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Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

January 6, 2013 by 1 Comment
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Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

by Frederika Angus

Blog for profit Blog with social media tips for beginners

Blogging these days is about as popular as smartphones; nearly everyone has one. And if you aren’t currently writing a blog, it’s likely that you’ve started one and quit writing in the past, you read someone else’s blog regularly, or you have an idea to start one.

Using a blog is one of the most effective ways to share your creativity, inspiration, and message quickly with those it will resonate with. It is also a great tool to use to brand yourself, share your expertise and build a business around. If you’re just staring out with blogging or looking for help to blog successfully, here are a few tips that will help.

1- Be You!

Authenticity is a critical point to branding, building a business and life in general. The popular phrase “Fake it til you make it” does not work well in the blogging world. People are naturally more suspicious of things that sound to good to be be true. No wants you to be perfect. Being perfect is a myth. Being the real, genuine, best you on your blog will results in building a brand that doesn’t feel like a production. Your blog will become the natural extension of who you are.

2- Be Positive!

When building a brand, save the drama. People may enjoy and laugh and agree with you for a while, but do you want your internet lasting legacy to be one of negativity? Think about the books, tv shows, and friends you enjoy and like to regularly read, watch and be around. If you’re like me, it’s very likely that negativity is draining and you much prefer the positive inspiration to constant negative news. Create that same culture for your brand through your blog.

3- Be Consistent!

Show up and write regularly. Attention spans tend to be short so if you don’t show up, you will quickly be forgotten. Bring your brand to the top of mind for your followers consistently. Once you determine your routine, this will be easy!

4- Be Focused!

Before you start, decide what exactly you will be blogging about. Try not to shift and jump around. For instance, if I talking about branding then jump into discussing makeup and fashion, that will create a disconnect between the topics and with my followers. Decide your focus and the topics you will discuss on your blog. When people arrive at your blog it should be clear what you are about and the type of information they will receive.

5- Be Diverse!

Everyone doesn’t like to read blogs in the same fashion. Some may like to go directly to your website, while others prefer to read them directly from their email. Other’s may happen upon your blog from the many social media outlets you post on. Be sure to provide your blog content in diverse ways. Being able to stay connected with your followers in the method they prefer most, will be beneficial in growing your following and spreading your message through blogging!

I hope you enjoy these tips!

Post below if you have any questions or to just let me know how these tips help you out!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

 

Filed Under: Branding, Wordpress Website Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Power of Belief For Your Brand Growth and Profitable Business Success

February 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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The Power of Belief For Your Brand Growth and Profitable Business Success

by Frederika Angus

What do you believe?

“If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.” Denis Waitley

Businesses are built and grow based on your belief. Oftentimes people tell me that they would love to be a business owner. Being able to do work that you love and have a passion for, determining your schedule for greater freedom and flexibility, and having the ability to create a legacy and wealth for your future is appealing. Unfortunately, the next thing they say starts with a big BUT.

“But I just don’t think I am cut out to be an entrepreneur.” “But I don’t have the time.” “But I don’t think that this idea will work.”

Today I want to encourage you to Change Your BUT! I am not just talking about reciting some affirmations over and over again. I am talking about changing your mindset about what you believe is possible for you and your business.

Credible personal and expert branding is supported with your belief. If you know that you are an expert in your industry as a fashion stylist, chef, makeup artist, software developer, business strategist, whatever you have skill in, you will be treated and compensated as such.

As William James said “Belief creates the actual fact.” What facts are you creating in the marketplace for your brand based on your belief?

You see branding is more than design element or a necessary part of your overall marketing strategy. The power of branding lies in the mind. It is rooted in the perception that people have about you and your business. As the face of your company, you have the opportunity to shape that belief for your clients and customers by what it is you believe for yourself and the value your business has.

Start this process by asking and answering these 3 questions.

    1. What does your ideal client currently believe about you and your business? All brand strategies should begin with a clear idea of how you are being seen in the marketplace. Your client’s perception of you produces their reality and it is important in the development of a brand message.
    2. What do you believe about you/your business? If what you believe and what your customers believe to be true about you are not in agreement, your branding efforts have a huge disconnect. This is usually the point a brand strategy experts should be brought in to create or transform the brand message.
    3. What do you want people to believe about you and your company? Brainstorm the ideas that you want to leave people with. Every word that people read about you, every visual element they see, the voice and tone of every message, should reflect who you are and what you stand for.

How you and your clients perceive your business will make an impact in the expansion, growth and overall success of your branding efforts. “Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy.” Tony Robbins. Be mindful of your thoughts and the power they have on your brand.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

January 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

by Frederika Angus

When you decided to go into business, your goal was probably to generate an income, a substantial income. Now it wasn’t all about the money, but the lifestyle that the additional money could provide for you. This business was supposed to be a bridge between the life you currently have and the one you dream about. You know, the life where you live comfortably without the stress of bills, are free to dictate how you spend your time instead of being told, and enjoy doing fulfilling work and serving your clients.

I wholeheartedly believe that entrepreneurship is a great vehicle to make all of those things happen. As an entrepreneur, I can also tell you that all of those things don’t happen if you don’t make enough money in your business to eliminate the need for a full or part-time job. One of the best ways to put money in the bank is to have a large enough funnel of prospective ideal clients.

Networking to expand your brand and reach of influence is a very smart way to to gain new customers. Unfortunately, the way networking is typically done does not produce a very good ROI, or return on your (time) investment.

I received a great question from a client requesting tips on how to add networking to an already full plate. What is a busy entrepreneur that loves time with their family, has an additional job and is even going to school to better their skills for their clients to do?

Really there are only two options (since we know not networking means no new work coming in). Either you decide to network live or online. Let me explain.

If you decide you will do in-person networking events, be selective. I value spending time with my family and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Every event that presents itself for networking is not necessarily the event for me. Select events where you know that the people in attendance are of high quality. These are the people that are not at events because they want to be seen or they have nothing else to do. Be mindful to associate and network with people who may know your ideal client or even potentially be your ideal client.

Also understand that at networking events you are the representative for the brand. Yes, especially at live networking events, you are branding via your business cards and your overall appearance and attitude. Because of the corporate clients that I attract, I understood the importance of being memorable in a very cookie cutter industry. My cards are intentionally not like most. It has a flair and quality that reflects me and allows me to standout days and even weeks after meeting someone. Just this past week I happened to run into a person from a past business function and he identified me first by my business card which reminded him I was unique in the marketplace and that we should talk further.

Learn how to network online from your couch and even while you sleep!  You have enough going on in your life that you don’t need “one more thing to do.” Networking usually takes time away from the things or the people that you would prefer to spend your time with. If you are not already making good use of the technology that is available, start today. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to help expand your online network. Developing relationships on these platforms is a good way to also expand your brand where your ideal clients hang out without being intrusive.

If your networking purpose is to generate new leads and prospective customers, there are strategic methods, systems and tools that you can use that will work for you even while you aren’t working your business. Weigh your return on investment. Would you rather spend 2 hours talking to a person in hopes that you will be able to schedule a meeting that might one day lead to a customer? Or would your 2 hours be better spent with friends, family, or even doing what you love and taking care of yourself while your lead generation is handled for you?

Over the next few weeks, we will further discuss how to build your brand online in such a strategic way that you are actively adding new prospects to your network because they are already looking for you. I’m looking forward to sharing these innovative strategies and techniques that will take your business to the next level.

In the meantime, be sure to post any comments or questions you have below.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Branding, Entrepreneurship, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

January 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

by Frederika Angus

How much time do you spend researching your target market? Your industry? What about your competition? How consistently are you obtaining feedback from your clients?

If your answer is not enough or not at all, don’t feel badly. Most solopreneurs and many small business owners don’t have dedicated research and marketing departments. Unfortunately, not knowing what the marketplace desires or needs could really be hindering your profits and your branding.

If your small business is just starting up or hasn’t been involved in the marketplace for many years, you may not have much insight into target market research or industry trends. You may only recognize the terms because you know they are included in formal business plans. The benefits of being able to “see” what is upcoming and having your ears to the ground are numerous.

What would it be worth for you to know the needs of your customer, provide them and be the sought out industry expert?

Fortunately, there are tools available for free that can work for you while you continue to get the work of the business done. In this article, I’ll discuss my two of my favorites. They will help you keep up with the Joneses, whether your Jones is Customer Jones, Industry Jones or Competition Jones, and enable you to make informed business decisions.

Google Alerts

Google has a very innovative group of tools that has changed how we use and even refer to web searching and the internet. Google Alerts are emails sent when Google finds new relevant information that match your specific search terms. The results provide you with a listing of newspaper articles, web pages and blogs allowing you to monitor anything on the web.

You can set up alerts for your business name, your name, keywords, your website address, even on your competition’s company name to “hear” what the world has to say. You can even decide how often you want the alerts delivered to you. For more critical terms, like your name (if it isn’t a common name) or the name of your company, it may be best to have at a minimum a daily delivery. For industry terms, you may only want to receive information once a week.

Twitter

I am a social media enthusiast (read: I am a social butterfly that loves spreading her wings via social media). As a researcher, consultant and strategist, I absolutely love the power of being able find out anything, immediately, with social media. As a marketer, coach and encourager, the ease of being able to share valuable information with people I may not otherwise have met is one of the highlights of my day. As much as I enjoy Facebook, I have to confess Twitter is my favorite when it comes to hearing what people are saying.

The biggest bonus to Twitter is the search functionality. Pop in your company name or industry keyword and you are instantly connected to real-time updates. Depending on which Twitter app you have installed on your smart device, you can even save those searches for future use and see what new information is available in the palm of your hand.

Hearing the marketplace has just gotten easier!

Do you have any favorite tools to listen to what marketplace is saying? I’d love to hear them!

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tebowing Your Brand – What Your Small Business Can Learn About Branding From Tim Tebow

January 9, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Tebowing Your Brand – What Your Small Business Can Learn About Branding From Tim Tebow

by Frederika Angus

Hate him or love him, Tim Tebow, NFL quarterback for the Denver Broncos, has become the sports media’s favorite topic. The more I observe his style of play and how he handles himself on and off the field, there are a few lessons for entrepreneurs that will help you with your own small business branding.

Faith in the face of adversity. Being a business owner can be tough. While I believe that anyone can be an entrepreneur, it takes a very dedicated, strong person that is willing to face challenges head on to actually be and entrepreneur. There will always be naysayers, competitors and obstacles to overcome.

Because Tebow hasn’t played like most quarterbacks in the league, he has been discounted by the analysts, football fans, and even the management of his team. Nevertheless, Tebow has stood steadfast in his belief in himself. He is unwavering in his stance that he has the skills and ability to be a quarterback, not a running back or tight end, in the NFL.

In order for your business and brand to last, you must have faith that you are not only designed to be a business owner, but also that your skills and abilities are ready for the challenges. As I expressed in Start Your Small Business Brand Strategy By Bringing You to the Table, you have to be the brand as an entrepreneur. Your business success in branding will go as far as your faith will allow you to believe.

Clear conviction of who you are and what you are here to do. One quality that sets entrepreneurs apart from the rest, is their ability to get clear and obtain laser like focus and run with their business vision. In the beginning stages of business planning and mapping out products and services you can offer, the clarity you have in knowing exactly what your value and uniqueness is in the marketplace is critical. Your brand has to stand out from the crowd. Clearly communicating those factors that are different, valuable and relevant to your customers with consistency is important to branding.

Tim Tebow is a good example of knowing who he is purposed to be and what he must do. He very clearly and consistently communicates who he is in every interview so that there is no mistake about his value and why he does what he does. He stands out so strongly that those who wouldn’t normally follow sports have heard of him.

Be consistent on and off the field. Your clients as well as your competition are always watching you. This is especially true if you are on social media. Do not project yourself to be one way in front of your clients and then present yourself differently on Twitter or Facebook. Doing so is a sure fire way to ruin your brand credibility.

Tebow is known for consistently expressing his faith whether he is on the field after making a game winning play or at a hospital visiting with children.

The Tim Tebow brand is one of the most talked about in all of sports. Even those who don’t like his style of play can’t help but to continue to talk about him. This is a powerful place to be as a brand. Utilize these tips and build a brand for your business that is the topic of discussion of your customers.

Talk to you soon!

 

Filed Under: Branding, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mistakes Small Business Owners Make With Social Media

December 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Mistakes Small Business Owners Make With Social Media

by Frederika Angus

Social media is an effective way to connect with people quickly, develop new relationships and have nearly instant access to potential customers and business partners alike. While most small businesses understand the importance of using social media as a way to build and expand their brand, there are some critical mistakes that are made than can harm instead of enhance your business.

Not having a social media plan

There is a big difference in how you utilize social media personally and how to leverage it’s power to present and provide valuable information to the world. It is important to know what you want to achieve through the use of social media. Without having a plan, it will be more difficult to measure if your efforts are providing your desired results.

Updates that are too personal

Simply put, be personable without being too personal. Avoid talking about relationship troubles or issues with colleagues, or clients. Strive to be a positive source of information and provide valuable information while cultivating relationships. Doing so will develop a culture of followers that will be loyal to your brand and business as they learn more about you as an entrepreneur and how you can serve their needs.

Promoting without participation

Have you ever been at a party talking to someone who believes the best topic of conversation is themselves? Make sure not to do the same on social media. It will be a real turn off to your ideal clients. Social media networks are a wonderful place to give as well as receive. Avoid just talking about your business without engaging your followers by responding.

What other social media errors have you seen businesses make? Share additional mistakes below.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Start Planning Your 2012 Business Goals Now

October 19, 2011 by 1 Comment
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Start Planning Your 2012 Business Goals Now

by Frederika Angus

Doesn’t it seem like time is flying? The end of 2011 is quickly approaching. In less than 3 months, it will be 2012! Will you be ready?

Just last week I was casually chatting to a colleague about the direction we were taking our respective businesses. The more we talked about the bigger vision we had for the companies and ourselves, we both discovered that we were already focused on planning for 2012.

It use to be that you could start thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions as you were on your way to be with friends and loved ones for the stroke of 12 midnight on the last day of the year. Do you still have the resolutions that you made for 2011? Are you three-quarters of the way complete with your list? Did you even bother?

If you’re like most, the answer is I’m not even close to acheiving those goals. Or I didn’t know how to start! While you might think it is ok to push that weight loss goal off until 2012 (you know you have one!), when it comes to your business, you should be getting started now. Your success in 2012 has to start with the planning you do now.

No procrastination on this one guys. Here are some things to think about and take action on that will make it quick and easy to plan your goals so that they will guide you next year.

Take a look back. One of the best ways to know where to go is to look to see where you’ve been. What did your 2011 look like? Where did your business excel, and where did you struggle? What experiences did you have that you enjoyed, and which do you want to make sure you never repeat? Knowing what went poorly can guide you to make goals that can prevent that from happening. Seeing where you were wildly successful can alert you to make sure you continue to incorporate those activities in the future. Remember this is not the time to cry over spilled milk or overly celebrate your successes. Look back to learn and let’s move forward.

Write them down. Part of the problem with planning for the future is failing to brainstorm on paper. (Or writing them on some random piece of paper and then losing it.) Pull out a notebook or journal and start thinking of anything you want to accomplish. WRITE IT DOWN. Remember to dream big. Thinking too small is like trying to squeeze into your jeans that must have shrunken in the dryer *wink*. They don’t fit you and they really aren’t comfortable.  Have a vision large enough for you to grow into. I don’t advise you do the same with those jeans.

Make SMART goals.  Your goals should be specific, easy to understand and clear. Saying you want to grow your business can mean different things at different stages. A more specific goal would be to add new customers to the business.

What you can measure, you can manage. Having measurable goals allows you to see if you’re actually on track to accomplish it. Adding 5 new customers to your business is a more measurable goal.

Your goals should stretch you beyond where you currently are. At the same time, they must also be attainable. Goals that are too far are from your reach are less likely to be accomplished. Create a goal that isn’t too easy that you’re aren’t challenged but not so difficult that you never start on it. Adding 5 customers to your business is much more attainable than adding 100 new customers when you’re first starting out.

Why do you want to accomplish this goal? Your goal needs to be relevant to your bigger vision. When a goal connects with your purpose it causes more excitement and increases the likelihood of your success.

Put a time limit around each of your goals. Goals that are time-bound create a sense of urgency to get started now. Remove the procrastination barrier and put a time frame on that goal. Adding 5 new customers to your business in 6 months will cause you to plan how to bring in each of those customers to reach your goal.

I suggest as you begin your planning for 2012, set no more than 10 goals with a good mix of short and long term goals. You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. Once you complete a goal, add a new one to the list. The point in creating the goals is to continute to pull yourself into the next level.

Having clear business goals is the way to consistently move your business toward the vision you have for it.

Share a comment below with your thoughts. If you are looking for more support in building the business of your dreams and living the life you envisioned, be sure to join me on Facebook now and follow me on Twitter.

Talk to you soon!

   Frederika

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Easy Steps to Build the Business of your Dreams

October 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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Easy Steps to Build the Business of your Dreams

by Frederika Angus

Many years ago, my husband and I had the privilege to build our first home. We had gone through every real estate book of available properties in our area and exhausted every web search for a pre-existing house. Nothing seemed to be exactly what we wanted, in the area we wanted, at the price we were willing to pay. Deciding to custom build a home from nothing to something took a huge leap of faith and much more patience. It was an amazing learning experience. What I learned from the year it took build our home, are the same lessons I have used to build my business.

Building starts with a vision.

Before a location is picked, before you can hang curtains, or decide on carpet or hardwood flooring, you have to see what the end result will be. You have to visualize the two-story home. Or maybe it’s ranch style. Imagine the big picture and the little details. Is it near a lake in the country or close to the action of the city? How big is the lawn?

Building a business is done in the same way. There must be a vision of what you desire to achieve. When you close your eyes and see yourself running a small business, what does your life look like? Are you working from your home or are you in an store front or office space? Do you want your company to remain small with you working alone or are you growing larger with multiple employees? Will your business allow you the flexibility to work less hours and make more money?

All of the answers to these questions will help you see bigger than the what’s currently surrounding you. Take some time to focus on where you want to go and don’t be afraid to dream big.

Once we “saw” the type of home we were looking for, we wrote down all that we saw. It became our guiding requirements when we met with different builders and viewed blueprints and floor plans. It saved us so much time in the beginning because we could easily weed out what designs, locations, and floor plans didn’t fit what we desired in our first home.

Now that you see you, your life and your business clearly, Write the Vision Down! I developed a practice about 10 years ago of writing every idea and inspiration, each desire and dream down. In some quiet moments, I could easily write 3-5 pages. If I read something in a book that resonates with me, I immediately jot it down. With the popularity of smart devices, I even record a voice memo if I’m driving or type out a quick note while waiting in a line that I can transcribe into a notebook later.

Amazingly, when I go back through and review my journals, I have accomplished so much of what I have written down. The majority of what I haven’t written down did not get done, and most of it forgotten. Let’s not leave your future success up to chance. Grab a journal or notebook, it doesn’t need to be fancy, and get that vision from your head to paper. Write as many details as you can.

You have the picture but now what?

 

The biggest choice we made in the design of our home was answering the question, “do we want to the master bedroom upstairs or downstairs?” So many builders were building master suites on the main level and I really wasn’t comfortable having my young children upstairs and being downstairs in the event of an emergency. Ok, I also was pregnant during this process and the thought of walking up and down the stairs to check on the baby in the middle of the night was not appealing either.

Blueprint to business

We had to go through several blueprints, or plans for our house to get the layout that fit us. It was the plan that made what we saw in our heads real. Your business has to have a plan. Don’t get caught up in all the technicalities of a business plan that is used to attract investors. There will be time for that later if you need to do it. At a basic level, just write what your business is, who is your product or service for, how you will reach them and make money. Include some notes around who your competitors are and do some projections for money for startup and how long it will take to recoup the initial investment.

Once we had a plan for our home we could begin actually building. As handy and knowledgeable as my husband is with construction, we understood that it was probably a good idea to not try to do the building alone. I can’t even imagine how long it would have taken to go at it alone. Thank goodness for great contractors and construction supervisors to help guide and manage the project along the way.

Who do you need to help build your business? Having support while moving your vision out of a dream state into reality is SO important. As wonderful and as great as you are, finding experts that have paved the way in areas where you aren’t as strong, will help you build faster.

The funny thing about building is that no matter what you are building or where you build it, the land isn’t cleared without FIRST having to make a financial assessment and then an investment. You have to be willing to Invest in Your Business and Vision. I’m not sure who said the best things in life are free. Most of the free things I’ve gotten have not been of a great quality. (With exception of this great giveaway I’m doing with the launch of the site. Enter to win the FREE Kindle Touch HERE ) You are not just starting a business. You are building a legacy of success and significance that will last for generations.

Take a real account of your personal finances and how you manage money now. How you handle your personal funds usually flows over into your business funds. Recognize any areas for improvement here because the risks are greater when it is a legal business entity.

Whether you are writing a check for website design, purchasing pens at an office supply store or taking training, change your mindset on the activity from spending money to making an investment. As a business owner, it is your job to make the best investments possible that will give you a return on your money.

Following these easy steps will get you started with building the business of your dreams.

Share a comment below with your thoughts. If you are looking for more support in building the business of your dreams and living the life you envisioned, be sure to join me on Facebook now and follow me on Twitter.

Talk to you soon!

 

 

 

Frederika

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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