It’s so simple, those who use these secrets understand its power and they use it diligently. Chances are you know one or two or more of these secrets but if you are not using it, it is time you begin. There are over 2 Billion Internet users in the world. If you are reading this, you are one of them. Imagine how many people you can connect to, influence, or build relationships with to foster your brand, your product or service. These secrets are free and simple.
BE CONSISTENT
Remember when your mother used to say if you are going to do something at all, do it well. If you want to build your blogger empire and be the next Fashion Bomb Daily, you have to do like she did and be consistent. On whatever platform you choose to build your social media profile. Twitter, facebook, pinterest, whatever you choose, be consistent. If you blog every other day, be consistent, let your audience build a relationship with your schedule. BE CONSISTENT in the type of content you share and your message about who you are.
USE STRONG VISUALS
If you pay attention to those with high number of followers on instagram or pinterest who are active, the types of images they post have a theme. Figure out your “image look”. If you will use text and image, make your photos black and white or post funny jokes; the images you share can affect engagement. Use phone apps like Made with Studio to brand your images on social media.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Forget about being completely private those days are long gone. People connect to people. All those days of a professional only persona these days, that almost guarantees little or no connect for you or whatever you are selling. BE HUMAN. Share some things about you that people can connect to and watch how easily people connect to you.
ENGAGE YOUR NETWORK
This is the secret that so many people don’t know what to do with or how to use. Many of us know or have met so many people online and offline, but when it is time to activate our network, we have a momentary freak out session. Don’t stress about it. It’s really simple. Provide value for others and it’s really, truly, human nature; people will inevitably come to your support. Be a part of their own lives, not just being all about yours. People and brands that forget this slowly slip into the abyss and wonder what happened. They stopped providing value and being a part of the lives of those who follow them. ENGAGE and ACTIVATE your NETWORK.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
We are relational beings. No man is an island and in social media you bump into people in the virtual world daily. Say “Hi, how is your day?” Make it a point to connect with one new person a week. And foster those connections, comment on their page their instagram take a genuine interest in who they are and how you may be able to support them. Not a transaction but a value that you can offer, positive vibes, laughter, motivation. Offer something that is not about money. People are more apt to support and help those they have some kind of relations with. BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIP. HAVE FUN. People are fascinating. Be open to learning from the best others have to offer.
Ultimately you are the secret to all this being activated. All these secrets activated simultaneously make for a powerful profile and brand. Pay attention to all those you know who have social media influence and power. You will realize they do all 5. Start practicing today. MAKE A CONNECTION.
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I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
1. Know your “WHY” – Your “Why” is your reason for starting your business and the stronger your “WHY,” the more determined you will be to succeed.
2. Develop the right mindset – This requires one to have a tough mental attitude. Not only do successful entrepreneurs have mental toughness, but they also believe enough in their dream to nurture it to great success. Your ability to turn obstacles into stepping stone and having a sound bounce back ability will distinguish you as a winner. A good book to read is The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.
3. Believe in yourself – Know that not everyone will believe in your dream so keep a positive mental attitude. Find ways to incorporate things that motivate you in your daily life – music, exercise, reading inspirational piece/articles, affirmations, listening to Audio CDs that inspire and motivate you.
4. Clearly define your “WHAT” (Offering) – A business is “find a need; fill a need,” and in transitioning into entrepreneurship, it is important to clearly identify your most marketable skill or product that will provide unique value to people. Clearly doing so would help you stay out of the clutter and keep you focused.
5. Do an extensive research on your idea – It is imperative to do an extensive entrepreneurial research. Talk to people, read some books, editorials, anything you can lay your hands on about your product or service. Then deicide what value your offer provides to the market based on your research. This will help you solidify your offer to the world.
6. Share your plans with your loved ones – Have a conversation about your plan to transition into entrepreneurship with your immediate loved ones. As much as it will be easier to gain their support, but know that you might also not get support. But either way, as long as you believe in your vision, be tenacious and let that fuel your success even more.
7. Get your finances in order – It is very crucial for a transitioning entrepreneur to start early to assess his or her cash flow and investments to determine a plan of action. This is because it may take some time before your business starts making profit. In the interim, create a plan of action that will sustain your household expenses amongst other liabilities. You will have a complete lifestyle change. No more random shopping, or eating out. Every dollar counts. Calculate how much you owe, what your monthly expenses are and begin to live accordingly. It is advised to build six to twelve months emergency fund to help with expenses.
8. Have a plan of action – In developing your plan of action; strategically enumerate the action steps needed to realize your targeted objectives. Create S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed) goals. In addition, making a daily to-do list will help break your goals into bite-size task, which further helps to prevent procrastination.
9. Create and guard your circle of influence – You become like the people you hang around the most! To solidify your circle, consciously surround yourself with dream helpers not dream killers. Find relevant mastermind groups and power partners who come together with the objective of helping each other become better while succeeding in business. Yes, it will be different and new at first, but it is essential for your transition
10. Break bad habits – Discipline- Waking up and starting your day at a certain time can change the trajectory of your day. How much time do you spend watching TV, talking endlessly on the phone with family and friends? There is the need to break such bad habits as they will affect how you run your business which will consequently affect the growth of your business. Every minute counts! Time is officially your most valuable asset. MAXIMIZE IT!
11. Invest in YOU! – Consider spending some time and money on books, courses, seminars and of course, in working with a coach. Investing in oneself is never a waste; while learning should be a continuous exercise for all entrepreneurs, it also helps a startup entrepreneur become better-grounded and positioned to increase success.
12. Get the right tools – Being armed with the right tools will position every entrepreneur, especially a Startup, to run their business more efficiently. Tools from computers, to a vehicle to any specific equipment for whatever service your industry is known for having, remembering to keep your start up cost lean. It’s important to note that in most cases, having an office is not a tool. If you can run your business from your home, it’s absolutely all right to do so.
13. Develop healthy habits – A lot of entrepreneurs are great with multi-tasking and things can get pretty busy. Entrepreneurs wear so many hats, which keep them occupied, and tend to deter them from practicing daily self-care. This will include eating right, doing daily exercise and connecting with people that you care about. Take a break once a day to rejuvenate.
14. Take total responsibility – To take total responsibility of your business requires absolute commitment to your vision. If it’s got to be; it’s up to you! Commit to that responsibility.
15. Have the right mentors – Finding the right mentor involves searching for those people who are succeeding in their area of business. It requires accountability that is a major key to every entrepreneur, startups most especially. Your mentors keep you engaged and accountable for your vision because they have also been there.
16. NO is also an answer – Learn to say NO to additional work tasks, requests at your job and to anything and anyone that interferes with your business growth. Stay laser focused on your goal to grow your business and be quick to identify unnecessary extracurricular activities that are not of immediate value to you. It’s only a temporary sacrifice that will pay off in the long run!
17. Brand yourself /business right – Your Image is probably the most important outside factor and extension of you. It is important that you are your best self as often as possible. Everything from your logo to your pictures, your social media image, and marketing collateral etc. all have to tell a consistent story.
18. Develop a marketing strategy – How are you going to get the word out there about your value to the market place? How can people find you so that you can help them with your offering? Will you use magazines, new papers, live demonstrations, TV, radio, the Internet, a combination of some? Plan it out week-by-week, what your plan is, what results you want, and how you intend to reach your goal. Do not be afraid, take time to really think about this segment of your business and in addition to being flexible, never be afraid of change.
19. Create your tribe – Your tribe-mates are your fans, followers, and customers. As you build trust with them, you can secure them into your tribe. Figure out what you would call them, so there is a sense of identity for people that appreciate the value you offer the world.
20. Stay current (embrace change) – It is a constant learning process. You want to make sure you stay ahead of the curve and trends. Read up on your industry news, technology that affects your business. Your competitors, your customers. Make it a daily ritual. Stay on top of your skills.
21. Hire knowledgeable professionals – Paying for good work is important for any business to thrive, especially a startup. There are 3 key people we recommend you get on your team. An Accountant for your finances, an attorney for your legal needs and a publicist for your public Image engagement.
Your Purpose Coach and Cheerleader
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
When you have figured out what name you want for yourself, there is something about a logo that can do the talking for you before you even show your face. Deciding on the right color, shape or font to represent you is powerful. Take the time to invest in a great graphic design team and let your logo speak for you. If you do it right, you can use the same logo for years, and just change the color for whatever campaign or project you are developing. Here are some celebrity logos that do it right.
2. Plan a memorable photo-shoot
Like it or not, taking photos frequently and releasing it with a project or an editorial can keep you in the news. Take it one step further and do a creative shoot. Get inspired by artists in Asia, Europe and Africa and even in unique shoot locations where you are (that bridge you’ve always imagined taking a photo on, that skyline atop that building you drove by for years, that hut that would make for a great contrast). Think outside the box. Work with creative people to produce images that present the best image of you to the world. We love pictures. We’ll keep talking about how hot your new shoot was, until you do the next one.
3. Hire a PR Pro
So you have an image and need someone to let the world know what you are doing and what projects or collaborations you have coming up etc. It’s time to Hire a Public Relations Professional. Someone who has relationships with various media houses and can create strategic partnerships for your publicity that keeps you in the news. Even when you do not have any music or project running, a publicist knows how to keep you relevant. A manager and a publicist are two different people. Hire a Publicist.
4. Social Media Engagement
Social media is your new best friend. Be one with it, get used to it, but manage the time you spend on it. Learn to engage your fans and followers. Have 10-20 people you pay attention to and engage them fully on facebook post or tweets. Rotate those people every couple of months, pick a new set. Always have a call to action when you are pushing a campaign on social media. Call to Action means when you post, what else do you want us to do? E.g “I just launched my second album. Tell me what you think of it” or “share your favorite track and tell me why you like it.” A call to action keeps you and your fans engaged. People connect to people. When they connect to you, they invest their time and money on you.
5. Create Partnerships
The easiest way to stay in the news when things seem slow as a celebrity, is to form partnerships with people, companies or NGO’s that are relevant to your brand and are almost always in the news. E.g your new film is not launching for another 9 months, research an ngo that could use your own star power. Work with them to do some good, get your publicist to put it in the news, engage your fans to do good for that day (while you share pictures) and when your album launches, you have ambassadors to do more marketing for you. It’s a win, win. You help others out and you stay relevant.
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
I was very compelled to share this with you after a tweet chat last week with my PR colleagues. This is a list I share with my retainer clients. I had to come up with 10 ethical issues that I thought new PR clients have to deal with. Fellow PR professionals, feel free to use this for your clients. And all you awesome emerging entrepreneurs, make your publicists work easier by using many of these tips for your business. I hope you take this to heart and activate some or all of them to help your brand succeed.
STAY ON BRAND:
This means from this day forth, everything you say, do or share has to be intentional about the message of your brand. No more random posts, no more venting on social media. If you feel the need to vent, count to 20 (LITERALLY or wait a day) and then decide if you still want to post that emotion. If you do or do not post, at least you had momentarily think time.
WHAT YOU OFFER YOUR TARGET MARKET:
Your audience/customers are the number one most important part of this process. What you offer them must be at all times the truth about your product or service. It is important that you respect them at all times online or in-person. Yes, even when they may not respect themselves. They are the reason you are in business. Building a relationship with them gets you a lifetime of clients. Take it seriously.
YOU ARE THE 2ND MOST IMPORTANT:
As you step into this journey that is your brand purpose, please understand that you are officially your brand spokesperson. It is important that you be your best self as often as possible. You will have trolls and naysayers; you will also have supporters and fans. The trick is to remain the constant in this relationship process, the constant you, that is about the best part of what you are selling to the world.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
I recommend that you keep your personal stories in the public space PERSONAL. That means: the public does not need to know everything about you. People almost always misinterpret intentions and emotions. You should rather err on the side of not sharing deeply personal issues. Keep things light, relatable and honest. In unique circumstances, you may share a deeply personal story, but only if it is for the greater good, or for a story angle on your brand, not just new information on a “just because” clause. In building personal connections that you will experience on this journey, please follow the same principles of being your best self in those relationships.
MEDIA INTERVIEWS:
It is always important to PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! before any interview, read and re-read any copy that your PR rep needs you to, for clarity and understanding. Should you ever be faced with a question on a live interview that throws you off, it is actually ok to THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. It may be awkward, but we would rather you reply with some thought, than thoughtlessly. If you give a thoughtless answer, well lets just say the crisis management may cost you a lot of money or your brand, and we cannot afford that. So, a couple of seconds of thought is a better choice than any thoughtless engagement.
SOCIAL MEDIA FRIENDS:
I would like you to remember that as your social media fan base grows do not underestimate the power of social media. It is important. You now have to constantly remember, whether you like it or not, you are officially a role model
(GLOBALLY, as the internet is worldwide). Stop thinking you are talking to your real life friends. Your fans and your 2000+ fb followers are not your friends. Be intentional about what you say online. Again, just as it is okay to think before you talk or respond to press, it is okay to think before you hit that tweet or publish button.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT:
Should any of the trolls or naysayers start a rumor or escalate a minor misunderstanding, you should at no point in time resort to social media bashing or subliminal messaging online about the situation. In those cases (thought rare), please call your publicist and share EVERYTHING you know about the situation (it helps when we know the whole truth, so we can address it head on professionally, either with a press release, media alert or PR strategy). You can also call your attorney and let them advice you on the next step. But never respond emotionally and publicly without communication with your PR and LEGAL team.
MEDIA & CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP CONFIDENTIALITY:
As your team develops a relationship with you and the media or future partners, please note, at no time are you allowed to discuss dealings in meetings with anyone except your attorney or your PR team. So those random tweets or instagram selfies “live at the meeting”. THINK TWICE and ask for permission. It is important that you build trust with the media and your partners as a brand with integrity. Until they sign on the dotted line, do not blast it off on social media.
INTERNAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
As we know, integrity is important in building relationships. If at any point you have some partnerships or friendships that appear to be a conflict of interest with your brand, discuss it openly. 9 times out of 10 I would rather eliminate the conflict unless in unique circumstances.
HAVE FUN:
Change is usually uncomfortable, but it is more fun when you are open to it. Have fun being you, have fun with all you will learn. I recognize that some or all of the above messages may seem challenging or new to you, I know it works. I look forward to it working for you to amplify your brand positively in the media, with your target market and support you in being your best self.
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
Let’s face it, the new social media has everyone competing for who can attract more attention and get more engagement at the expense of our leisure time. Frankly, it’s exhausting and can waste a lot of time. I am recommending apps that require little or no time to create strong and engaging imagery to facilitate conversations and excitement According to 3M Corporation, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text. That’s one answer, if you ever wondered why you engage more on images on Facebook and Instagram than on twitter or long winded social media paragraphs. So here are 5 apps to help you save time, look hotter and engage more followers.
1. PIC PLAY POST
I remember the first time I saw this app in action. I was fascinated. Before then, all most people did on instagram/facebook was post single images or collages of images, but being able to post a video(s) with images simultaneously and you can add some music as a soundtrack? Talk about being in the know. Now, you too can be in on this. Look for it on your iphone or android
Tip: It helps to tell a story with the collage, or make a combination that is interesting and people are inevitably going to respond to interesting and shareable content.
This is an example of how you can use pic play post on Facebook or Instagram:
So, think about Studio Design as Photoshop for the clueless. You can add depth to your images using icons, words, odd shapes and produce a final image that makes you feel you just designed your very own campaign. In a social media world where image really is an anchor, what better way than to attract an audience than to make your words look and pop like images.
This is an example of how studio design can add some character to your images.
With the 1001 new ways to collage a picture for use on twitter, Facebook or Instagram, this app is cool because when you don’t like a collage combination, Instead of going back to a different collage template and starting over (time wasting), you shake the camera and it gives you a different option for your collage. It’s quick, fun and it presents your images in a variety of ways that makes for interesting layouts.
Plug in a quote on social media that people find interesting and you will more than likely get people sharing it, or affirming that they agree with you (engagement). Textgram can turn your inspiring quotes into works of art. They have many layout options, color choices and various fonts. A combination of these can get you tapping into your audience attention and engagement in no time.
lnsta PicFX is like a collage app on cloud 9. It spices up your images with really cool colorful overlays. And once an image is visually stimulating, you get people to respond even if they intended to or not. That is the power of strong and engaging imagery, sometimes, we can’t help ourselves, we just like or share. Here is an example of what the app did when I pugged in Zainab Balogun’s recent shoot for Clan Fashion Label.
With all these tools, keep in mind people love stories. So be intentional about the story you want to share with your fans/followers/audience. And endeavor to tell stories with your content as often as you can. People connect to people; help your fans and followers connect to you.
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
Hey you. Welcome to my Virtual home here on YetundeShorters.com where I get to support your awesomeness with tools, tips, resources to thrive out here in these world streets. Plus, I get to share with you my life as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, TwinMom and Wife. A snap shot of the good and challenging. I am on a journey to realize my highest self while sharing the experiences, in hopes that someone else can learn from them, without having to go through it. I look forward to connecting live or online.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
