‘Tis the season to start thinking about the next one! As the year winds down and a new one approaches we can’t help but to consider our accomplishments and shortcomings this year as we look to the growth and progress we’d like to achieve for the next season in our lives. For you, like me, that probably means examining your brand. As you know, a great brand involves more than a great name and a beautiful logo or website, it requires an action plan. Just as a book has a table of contents and a recipe has a list of ingredients, a brand must have a comprehensive action plan that outlines step-by-step instructions on what to do to achieve the next level of growth.

If you haven’t developed an action plan before, or haven’t reviewed or revised it in a while, now is the time. Begin by choosing 3 key focus areas. These goals should be attainable, but challenging. You’ll want to also make sure that you outline goals that are within reach. An example of an achievable goal is “to be quoted in print by the media” vs. ” to be a host on the Oprah Winfrey Network.” Now, that’s not to say that being a host on the Oprah Winfrey network is unattainable for you, but certain visibility factors and goals will usually have already been achieved by you already in order to achieve that goal. Learn the 3 focus areas every brand should develop:

1) The Statement. Look at your mission statement and see if it’s still relevant for the character and values that you put forth in your business today. This positioning statement is one of the key drivers for your business. It can be used to persuade your ideal prospect to buy into your expertise based on your difference. To develop the right positioning statement you must include a credibility factor and a passion factor. Identify the things that you’ve done that place you in the “only”, “first”, or “top” category in your business and use it to distinguish yourself. Combine that with a passion factor, using “since”, “from the moment”, or “when” and you can then compete with even the most established brands.

2) The Signals. Hanging out your shingle announcing your business is not enough to keep you profitable or vislble, but it is necessary. Your name, logo, website, photo, business card, brochures, and other “visuals” will help to reinforce your mission statement and connect you with your target audience. Examine any major brand, and you’ll discover that their claim, logo and identity in the marketplace are multifaceted. For instance, consider Nike, they are  recognized as a main support for athletes of all levels who “Just Do It.” Their swoosh is stamped in our memories, and their clean and open store spaces support the concept of the open road and freedom of living the lifestyle. Their distinctive ads of the every day athlete in all of us builds the emotional connection for all types of lifestyles.

3) The Strategy. This is where a lot of businesses sabotage themselves. When a business is doing well, the marketing of it often takes a back burner but steady income is best supported by steady marketing. There are more than a dozen ways to fill your marketing pipeline so it’s important to analyze the impact that each type of marketing is having on your business so that you know where to devote your time and your dollars. Start by identifying what you want to do each month, then choose a date for each activity. Then choose the investment involved and determine how to track and measure it.

If your statement, signals and strategy are clear and consistent you’ll have no problem boosting your brand recognition and reaching your next level of growth with ease and grace. If you’re not quite sure what that looks like for you, we can help. Schedule a Brand Strategy Session to get your on the right path for the new year. Just call (888) YOU-BRAND.

The holidays are usually a time of great generosity (even for the Grinch!). The energy of the season makes us reflect on the past year and evaluate our accomplishments and shortcomings. Whatever our financial circumstances, whether we have big profits or no profits, we want to contribute to others.

Giving to our family and friends is easy to do. We spend a lot of time with them and we know what they own, what they like, and what they need. Giving to our community can also be as easy when you know what to consider. If your giving brings more opportunities to your brand it will encourage you to do even more, and possibly provide the means to do so, so don’t feel guilty that you’ll be receiving something fabulous in return.

With service based businesses, the challenge in charitable giving often lies in finding the right way to gift our services. It’s takes planning, because we need to accommodate our schedules while making a true service contribution as well as a brand impact. When your brand is in the spotlight it’s important to position it with the right message, the right benefits and the right actions. Here are some considerations for your charitable brand plan:

1) Find an organization that is designated as a 501c(3). When you give to a tax exempt organization they receive the benefits of your gift and you receive a tax write off. To give it brand opportunity there are a few tricks that you can use. One is by doing a press release to announce the gift and how it benefits the organization and the community that they serve. A second is by being a “sponsor” and presenting it at an event. You’ll receive special focus at the mic or in the event program. A third way is by using a “voting” or nomination process. It builds the visibility of the brand in a viral way and also achieves the end result of helping another business with your gift.

2) Decide What Your Time Is Worth, and How Much Time You Can Afford. Your clients and community will have a deep appreciation for whatever you are able to give. A few weeks ago my husband Darren came into the office with me and gave me 8 hours of free labor. I will never forget it. A little administrative help, a website, a seminar, office space or other resources that you have will be a very precious asset to not-for-profit businesses. When you’re able to write a check, it’s great, but it’s not always the best gift. Budgeting out your time can be even more lucrative for them.

3) Consider An Online Auction. Using Ebay, Facebook or your own website you could list a product or service that you’d like to donate and have your friends, family and supporters to bid and cover the expenses in support of your giving. A service worth $1,000 may receive bids for up to $3,000 or more. A product worth $50 may reach $500 in auction. Then you can give your service and your dollars! When you simply can’t afford the commitment to work for free this alternative allows you to still gift your service or product without going into debt.

4) Develop A Charitable Social Media Campaign. Here’s an innovative idea that helps your charity and boosts your brand: Run a community campaign and give $1 for every new person that joins your Facebook Business Page. For this type of offer you can place limits, such as $1 for every new “like” up to $500. Imagine the brand impact of 500 new subscribers. Be sure to select a charity that aligns well with your brand values and to chart the progress. Keep it fun by capturing screen shots, doing videos and inviting others to share their feelings about their mission. Be sure to list the details of the charity you’re supporting so that everyone can know the full details of the work that they do.

5) Partner With A Corporation. Develop a strong relationship with a powerful and visible company in your community and partner with them during the holidays. Corporations are always looking for ways to increase their footprint in their local region and they, like you, are looking for ways to gain brand exposure and spread good cheer. If you have a product or an ongoing service that you can offer you position yourself to be the hero for them and the recipient of your services. (You also get to piggy back on the media connections that they’ve already established.)

If you have any apprehension about getting exposure from what you give to charity think about the opportunities that it will bring to that charity and to your profits that will allow you, and them, to do even more. I used to think giving in a public and transparent way was selfish until I realized how it brings more opportunities to give bigger. Use this holiday season to bring value and service to others and ride the excitement of your generosity for the year ahead.

Do you need help managing your brand and positioning it for more opportunities? Brand Excitement is here to help. To get an air tight brand plan, schedule a time to talk by giving us a call at (888) YOU-BRAND.