Hurdles Integrated

14/12/2013

The Significance of Logo in Branding Strategy

In addition to creating a unique name, designing your own distinct logo is another effective branding strategy that every business owner can employ. Aside from the name, having a logo to attach to that image reinforces the potential power that your brand has in the market. As a factor that compels customers to pick your brand out of other competing businesses, this is something that every businessman need not take lightly. Visual recognition is the main purpose of a business or brand logo. Therefore, you need to produce a logo design that would easily stand out and be recognized. There are two steps involved in the process of creating a logo: first is conceptualization and then ex*****on. The conceptualization part is where you extract ideas from the message that you want your brand to convey to the consumers. Then, the ex*****on part is where you produce creative ideas that will make tangible that concept you have for your brand. The ex*****on part is the most vital part in this process because a good concept could still fail if not executed properly. Here is also where you should decide on the color or styles used in the logo.

Significance of a Logo
Logos are an integral part of a company’s branding strategy mainly because it is a visual representation of the company. For instance, companies create simple yet elegant designs to produce the idea of stability and trust. Meanwhile, other companies create an interactive and complex design to showcase the different features of the company. Going back to the creation process of a logo, the information that you want to reveal about the company and its product will serve as basis for the creation of the concept for your logo. The same goes with how you utilize the design to showcase those information. There are different methods done to achieve this but you can perform some brainstorming to get the ideas out.

Logo as a Branding Strategy
The company is logo is the most important part in the creation of company image. It can be used as a trademark for the company to represent its existence and identity in the market. As compared to most advertising campaigns, a successful logo is one that is able to stay in the memory of the customers at a longer time and be able to appeal to their attention. This is crucial whenever you have several other similar businesses trying to achieve the same. If you have decided on a final design for your company logo, then you can utilize that on various mediums such as websites, billiards, ad spaces, business cards, promotional items, and many more. If you did a successful job on the creation alone, the presence of the logo itself will serve as a reminder to people about your company and what type of business you do.

Protecting Your Logo
Since the logo is now a representation or visual image of your company, you must do your best to safeguard it and protect your company’s reputation in the market. If possible, you must patent your logo once you have decided on using it. Since you have invest much on it, you have to ensure that it is solely the property of your company. This applies not just for large-scale companies, but even for small ones as well. Also, when you are working with somebody else in designing the logo, such as a logo design firm, opt only for those legitimate ones. This would help possible cases of infringement or to protect the reputation of your own company. After all, the main essence behind creating a logo as a branding strategy is to create your business identity.

30/11/2013

Effective Tactics for Acquiring Facebook Fans & Twitter Followers

Digital marketers do not believe that the most commonly used tactics for acquiring Facebook fans and Twitter followers are very effective in delivering quality community and audience members, according to a recent report from ExactTarget.

In the case of Facebook, the two most popular tactics are

(1) displaying a Facebook Like button or link on a website (93% use them, but only 46% rate them as effective), and

(2) including a Like button or link to a page in emails/newsletters (70% use, 35% rate effective).

Effective Facebook Tactics for acquiring fans
•Organic growth methods, such as engaging in conversations (58% use, 67% rate effective).
•Working with influencers/bloggers (33% use, 56% rate effective).
•Facebook contests requiring fans to submit their own content (36% use, 54% rate effective).
•Facebook ads: Sponsored Stories (25% use, 67% rate effective).
•Facebook ads: Display ads/non-Sponsored Stories (30% use, 52% rate effective).
•Answering customer service questions on Facebook (34% use, 69% rate effective).
•Directing people to Facebook for customer support (17% use, 50% rate effective).
•Regularly offering FAQs and how-to content on Facebook (29% use, 50% rate effective).

Twitter Tactics for acquiring followers
•Product/prize giveaways with “follow” required (20% use, 57% rate effective).
•Working with influencers/bloggers to promote a Twitter profile (28% use, 51% rate effective).
•Publicly answering customer service questions on Twitter (27% use, 60% rate effective).
•Regularly offering FAQs and how-to content in tweets (22% use, 59% rate effective).
•Adding a Twitter button or link to a website (65% use them, 43% rate them effective).
•Incorporating a Twitter button or link in emails/newsletters (64% use, 32% rate effective).

Only a small percentage of marketers surveyed use ads to acquire Twitter followers. However, the tactic shows promise: of the 6% of respondents who advertise their Twitter profiles via paid search ads 50% say the tactic is effective.

21/11/2013

Key Questions to help develop your Twitter strategy

Following Twitter’s initial public offering, the company is now valued at $140 billion with 280 million monthly users, Twitter is not profitable – yet. But there is opportunity for your business… The ability to share updates, disseminate content to prospects, customers, influencers or even just people who are interested in your brand, presents you with the perfect tool for real-time brand awareness.

Of course we know there are also many other advantages of Twitter including service, lead generation and relationship building, with many great examples of brands using Twitter for customer care. So in fact the questions you should be asking are not only how does Twitter support our business objectives, but more so, do we have a Twitter marketing strategy? How your business uses Twitter should be aligned as part of your social media marketing strategy, key questions you should ask before delving into it are:

1.Is Twitter right for our audience? If yes, build up a persona of who your Twitter customer is and what will make them tick.

2.Are our users already using Twitter? Conducing social media listening will help to establish conversations already happening about your brand.

3.What are our goals for Twitter? Twitter can support marketing and sales, HR and recruitment, corporate communications, customer service, and many more business functions, but it is good to decide your approach and set KPIs beforehand.

4.What will we share on Twitter, how often and who will be responsible for it? Creating content planners, training and providing clear guidelines on who should use the channel will help to create a consistent tone of voice.

5.How will we measure the impact of Twitter? On a very basic level look at interaction with posts and traffic to your website. In more depth look at lifetime value of a customer, what they go on to do e.g. shop / sign up, and how Twitter improves the overall customer experience. These are a just a few questions that we cover in our Twitter marketing strategy guide, recently updated to include smart and practical ideas to integrate Twitter into your business.

09/11/2013

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12/10/2013

Large Brands Increase Commitment to Mobile.
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32% of major brands surveyed by O**m are spending at least $300,00 on mobile annually and growth in the format is likely to surge next year.

The O**m study focused on the top 300 brands. Virtually all of these brands use mobile and 20% say they’ll be increasing their mobile commitment by 50% over the next couple of years. These merchants say the top developments in the mobile advertising ecosystem include responsive design, native ads and HTML5.

Mobile is not without challenges. The same privacy concerns that surround all digital advertising remain an issue for people who use their smartphones and tablets to research products and services. However, the number of merchants worried about privacy and its implications for consumer backlash has dropped from 40% to 22% in the past 2 years. Merchants are worrying less about the fragmentation of mobile operating systems in the market as well. Only 23% say this is an issue now. In 2011, 39% said they had concerns about OS.

This study also considered the differences between B2C and B2B operators. A significant percentage of B2B companies, 41%, say that mobile marketing is still experimental for them. Only 50% of B2B merchants are happy with their mobile ad outcomes. In addition, about 45% of B2B operators will focus their efforts on smartphones instead of feature phones, believing they’ll achieve a better outcome with this strategy.

The O**m study shows that while mobile is gaining ground, marketers are working hard to tweak the problems they have with this format. As they do so, the funds invested in mobile will continue to increase.

How much are you planning to spend on mobile next year?

29/09/2013

Social media - it is probably the most phenomenal invention ever conceived by man since the birth of the World Wide Web. And even though earlier versions of online communication have flourished since the earliest days of the internet, nothing compares to the versatility, ease of use, and fun factor of social media.

So what is social media? These are websites that are designed to allow people to connect to one another in a unique and brand new way. Users can keep their contacts updated round the clock. Graduating from the primitive text-form updates, users of modern social media sites can now also upload photos, video clips, slideshows, and music.

Some of the most illustrious examples of social media include Facebook and Twitter.

The trend of social media created something unprecedented in history - an online social community composed of millions of users around the globe. With social media, you have the power to reach people anywhere on the globe where there is internet connection.

And the world of business and commerce is not slow to realize the profit potential of social media. Businessmen and investors quickly realized the huge potential that social media holds. They are particularly interested in the ability of social media sites to reach almost anyone.

Yes, businessmen saw social media as a potential advertisement channel - a powerful advertisement channel that might rival the influence of television advertisement.

Now, businessmen are effectively using social media sites to advertise their products and services. They also use social media to gather useful information which they can use for their marketing strategies.

For instance, businessmen can use social media sites to perform a low cost survey campaign. Never before in the history of business has surveying been as cost effective. Moreover, social media sites allowed businessmen to reach more people than ever before.

But for a social media site to serve its purpose, one must know how to use it properly. Take note that social media is a double-edged sword. If wielded correctly, it can propel your business upwards. If used wrongly, the effect can be the opposite.

03/09/2013

Marketing has always been based on a few core principles: understanding customers, meeting their needs, and doing so in a way that builds trust.

But technology is dramatically changing marketers approach in achieving those goals .

From tablets to touchscreen, the average customer is now more digitally empowered than ever – they can engage with and consume content through an ever widening range of devices and platforms.

Digital is creating huge levels of interaction at an unprecedented levels.

So how does a marketer adapt?

26/08/2013

Tips for Creating Relationships That Drive Sales

Strong customer relationships drive sales, sustainability, and growth, especially in today’s economy. Companies that build and maintain excellent customer and client relationships lead the pack, whereas those that don’t put clients first fall off pace and, eventually, disappear completely.

It is no secret that customers are a company’s greatest asset and it costs much less to retain a current customer than it does to acquire a new one. But even though loyalty improvements should be a priority, many businesses struggle to improve the vitality of their customer relationships, especially when they confuse customer satisfaction with loyalty.

Sure, customer satisfaction is important, but to achieve long-term customer loyalty, businesses need to dig deeper and identify proven tactics for strengthening the health and depth of their business relationships.

Why Relationships Matter

A clear correlation exists between the quality and length of customer relationships. Essentially, the stronger the relationship, the longer the customer will continue to do business with you.

A big mistake companies make is not realizing that customer satisfaction does not always translate to loyalty. A satisfied customer is simply someone who has received what he was promised—nothing more, nothing less. Strong customer relationships, on the other hand, imply that you have delivered something extra or provided added value to the customer. Long-term loyalty and the countless benefits that go along with it are awarded to companies that go the extra mile for their customers.

For example, treating your customers with respect on both a professional and a personal level will communicate that you appreciate their business and, most of all, that you value their opinion. Remember the personal details. Did they mention an upcoming birthday or wedding anniversary? Take a mental note and remember to send a card or say congratulations at your next meeting. Let the customer know the relationship means just as much—or more than—the paycheck.

By investing in the development of healthy customer relationships, you can increase loyalty and build long-term value. When you establish trusting, mutually beneficial relationships, customers are also more likely to deliver larger wallet share, higher conversion rates and referrals—all of which are essential ingredients for a successful business.

Creating Strong Customer Relationships

The push for stronger and healthier customer relationships needs to start now. Regardless of your industry, here are tips worth considering as you formulate a strategy for improving the quality of your customer relationships.

1. Engage customers

Successful relationships are a two-way street. Loyal customers and clients want to be actively invested in the relationship.

If you notice that a customer is limiting his or her involvement with you, it could be a sign that the relationship is on shaky ground. For example, if you find that certain clients often cancel calls or do not respond to your emails, that may be an indication they are limiting the time they invest because they are looking to take their business elsewhere.

To improve engagement, empower customers by inviting them to partner with your company in the process of generating new ideas and initiatives. Are they planning to enter a new market or launch a new product? Ask for their opinion and find out their short and long-term goals. When you draft a game plan, keep them in mind. Plan a brainstorm session; doing so will help build rapport and also give you an inside look at how they operate.

2. Become the first call

Ideally, customers should view your company as a Trusted Adviser, which means that you are the first person they call when they pursue a new line of business or launch a new project, or if they need help.

To become a Trusted Adviser, consider offering assistance before the customer asks, as a way to demonstrate your commitment to the relationship. By getting involved early in the process, you bring added value to the relationship and gain access to additional selling opportunities.

Regularly sending them industry news and updates will also help to position you as an expert and also communicate that they are top of mind.

3. Solicit feedback

In addition to offering useful and relevant information, regularly solicit feedback and advice from customers.

In many cases, insight from regular feedback improves relationships by highlighting problems that existed below the surface—and also because you’ll be communicating that you are willing to go the extra mile to make sure you’re meeting their needs. Feedback may also reveal ways in which the relationship can be expanded to include a greater scope of products or services.

If you’re serious about improving your customer relationships, implementing a regular feedback system is a great way to keep tabs on your customers’ wants and needs, which are likely to change from time to time.

Ditch the annual form survey and replace it with something tailored to the individual customer. Whether you use a do-it-yourself survey tool or hire a third-party professional, you are sure to gain important insight into the relationship.

Keep in mind that if you gather feedback from your customer, you must be willing and able to act upon it. Customers who provide you with their feedback expect you to make the changes they’ve suggested. If you gather feedback and sit on it, you may worsen the relationship with your client.

4. Think individuals, not numbers

Customers aren’t homogenous. Rather, every account has its own unique needs and preferences.

If 80% of your company’s customers are perfectly satisfied, you’d probably consider that a home run. However, what would happen if the 20% of unhappy customers account for the bulk of your revenue?

Although it’s tempting to make sweeping generalizations based on aggregated feedback, the best client relationships are created when you tailor your strategy to the expressed needs of each individual customer. If one of your larger accounts doesn’t understand a new billing process, you need to determine a better way to communicate your system. Over time, it could turn into a more serious problem than you expect.

Be alert and pay attention to your customers’ unique needs and treat each like your only customer. It may require more effort up front, but it will pay off in the long run.

5. Maintain open communication channels

Healthy relationships thrive on communication. If your business communicates with customers only at their request or when your company needs something, it will be difficult to leverage relationships as a driver of sales. Instead, touch base often with customers to inquire about their progress and to learn how you might be better able to meet their needs and expectations.

Communication is a key ingredient in healthy client relationships. Satisfied customers are active participants who willingly offer the time and information it takes for you to achieve the best results.

If your customer is shutting you down by insisting everything is simply “fine” without offering context or explanation, it probably means there’s an issue, but the customer simply doesn’t want to fight that battle today. Letting an issue fester is not the right solution. Schedule a sit-down meeting to talk about goals and how you can reach them together. Facing the issues together will help to create a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.

Relationship-building isn’t foolproof. Despite your best efforts, some customers will choose to abandon your company for a competitor. But, on the whole, the implementation of relationship-building strategies will yield measurable improvements in sales and lengthen the duration of relationships with your company’s most valuable customers.

Remember, relationships can always be strengthened

20/08/2013

Are you a Facebook addict? Do you check it daily? Unless you check it 14 times a day, you are below average.

A research by IDC released recently has uncovered that from 7,446 Android and iPhone users in the U.S between 18-44 check Facebook on average 14 times daily. This represents 50% of the smartphone user population.

Some of the key stats uncovered from the study include:

79% of smartphone users reach for their device within 14 minutes of waking up.
62% don’t even wait 15 minutes.
Among 18-24 year olds the numbers rise to 89% (within 15 minutes) and 74% (immediately).
70% of smartphone users are frequent Facebook visitors, more than 50% check daily.
46% of users check while shopping and running errands.
28% use it while at the gym.
47% of users check while preparing a meal.

Peak Facebook time is during the evening, just before bed. On average the Facebook app is visited 13.8 for 2 minutes 22 seconds every day. This is half an hour just via smartphone.

Users in the 18-44 age bracket are frequenting the Facebook mobile app more than ever. This has resulted in Facebook flexing its mobile muscles and further enhancing its app marketing capabilities. The added sponsored stories on mobile begins to play an even bigger part in reaching a younger audience adding to the value proposition that is Facebook advertising.

Keep your eyes on Facebook and its continued focus on mobile use with increased consistency across all platforms.

Cheers,