Desiree Trimble, Author at Experience Moxie

Branding Matters. A Lot. To Your Customers and Your Bottom Line

For more than 25 years, I have been privileged to chat with many clients on a favorite topic of mine, branding. In that first “getting-to-know-you” meeting, I often ask the client, “What is your most valuable business asset?”

And although I hope for it, I rarely hear the answer I’m longing for. Very few answer the question with, “My brand.”

Next, I typically ask them what they think they need to do to make more money, and even fewer say, “Invest in branding.”

Your company’s brand is the most valuable business asset you own. Branding is the single most important thing you can do to positively affect your revenue.

As you begin planning for 2022, give these two things a little love, and your business will grow significantly.

Brand and Branding vs. Marketing

Your brand is not just a logo and some colors. Sure, it includes those things. But it includes a whole lot more. It is the sum of verbal and nonverbal, tangible and non-tangible, visual and nonvisual elements associated with your company.

Branding is the process of creating, and through continuous improvement, strengthening your brand, and differentiating from the competition.

Marketing is closely related, but it’s not the same thing. Marketing is the process of promoting your products and services. It is your perspective and what you say about your company.

Branding is from the perspective of your customer and what they say about your company.

If you send out a direct mail piece and tell the customer, “We are the best home health provider.” That is marketing.

When a customer says, “I hear you are the best home health provider,” that is branding.

In simpler terms, your brand and branding are:

The image customers have in their minds when they hear your company name.
What they say about your company when you are not around.
And the aftertaste that comes from having an interaction with your product, service, employees, or company.

The Benefits of Branding

The healthcare marketplace is very competitive. Your consumers are in control and have lots of choices at their fingertips. Not only are you competing with the provider down the street, but you are also competing with online businesses who can supply a similar product or service to your customer or prospect.

Simply stated, the benefits of branding include:

Differentiation from competition, giving you a competitive advantage.
Clear delivery of your message to your customers and prospects.
Emotional connection to customers and prospects.
Confirmation of your credibility, building trust.
Motivation for the buyer to make a purchase.
Loyalty encouragement.
Consistent representation of your company in all aspects of marketing and sales.
Attraction and retention of top talent.

Power of Branding

The proof is in your pocketbook, not the customers’.

Businesses spend a lot of time focusing on pricing their products and services. I am not going to tell you pricing is not important. It is. But you can get customers to stop focusing on price. How? Branding. The best way for me to illustrate this is to tell you a story.

I love coffee. I am also extremely frugal, yet rarely does a day go by that I don’t drive through and pay a premium price for coffee. Why? I’d love to tell you the cup of coffee I buy tastes better than the coffee I could make at home, but the answer is, branding.

Several years ago, I was on vacation with my nephew. We share a love for coffee, so our vacation itinerary included daily coffee stops. Before departing, we read online reviews and picked the coffee shop we’d visit. We loved everything about this company before we drank a single drop of their coffee.

They did not disappoint. We had coffee every day of our vacation, and became loyal customers. After vacation we learned the closest location to home was “only” 45 miles away. For several years we made regular trips to get coffee. Four years ago, they opened a location about 25 miles from us. A few trips a year turned into monthly coffee runs. Just one year ago the franchise built a location eight miles from home. I make daily trips to get coffee.

I could stay home and make a cup of coffee for less than a quarter.

I could stop at the convenience store six blocks from my house and pay $1.99.

Instead, I drive a 16-mile round trip every day to pay $6 for a cup of coffee.

I love their brand so much; I want to continue supporting their business—I don’t care about price.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, I don’t pay more for a product because of its branding. I challenge you to think again. Have a cellphone in your pocket or purse? Did you buy the cheapest one? I doubt it. You paid premium because of its branding.

Act. Improve Your Company’s Brand and Bottom Line.

I hope you now see or are reminded of the value of branding. Let’s talk about a few things you can do to improve yours, and your bottom line.

Know your audience(s). Clearly identify a couple of your buyer personas and create custom content that will resonate with them. Make sure to deliver your custom content in a personal way and via the channels that will reach them.
Tell your story in a new way. And keep it simple. Use customer testimonials and tell stories of how your company helped its customers. Or tell stories about your employees, why they love what they do and how they connect with customers. A relatable story goes a long way and helps customers or prospects see your brand in a new light.
Educate. Don’t rely on the hard sell of the past. Customers are inundated with advertisements daily. So many, in fact, they tune them out. Instead of relying on the hard sell in marketing pieces, write some educational content and share it with customers and prospects. Pick a pain point your customers are facing. Teach them about a solution, and they won’t tune it out. They’ll also notice who helped them, and you’ll stay top of mind when they’re ready to purchase.
Humanize. Customers and prospects want to connect emotionally with your brand. Find ways to make your brand more human. Change your brand voice to be more authentic or use faces of your staff in your marketing materials and your brand will begin to seem more human. Instead of emailing or dropping another postcard in the mail, pick up the phone or send a handwritten note.
Invest in an online event. The last two years have made it more difficult to connect with customers and prospects, which leaves hosting an online event as a lucrative platform. A webinar, seminar, or product launch is a great way to engage.

2022 will no doubt be another exciting year full of unexpected twists and turns. Are you ready to challenge yourself and grow your business? Start with your branding. It will be worth it. I am sure about that.

Maximize Business Opportunities With a Friendly, On-Brand Phone Call

Let’s be honest, you are probably getting more car warranty calls these days than a call saying you won a million dollars. Either way it’s never been easier for you to screen incoming calls, but the questions is, how would you feel if you missed an opportunity or a chance of a lifetime just from ignoring a call?

The point is Moxie’s outbound communication services are here to connect you with beneficial opportunities to better your business. We are calling you for a reason and whatever that reason may be (not to extend your car warranty) we want you to know that it’s about growing and maximizing your business opportunities. Moxies Outbound Communications team makes calls to your customers, on your behalf, as additional representatives of your organization. It’s like hiring an army of experienced telecommunications specialists to spread your message, without having to do any hiring at all!

The friendly voice on the call isn’t just relaying information to your audience but connecting them with your brand and benefits, with the end goal always the same…to service you! We are giving your customer the information they need to navigate through these uncertain times.

We call to give the customer industry education opportunities, knowledge on new tools or product information, and chances to see how they compare to other organizations just like theirs. All said and done, it’s just short of a million dollars. Give our outbound communicators a try and see the benefits yourself!

Contact Michele Jensen for more information.

4 ways to build your brand through community

Does your brand have the potential to achieve the fanatic following of Harley-Davidson? All you have to do is walk into a Harley-Davidson store or visit one of its websites to be reminded that it’s about so much more than motorcycles. As their marketing reminds you, “It’s not just a look. It’s a lifestyle.”

Your business doesn’t have to be iconic to emulate the Harley-Davidson community of loyalists. You can also build a community by fostering authentic, deep relationships with your customers, vendors and partners. The organic community that grows around your business is your best audience and most likely to recommend your company.

You can also purposefully build a community around your brand – even in times of social distancing – which means you can create a marketing machine. While there are several platforms you can purchase to help you build and manage a brand community, you can also take a few simple, low-cost steps to get the ball rolling.

1. Start social

Begin with a Facebook group, Twitter account or Instagram page for users of your products or services. This isn’t a place to sell, but rather a forum for discussion. For example, if you own a bookstore, your group could be an online book club. Your internal team may be your first group members.

For larger B2B organizations, start with a vertical in which your brand is prominent and add more groups as your community grows. Even engineers or those who work in skilled trades have questions and opinions they’d like to share with like-minded users.

2. Create and post content

We’ve talked in other posts about the importance of thought leadership and content strategy. Here’s a place to shine. Support your community with content geared specifically for them. Answer questions, create new guides, make a how-to video.

3. Share a closer look

To know your brand is to love it. Give your community members special access to content that pulls back the curtain: videos showing how products are made, Q-and-A pieces with company leaders, photos of team members at home or having fun.

4. Engage, engage, engage

The biggest difference between community-building and advertising is interaction. As your community grows and members interact with each other, offer them opportunities to engage directly with representatives of your brand. Host a webinar or an online happy hour. Create a contest to collect user-generated content, then share the winners across other platforms, like your website.

Make your customers feel like they’re part of something bigger, and they will keep coming back, and spread the word. Need help getting started? Give us a call.

Photo credit: Andrey Armyagov – stock.adobe.com

Keep up your customer connections.

While we all continue to adapt to new ways of working, marketers need to continue finding new ways to connect with customers. Last month, we talked about how social videos offer a simple and cost-effective way to stay in front of your audiences. But that’s just the beginning. Here are some ideas to help you reach existing customers and perhaps even attract some new ones during this unique time.

Expand your digital landscape.

If your business is firmly rooted in bricks and mortar, the surge in internet usage associated with people all over the world staying home may not be helping you. That means it’s time to explore new ways to be seen in the digital world. Even if you’re well-established online, why not add something new to your marketing mix? Some tips and tactics to consider:

Update your Google business profile. This only takes a few minutes and can mean the difference between a conversion and a missed opportunity. It’s especially important if your hours or services have changed due to the current situation.
Optimize your Facebook business page. Then, post and promote. If you haven’t spent quality time on Facebook in a while, you may be surprised by the myriad low-cost ways to advertise.
Add business pages on other social media platforms. A Facebook presence is the bare minimum in terms of social media for businesses. LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram are also useful tools for a variety of different types of businesses.
Build your review bank. Part of optimizing your Google and social pages is updating and adding to your reviews. There’s nothing wrong with asking your best customers to share their positive experiences in a review or endorsement.
Give your website a facelift. When was the last time you took a look at your SEO? How old are your photos or case studies? Your website needs regular maintenance and attention to deliver the best search and customer experience. Even small changes can produce big results.
Create a digital campaign. You’d be amazed at how quickly and easily Moxie can develop and place an online ad campaign for your business.

Reach out to your friends and fans.

Don’t forget outbound marketing. It’s a great time to dust off some of those tried-and-true tactics you may not have thought of in a while:

Send an email. Email is an ideal way to distribute any new content you’ve created, whether it’s a blog post, a video or an article. (Watch this space for more on content marketing, coming next month.) But low-effort contact is also appreciated at times like this. It is fine to send emails that simply say hello, share a quick update about your business (revised hours?) or spread some much-needed cheer.
Send a postcard. If direct mail isn’t making a huge comeback right now, it should be. People are home more than ever, and the USPS needs all the support it can get. Do your part and meet your audience where they are. Of course, landing pages and digital ads can support your direct mail campaign, but the best way into your customers’ world right now might be through the mailbox.
Make some phone calls. Pick up the phone and check in with some of your best clients. If your customer base is large, divide your list among staff members and across time. A simple check-in can mean a lot during stressful times.

It’s going to be a long time before anything is back to normal, so adaptation is key to success. How have you been staying in touch with your customers? If you need some help from Moxie, let’s talk soon.

Don’t stop marketing.

Did you sing the title of this blog post to the tune of “Don’t Stop Believing”? I hope you did. You cannot stop believing or marketing during times like these. Every business is feeling the effects of the global pandemic and financial crisis, which means most are looking for ways to reduce spending. If your first impulse is to stop marketing, resisting the panic can lead to positive long-term effects for your business.

Studies from previous financial crises show companies that continue to market during the crisis tend to recover faster. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking only of the short-term needs of your brand; think long term and your business will benefit.

My advice is don’t stop marketing, adapt. Here are three ways to adapt your marketing to this unusual time:

1. Review

Take a critical look at all your current campaigns to ensure your messages are still relevant and sensitive to the current climate. As marketers, we may forget that a radio spot we finalized months ago is still airing every day. Or that our well-oiled marketing automation machine is churning out weekly emails we approved last fall. If any part of your messaging seems even slightly tone deaf, pull it. You may be able to use it again later, but now is not the time to risk alienating your customers.

2. Repurpose

3. Remind

You’ve worked hard to increase awareness and build your brand equity. Don’t lose that momentum and risk your customers forgetting about you. Whether through their laptops, smartphones or their streaming services, they’re consuming more content than ever before. Make sure you stay in that mix.

No one really knows how long this “new normal” will last, but we know its impact will extend for a long time. If we keep calm and think strategically, our marketing can continue to work for us throughout it all.

Let’s connect (virtually) and get through this together.

All of us at Moxie hope you are staying safe and healthy. We don’t plan to be a source for COVID-19 news and updates, so our team has turned its attention to thinking about how we can help you and your business during this history-making time.

Although we are working remotely for our own health and safety, we’re working together to come up with innovative ways you can connect with your customers. They need to hear from you now more than ever.

Do you need help…

Crafting a unique message to inform or entertain your customers?
With new or interactive ideas for your social platforms?
Engaging with your audiences through video?

We can make it happen.

We’re here for you and your business. We’re still working on your projects with the same creativity, strategy and responsiveness you expect from us.

If you need us for anything, we’re available by phone, email or video conference. Let’s connect and create your next great marketing campaign because business goes on.

Call us at 319-234-7055.

Email marketing: Let’s bust some myths.

When I was a kid the adults in my life would offer me advice that I often deemed silly. And of course, the rebellious side of me always had to test the limits and attempt to prove their advice was nothing but a myth. I swallowed my gum and lived to tell about it. I also swam within 60 minutes of consuming a meal without suffering any horrible consequences.

And still today, some things never change. Fellow marketing professionals offer advice, I often doubt it and my rebellion takes over. Email marketing is no exception. In my 20 plus years in this industry the number of dos and don’ts has been significant, and clients often ask what is real and what is not.

I can’t help but try to find the truth. Let’s debunk a few email marketing myths.

1. Email is the silver bullet of marketing

If you head to the internet and search email marketing, you will find many sources that suggest email is the BEST marketing tool. I have also seen some people suggest you only need email. Don’t get me wrong, email marketing can be very effective. But it is not a silver bullet. You need to partner with an agency that knows to include email marketing as a part of your marketing plan, but it is not the only tool needed. Integrated marketing campaigns yield the best results. Right message, right time, right audience via the right marketing channel is important. Your agency should put together a plan with a mix of marketing methods and it should be custom to your business goals.

2. Email is expensive

Email offers a very high return on investment. Current stats suggest for every $1 you spend on email marketing; your ROI is $44.* Email compared to other forms of marketing is affordable. But don’t forget the previous myth. Although cost-effective, email is not as effective if it’s your only form of marketing.

3. You can’t send too many emails. And you can send too many emails.

I have often worked with clients who tell me they want to email their customers and prospects often. When I ask for their definition of often, I get a variety of answers. Some don’t want to send too many emails, so they only want to send one per quarter. And others know they can’t send too many emails, so they want to email their customers and prospects every day. Regardless of which one you think is right, you’re wrong. Stop focusing on too many or too few. Focus on sending the right emails.

Your agency should regularly review the results of your email marketing with you. And based on the results they should make suggestions on how to amplify future results and fine tune your messaging and other factors of your email marketing.

After gathering enough data, your agency will learn more about the behaviors of your customers and prospects and adjust. Insights are an important factor in the success of your email marketing and will help zero in on which emails are the right ones to send.

4. It’s all about timing

While I will agree sending emails on a weekend typically results in a lower conversion rate, timing is not as important as some would lead you to believe. Relevant content and interactive elements drive engagement and in my opinion are more important. Industry statistics would agree.

Emails with interactive elements such as videos, image carousels, and surveys or polls have higher engagement levels than static emails. According to Martech Advisor, interactive email content can boost click rates by up to 300%.**

And even though sources now suggest humans have shorter attention spans than goldfish, I would not agree IF the content of your email is relevant to your customer. Your agency can help you align content to customer preferences. If it is relevant, they will read it. The most relevant content is often user-generated. Consider collaborating with your customers and share their story in your emails. Customers relate best with stories from other customers.

5. Email marketing replaces sales people

Nope. It does not replace selling. Email marketing, along with all forms of marketing, helps enable sales. Marketing does not replace sales. You still need a sales team calling on customers to close the sale. Marketing, including email marketing yields leads. Emails can help move a prospect from cold to warm and help sales people prioritize their sales activities.

6. The open rate is the most important measurement for ROI.

Just because a customer or prospect opens your email, it doesn’t mean they purchase from you. The same goes for click rate. The measurement you should focus on is conversion. The goal of email marketing is leads which can be turned over to sales and subsequently converted. Align your sales and marketing efforts to maximize your ROI which is measured by conversions.

And at the end of the day, if you are curious about the validity of a myth, talk to your agency about it. Who knows? You might inspire them to bust a myth.

* WebFX, ** Martech Advisor