All the world’s a stage and each man in his time plays many parts…(to borrow loosely from Shakespeare). How’s your role-playing going? Are you like me as a business manager busy working “on” your business and including, sales, PR, event management, marketing and promotion into the part you play? We all have a number of platforms or stages to choose from to ensure recognition for our personal or business brand. But these days we're bombarded with so much information from the moment we wake up – checking our iPhones, to the time we fall asleep at night – probably checking our iPhones again. It's getting faster, busier and crazier. Or is that just me?
We not only have our traditional forms of media such as TV, print and radio sending us messages, there are brochures, billboards bus-backs and of course all the digital channels like the internet, blogs and social media sites.
Messages about your product or service are delivered and received in a number of ways – hundreds of ways in fact. There's communication everywhere. So how do you break through all this noise? How can you stand out by implementing personal marketing techniques so that ultimately people buy your product or service?
Self-marketing is about incorporating and blending many roles associated with building and maintaining relationships. These roles can include public relations, social media management, media relations, marketing and advertising. As business owners you need to ensure you have a range of this activity covered for your personal brand as well as your business, as the successful integration and application of all these strategies will ensure not only profitable results for your business but an increase in exposure, recognition and brand reputation.
Here's a brief checklist of tactics you can incorporate.
- Marketing – client sales calls and visits, new client development, database management, building referral networks, affiliate programs or alliance opportunities.This is an integral part of your business that needs to be addressed daily and one area most businesses do work at consistently. However, by incorporating some other communication strategies you can support and maximise your marketing efforts.
- Communication – internal and external through e-News, articles, brochures, direct mail, postcards and other communication collateral. You need to communicate consistently with existing clients to keep “front of mind”. Yet by furthering your communication reach perhaps by submitting articles to trade or consumer magazines you will gain wider recognition for your business.
- Advertising – Advertisements in newspapers or on television, display advertising, radio, Internet and Google ads. Advertising is expensive particularly as a stand alone tool for creating awareness. However a small amount of advertising along with your other communication efforts will bring about maximum ROI.
- Event management – Trade shows, open days, networking events, entering awards, seminars, speaking opportunities, client office drinks or a business lunch.
- Media strategy – Sending out media releases, publicity editorial, interviews and photo opportunities, media launches and building media relationships.
- Digital media management – Website content, website promotion, eBooks, eZines, blogs, social media network updates and search engine optimisation. Like the rest of this checklist, this is a whole communication strategy on its own! Having an online presence is mandatory these days.
- Promotion – Competitions, sampling and free giveaways are a good way to create further awareness.
I know all of this can seem daunting on top of running your business. You are already wearing many hats – that of entrepreneur, financial controller, lawyer and salesperson. However, it is important to implement a few of these tactics. Often the one area in our business that often gets overlooked is the communication and promotion of your personal brand and business. But as the infamous promoter PT Barnum once said, “Without promotion something terrible happens…nothing!”
Need help to plan a public relations and communication strategy for your business? Contact Us.
Read last week’s blog Personal Brand Photo Clothing Choices
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Sue Currie is a personal branding specialist providing solutions to business owners and organisations to boost their image, renown, brand and business. She is the founder of Shine Academy™, providing education and professional development training and the creator of the Shine Personal Branding System™ a process she uses to help executives and entrepreneurs position their professional brand and present themselves with impact and influence. Through speaking, corporate workshops, and consulting, Sue helps businesses and individuals to stand out and shine.
