Grow My Law Firm

Marketing & branding = windows and mirrors

My colleague and Twitter friend, Gabriel Rossi, branding specialist in Brazil, recently tweeted something that hit the nail right on the head: "Marketing & Branding = Windows & Mirrors." I was impressed by this spot-on analogy. Marketing is indeed a window into your product or service, and good branding is a mirror of what your target clients want you to be.

It all goes back to basics, your position. If you have identified who your ideal clients are, what they get from you, why your firm is the best provider, and what value they perceive from your product or service, you are in a position to craft marketing messages that are appealing to those particular people. You can explain the benefits they receive and how their pain will be alleviated. Those are very powerful attention grabbers and one of the best means of piquing enough curiosity to have them want to know more.

Think of marketing as an education process that warms up your prospects to prime them for a sale. Effective marketing provides the right information to turn individuals into a warm prospects. It is the processes of pre-selling and gives them a window into what they get.

A strong brand then acts as a mirror, reflecting themselves back to those target prospects - their desires satisfied, their pain soothed. They see a fresher, better, happier, more satisfied "me," one that they identify with and desire.

Marketing & Branding = Windows & Mirrors. - So true.

by: Christine Pilch
Christine@GrowMyCo.com
My LinkedIn Profile
On Twitter

Unintentional complications - when you do things that damage your brand

I recently received a request from a client for PC training, and I sent out an email soliciting help to a networking group that I belong to. I received about a dozen responses, and I wanted to compile a list for my client to review. I thought that would be quick and easy, but I was wrong.

The problem was that many of the respondents' email signatures were formatted as graphics, which look nice but make it impossible to copy and paste contact information. So I had to retype their info. That wasted my time, and I didn't appreciate it.

Do you do things that make life harder for your clients? Or is your focus completely client-centric. Do you regularly stand in your clients' shoes and appreciate how easy or difficult it is for them to do business with you?

Believe it or not, this contributes to your brand because your brand is about the feeling that people have resulting from their experiences with you. Any roadblock or speed bump in that experience damages the brand that you try so hard to craft.

So think about it. Do you have an unfriendly secretary? Are your clients never able to reach you directly when they need you? Are you always late for meetings and in delivering your work?

You may be the best in the world at what you do, but if you make it difficult to do business with you, that becomes your brand, one where people will say, "Yes, she's very good, but..."

Eliminate that but. Remove the obstacles and make life easier on your clients. That creates a stronger brand

by: Christine Pilch
Christine@GrowMyCo.com
My LinkedIn Profile
On Twitter

10 Things I Know About Blogging

1. In the blogosphere it is perfectly acceptable to republish another blogger’s work as long as you credit them. No permission is required, but it’s nice to make a request just the same.
   
   
2. You must be a good writer. Although the tone may be casual, spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors are not allowed.
   
   
3. Blogs without pictures are boring, so you should have access to photos and possess basic photo editing skills.
   
   
4. Search engines love blogs because the content is constantly fresh.
   
   
5. Your blog can drive traffic to your website and vice-versa.
   
   
6. Popular blogs are often written in first person. This is an opportunity to allow your readers/clients/prospects to get to know you as a person.
   
   
7. Some of the most popular blogging platforms are Google’s free Blogger and LexBlog's and SixApart’s paid blogging platforms. You do get what you pay for in this instance.
   
   
8. The blogosphere is a community, so you should expect to be engaged by others.
   
   
9. One of the fastest ways to get your blog noticed is by posting comments on other relevant blogs, with a link back to yours.
   
   
10. Blogging requires a serious time commitment. You must post at least once/week, every week, and a neglected blog is worse than none at all.

by: Christine Pilch
Christine@GrowMyCo.com
My LinkedIn Profile
On Twitter