To gain brand recognition your company name, logo and message must be placed in sight of your potential and current clients as often as reasonably possible. You need people to get use to seeing your brand name.

One method of accomplishing this in the offline world is through the smart usage of tools like branded gifts.

Branded gifts are those items given out at trade shows, seminars and other functions, you know, the pens, notepads and other small items that display the company’s information.

These are excellent ways to spread your message and have these tools continue to work on your behalf after you and the person receiving the gift have gone your separate ways. Businesses of all types use these items for one simple reason, they work.

As online entrepreneurs and marketers we too should be using these tools to help us deliver our messages.

Do you only advertise your business online? If so, you may be overlooking lots of potential clients and future business.

Merge the online and offline worlds

There is no reason to stop conducting business when you leave the keyboard. Be certain to always be armed with some business cards that point directly to your blog or website.

Be creative in your travels and look for opportunities to leave a business card or two. Attached them in your community supermarket or house of worship, where most have a bulletin board for local businesses.

While out dining with the family and friends, leave a couple of business cards or a branded pencil on the table among the condiments. If it’s really nice and professional looking, it will find it’s way into someone’s pocket or purse. Never leave more than a couple; spam rules apply offline as well.

I have many friends and associates who operate businesses who are more than happy to place a stack of my business cards in their establishments. In fact, many call to let me know when they are running low.

Creative branding can be fun and there are millions of customizable items available, each of which serves a purpose. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Items like pens, pencils, envelope openers, postcards and a host of other inexpensive items can be given away to help enhance your brand’s recognition.

Companies that manufacture promotional goods are quite numerous and yes, some of the goods can be somewhat costly, but view them as investments in your business. Many of these companies, like Zazzle.com, will manufacture the products without a setup fee.

Start with the smaller less expensive items to give away as gifts. More expensive items like shirts, caps and jackets can be designed and worn yourself as a means of advertising.

The point is this, the building of your brand takes time and the more you can work on this both on and offline, the better it is for your business.

Be creative and dare to be different!

Have you considered offline advertising for your online business and if so, what methods can you share with us?

Creative Ways to Spread Your Brand is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

“The whole world is a stage” someone once said, and it’s truer today than ever before. With so many people and businesses online, one may consider some of the following options for protecting your brand.

1. Choose Wisely – From the very beginning, try to choose a domain name that has something unique about it. Also purchase multiple extensions of that name to keep the competition at bay. Simply buying the .com version and leaving the .net for someone else to grab and start a similar business is unwise, particularly if the name clearly states the topic (cooking, guitars, etc.) which means the other extensions will cover the same thing. Spending the extra money on the domains can save you a lot of heartache later.

2. Obtain a Trademark – Identify those unique elements of your brand and have them trademarked. Here is the U S you can use the United States Patent and Trademark Office site to help you with the process. A trademark distinguishes your goods and products from those of others.

3. Monitor – Some time ago I wrote some Google Alerts Tips showing how you can use it as a tool for monitoring what is being said about you and your brand. You can find the tool here at Google Alerts. Simply setup an alert for your name or the name of your business and the results will be emailed to you at a frequency you choose.

4. Avoid Negativity – Inevitably there will be situations where things can turn negative. A heated discussion breaks out in comments; an inaccurate statement is made about your product, etc. For these reasons you must protect your personal and business brand, avoiding negativity that could damage your image. Staying out of these types of situations is one of the most important things you can do to enhance your career and boost your public persona. Always observe good behavior and project a professional image.

5. Take Action – Take the proper steps now to protect your brand. Often things may be put off until tomorrow, which never arrives and the next thing you know, a real problem has arisen that could have been avoided.

In Closing

More than likely, you have put in or are in the process of putting in a lot of hard work building your business. Don’t let your sweat equity be wiped away by a lack of protective measures.

Have you taken steps to protect your brand?

Can you add to the above?

You may leave your comment below.

Keep Blogging!

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5 Tips to Protect Your Brand Online is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

I’ve been an Entrepreneur for many years, having run several offline businesses, and one thing that I have come to realize about online businesses, the techniques for success are pretty much the same.

Makes me wonder why so many have made the process so difficult, including yours truly.

For some reason many view online businesses as different, requiring some other approach, something besides what has been proven to work.

I ran a couple of static websites many years ago, But when I returned to the online life to become a blogger I fell into some of the very same traps as other Entrepreneurs and Marketers.

Sometimes knowing better is just not enough, we get caught up and distracted and the next thing you know you’re on the wrong track.

In this article, I will cover some of the more common mistakes made while building an online business, particularly in the early days of development when the tone is really set and you’re just coming out.

The lost time and productivity can be staggering over the long haul, so the sooner you recognize then take action, the better.

If you recognize some of these, don’t feel bad, I’ve made my share as well. The thing is, take corrective action right away and move toward a better path to success.

The list below is in no particular order of importance, but they are all critical mistakes to avoid.

1. Following Your Passion – Unless you are blogging for a hobby, you should carefully consider what your blog’s topic will be. It is always an easier path to success if you are following your passion and doing something you absolutely love to do. Otherwise, it becomes a job, the very thing many people are trying to escape. It’s never really work when you’re doing what you love. Your main product (content) will be the least of your worries as the topic you are most passionate about flows naturally.
2. Niche Too Broad – Be a specialist and narrow your niche to a specific topic. A topic within a topic may present an opportunity to claim your own specialty.
3. Failure to build a mailing list – This is a big mistake, you should begin this process as soon as you launch your blog or very shortly thereafter. The longer you put this off, the more subscribers and potential future customers you leave on the table. You could someday come to regret this mistake.
4. Failure to provide an incentive to subscribe – Unless you provide a free incentive like a report, an ebook or an ecourse, your subscriber rate will suffer. You have to give people a reason to want to subscribe. Solve a problem or provide information that benefits the readers in a positive way, be helpful. Think about what’s in it for them.
5. Your Site’s Purpose Is Unclear – When a new visitor arrives on your site, you have about 15 seconds to deliver your site’s purpose, telling them what it’s about. If this is unclear, they may move on without really knowing what you have to offer.
6. Most Critical Information Not Above The Fold – Viewing your site as a newspaper, the area that’s visible without having to scroll down is known as “above the fold” and is where your most important information is to be placed. You must assume that most readers are somewhat lazy and will not scroll or search your site to find the information they want or need.
7. Set Expectations From Day One – If you plan to monetize your blog, offer something from Jump Street. Let the readers know that you will provide plenty of helpful content, but products are in the works as well.
8. Poor Site Design – KISS Keeping it simple is a big plus here. Avoid the bells and whistles that distract and really only serve as eye candy, providing no real value to the experience. Your blog must be easy to navigate and easy to read and locate information.
9. Ineffective Social Networking – One of the main components of establishing an online business is directly related to the connections you make through networking activities. Get out there and expand your brand’s reach, make some friends and contribute to the betterment of the community you frequent. It may sound a bit like a popularity contest but it’s really about those who will step to the challenge and produce. It’s about the action takers.
10. Too May Outpost – it is so easy to sign up for or join a host of sites and forums, spreading yourself too thin to cover the spread. Guarding against this is crucial. You could end up with sites that have gone too long without updates, leaving an appearance of untidiness. At some point you’ll have to go back and clean these up, work you could do without as this is not the best investment of your time.
11. If You’re In Business Be In Business – My man Jordan Cooper of Not A Pro Blog said it best. Why open a Pizza Store and talk about the damn pizza for six months? (paraphrasing) Sell a slice from the very beginning; you are in business aren’t you? When you think about this you know it is so true, yet this plays out on the daily.

In Closing

By no means are these the only mistakes and missteps to avoid, there are too many to cover in this post. But keeping as many of these pitfalls out of your path as possible will serve to advance your efforts tremendously.

Building a business and a reputable brand requires a great deal of dedication and hard work. It’s what we want, our lifestyle, our way. That’s what makes it all well worth the effort.

Everyone wants to create and build their own Digital Empire, but only through hard work and action will that be achieved.

Have you had to fight through similar challenges?

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11 Mistakes to Avoid While Building Your Online Business is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

A personal brand is simply a process used to mark or identify people, their businesses or careers as a brand. It’s what they represent in the eyes of others. I don’t know that he needs to be any more complicated than that.

As a business operator, you will make yourself synonymous with your company and the services or products it provides. You’ve staked your claim on a niche so take charge, lead the way and get your message out there.

To assist with creating your personal brand you will need tools. Let’s have a brief look at some of the tools of the trade, common to any person looking to build a personal brand.

1)   Business Card – No matter the line of work or size of the company, a business card is a must. To not have one leaves you open to being perceived as less serious than you should be. The card should have all of your contact information, your photo and a brief explanation of what the business is all about.

2)   A Professional eMail – An email address that represents the company or business you are affiliated with looks much more business-like than Skippy@jivehost.net. You get the idea. Create a professional looking email address that brands you and the business you represent.

3)   A Blog or website – Having an internet presence is essential and the best option, in my opinion, is a blog where you can interact with potential customers and build relationships. Choose a domain name that aligns with your business and has a .com extension if possible. A frequently updated blog will outperform and outrank any static web page, resulting in better search engine traffic.

4)   A Well Crafted “About” Page – Whether using a blog or static web site, a well crafted “About” page is a must. Here you will explain in great detail what the objectives are for you and your business. Be certain to include a photo of yourself to personalize this page. People like to see and have an idea of who is behind the business. Avoid leaving the impression of a faceless corporation.

5)   Expand Your Internet Presence – Establish professional profiles on sites like Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. These are the big three sites that can potentially provide access to more than 200 million people collectively. Linkedin will serve as your online resume with references. Twitter serves as your social networking hub and should closely resemble your main blog or website in name and appearance. Include a similar, if not the same photo (passport style) on this profile and install a customized background. Facebook should have a fan or like page that is specifically created for your business. Keep this separate and apart from any personal Facebook page you may have. Carefully go through and set the privacy settings on this company page to avoid being tagged in photos or videos from more personal and potentially embarrassing moments.

6)   Go Multimedia – Create videos and podcast so that people can see and hear you, establishing a more life-like image of who you really are. This is a great way to connect with your potential customer base and provide a personal touch to your brand.

7)   Use Your Creativity – Always think of ways to creatively brand yourself and your business. Simple items like ink pens, note pads, coffee mugs and a host of other items can be bulk manufactured and given away as promotional items. These serve as reminders and continue the branding process for the life of the object.

Results

Utilizing some or all of the tools above will increase your presence and build your personal brand, making it instantly recognizable. The level of recognition is totally up to you and will be the result of the amount of work you put into the effort.

There is no specific one-size-fits-all formula that crosses all business boundaries, so you will have to formulate what best works for your situation. Once identified, simply repeat the process and continue to expand your presence and spread your influence.

Like most things in life, through hard work and perseverance, success will be yours to claim.

Let’s hear from you, are you currently practicing any techniques to expand your presence and build your brand?

Is there something you can add to this list?

Keep Blogging!

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Sign-up for my FREE Blogging For Business e-Course and start building your empire today!

7 Personal Branding Tips – Tools of the Trade is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

As an entrepreneur and blogger building an online business, networking is a key activity that is not only fun, but critical to your personal growth and business development.

Let’s face it, there is so much to do when it comes to successfully building and online business that it’s good to have a network of friends and associates to draw energy from. Just being a part of a group serves to keep you on point in terms of getting things done.

It’s the law of attraction at work, surround yourself with people who share a similar ambition, and have the drive to make themselves successful and together, you all move forward as a group. It’s one of those things, when everyone is engaged the magic starts to happen.

This business is all about networking, building relationships and taking action and when you do these things continually the return on your investment in time will be quite positive.

But that’s not the extent of networking benefits, in fact that’s only the beginning. Let’s have a look at a few others.

1. Shared Knowledge

Being a part of a network and sharing ideas leads to shared knowledge. There is usually more than one way of accomplishing a goal and receiving feedback and discussing other points of view really expands your knowledge base and allows you to see things from a broader perspective.

As an individual it is unlikely that you will have the depth of knowledge and experience as that of a group, but collectively the power can be staggering.

Learning from others who have traveled the trail you are now navigating is always a huge plus for your advancement. Why not listen, learn and avoid some of the common pitfalls that most of us will experience without someone pointing the way?

2. Opportunities

Networking always results in the creation of opportunities, the thing is, you have no idea when or where they may materialize, which is why it’s important to be an action taker, ready to seize on a beneficial opportunity when it does come along.

Joint ventures, partnerships and even needs for services you provide are all possible results of networking.

3. Connections

People within a network of friends will have connections with many other people they have encountered in their own lives. When someone they know has a need and can benefit from products and services offered by someone within the network, that person will likely get the call.

The opposite is also true. You need a service provider and have no one that you know and trust, receiving a recommendation from within your network can be both timely and comforting.

4. Promotion

From blog post to product launches, you have people who will assist you in the promotion of goods and services. This saves you time and removes the risk of over promoting your own content and products. There is also the benefit of additional traffic to your site and an increase in subscribers and sales.

5. The Social

Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are teeming with people and opportunities to connect with others who are traveling a similar path.

Get out there and meet some folks, visit their blogs and interact with them, becoming a part of a few communities. This will enhance your flow of traffic and expand your overall online presence.

Conclusion

Networking has many benefits, not the least of which are the great people you will come to build relationships with. It brings a strong purpose to your business building efforts and really makes for a pleasant experience.

I personally enjoy this and have developed many great friendships. It’s always nice to have friends who have your back.

A couple points of caution:

• As you build your network of friends always think about what YOU can contribute and how you can make the online life better for others.
• Guard against spending too much time on social networking sites, find a balance and keep your most important projects in focus.

Are there other benefits of networking or methods that have served you well that you would like to share?

5 Benefits of Networking is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

In a very crowded marketplace, you should always be on the lookout for opportunities to do some creative branding, something that most others may overlook or find unimportant. It’s what makes your brand different and can give you and edge over competitors.

Your Feedburner subscribe page does not have to look like all the others. Why not claim that piece of internet real estate as your own by branding it? Make it clear that the page is part of your operation by installing your brand or logo. Yes, it’s a small thing but the cumulative effect of branding your business at every opportunity is what it’s all about. Small things matter. Attention to details has always been a positive for anyone who has it.

When someone takes an interest in your site and decides to subscribe to your feed they are often greeted with something like this;

or

This plain version where you can install your own brand image or logo.

So here’s the problem, the one image is too busy and jumbled introducing confusion for early day bloggers and it is just not that inviting for the subscriber. T other image is just too plain.

If you were to add your logo or brand image the result would be something like this;

As you can see, it’s nothing overly dramatic but more than most.

So how is it done?

I’ll show you in the short video below.

To Recap:

• Login to your Feedburner account
• Select the feed you want to brand
• In the left navigation area click “Browser Friendly”
• Under “Appearance Options” be certain that the drop down menu is set to “ClearFeed (English)”, or whatever language is appropriate.
• Be sure that the check box next to “Landing page renders as a web page in all browsers” is clear and unchecked.
• Find “Feed Image Burner” in the left navigation further down the page and enter the link address (URL) to the image. This can be hosted on a sight like PhotoBucket or Flickr.
• Make sure the “Image Source” drop-down is set to “Specify custom image URL”
• Copy and paste the URL into the image URL slot then click “Save”

You should now have a much better looking Feedburner Subscribe Page.

Keep Blogging!

Stay updated via RSS FEED.

How To Brand Your Feedburner Subscribe Page is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

Robb Sutton of “Ramped Up Pro Blogging” fame conducted a contest recently where you could win a free copy of Darren Rowse’s and Chris Garrett’s second edition of the ProBlogger book. I of course entered and thought little about it afterward, until this was posted: [drumroll] And The Winner Of The Problogger Book Is…

Needless to say I was both happy and grateful for the good fortune. When the news broke of the 2nd edition’s release I had considered getting a copy, but had not gotten around to purchasing it, so I then became excited about getting the book so I could read it.

You can get a copy of this book from Amazon.com.

This is really a fine book loaded with valuable information, exercises, tips and strategies. It even covers how you can buy and sell blogs. This is digital real estate after-all.

So here is my big THANK YOU to Robb for the opportunity.

You can visit Robb’s site at www.RobbSutton.com where he covers Pro Blogging and provides many valuable lessons with his insight.

Review – ProBlogger Book, Second Edition is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

As a loyal listener of BlogcastFM, I often wonder if others are listening to all of the great interviews conducted by co-founders Srinivas Rao and Sid Savara. When you know about something of value, you want to share it with others.

If you are a Blogger, Entrepreneur, Internet Marketer or whatever title you have bestowed upon yourself, and you’re not taking advantage of this great service and the valuable resources provided, this post should serve as a notice that you are simply missing out.

This centrally located repository of interviews from industry movers and shakers is not to be overlooked. Each podcast is loaded with tid-bits of valuable information that both educated and motivate. Much as you are what you eat, I believe that you are also what you listen to and surrounding yourself with conversations from successful business people has a definitively motivating effect.

I should feel a little guilty, downloading all of these wonderful podcast to my Blackberry for consumption while driving but hey, I don’t. This has allowed me to turn my vehicle into a rolling classroom of sorts. But I digress.

Srini and Sid have really done a fine job. When not on his surfboard, Srini can be found at The Skool of Life. Sid blogs at Sid Savara, where he writes about Personal Development. Read more about them here.

BlogcastFM has an ever growing list of podcast from a wide variety of people from all over the globe. Swing by and pay them a visit, sign-up for their Newsletter and have the latest interviews dropped right to your inbox.

So what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and head on over to BlogcastFM, you’ll be happy that you did.

Keep Blogging!

BlogcastFM – A Great Resource is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

As a founding member of the Beyond Blogging Project I am proud of the direction things have taken and the great relationships that have been built with fellow members. We always  aim to implement ways of doing things differently.

And why not dare to be different?

Well the brains behind the Beyond Blogging Project put their minds together and really got creative for the upcoming reopening of the doors and the result will be a bold approach to having fun.

WELCOME TO BLOGGYWOOD SQUARES!

Following the format of a highly popular game show from the 1970s, there will be 8 days of absolute fun where YOU can participate, have fun and win prizes.

Bloggywood Squares is an event where you can hang out and watch from the audience or become a contestant.

This is going to be a HOT interactive webinar series!

Some of the blogging world’s well known personalities will make appearances and so should you.

You can check out more information and sign up here. Come join us and be a part of something different.

Come Join Us For Bloggywood Squares is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com

When life closes in on you, as it sometimes does, the manner in which we respond can set the tone for how we move forward. Much of the information we receive or are exposed to is often just “stuff”. It looks good at the moment, but does it support what you really want to do with your life?

With that in mind I thought I would share the following 9 tips to avoid becoming overloaded with information that really only serves to distract from key goals and objectives.

Living in a world that has information at every turn provides great benefits to us all, but also great challenges for many, particularly if you have a strong desire and interest in a wide variety of topics.

With time always in short supply, it boils down to having the mental discipline to manage time, using what you have to the very best advantage.

The following tips, when followed daily can provide a renewed sense of control and allow you to recapture and better manage your available time. Results will vary, depending on your circumstances, but trying just a few of these may provide enough momentum to change the way you view the information that surrounds you on a daily basis.

1. Begin the day by spending five or ten minutes of quiet time. Use this time to remind yourself of the most important goals that you seek and focus on removing things from your time line that don’t support those goals. You may not be able to remove some of these things daily, but this step at least sets the tone for the day, giving priority to what’s really important.

2. Develop a firm daily schedule of things to accomplish. Include a lunch and dinner break (slots of time, not a specific time) which provides focus time.

3. Make a listing of all of your magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Review the listing, evaluate the real value in each, the time spent to read them and eliminate as much as you reasonably can.

4. Become a productive commuter by listening to audio versions of books and other materials that you would normally have to find time to read. Rather than listen to the radio chatter, use the time for another quiet session and focus on what you need to do to advance your business.

5. Utilize your cell phone as a tool instead of a hot line. Allow some calls to go to phone mail while you’re working. You know who they are.

6. Reclaim and take control of your inbox. Those emails from people and services that you never read; unsubscribe and get rid of them rather than continue to delete or ignore.

7. Clean up that RSS reader and keep only what truly benefits you. Do you really have time to read all of those blogs when there is so much to do regarding your own business?

8. Eliminate time wasting distractions while working. Turn off the TV, radio, and any other devices that interrupt your flow of production. If you work from home let family members know that you should not be disturbed for a designated period of time.

9. Identify a time management tool to assist you with scheduling, organizing and other tasks that will keep you both efficient and effective.

Unless we are very judicious about the information allowed into our space, we can easily find ourselves overloaded with materials and little time to effectively get the most out of what’s being offered. The result is that you begin to feel that you are falling behind because of the backlog.

The reality; no one can know everything so it is best to concentrate on those topics that enhance your most sought-after goals and objectives.

There are times when we allow things into our lives that are counter to the direction we want to go. By being highly selective and disciplined we can then focus on the things that matter most.

9 Tips to Help You Avoid Information Overload is a post from: Jimi Jones Dot Com