Social Media as a Tool of BRANDING

I am going to turn the BIG 30 this year!!! Now even though I still feel young and am young, I can remember a time in my youth when there were no computers or all this technological advancements, at one point we didn’t even have DVDs, we had VHS and now people have either got Blue rays or are on the Netflix and chill vibe.

When mobile phones came out everyone wanted one and it’s the same in today’s world. We treat our mobile phones as our personal diaries and get fixated in our phones, whose Tweeted or Whatsapped us or who liked our latest Facebook post etc., sometimes you can find yourself with your head down constantly wrapped up in your virtual world, whether your prioritizing your phone or hiding from the challenges of the real world sometimes we can get stretched by our social media to the point we begin to break.

The key to social media is being smart with it, knowing when to use it, how long for, how to use it and how to maximize the full potential of what you are trying to achieve. If you've created social media accounts for personal use then that's cool, please enjoy and avoid the negativity that come with it. Alternatively if you’re hoping to improve or excel your career/job prospects or life be mindful of how your social media reflects you. Others can see your social media just like you can see theirs and some employers will even do a cheeky background check before an interview to see what their candidates look like or to get more information on their backgrounds, likes and interests etc. So what you display or how you act online couldn't impact your reality.

Use social media to get the most out of it for you, network with the right people, use the platform to market yourself in the way you would perceive is best for you and your goals. You are your own shop window, treat yourself like a product and brand yourself in the right way, take control of your social media and make the most of it.

For more tips on BRANDING, kindly email a brand expert on brandingmybiz@gmail.com

Startups Are Just A Walk In The Park

I like walking in the park, it's refreshing and gives you the opportunity to reflect on your thoughts. . . . . Now starting up a business is definitely not a walk in the park, whoever assumed or said it was, is simply naive.

There is a lot of planning that goes into starting up a business, from the concept stage when your developing your idea, to turning it into a product or service to then having to market and sell your products to customers can be very challenging and very demanding, you've got to believe in yourself as well as your product/service and brand, you've got to manage your expectations, be patient and show persistence as over time your perseverance will pay off, you've got to be dedicated and put in the work and effort your dreams deserve as you'll only get back what you put in, you've got to network and brand yourself in the right way so you reflect your brand image and the list goes on and on.

You will go back and forth to the drawing board over and over again, however when you achieve success that sense of satisfaction will be all worth it.

PS: the only people who find running easy are the ones that have done it for a while and have a plan in mind, for a new starter it can be very difficult, however with some dedication and effort you'll get there, just like you'll get there when you start up your business, aim high and dream big. Good luck!

For more tips on BRANDING, kindly email a brand expert on brandingmybiz@gmail.com

Don't be this GUY

I spent my whole life chasing money, if you ask me I'd say I'm not money motivated, if you asked somebody that knows me they'll say I am.

I understand and appreciate what money can bring to you, it can give you the things you've never had or always wanted in life.

The problem is sometimes we can get so fixated on a number that our minds shut out everything else around us and we forget to live, the journey we are on, the people that are around us and the moments we can have or share as time ticks away.

Always remember why you started your journey, what made you start and what your end goal was, look at the bigger picture. If you wanted a pair of Nike Air Max trainers because you've never had a pair, you’re not going to tell your friends about the £110 you've paid for them, instead you'd be telling them about your NEW Nike Air Max trainers and how comfortable and clean/fresh they look. That's the satisfaction you’re chasing!! Money is not the be all and end all of life, it is simply a catalyst that speeds the process up, money can't buy happiness, love or success, it can help you on the way to getting there but don't let it end your life. 

Money comes and money goes over time! Time is something you can't get back no matter how much money you've got, use it wisely, build a legacy, have something to show for your time, energy and effort that lasts once the race is over!!!

Branding is EVERYTHING

Client says, your products are expensive compared to your competitors, why should I buy from you?

SalesPerson says, it's because our products are of higher quality

Client says, What's your proof? 

And that remains a question to be answered by every salesperson

Inasmuch as you want to stand out from the crowd, you want to give your business a competitive advantage and still want to make more money

Then you need to consider BRANDING your business!

BRANDING makes the difference even though you sell the same products of the same quality with your competitors.

For more tips on BRANDING, kindly email a brand expert on brandingmybiz@gmail.com

7 Career Mistakes Everyone Makes On The First Job

It doesn't matter what kind of degree you have, how well prepared and smart you think you are - in the start of our careers we are all newbies. We make mistakes (a lot) and it's good if we can at least learn from them. Yes, they can be pretty embarrassing, that's why most of us prefer to forget about them. But if you're just starting your career you might want to know what 7 mistakes almost everyone commits at the start of their career, so you could be prepared.

#1 - Having Too High Expectations

When you're graduating from college you think that your future job is a dream job. That it would be as perfect as you always imagined. Well, we all think that way until we face the reality. The thing is every job has its pros and cons, and there will be a lot of hard work and a lot to learn before it starts being at least on half that romantic as you thought it would be. But, a lot of people face such kind of disappointment at the beginning, especially those who weren't realistic from the start. What you need to realize is that any job is not a piece of cake. Every position in every field has its dark sides and difficulties. But if it would be that easy it wouldn't be fun.

#2 - Bombing An Interview

In the beginning of a career we feel like we can take over the world. We feel over-confident and allow ourselves not to prepare for an interview properly. And then this happens. You're going through the interview and think you did pretty well, but then you start googling the questions interviewer asked you and realize that everything you said and done was wrong. That is definitely not the kind of situation you'd like to repeat. If this happened to you - we're sorry. But if you haven't been there yet - here's a lesson for you: always do your homework.

#3 - Feeling Shy To Talk About Money

Well, that is a mistake that everyone does in their 20s. You're a rookie, don't have a lot of experience and sometimes, simply don't know what you are worth. So, beforehand find out how much professionals of your level earn and seriously think about how much money you'd want to earn on that position. Try not to hesitate, it's better to discuss your salary when hired that have an unpleasant surprise later.

#4 - Trying To Please Everyone

Inexperienced workers often commit one simple mistake - they take initiative to show how productive and smart they are and then realize that it's much more then they could handle. It's okay not to know something, especially at the very beginning of your career. But biting more than you can chew just to become your bosses favorite or to make colleagues respect you is not the best way to succeed. If you want to earn good reputation make sure you can make job done good and in time before taking initiative.

#5 - Ruining Relationships With Your Boss

Unfortunately, there's a high chance that your boss will be a toxic person. Or, maybe, a co-worker that you, simply, hate for some reason. The worst mistake you can do is letting them impact on you, your job and your career. The best thing you can do - is to take control over your emotions and reactions, be a professional and try your best to coexist peacefully. It will be hard sometimes, but eventually you'll have a priceless experience of dealing with toxic people, and those you will meet in your life a lot.

#6 - Being Scared To Make A Mistake

When you're a newbie and everyone else at the company is not you might feel really insecure. And sometimes this insecurity flows out into a fear of taking the smallest decision without the directions from your manager. But it's not a preschool and no one has the time to hold your hand. You shouldn't be afraid to take initiative just to avoid making a mistake. No one promotes passive and unconfident people.

#7 - Messing Up And Covering It

We all are humans, and we tend to make mistakes sometimes. And when it's your first time it can be intimidating. But trying to cover it up is not the best idea. If someone finds out about it you'll have much explaining to do, boss will see you as a liar and you risk even to get fired. If you really messed up - the best decision is to come clean, admit your mistake without making any excuses. It will show that you are a mature person who takes responsibility of his/hers decisions. Tell your boss that you've learned your lesson and ask what can you do to make it right.

fyk@ concept : 7 Steps in Creating a Winning Social Media Marketing Strategy

fyk@ concept : 7 Steps in Creating a Winning Social Media Marketing Strategy

7 Steps in Creating a Winning Social Media Marketing Strategy

Social media was often seen as the wild child of the marketing department—the place where interns started their careers and brands could say random things with little to no repercussions. But times have changed, and the industry has matured.
Yes, social media is still a wonderful place for brands to have a little fun, but it also has a real and measurable impact on a business’ bottom line. Thus, social media can no longer live in a silo; it must be work in tandem with the rest of your business strategy.
To ensure that your social media marketing campaigns contribute to your brand’s greater business objectives, we’ve put together a 7-step guide to coach you through the process. We’ve also incorporated a checklist you can use to make sure you’ve done it all right.

Step 1: Ensure Social Goals Solve Challenges

Goal setting is a staple of all marketing and business strategies. Social media is no exception. Of course, with a range of social capabilities, it can be difficult to determine exactly what your objectives should be. For guidance, look to the challenges before you.
- Has website traffic dipped?
- Is customer loyalty low?
- Do you need to do a better job of building a positive brand reputation?
- Do you just need to make people aware that your product exists?
A smart social media marketing campaign can answer each of these questions. Prove your team’s worth by tackling them head on. To get you started, we pulled together a few common business obstacles and social objectives that can help brands overcome them.

Challenge: Low Website Traffic
The world is online. A brand’s website, therefore, is one of its most important marketing tools. Low website traffic can mean fewer customers and lower profits.
To combat this challenge, your social team should focus its goals on creating links directly to the website (whether they’re from your own social posts or influencers’). Link to useful content, subpages and company images to position your website and your brand as a resource rather than just another cog in the corporate wheel. This traffic should increase leads and, in the long run, revenues.

Challenge: Decreasing Customer Retention
According to The Chartered Institute of Marketing, it costs 4 to 10 times more to acquire a customer than to retain one. To keep your customers around, use social as a tool to support, communicate and engage. A good social relationship with your customers should translate into a better perception and offline relationship with your brand. By developing a strong social bond, customers will be more likely to stick with your brand time and time again.

Challenge: Poor Customer Service
People turn to social to engage with businesses. Therefore, it is important for your brand to be ready to help customers on any channel they can contact you through. Arm your social media team with the materials, education and authority to respond to customer questions and issues. When you do so, you’ll be equipped to respond to your customers in a timely and accurate way, regardless of how they reach out to you.

Challenge: Weak Brand Awareness
Social allows you to reach a broad audience. But honing and perfecting that message takes brain power and time. To create authentic and lasting brand awareness, avoid a slew of promotional messages; instead, focus on creating meaningful content and a strong brand personality through your social channels. Determine relevant hashtags and industry influencers you can engage with, and tap into those resources to extend your brand’s overall awareness.

Step 2: Extend Efforts Throughout Your Organization

Social has long lived within the marketing department, but that doesn’t mean it can’t (and shouldn’t) have a hand in nearly every business function, from human resources to research and development. To create a fully integrated social media marketing campaign, you’ll need to involve and integrate multiple departments, especially if your goals have a direct impact on them. Work with all your teams to determine how you can best support their goals and what key performance indicators are important to them (we’ve outlined some ideas on both below).

Sales
Social selling is a term that has grown in popularity since the rise of social marketing. By searching for sales opportunities and then engaging in a helpful and authentic manner, social media can be a great way to prime the sales funnel and find new leads.

Customer Service
Social media is quickly becoming one of the most important channels through which companies interact with their current customers. Social is an easy and very public way for customers to air their grievances with your brand. If you aren’t responding, it can hurt your reputation and customer relationship.

Human Resources
While the HR team probably spends a good amount of its time on social media looking through the profiles of applicants, it can also use social as a way to increase overall application numbers. Showcase job postings on social media and encourage your employees to share them to their networks as well. Beyond just job postings, social is a useful tool in showcasing your company culture to the world. Highlight some behind-the-scenes images of what it is like to work for your company so you can improve the perception of your brand among candidates.

Research and Development
Your brand’s social audience represents a group that is highly engaged, invested and interested in your product or service. Why not leverage that to serve as an online focus group for your company? Asking for and listening to customer feedback on social media is a nimble and easy way to get instant feedback. Additionally, social media can help expose gaps in a product or service.

Marketing
The marketing department, specifically advertising and PR, traditionally has a strong role in the social media strategy. But there are always new ways to ensure people are aware of and excited about your brand through social. Whether you’re debuting a product, ad campaign or initiative, ensure that social has a strong hand in spreading the word.

Step 3: Focus on Networks That Add Value

Just because a network has billions of users doesn’t mean it will have a direct contribution to your brand’s objectives. Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, focus your efforts on networks that hold the key to your target audience and objectives.
Each network has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each social media marketer should carefully pick and choose which networks they want to take advantage of. Here are some of the most popular networks as well as what they’re best at.

Facebook
With an audience of 1.23 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers an opportunity to reach a broad range of customers and potential customers.
But how can Facebook contribute to your overall goals? Because Facebook’s News Feed is a very visible place for social posts, it’s one of the best places for you to distribute your content in order to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic and distinguish yourself as a thought leader. This strategy is even more effective when you take advantage of Facebook’s targeting capabilities that allow you to tailor your messages to users with certain interests.

Twitter
Where Facebook has the volume of users, Twitter has the volume of messages. In fact, there are over 500 million Tweets sent every day. With all those social messages, there is a great chance that someone is either mentioning your company or starting a conversation that you would be interested in joining.
That’s why Twitter is best to use as a customer service and business development channel. Monitor the network for inbound messages from dissatisfied customers, and quickly turn them into happy interactions. At the same time, look for prospective customers.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn has a robust network of over 332 million users, most of whom frequent the site with a “working” mindset. The advantage with this is that LinkedIn is an amazing network for B2B social media marketers. Whereas sites like Twitter and Facebook catch users more or less on their personal time, LinkedIn gives you access to customers when they’re at their professional best. Use this to build relationships with future customers.

Google+
One of the great things about Google+ is that if you have a strong presence on the site and someone searches for your company through Google, a snippet of your profile will appear on the results page.
Another great feature of Google+ is the ability to hyper-target your potential customers by Communities. Communities are groups of people who get together to discuss specific topics, so if you can find one that your customers are likely to be in, you can post content there that might interest them.

Step 4: Create Engaging Content

Once you’ve involved the right stakeholders, department and networks, it’s time to start building engaging content for your social channels. This content—whether a video, tip sheet or simple Tweet—should all ladder up into your business objectives. Below are just a few examples of good content for social and how to use that to support your goals.

Videos
How-to videos can be a proactive approach to social customer care—answer your customers’ questions before they’re asked.
Behind-the-scenes videos give your audience a sense of your company culture and brand personality.

Guides
Position your organization as a thought leader and elevate your brand by developing engaging content that speaks to your customers.
Guides should cater to your target audience, ensuring you’re actually adding value.

Infographics
Internal or external data can be turned into a beautiful, insightful infographic.
When done right, infographics can be some of the most socially shared pieces of content, so make them engaging and resourceful.
Get ahead of the game by planning your content in advance, using a social media editorial calendar. We’ve put together this 4-step guide for creating a social media editorial calendar that should help you get started.

Step 5: Identify Business Opportunities Through Social

With millions of messages being sent across social channels every day, there is no doubt conversation happening around your brand. Social media monitoring, therefore, should be an essential part of your social media marketing strategy. Below are some ways you can monitor social media to identify larger business opportunities for your brand.

Brand Mentions
People who are mentioning your brand on social are some of the highest quality leads you can drive. They’ve already proved they know your product/service and have an interest in reaching out to you. Engage with them, foster that relationship and potentially create a brand advocate. If the mention was less than positive, use the opportunity to showcase your stellar social customer care and prove that you are listening.

Industry Terms
Think of some of the words you use when discussing your brand, and look out for them on social. By monitoring these terms, you can identify relevant hashtags you should be using, conversations you should be having and influencers with whom you should be engaging.

Competitor Info
Keep a pulse on the competition. Social media can give you insights into your competitors’ marketing plans and help you identify gaps in your product or service.

Step 6: Engage Instead of Ignore

We can’t say it enough: Whether someone is commenting on a post you’ve made, writing on your wall or mentioning you on Twitter, it’s important to always stay engaged. Shockingly, our social study shows that 5 in 6 messages on social requiring response are not answered by brands. If customers are consistently ignored, they’ll eventually ditch your brand all together and look for an alternative.
Be sure to respond to customers who have left negative feedback about your brand as well. Too many companies have lost favor with their fans by trying to delete the message and sweep it under the rug.

Step 7: Track, Improve and Market Your Efforts

You won’t be able to really begin analyzing and improving your efforts until you’ve successfully got steps 1-6 operational. This final step is actually a step back, letting you figure out what’s working and what’s not.

Use a Tool to Track Success
Sprout Social was created with social media marketing in mind. Sprout offers a full suite of social media analytics, which help you pinpoint exactly which of your messages perform best. You also can use tools like Google Analytics, which integrates with Sprout, to see which of your posts are driving traffic, conversions and overall revenue.

Build on Success
Once you have a good understanding of which content is driving the most engagement, site visits and conversions, you can use that knowledge to increase your success. Write content and social media posts that are similar to the ones that have worked in the past. This is an ongoing process that will help you hone your unique social voice.

Share Your Success
The last step is to let the company know about the successes you’re finding—especially those who have a stake in the strategy. This allows you to prove the worth of social media and showcase its broader implications across your entire enterprise.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt to show off how hard you’ve been working.

STOP Searching For A Job Before You Answer These Questions

Job-hunting is not an easy process. While looking for a job you have to show patience, spend much time and do a lot of work. So before you leap into a new job search, it’s important to take some time to consider exactly what it is you are looking for. What skills you can contribute to a company and what kind of job can help you achieve your career goals. These questions you should ask yourself will help you save time and effort in your job search:

1. What do I want from a job?

The first thing is to decide what kind of work do you want to do. Do you want to work at the same field you are now or are you ready for some serious changes? Finding out what you really want is the key to finding a fulfilling job. Take some time to figure that out before you start a job search and it will probably save you a lot of headaches later. If you have no idea what you want, how will you ever look for it or find it?

2. What skills and experience do I have?

You need to think about what it is that makes you unique and attractive to prospective employers. What unique value do you offer? What are your skills you can bring to the table of a potential employer that nobody else quite does? What have you specifically accomplished?

3. What I don't like about my last/current job?

What don't you like about what you are doing? What DO you like? You have to decide all the pro/cons of you previous job, and this will help you to see better what do you want or don't want on your new job.

4. What management style do I need?

Do you need a manager that will allow you to work a flexible schedule and make decisions on your own? Or do you need a competitive environment to be more productive? Maybe, you are a better worker in a collaborative team? Think about it:, and be honest with yourself. And when you determine your management style - you will know another question to ask in an interview.

5. What kind of schedule do I want?

What sort of hours do you want to work? Are you looking for a temporary or a permanent job? Do you want to work part time or full time? Maybe, you've been dreaming about working from home since forever. Maybe, you want to spend couple of month a year traveling around the globe? By figuring out what you need, you'll know where to put your efforts when you start looking for work.

6. What my social-media profile says about me?

It's not a secret that employers are surfing the web trying to find out whether a candidate fits for a job. So, you may consider to make some changes in your account before applying for a job. Think about what will help you to make a good impression.

7. Am I ready for a lifestyle changes?

Are you willing to make a big change for the perfect job? Maybe you will find a job of your dream and the only thing that will hold you back. It might be a different shift, a lower salary, or a big change in a location. You should consider that many new jobs bring changes, and before you start looking for work, ensure that you have the support you will need.

8. What is my ultimate goal?

The job you accept tomorrow may not be your dream job, but if it’s getting you into your desired field or industry or is with a reputable employer, consider it a stepping stone to where you ultimately want to land. You can’t expect to get there overnight.

9. How much do I want to earn?

What are your salary expectations and are they realistic? Many employers and employees are putting greater focus on benefits over salary; don’t just focus on the numbers – think of the entire package.

10. Do I have a plan?

How long do you think it will take to find a job? How long can you afford to be unemployed? You should have some idea of your employment goals. If you want to have a job in the next two weeks, you need to act quickly. If you are currently employed, how will you fit your job search activities into your current job? How much notice do you need to give your current employer? These are all things that if sorted out before your job search, can help make things easier for you later. Deciding on a strategy will help you avoid wasted time and job search effort.
All these questions if asked beforehand, will help you to get a clearer picture of what you desire and make a job-hunting process easier for you. Once you’re clear about the type of work you’re suited to and feel excited about doing, you can create a much more targeted and effective job search plan. And look forward to taking the next step forward in your career.