Are you passionate about your small business but not sure how to let your customers know why they should do business with you vs. your competition? Are you unsure how to integrate your traditional print and online marketing to make them more effective? Do you feel like your social media efforts have no focus or real direction? Creating a brand for small-business is critical, whether in print or online. New technologies can come and go, but if you have a strong foundation at the core of it all, you can build on it to create an impactful brand no matter what the media might be. Learn a process that will help you identify how to develop your brand story, connect with your customers in a meaningful way and how to utilize digital media to spread the word.

1. Build-a-B.R.A.N.D.
Workshop Goes Digital
Presented by Laura Willis
Willis-Works Communications

2. My Background
 Passionate about providing fully-
integrated, results-oriented
brands for small businesses
through large corporate
 25 years of branding experience
in advertising agencies and the
corporate environment
 Willis-Works 2004

3. What is a brand?
“A brand is a collection of perceptions
that exist in the mind of the
consumer. It’s not the actual product
or service, it’s intangible.” – Colin Bates

4. What is a brand?
“Your brand story is the story of your
truth, what you stand for, what you
promise, and what people
experience.” – Michael Margolis

5. The importance of brand
overall
 Old-fashioned sales pitches don’t
work
 People don’t like to be “sold-to”
 People do business with people not
businesses
 Problems/solutions

6. Digital Relationship
Builder
 Many ways to Social
connect with Media
your
Mobile Blog
audience, “touch Web
points” both Site
online and Landing
E-mail
traditional media Pages

7. What makes a successful brand?
 People can believe in it
 People can emotionally connect to
the promise (fulfills a need)
 No one else can believably claim it
 It can last

8. Building a B.R.A.N.D.
B.ackground
R.oot
A.udience
N.eed
D.efine/D.eliver

9. B.ackground
 Why is this important?
 What’s the vision/mission?
 The passion is contagious
 Filling a need/problem solver
 Relating to the story, not selling
 Could be the brand personality

10. R.oot
 What makes your business tick?
 What motivates?
 Culture?
 Mindset?
 Core values? (are employees on
board?)
 Strengths/weaknesses

11. R.oot
Exercise:
 List 4-5 Adjectives that describe the
core values of your business
 Number in order of importance

12. Polished Humble Analytical Incisive
Calm/Cool Imaginative Determined Sound
Demystifying Tough Precise Assertive
Alert Driven Consistent Splashy
Edgy Effortless Prestigious Steady
Visionary Open-minded Easy Dependable
Brilliant Influential Process-oriented Timeless
Efficient Communicative Equipped Elegant
Accessible Insightful Purposeful Trustworthy
Capable Discerning Classy/Sophisticated Friendly
Facilitating Intuitive Rational Habitual
Proven Systematic Reliable Clever
Aggressive Inventive Resilient Uninhibited
Familiar Leader Hip/cool Dreamers
Straightforward Listening Agile Worldly
Fearless Clear Responsive Confident
Down-to-earth Logical Service-driven Flexible
Unconventional Advanced Deliberate Steady
Expansive Challenging Simple Inclusive
Focused Mechanical Creative Fluid
Connecting Credible Solicitous Energetic
Fresh Mentoring Direct Unflappable
Objective Natural Fast Innovative

13. A.udience
 Identify your audience
 Focus and narrow the field vs. being
too broad
 Start with the basics
- demographics:
age, gender, financials, geographic
location

14. A.udience
 Brands today need to be customer-centric
 What’s going on with them?
 What can you do for them?
 What is their frame of mind?

15. N.eed
 Features vs. benefits
So
 The “so what” theory what?
 Rational/actual need
 Emotional need
 Put yourself in the customer’s shoes
 What is your promise to them?

16. N.eed
 What do they feel now?
 How do you want them to feel?
 What are potential results for them?

17. N.eed
 What’s the competition: direct &
indirect
 What need do you fulfill that they
don’t?
 What is their story and how do they
tell it?

18. N.eed
Example: Copper Lantern Lane

19. D.efine
 Define your business personality
 What is the voice or tone?
 Can you use your own
background/personality to define the
voice?

20. D.efine
 Once you determine the voice, then
you can create the “message”.
 You need to stand out.

21. D.efine
Through imagery:

22. D.efine the Message
 Use the “key promise” or the top
benefit to customers: fulfills their
need, solves a problem.
 Remember the customer frame of
mind & what will resonate with them
emotionally
 Remember the “so what” test

23. D.efine the Message
 One option is to ask questions of your
potential audience that makes them
say “yes” in relation to needing your
business.

24. D.efine Objectives
 You have the message, now, how do
you use it?
 Consistency is key – any vehicle or
media

25. D.eploy
 Imagery
 Creating a feeling

26. D.eploy Digital

27. D.eploy – Web Site
 Interactive & lead generation tools
 Provide something of value
 List-building Social
Media
 Customer relationship
Mobile Blog
 Need to “draw them in” Web Site
Landing
E-mail
Pages

28. D.eploy Digital - Blog
 Your web site Social
central Media
 Blogging – Mobile Blog
create your Web
voice Site
Landing
E-mail
Pages

29. D.eploy Digital–Social Media
 Social media –
speaking your
Social Media
brand online
 Networking: Mobile Blog
building Web
relationship Site
Landing
E-mail
Pages

30. D.eploy Digital–Social Media

31. D.eploy Digital–Social Media
 Emotional
connection
Social Media
 Customer’s
voice – the Mobile Blog
ultimate sales Web
person Site
 Opportunity to Landing
Pages
E-mail
fix problems

32. D.eploy Digital–Social Media
 Remember etiquette
 Employees on board Social Media
 Draw the line
Mobile Blog
 Social media Web
policies Site
Landing
E-mail
Pages

33. D.eploy Digital–Social Media
 Games
 Special Offers/Discounts
 Cause media/partnerships

34. D.eploy Digital – E-mail
 Providing useful info Social
 Link to pertinent
Media
page on site Mobile Blog
 Utilize landing Web
pages for continuity Site
or special Landing
Pages
E-mail
campaigns

35. D.eploy Across Media
 Integrate your media
 Traditional media: radio, TV, print
 Social media, e-mail, web site, blog
All should relate and connect.

36. D.eploy Across Media
 One good idea – endless opportunity
 Think out of the box
 But always make sure it reflects the
brand

37. Some Helpful Reading
 “So What?: How to Communicate
What Really Matters to Your
Audience” by Mark Magnacca
 “360 Degrees of the Customer” by Lisa
Dennis, Chuck Dennis and Lori Richardson
 “The Rules of WOO: An Entrepreneur’s
Guide to Capturing the Hearts & Minds of
Today’s Customers” by Cindy Solomon

38. Questions??
Are you interested in other
tips or workshops to promote
your passion for a powerful
brand?
E-mail: laura@willis-works.com
to hear about the
“Promote Your Passion”
webinar series.
Thank You!