Freaked Out to Fearless Bootcamp: Attract Ideal Clients Fast!

Are you sick of your business struggling?

Do you attend networking event after networking event and nothing comes out of it?

Is your website traffic been stagnant for some time now?

Stop Freaking and become Fearless, with our free Teleseminar!

Sign up today, to secure your spot at our Freaked to Fearless Teleseminar, taking place Tuesday August 30^th,  @ 10:00 am PST. We will cover specific tactics to help you grow your business both on and offline.

In this 1-hour high-content, high-value call, we are pulling back the curtains and revealing our insider secrets on:

• * How to break through your fears and limitations that have been keeping you from being wildly successful
• * How to recognize and take advantage of big money opportunities that are right in front of your face
• * How the “old school model” of selling is gone.  NOW is the time and the perfect opportunity for you to learn a NEW model for attracting clients
• * How to create a super income stream that is PAINLESS for you and ENJOYABLE for your clients
• * How to create a path of least resistance to wealth through your personal brand

We’ll be revealing ALL in our one-time-only FREE TELESEMINAR happening Tuesday, August 30th at 10am PST/1pm EST.

Cathi and I have never done anything like this before together, so you definitely want to get in on this and reserve your spot now!

Imagine having the know-how to increase your visibility, build your credibility and attract high paying clients to your business.  Isn’t that why you are an entrepreneur?

Register for this call today because you don’t want to miss out!

What Google wants web designers to know about Search Engine Marketing

Transmedia Evangelist gets online web presence

Nicoletta Iacobacci is a curator, producer, designer, pioneer, speaker, strategist, change maker and a proud geek! And that is exactly why we got along so well. Branding Personality recently had the pleasure to work with Nicoletta Iacobacci and build a website for her just in time for her TED talk – February 2011.

Nicoletta spoke at TED just last month about her experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with SafePoint to spread the word about unsafe injections and syringe reuse.  Along with 3 other moms, she trained to make the treacherous trek up the grueling Western Beach route. At base camp, they held a lecture educating the local citizens about the dangers of syringe reuse. The mothers made it in record time and helped spread the word of their mission. Nicoletta’s speech also made Jack Myers curated list of recommended talks at TED 2011.

Nicoletta’s passion is Transmedia. In a sentence: Transmedia is the act of telling a story across multiple platforms and formats. Henry Jenkins shares 10 points that describe what Transmedia is, in his post Transmedia Storytelling 101. Nicoletta hosted TEDxTransmedia in Geneva Switzerland and works for the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, Switzerland, but her work and vision spreads all over the world.

Nicoletta’s website will enable her to get her ideas and message to a larger audience. Browsing her website will allow others to get more information about who she is, what she does and what she is going to accomplish. By listing accomplishments and awards or recognitions she has received, she will appear more credible and be able to differentiate herself from others.

The internet is one of the first places people go to get new information. So wouldn’t you want your company to be able to provide that information through your website? Need help with your website? Call us! 1-877-747-3263 or email and we’ll get you up and running in no time.

How to Create a Presence on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the best social network for businesspeople. Think of it as Facebook for your professional life.  On LinkedIn, rather than discussing your weekend plans, this is the place to discuss your professional experience and opinion.  Creating a presence here is likely to create new job opportunities and open or strengthen client relationships.  To begin creating a presence, be sure to fill out your profile completely, accurately and honestly. Don’t lie or embellish! It just leads to bad relationships in the future if you over-promise then under-deliver.

Find current and former colleagues, employers, or clients on the site. Once you connect you are able to see what they are up to and where they are working currently.  Also, if you have something nice to say, write recommendations for them and ask them to write recommendations for you.

Next, find relevant LinkedIn groups to join and become active in each. That means, search for a group that is relevant to your interests or expertise. There are thousands of groups to peruse. Once you find one that piques your interest join the group. Read what people are saying and respond with your thoughts.  This will provide you with access to people in your industry with whom to network or who may have tips and guidance for you. You can also find out who the leaders are in your niche and make an effort to connect with and learn from them. These people may be able to provide you with helpful leads and guide you in the right direction.  You will also have the opportunity to connect with people who may be searching for your services.

Need help creating a LinkedIn profile? Call us! 1-877-747-3263 or email linkedin@brandingpersonality.com We’ll get you up and running in no time.

How to create a presence on Twitter

Creating a presence on Twitter is one of the best things you can do for your business. Not only is Twitter a wonderful way to contact your existing customers and to find new followers, but it’s also a top opportunity to enhance your online appearance and engage with the community. Here are the top five things you should do with your Twitter account.

1. Tweet regularly.

After you’ve joined Twitter, the most important thing for you to do is use it! Many businesses set up their accounts, only to let them sit around unused. Twitter is about getting in on the conversation. Get one started by proposing a question. Or respond to someone’s question. Use an application like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to easily track your “@” replies and mentions. Try to be timely. If you see something you want to respond to, it’s best to do it then rather than waiting a week until you get a moment. Also, have personality! Don’t be boring! People want to know who you are.

2. Have a good following to follower ratio.

To look more credible, keep the number of people you’re following roughly the same to the number of people following you – a good ratio here lends you credibility and authority.  Avoid the “get followers fast” tricks. Don’t get greedy! As a general rule, it’s proper to follow back those who follow you. They have shown an interest in what you are up to and it’s only polite to return the gesture. You can always unfollow them later if they have questionable content or are offensive.  Think quality over quantity. If you are tweeting interesting and relevant content, people will find you. If you are just starting, go ahead and follow others first.

3. Use Twitter to provide discounts and offers.

Twitter is a great way to provide exclusive offers and incentives to those who follow you. Some businesses have had success offering additional discounts to those who retweet a link, or spread the word through a hashtag post. This gets users involved and they often retweet to their followers. Also, if you provide a unique code, you can track that code to see how successful the campaign was.

4. Create a professional-looking Twitter page.

It’s important that your online presence is professional-looking – create your own Twitter background, and make sure your photo is on the page so people know who they’re talking to. People relate to people, so when they see your face instead of your cat, they relate to you more which helps build trust.

5. Allow people to contact you, and respond to their needs.

Provide contact information, and be available for those who have questions, concerns, or suggestions! An open door will always invite more customers. Respond to tweets in which you are mentioned. Acknowledge tweets even if they are negative, it may be the perfect opportunity to turn a negative experience into a positive.

Need help managing your Twitter account for your business? Call (or tweet) us! We’ll help you get up and running in no time.

Milestones in Leadership and Branding Personality

Branding Personality is thrilled to announce it’s newest client, the Milestones in Leadership Summit. We will be handling the promotion of this unique occasion.  Read on for more about three very special speakers and the purpose of this event.

MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, JOHN IZZO & SRIKUMAR RAO TO SHAKE UP EXECS AT THE MILESTONES IN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Newport Beach, CA, March 10th, 2011 — This isn’t your average leadership seminar – we are looking for significant change.

There are seminars, and then there’s Milestones in Leadership Summit, a transformational day led by internationally renowned change-agents, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author of Mojo and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There; Dr. John Izzo, bestselling author of Awakening the Corporate Soul and The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die; and Columbia Professor Srikumar Rao, Ph.D., bestselling author of Happiness at Work and Are You Ready to Succeed?.

“Leadership is a state of being. Who you are is infinitely more important than the techniques you deploy.” – Dr. Srikumar Rao

On Thursday, March 10th, 2011, the Milestones in Leadership Summit breaks away from the traditional doldrums of seminars that cover momentary motivations, business techniques or processes that don’t develop effective behaviors for lasting change in C-level executives and their teams. Change is too constant and quick to focus only on the superficial issues – we must dig deeper.

New realities require new thinking. Embrace the dynamics of change by bringing new meaning to the work-life balance on an inherent level in an experiential day filled with vulnerable conversations in topics executives don’t talk about.

Topics to be covered include:

·      What got you here, won’t get you there
·      Change your behavior. Control your future
·      Develop yourself to develop others
·      Operating in the zone of intentionality
·      Utilizing your inherent gifts as a form of social responsibility
·      The work / life balancing act
·      The new definition of a successful life
·      Developing a deeper sense of meaning in the day-to-day
·      Uncovering the vision by discovering the passion

Two hundred C-level executives and their teams will be interacting in a unique full-day intensive at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort to achieve new levels of mastery. The Milestones in Leadership Summit is an improved resurrection of the previous Milestone Leadership Conferences that would draw more than 400 attendees.

“Whenever I attend one of these events, I am looking for the little nugget that pays for the event in both money and time. Milestone delivered that nugget, which gave me a significant ROI, on the time I spent attending.” – Steve Pixley, CEO, AutoCrib

Referral networking groups and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to request information on the Milestones in Leadership Referral Partner Program and Sponsor Partner Program for referral and sponsorship income opportunities.

Press passes are available by contacting Courtney Thurman: Courtney at SmallWerks.com.

For additional information or a sample copy of the Referral Partner Program and Sponsor Partner Program details, contact Ron Hoefer of Milestone Insurance at Ron at MilestonesinLeadership.com or by phone at 877-506-5599.

The Milestones in Leadership Summit is an annual journey into transformation featuring breakaway exercises are designed to engage executives in a collaborative environment not found in most conferences. It is truly an event that will transcend every expectation of a day well spent.

The conference was founded by Ron Hoefer of Milestone Insurance, a leading California risk management and insurance services corporation that was built on the Milestone experience, where personal involvement is the key component in every interaction. As trusted advisors, we increase organizational effectiveness through mentorship, education and leadership training.

Please visit our website at www.MilestonesinLeadership.com and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MilestonesinLeadership.

Create a Presence on Facebook

The easiest way to start interacting with your fans is to create a Facebook Fan Page.

Be sure to add a photo of yourself. People respond better to faces than logos. Its important to be approachable so people that you may not know feel comfortable enough to reach out to you. Also, try to fill out the rest of your profile completely including your business information and even photos of your business or events you have participated in. Your brand will look more credible when your profile is filled out completely.

Invite your friends to become a fan. It’s easy to make a warm invitation to others and ask for their support on your projects. Once you have 25 fans, you can create a vanity URL. A vanity url allows you to customize your page a little bit more. Facebook randomly assigns a number to your page, but with a vanity URL, you can decide what your Facebook URL will be. Visit facebook.com/username to register your vanity URL. Be sure to pick a name that represents your business well because once you pick it, you can’t change it!

Next, be sure to update your page. The only rule I have is “Never be Boring!”  Post because you have something interesting to say, not just to hear yourself “speak.” Some great ideas to get started, be a resource! You don’t always have to post information about what you are up to. You can share articles from other websites. And don’t always share the big players, they usually get enough traffic. Help the smaller guys get more attention by sharing their quality content. Mix in updates that aren’t always related to your business. Facebook doesn’t always have to be about business. Let them see your personality and connect on a personal level.

Once your content is up, be sure to interact with your fans. If they ask a question, be sure to reply in a timely manner. You can also comment on other pages. You have to give love to get love. So don’t just sit there expecting people to come to you. Go out and interact with them first.

Go to www.facebook.com/pages to start setting up your Facebook Page for your business or personal brand. If you need any help setting up your Page, we love to help you with that. Call us at 1-877-747-3263 or email facebook@brandingpersonality.com and we’ll get you set up and attract your first fans to your new page!

100 effective ways to promote your personal brand FOR FREE!

Small business brands are heavily dependent on the personal brand of the owner of the company. The business owner is usually (especially at the start of the company) the person that is doing the sales and therefore the face of the company to its clients. Increasing the brand value of the business owner is therefore a major factor in increasing the brand value of the business itself.

1. Create a presence on Facebook
2. Create a presence on Twitter
3. Create a presence on LinkedIn
4. Publish a video with your personality on YouTube
5. Publish your video on LinkedIn
6. Publish a link to your video on Twitter
7. Publish your video on Facebook
8. Post comments on other blogs related to your area of expertise
9. Decide the 10 most important keywords that reflect your business or area of expertise, and use these when writing content
10. Write blogposts on your own blog on each of the 10 keywords.
11. Try to use the 10 keywords in as many places on your website as possible, while still keeping the website an interesting read and pleasurable experience for your users.
12. Post your website links and links to interesting articles or sites in your area of expertise to http://del.icio.us
13. Ping your blog to more directories
14. Increase the optimization of your blog or website on Google, especially for your 10 most important keywords.
15. Increase the optimization of your blog or website on Bing, especially for your 10 most important keywords.
16. Increase the optimization of your blog or website on Yahoo, especially for your 10 most important keywords.
17. Create a presence on Ecademy
18. Create a Facebook Fan Page for your business and start sharing content
19. Post a message every day on Facebook
20. Post a message every day on LinkedIn
21. Post three messages every day on Twitter
22. Share links to good articles in your area of expertise on LinkedIn
23. Share links to good articles in your area of expertise on Twitter
24. Share links to good articles in your area of expertise on Facebook
25. Sign up for events on Facebook
26. Sign up for events on LinkedIn
27. Sign up for events on Meetup
28. Post your Meetup event rsvp’s to Facebook
29. Invite other people to attend the events that you want to attend on Facebook.
30. Create a podcast
31. Make the podcast available for download on your website
32. Make the podcast available for download on iTunes
33. Interview leaders in your industry and post the interviews on your blog
34. Get interviewed by other websites or blogs
35. Respond to free PR opportunities offered by HARO (Help-A-Reporter-Out)
36. Create a page on your website that offers your speaking services
37. Give presentations to local Chambers, networking groups and industry events
38. Post pictures on your area of expertise on Flickr
39. Post pictures on your area of expertise on your website or blog
40. Share your Powerpoint presentations on Slideshare
41. Share your Powerpoint presentations on your website or blog
42. Complete your profile (your full resume) on LinkedIn
43. Complete your profile on Ecademy
44. Complete your profile on Twitter
45. Complete your profile on LinkedIn
46. “Like” Facebook Fan Pages related to your area of expertise
47. Share your knowledge on Facebook Fan Pages related to your area of expertise
48. Share your expertise in questions asked by people in your network on Facebook
49. Share your expertise in questions asked by people in your network on LinkedIn
50. Reply to questions asked by people in your network on Twitter
51. Create searches on your most important keywords on Twitter or in Tweetdeck and respond to questions or give encouragement
52. Add people to Twitter Lists
53. Sync your contacts on LinkedIn to connect with people on LinkedIn that you already know
54. Sync your contacts on Twitter to connect with people on Twitter that you already know
55. Sync your contacts on Facebook to connect with people on Facebook that you already know
56. Sync your contacts on Ecademy to connect with people on Ecademy that you already know
57. Invite people on Facebook
58. Invite people on Twitter
59. Invite people on LinkedIn
60. Write an article for a newspaper
61. Write an article for a magazine
62. Organize a monthly get-together about your area of expertise
63. Invite people to your monthly get-together
64. Share documents on Scribd
65. Give something away for free on your website
66. Write a guest blog post for another blog or website
67. If you meet with clients, share that on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
68. Sync Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter through ping.fm, so you only have to write your content once and post it at the three networks at once.
69. Subscribe to other YouTube channels or people in your area of expertise
70. Reply to messages of your online connections, especially if the content is related to your area of expertise
71. Follow people in your area of expertise on Twitter
72. Connect with people in your area of expertise on LinkedIn
73. Connect with people that talk about your area of expertise on Facebook
74. Write tutorials on something that you know well
75. Apply for awards in your industry
76. Organize a contest
77. Start a community on your own website with WordPress BuddyPress or WordPress Wishlist plugins
78. Use a signature in your emails that invites people to connect with you on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
79. Participate in blog carnivals
80. Link to other blogs
81. Email your friends and contacts to share what’s going on in your life
82. Email your blog readers to thank them (for commenting)
83. Email leaders in your industry to invite them to your blog
84. Organize Tweetups and invite Twitter followers and friends to join
85. Get an account on Foursquare and start checking in at locations that you visit.
86. Share to-do items on the locations that you visit on Foursquare
87. Use a professional headshot as your profile picture on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
88. Create an appealing background image for your Twitter Page
89. Create an appealing logo bug (avatar) on your Facebook Fan Page that is consistent with your Twitter Page background.
90. Use Gravatar to have your personal picture show next to blog comments.
91. Post controversial statements on your Facebook Fan Page and ask for feedback
92. Play online games, like Farmville on Facebook.
93. Post restaurant or business reviews on Yelp
94. Ask for recommendations to former customers and business partners on LinkedIn
95. Give someone a recommendation on LinkedIn
96. Post book reviews on Amazon.com
97. Connect with offline communities that you are a member of on online networks; like BNI or industry organizations
98. Join LinkedIn groups in your area of expertise
99. Ask questions on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook
100. Join the next social network that people start talking about (and no, that’s not Google Buzz)

Do you know other ways to promote your personal brand for free? Please add them in the comments!

BP helps OC Supervisor Candidate Achieve Goals

Rose Espinoza has been a successful mayor in La Habra and a community leader within Orange County for years.  She is now hoping to serve as one of our county supervisors.  Branding Personality is working behind the scenes to help Rose achieve her goals. You can learn more about her political movement on her website.  You can learn more about her as a person here.

Marieke: If you didn’t do this career, what would you do?
Rose: I switched careers in ’06 to what I really wanted to do which is transition the program I founded, Rosie’s Garage, into it’s own non profit.  That was completed in 2008. Second, was to finish the units needed toward my bachelors.  Almost there. And third, run for OC Board of Supervisor, 4th District in June 2010.

MH: Sounds very ambitious! Have you always been this driven? Where did you grow up?
RE: I grew up in a migrant camp set up by the La Habra Citrus Association for families whose head of household worked for them picking lemons, oranges, and avocados.  It later became known as the ‘Red Camp’ because all the homes had a red tinge to them.  Rent was cheap, $7 a month. We had plenty of backyard space for a vegetable garden, a goat (for goats milk), chickens, fruit trees and a clothesline.  We had plenty of yard on both sides and in front of the home.  Growing up with 7 more siblings, we would need the space for all sorts of kid games. Showers were not taken at home but rather at the Red Camp communal center. Dad didn’t like that and soon built a shower addition to our home. And, most importantly, we had an outdoor bathroom, a flushing one.  It was an ‘Opie’ kind of life.

MH: Who was your idol growing up?
RE: I wasn’t allowed to stay for any of the high school activities like football games and pep rallies, etc. but one year, our high school had a concert at our high school football stadium. Three Dog Nite was going to perform at our high school!  How much better does it get!?  Don’t ask me how I got my parent’s permission to attend the concert. I couldn’t believe it, I was attending a real concert!  After that evening, Three Dog Nite became my favorite idol for the rest of my high school years.

MH: If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?
RE: The ability to read the mind of people, then I could know what my opponents in the OC Supervisor race are thinking.
Wouldn’t that be nice!

The 2 Types of Social Media Clients

Different sized businesses have different needs when it comes to Social Media. While some needs overlap, there isn’t a one size fits all plan.

The first type of client would be a big business or a large corporation. This is a company with an established name and identity that needs to remain consistent throughout their social media presence. They are seeking brand reputation and to start a conversation with its customers and interested parties. Their need is to turn their product value into a social value. They are looking for a relationship with the customer because they have more to offer than just their quality product.  Corporate companies are focused more on reputation. They have a perspective on their brand and they are looking to enhance an image.

The second type is the small business that might have a local following or locally established name, but basically hasn’t built their brand yet. They want to use social media for establishing their name and growing their market to a larger area.  When working with a small company, it’s about developing brand recognition and trust as well as make people aware that the brand exists and that it offers value.

I love to help companies find the conversation, it’s like exploring the world for that client. Find out who your potential customers are, how they behave and how you, as a new brand can become of value to these potential customers.