs and desires; to stay relevant, marketers should remember that consumers, quite rightly and logically, care about only one thing: “What’s in it for me?”

Esteem: Esteem is the positive reputation a company and its brands earn by having a strong corporate identity and a demonstrated ability to execute on promised user experiences.

Differentiation: A brand’s uniqueness is what makes it get noticed, stand apart from others in a highly competitive market, and, potentially, gain preference. The more distinct from competitors a brand is made to look, the more unique consumers will perceive it to be.

Ultimately, companies earn brand credibility when consumers “buy in”—when their perception of trustworthiness combined with expertise gives rise to the belief that the company’s stated intentions are legitimate and that it has shown the capacity to fulfill them. A corporate identity with “CRED” is well on the way to securing brand credibility.

Some say they are useless because circumstances and conditions always change soon after plans are set, while others find their marketing plan indispensable to the overall well-being of the company. The smart move is to always have a plan.

Risk vs. benefit

Perhaps the most logical way to view the topic is in the context of risk vs. benefit: What real danger does a company face because of having a marketing plan—and how does that compare to the risks inherent in not having one? What about concrete benefits of going without a plan—if those even exist, can they compete with the financial and other measurable advantages afforded by having one?

The answers are obvious. If you don’t know where you’re headed, you might end up at an unintended destination. Every business needs a sense of direction; so, you should consider your marketing plan as an essential component of your ultimate success. You may not implement everything, but at least you have a game plan. Let’s take a look at three actual start-up companies and analyze their efforts to launch.

Three case histories

Company A:
In the first year of business, Company A had no marketing plan. They concentrated their efforts on product development, building a team of professionals, and unwisely spending on office enhancements, corporate outings, etc. At the end of the year, the company had a booth at a trade show; and that was the end of their marketing efforts. Six months later, the officers of the corporation decided they needed a marketing plan because sales were not happening. The marketing team put together a comprehensive plan that, when executed, would have positioned the company as a global leader in their respective market. However, the executive team continued to drag their feet and did not release the necessary marketing funds. As a result, two months later, Company A was forced to fire the entirety of their team, as they were running of out of money with a warehouse stacked full of products, no sales, and a group of angry investors. Without a solid marketing plan and funds to back it up, it was a complete failure to launch. Company A has yet to recover, and its future is in serious doubt.

Company B:
Company B also failed to create a marketing plan. Worse yet, they had no funds allocated for marketing or advertising. The owners were under the impression that, merely by securing a good location, obtaining a business license, and turning on the “Open” sign, they had a solid foundation to run a successful business. The store was beautiful, filled with unique products and amazing staff. Unfortunately, that proved not to be enough. Since the business was funded by the owners themselves, they barely broke even in the first year of operation. The second year brought better revenue, but the owners were getting burned out, putting in long hours and, essentially, spinning their wheels. Third year did not show any growth, and the decision was made to sell the business. Incredibly, the new owners repeated the same mistake of not having a solid marketing plan; within two years they, too, were out of business.

Company C:
Like the first two companies, Company C had no marketing plan in the first year of business. Every promotional effort was a shot in the dark—sending every marketing dollar into the wastebasket. Without a cohesive marketing plan, nothing was getting tracked; Company C was treading water and needed to regroup. The marketing team developed a comprehensive plan, and, even though everything wasn’t implemented, in the second year revenue grew by an astonishing 375 percent. Employees were excited at not having to worry about missed payroll, and investors were certainly delighted with the results. It was a win-win all the way around. Company C has continued with yearly revised marketing plans, and their efforts have been paying off with steady increases in revenue.

Roadmap to success

As these examples illustrate, any company—regardless of age or size—that want sustained growth must have a marketing plan and the funds to back it up. Start by establishing a marketing budget of around 10 percent of your existing or projected revenue, and recognize your marketing plan as your roadmap to success. It sets the tone for the entire year, providing a sense of direction and equally important peace of mind.

Whether you’re starting a new business or getting set to take an established company to the next level, a solid marketing plan is a solid must.

Communication shapes our daily lives. With today’s marketplace ever on the hunt for value, the brands that best communicate their strategies—and deliver on them—consistently win. What do those brands that show wins year after year have in common?

Impeccable communication

Consider companies that have mastered the art of self-expression, like Apple, Nike, and Google. They have elevated clear and accurate communication to the level of art form. Why do these companies take their conversations so seriously? Because they know it brings value to their customers.

Through analytics, top brands observe what each of their marketing interaction points reveals, then create and disseminate respective communications accordingly. Those marketing messages are dispersed via the appropriate channels within each organization to service with excellence throughout the sale process resulting in continued brand loyalty.

The most notable brands comprehend that intra-organizational communication is elemental to success. Each missed call, unanswered email, or delayed instant message, to some degree, degrades brand equity. Communications training thus pays powerful dividends once team members begin to interact with customers.

Top brand cultures have teams that hold a firm grasp on impeccable communication and know how to react with speed and agility to produce the most value for their customers and clients. The combination of external and internal communication helps to build confidence, create unity, and cultivate brand loyalists who influence others to be part of the culture.

6 simple steps to communication success

1. Create intent
2. Communicate intent via clear and accurate message
3. Direct message to specific recipient(s)
4. Watch for and observe reaction
5. Respond, confirming comprehension
6. Confirm communication completion

Creating intent can be simple. For example:

I will…

• set up a meeting via email with a select contact
• call this client to tell them about a unique opportunity suddenly available
• see that client today and inform them of the successful campaign results

Communicating that intent clearly and accurately can become challenging if overthought and overwrought. Most executives and business professionals have their time scheduled tightly, so make it clear and concise. Deliver intent at a crisp pace, with sharp clarity and simple messaging. Above all, stay focused on the goal of the intent, and resist the temptation to deviate or become sidetracked.

To promote swift comprehension, break the message into “thought packets” of one to three lines. For example, in email: an introduction including a brief greeting, followed by your clearly stated intent, then a closing with a call to action and signature. A message can have as many thought packets as necessary but exclude long paragraphs, rambling monologue, and adding unnecessary extra words. State the message by sticking to only facts and solutions.

Leaving a message for a specific recipient via email (or voicemail if it’s the only available option) takes the communication beyond your control—once the message is delivered, all you can do is await a reply. The recipient will respond either quickly or slowly. Both email and voice communications should generally get a response within 24 hours. Texts and instant messages should be handled within three hours of receipt or less (barring emergencies). Assuming the recipient is also fond of excellent communication, then they will respond within a reasonable time frame.

If the call connects, or if the meeting is face to face, deliver the message with focused intent; then, listen to and/or observe the reaction. We all possess the necessary tools to pick up on body language and audible cues which enable us to connect on a deeper level with the words being spoken—and most importantly, to actively listen with and for intent.

Concentrating and internalizing the words so they paint a clear picture in the mind enables the formulation of an accurate response. Providing a timely and accurate response completes the interaction and ties up those annoying loose ends that generate needless stress. Ensure that all “thought packets” within a given communication are adequately addressed; until the interaction is completed, patiently but persistently follow up on any important thoughts that attempt to flutter away.

The most common lapse in the process is the final confirmation and closure to call the communication complete. The final, step is to acknowledge the recipient and the time they provided. This can be done with a simple “Thanks, I appreciate your time” or “Thank you”. This last gesture confirms that communication is complete. Success! Everyone who was engaged in the conversation has certainty that it is complete. No dangling loose ends silently consuming mental energy.

Follow these 6 simple steps for communication success, and practice by applying them to every possible interaction. As you get in the habit of keeping your messaging simple and following through to completed closure, your communication will become more clear and accurate. Those with whom you interact will appreciate—and may emulate—your efficiency in communication, which will enhance their own workflow. Everybody wins!

Communicating with clarity, precision, and a caring nature brings value to everyone involved. I challenge everyone to be a better communicator by applying these six simple steps to communication success to each of your daily interactions. It ultimately makes a positive difference in your business as well as personal life.