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Marketing has its own experts, for every conceivable aspect. Entire businesses are founded on the effort to market a product to a client, and there are people who are very, very good at what they do. Almost as soon as there was radio, there were commercials. Television followed suit, and advertising on the Web has begun to follow the same trend.

Fairly new to the field of brand marketing, but establishing a firm foothold all the same, is the social media marketing agency. In many ways similar to the traditional marketing agency, they still stand apart as experts in a particular field, one that is coming to dominate the way net surfers communicate. They offer specific advantages in their expertise that a more general agency might not fully grasp, and are worth a look for anyone serious about developing their brand into an online powerhouse.

A Specific Focus

There are two broad types of marketing agencies, generalists and specialists. General agencies frequently have several departments covering various angles, and definitely have a place in a modern advertising campaign. However, they lack the purity of focus that can come from a specialized approach, and may not be as committed to the realm of ideas the latter can provide.

A social media-specific advertising agency doesn’t have the clutter of distraction a more generalized body would. They train specifically in the tasks that gain ground for a brand through social media, including SEO, visual presentation, and linkback techniques. Since they focus on one specific element, there isn’t a temptation for them to ‘suggest’ broadening the horizon by including a television campaign in a social-media effort.

Engage, Engage

The modern brand relationship is no longer the example of the producer making proclamations and staging showings. Instead it is a conversation, an exchange back and forth between the audience and the speaker. Comments can be left, videos and podcasts can go viral and spread word lightning fast, and genuine up-to-date feedback can pour in as fast as an article goes up.

A social media marketing agency will understand these needs, and have the tools to facilitate the conversation. They know how to pick out the groups that are likely to be interested in a product, or the kind of article that will see more attention on Digg. They are practiced in developing the conversations between you and your client, and their services in this field are easy to appreciate.

Making it Stick

The net offers a new power to people looking to make their brand stick in people’s minds that has never been consistently available before – the power of persistence.

Previously, a commercial would come up when it came up. The advertiser had limited control over when a commercial might air, and the viewer had no serious way of knowing what commercials would show when. The Internet has changed this significantly. Websites catering to a user’s interests are only seconds away at any given time, and can be visited any time the user has a computer and a connection.

This creates the persistence that drives a good brand. When someone is coming to your blog day after day, week after week, your brand becomes part of their life Social media is a great way to make this happen, as it is easier than ever to integrate a blog, Twitter, and Facebook into a sort of press service for your product, be it physical or philosophical. A good social media agency can show you how to bring these ideas together, how to make them work in concert so that thoughts of your brand become as automatic as reading the paper to your audience.

A Clean Fit

There is a lot of talk on the Web about ‘organic’ results. This doesn’t have anything to do with ethically sourced food, but rather with making things fit together seamlessly. An organic effort ‘works’ together, and doesn’t seem forced or choppy. Instead of statements that cram in the same keyword phrase regardless of grammar, it focuses on content that fits into existing topics, that looks genuine because it is genuine.

For example, organic promotion can include work that doesn’t mention your brand directly at all. In some cases you might register a forum account on a discussion board that includes topics related to your blog, and provide content of your own to the discussions at hand. You never once mention your website, but instead focus on joining the discussions and making friends, and the entire time your site is linked in your signature. Eventually someone will click it, and start talking about it.

Getting people talking is part of organic promotion as well. When others are sending your link forward and sharing it with people of common interest, you’ll see the value of having relied on social media. That’s the real power behind it, the power to send out the ripples that get people to notice you. It starts slowly, but builds up irrevocably. So consider looking into an agency that specializes in maximizing social media, as there may be a lesson they can share that gets you the edge you need.

Author’s Note: Also published here.

…

Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the “voice” of our client’s brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at www.iBrandCasting.com/

Read more articles written by Enzo F. Cesario

First, before anything is explained, users or potential users must realize online faxing is as easy as sending an email – and just about anyone who has used a computer can do that. Basically, with Internet faxing all your faxes are sent as an email attachment, usually in a TIFF or PDF format, and are delivered directly to your inbox.

The second part of the equation is what confuses many people, in order to use this new type of web faxing, you have to sign up to an online fax service provider who acts as an intermediary to handle all your faxing. It is really a form of “cloud computing” where your services are outsourced to an outside company – in this case an online fax company.

Once you are signed up to a fax service provider you are given a local or Toll-free fax number which you can give out to all your contacts and place on all your business cards and dealings. And because it is web based, you don’t need an extra fax phone like you do with a traditional fax machine. And because web faxing is paperless, you don’t have the added expense of all those inks, toners and papers.

You are also given an online account or interface where you can logon to check and send your faxes. Your faxes are also stored online but each company usually differs in the amount of time your faxes are stored so this is one feature you should check before signing up with any given fax provider. Also be aware, each different fax service provider has different monthly rates and the numbers of faxes you can send/receive. You are charged extra for any faxes that go over that limit and some companies charge by the minute, while others charge by the fax.

On average, these monthly charges run around $10 but if you shop around there are good quality services which charge much less. Also remember, this is usually an ongoing business expense so it does pay to shop around and do your homework now since it can mean significant savings over the long term. Using an online fax comparison site is probably a good idea if you want to get the best deals.

The only other question that usually comes up when discussing these fax services: “Why should I use an online fax provider in the first place?”

For the same reasons which has made this type of faxing so popular: it’s cheaper, easier to use, and much more convenient than the old traditional fax machine. It is totally portable and is available wherever you have Internet access. It turns all your mobile devices like cell phones, PDAs, laptops… into virtual fax machines. No more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams.

Furthermore, if your company depends heavily upon faxing to bring in new sales, contacting clients or communicating with employees, then you have to realize with online faxing your business is open 24/7, 365 days of the year. This is one service that definitely can make any company or business more competitive, even in this harsh economic climate.

Finally, perhaps one of the best features of these online fax providers, many have Free 30 Day Trials where you can check out their services and see if they’re up to your standards before you buy. Setup is free and can be done in a matter of minutes so finding the right fax service provider to meet your needs should be quite painless.

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For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: internet fax providers. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax.

Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Read more articles written by Titus Hoskins

All these questions are frequently asked by those considering this new way of faxing. Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to fully explain what Internet fax is and how it is done.

First, you must realize online faxing is simply bringing all your faxing chores into the modern business workplace, one that is directly wired to computers and the Internet. Online fax is simply using your email system and your web connection to send and receive all your faxes. It is as simple and as easy as sending an email.

We won’t bore you with all the technical details of exactly how it works, but we will give you the basics of how you go about setting up an online fax account or number. In order to use online faxing, you have to first sign-up to an online fax service provider who will give you your own Toll-free or Local fax number. Some companies will let you “port” your current fax number into their system, but you should check with the company first to see if they do this and how much it will cost you?

Once you have signed up to a fax provider, they will usually give you an online fax account or interface, where you can logon and send/receive all your faxes. Or many services have a desktop application you can download to your desktop and use this to send/receive your faxes. Still another way is to use your current Windows Outlook Express, as many providers have this as another way to send your faxes. Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually as a Tiff or Pdf file, although there are many other different formats you can use, so check with your service provider first to see which ones.

What you have to understand, online faxing is a form of “cloud computing” where your faxing services are outsourced to a third-party. They act as your intermediary to handle all your faxes. There are some great advantages to doing this: you don’t need an extra fax phone line and you don’t need an actual fax machine. Plus, set-up is free and very immediate, within minutes you can have your own fax number. For a company or business just starting up your costs will be very minimum. And these fax services are completely scalable for businesses; so you can easily increase or decrease your number of fax numbers without the expense of buying extra hardware (fax machines and fax phone lines).

Another great benefit of using online fax – it is much more cheaper than using a fax machine. On average your monthly charges will run around $10, but there are cheaper services out there, so it pays to shop around. Also remember, since everything is done online, you don’t have the cost of an extra fax phone line, nor do you have the cost of buying a fax machine. In addition, since it is paperless faxing, you obviously don’t have the costs of papers, inks, toners or fax machine maintenance… all these expenses do add up over time.

Some of the more popular Internet fax service providers are: eFax?, RingCentral, MyFax, Faxage, RapidFax, Metrofax, Trustfax, Send2Fax, Nextiva, GoFaxer, Popfax… and many more. Since this is usually a long term business expense, you should shop around and find the service that perfectly matches your needs. Thankfully, many of these major providers have 30 Day Free Trials so you can check out a service before you buy.

If your faxing is very minimum, then you can get a service for as little as $20 a month. If your company or business relies heavily upon faxing to bring in sales or for contacting clients, keep in mind, most of these services are completely scalable for businesses, so you can set up special arrangements with many of these providers to suit your own company’s faxing needs.

One last word, the reasons why online faxing have become so popular is mainly because it is easy to do, completely mobile, more convenient and much more cheaper than the regular fax machine. Moreover, it brings all your faxing into the modern world and the modern work environment. In no time at all, if anyone should ask you: Send fax online, how is that done? You will know the answer.

Previously published here.

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For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to: send fax online. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax services.

Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Read more articles written by Titus Hoskins

Last week when I told a small business owner that she was doing a good job with her marketing, she replied “Oh, but I have so much to do!” in an apologetic tone.

So I asked her, “What is it that you have to do?”

“Well,” she said, “I need to redo my website, write a new brochure, update my Facebook page, and call clients whom I haven’t seen for a while.

“I’m also wondering, do I need to get a Twitter account and do I need to have a blog AND a website?”

Listening to her I felt sad. I mean who the heck laid down these requirements that a small business has to have so much in place so fast?

=== It Wasn’t Always This Way

100 years ago: before there were computers or radio or TV or desktop publishing, the requirements for being ready for business were simple and concrete.

For example, let’s say you’re newly arrived in Denver, CO around 1890. At this time, the American West is still pretty wild and there are thousands of people traveling west who need to supplies and gear for their trek through the mountains

You decide you’re going to open a dry goods store and sell supplies to all these aspiring miners and ranchers.

To have your business up and running you need:

Assuming you had the above along with a strong work ethic, some organization skills, and a grasp of accounting and inventory management, you had a good chance of succeeding.

I’m not saying this was easy. However the steps and the order in which you took the steps was clear cut and definite.

=== Nowadays

In our brave new world of the Internet and the ability to connect with buyers around the world, it has become possible to start a business with little more than a good idea, a computer, and an Internet connection.

The promise is that anyone can set up everything they need for a successful business in a matter of weeks.

And that’s the problem.

Because on the one hand, it’s true: within a week you could have your

set up and ready for business.

And this is what is so horribly overwhelming for small business owners. It seems like you should have all these things set up and if you don’t, you’re somehow doing it wrong.

=== The Answer: Four Foundational Marketing Elements

This brings us back to the original topic: what marketing tools and structures do you really need in place so that your business grows at a healthy pace?

Here are four foundational marketing elements that every business needs to have in place:

1. You need a clear definition of who you’re serving and the problem you’re helping them with.

2. You need a way for strangers to find out who you are and how you help.

For example, attending networking events, publishing articles, blogging and contributing to discussion forums are all ways to introduce yourself

3. You need a way to stay in touch with people who are interested but not ready to buy.

For example, postcard mailings, newsletters, and ezines are all ways to keep in touch.

4. You need at least one offer so that when people are ready to buy, you’ll know what customer problems your offer addresses, what questions to ask to find out if your offer is right for a prospect, and how to answer prospect questions.

Once you have a good definition of who your ideal customer is, you choose one, maybe two (at the most) activities for each element.

=== Example: Applying the Four Marketing Elements

Marianne is a nutritionist who, until recently, worked for a large university hospital. She’s now in the process of setting up a private practice with the intention to split her time between seeing private patients and teaching classes.

Here is what Marianne has in place for her marketing:

1. Marianne has defined her ideal client as “adults who were recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes and want to find ways to control their blood sugar without using insulin injections.”

Marianne specializes in helping her patients plan and carry out diet and exercise programs that make them less insulin dependent.

2. To meet people who might need her help, Marianne, keeps in contact with local doctors who are likely to make the initial diagnosis.

She also writes tips and how-to articles that she publishes on online article submission sites like Associated Content and Bukisa.

Marianne makes sure that when someone she meets wants to know more, they have the URL to a page on her website so they can subscribe to her newsletter.

3. To keep in touch with people who are interested in what she does but are not yet ready to make an appointment, Marianne writes a bi-monthly newsletter she emails to prospects.

In each newsletter she has a useful tip or how to.

She often uses what she’s written in a newsletter as an submission to article publishing sites.

In this way she gets the most from the articles she writes.

4. Marianne’s practice is relatively new and she has only one offer: individual counseling sessions with patients to help them create and follow diet/exercise plans.

She has one page on her website that covers the main points of her offer and suggest clients either send in a form or call her to set up some time to talk by phone.

Because many of her clients are 65 Marianne has a printed one-page flyer that has the same information as her website page in case a prospective client is uncomfortable with using the Internet.

To summarize, Marianne has set up the following elements to market her practice:

Marianne does not have a Twitter account or a Facebook page or a shopping cart or a blog. She doesn’t do podcasts or make videos to show on YouTube. She could have these things but right now *she doesn’t need to*.

=== Bottom Line

There is a perception among small business owners that they have to set up and implement hundreds of available marketing activities in order to be “doing it right.”

This is because

The key is to know what you and your business need to connect effectively with perspective customers.

Generally you need to set up only one or two activities to get in touch, keep in touch, and sell in order to keep a healthy stream of new customers and revenue coming into your small business.

Article also published here.

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Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, “Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!” go to www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm

You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com

Read more articles written by Judy Murdoch

The State of Garbage

Business sustainability counteracts the materialistic nature of modern societies that creates an addiction to garbage and waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States department dedicated to municipal waste (MSW) management, businesses generate 45 percent of the total waste in the country. According to data taken from the “State of Garbage in America” survey in 2006, the country generates 413,014,732 tons of garbage per year; however, only 35.5 percent (146,601,768 tons) of the waste is recycled or reused. The remaining 64.5 percent (146, 601,768 tons) can be found in one of 1,800 landfills nationwide, which defeats business sustainability efforts.

Waste in Relation to Business Sustainability

In order to build business sustainability one must plan and allocate resources according to current needs. The type of waste businesses produce depends upon the industry; however, common categories include paper products, electronics and machinery, hazardous waste, non-renewable energy, as well as expired products. According to the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, office workers use 10,000 sheets of paper per year; however, only 66 percent of office paper is recycled and reused. It is pertinent to utilize recycled products within the business to increase resource efficiency.

While recycling rates remain steady for paper products, business sustainability struggles to control electronic waste (otherwise known as eWaste). With the rapid development and innovation of computers, printers, and other office machinery, businesses are constantly replacing outdated, slow, or broken equipment. Due to the chemical composition of the equipment, the items cannot be placed into landfills and require special handling to correctly dispose of the parts. Electronics are by nature nonrenewable investments; however, there are methods by which companies can recycle them.

Managing Business Waste

In an effort to increase business sustainability, businesses utilize a variety of techniques, including source reduction, recycling, composting, waste to energy incineration, and landfills. Most businesses attempt to recycle their materials; however, it requires internal and municipal coordination, which adds administrative costs, and diminishes savings. Businesses can offset the cost and improve sustainability efforts by using recycled products within their organization, such as printer paper.

Internal sustainability efforts are complemented by municipal services, who compost or incinerate materials to offset the expanding landfills. Current business sustainability efforts are band-aids to larger problems. Source reduction prevents waste from entering the ecosystem by reducing the number of resources businesses utilize. Source reduction enables businesses to increase sustainability by changing internal manufacturing and purchasing policies.

Increasing ROI Through Source Reduction

The costs to administer aggressive source reduction campaigns are offset by the long-term savings on operational expenses. Source reduction is based on the principle of a zero-waste ecosystem in which businesses use every resource that is purchased. Companies spend billions of dollars each year on products that are not used, expired, diminished, stolen, or liquidated. Every manufactured good has a set shelf life, including ink cartridges, pens, and paper. Additionally, discarding empty printer cartridges and broken electronics creates unnecessary hazardous waste. Cost reduction and business sustainability initiatives counteract these issues by obtaining extended warranties for electronics and utilizing printer cartridge refill services.

Reducing Waste in the Workplace

Cost reduction indicates most businesses spend large sums of money to buy office supplies in bulk. It is estimated that businesses waste one-third of these goods due to expiration or loss, which defeats any bulk discounts one would receive from vendors. Additionally, the supplies take up valuable warehouse space that could otherwise be reallocated. To effectively reduce waste, analyze company purchasing policies and contracts, noting areas of concern. Exceptions apply to these policies, as vendor agreements vary depending on their business sustainability practices.

Review company financial records, inventory databases, and purchase orders to determine the amount and rate of materials consumption. Monitor print and copy logs to verify the average number of pages printed per month and adjust toner and paper orders to reflect usage. Toner cartridges provide an estimated number of copies it can produce. When developing waste reduction plans, inventory the warehouse and sort them based on expiration date, using the oldest supplies first.

Implement Waste Reduction Programs

Cost reduction programs are key to increasing ROI and business sustainability. While every employee will not “go green” willingly, everyone is motivated by “the other” green – revenue. Form a committee at the corporate level and develop a sustainability plan, outlining goals and objectives of the operation while creating deadlines for major milestones. Once a basic plan is established, create a task force at the employee level, appointing two executives as the project managers.

The executive committee oversees the task force and communicates with the project managers, who work directly with business sustainability strategists. The task force will develop a mission statement that is aligned with corporate figures and creates a program outline that addresses the various goals and objectives. Task force members actively survey all of the waste generated by the company. By highlighting the problem employees realize the economic and environmental impact of the waste.

Through aggressive internal ad campaigns and memoranda the entire company?will become?aware of these issues. Business sustainability and cost reduction efforts increase profitability while positioning the organization as environmentally friendly.

Author’s Note: This article also published here.

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Download your free report “The Definitive Guide to Doubling Your Profits in less than 6 Months” which reveals simple methods and techniques that can lower supply and service costs up to 27% without paying tens of thousands of dollars or hiring a consultant. Learn how to lower supply costs up to 30% at Thayne Carper‘s website: www.ThayneCarper.com/

Read more articles written by Thayne Carper

The Internet and the Web are incredibly powerful tools, enabling high-speed communication and extraordinarily widespread access. Marketers of the late 80s would have killed for the ability to get their commercials in front of the billions of people who use the Web today. Both technologies have revolutionized the way people communicate, allowing letters to be sent to hundreds of recipients for pennies and no postage. The viral message has become one of the most talked about features of the modern age. So why do so many advertisers simply use the Web in the same fashion as television or radio advertisements?

People aren’t always able to see the possibilities in a new technology, for one thing. Yes, this is the age of YouTube and the viral video, but for the majority of its existence the Web has been accessed through dialup rather than broadband. Apart from attachment-free emails and instant message texts, communication over the Internet wasn’t necessarily any more efficient than television. Large video or even audio files were not something that could be downloaded quickly, so the Web was simply not prepared for advertisers to try out their entirely new visions.

Of course, now that broadband is widely available and increasing in speed all the time, this has all changed. Videos can be downloaded in minutes, and audio podcasts often take mere seconds to acquire. The technology has grown into much more of its potential capability, and the time has come to pioneer new methods for dealing with it. To do so, advertisers and marketers need to be aware of some basic facts.

Fact 1 – the Web is Ceaseless

Television has a schedule; one that hasn’t varied greatly in the last few decades. There is daytime television, prime time television, and late night television. There are tidewaters for when certain materials can be shown. Advertising campaigns are built around these schedules, beginning and ending at certain times.

This does not, cannot, and will not ever work for the Web.

There is always someone on the Web. There are no tidewaters for when certain information will be more desirable, because every time one user logs off to get some sleep or go to work, twenty more may log on just three time zones west.

There cannot be an advertising ‘campaign’ in the traditional sense of the word under these circumstances. With people constantly logging in and out of the assorted social sites to check up on what’s popular, or who’s still friends with whom, a single commercial isn’t going to particularly register. Modern marketing techniques need to look at ways to maintain a persistent, natural presence in the minds of their audience if they’re to have any hope of keeping up.

Fact 2 – the Web is Interactive

This has been discussed in many, many places and in just as many ways. Post anything at all, and the Web will give feedback, informed or uninformed. All those people who are logging on have opinions that they might not necessarily have leeway to express at the office, and they’re all too happy to share them online.

Discussions of the pros and cons of this phenomenon can be had just about anywhere, so instead consider the example of the online humor site, Cracked. Formerly a magazine in the style of MAD magazine, Cracked has always specialized in offbeat humor that looks at the ironies in life. It also never quite managed to compete with its more popular cousin, and has periodically gone out of print.

Now, however, Cracked has embraced the online model with gusto, and is one of the most popular video and text humor sites around. In particular, they created a workshop calling to people who understood their particular sense of the ironic, and offered to pay for quality articles. Anyone is invited to sign up in the forum, toss around ideas, and the good ones are purchased. Instead of paying a fixed staff of writers, the magazine now has a massive pool of talent that provides fresh angles and weird ideas in bulk.

Fact 3 – the Web is Multicultural

Multiculturalism is one of those hot words that can cause massive debate just about anywhere, and is not something this article is focused on. However, the fact of the Web is that people from China now can and do have long discussions with folk from Denmark, who chat with young people in the USA, who play online shooters with fellow fans from Mexico.

There is of course still room to focus on a core audience. A shoe store in the US with no international aspirations hardly needs a Swedish language option on their site. However, many people in the south and southwest of the United States speak Spanish as a first or second language, and going so far as to include even this small option could open up a new world of grateful customers.

The point is that those who want to maximize their reach need to understand that the Web is diverse and not the least bit homogeneous. Assumptions and preconceptions have to be checked at the door, and an open-mindedness ready to reach out to others on their terms will do any company good service.

Editor’s Note: This article previously published here.

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Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the “voice” of our client’s brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at www.iBrandCasting.com/

Read more articles written by Enzo F. Cesario

The first step to simplify any feedback session is to prepare for the conversation as you would prepare for any meeting. You want allow enough time for the discussion so it is not rushed. Try to conduct the meeting in person if possible; remove distractions and make time to get input from the employee. There are a few other key points to remember as you enter into the meeting with the employee. First, address the behavior, not the person. For example, instead of telling the employee that he/she is unreliable, state that he/she has been late to the last three staff meetings. Next, remember to present facts and examples, such as: “When we compiled our budget numbers for this year, the numbers you gave were unsubstantiated. We agreed that backup data was necessary for all inputs.” Also, describe the both the positive and negative impact of the behavior. For example, say something such as: “By not letting us know you have to leave early some times, other people had to stay late and finish,” or, “by you stepping in and helping in a jam, you continue to demonstrate great team effort. Several members of the team have expressed their appreciation.”

Another key factor to keep in mind is regarding when to give feedback and when not to give it. You want to provide feedback on the accomplishment of a goal, when you notice that performance or behavior is impeding a goal or objective, when actions or behaviors begin impacting work relationships and/or actions or behaviors are impeding an individual’s success. Do not give feedback when you or the individual are too emotional or if you are not the most appropriate person to give the feedback (for example, if you notice inappropriate behavior from an employee who reports to someone else, that feedback might have more impact coming from that person’s manager).

Now that you have all these tidbits in mind, and are prepared for the feedback discussion, below is model to follow when actually having the conversation.

1. Open

It is best to open a feedback discussion by identifying the purpose of the discussion and what you hope to accomplish. When opening, be prepared with what you want to say that will specifically address the purpose and importance of the situation. In addition, think about what you are hoping to accomplish (for example, are you looking for improvement, change in behavior or is it simply a discussion to provide positive feedback). It is also helpful to consider what the impact of this situation and the discussion will have on the person or team. This may help frame your tone and demeanor. Clearly, if it is a serious situation that has had serious consequences, the tone and demeanor will vary than if it is a situation that has been positive.

2. Discover

The next step in this model is to Discover. This is when you will share information and seek to understand the situation from the employee’s perspective. Think of this step as the “question” step. Ask questions about the particular situation and find out exactly what the employee did and why he/she made the decisions that he/she did. Again, you want to be thinking about what outcome you are trying to achieve and also put yourself in the employee’s shoes and consider what he/she might be concerned about.

3. Develop and Plan

The next step in this model is to develop and plan.

First you want to develop ideas for improvement with the employee. Seek out ideas from the employee and ask what he/she thinks is needed to be successful. Then share your own ideas. Ask what support the employee needs and ask yourself what support you can provide. You will then want to plan for action. This is when you discuss the specific steps and actions that will be taken to improve and reach the desired state. What steps need to be taken? Be sure they are realistic and challenging but not unattainable. Ask what support the employee needs and be open to providing that support. Remember, you ultimately want improvement so getting the employee on board with the plan for improvement is a vital step towards success.

4. Remove Barriers

The next step is to remove barriers. As you discuss the plan for action and what resources are needed, obstacles to success may come up. If they do not, then you need to seek this out and find out from the employee what he or she believes will prevent improvement or success. Ask questions such as “what roadblocks might you encounter?” and “how can I help support you in removing them or getting around them?”

5. Recap

The final step is to recap the discussion to ensure buy-in and that the employee understands the expectations. You want to be sure the employee leaves the meeting feeling confident and believing in his or her ability to be successful. Ask the employee what he or she is taking away from the discussion and what the first step in the action plan will be. Set up a follow up meeting and make yourself available for continued support.

Following this feedback delivery model as well as ensuring you are prepared for the discussion and providing the feedback at the appropriate time can and will make the process more simple. Having a more simple feedback delivery process and model will most certainly assist in your ability to successfully manage your team and your workforce.

Author’s Note: Previously published here.

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Andria Corso is an Executive Coach and Human Resources leader who works with clients to develop leadership skills and talent strategies that align with business strategy and drive results. She is the principal owner of C3-Corso Coaching and Consulting, a premier executive coaching and strategic HR consulting firm specializing in the design of customized coaching and performance excellence programs for companies looking to increase employee engagement and deliver outstanding results. For a free report on the Top 3 HR Programs Every Growing Business Must Have to Succeed, click HERE or visit www.andriacorso.com for more information on how C3 can help you or your company.

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That said there are certain behaviors and practices that are guaranteed to kill a brand, virtually without fail. There are always exceptions to the rule, but by and large you can at least count on these ‘do nots’ as fairly ironclad rules. What follows are four ways you can miss the point, and some advice for avoiding them.

Misfire #1 – Number Chasing

This may feel like a complete turnaround from previous articles. After all, we’ve discussed metrics and their usefulness in measuring success, haven’t we? Surely the larger an audience the better a brand is doing.

The problem with this logic is that it confuses the goal with the measurement. Instead of focusing on satisfying customer demands for particular content or a certain product quality, the company focuses on making sure web traffic stays high. This kind of thinking disconnects you from the actual cause-and-effect of working on the product you’re pitching, and creates an artificial reality that will do your brand no good.

As a rule of thumb for avoiding this behavior, consider the way you set goals. If you find the goal focusing on increasing audience numbers or some abstract figure instead of refining your core product, it’s time to re-evaluate.

Misfire #2 – Going by Rote

Part of maintaining a modern brand is providing regular content. Updating frequently enough to maintain viewer interest is vital for any service, and making sure the physical product is advertised for the public’s awareness is equally important if sales are the goal.

That said, there is a problem inherent in a scheduled updating system that can sneak into the provider’s routine. Specifically we’re speaking of the tendency to update without purpose. You see it frequently on twitter or certain blogs, where the provider is strapped for ideas and just posts a bit of airy, fluffy filler because ‘it’s time to post.’ While this does meet the customer’s expectation, this can work against you, as it leaves a bit of the ‘what was the point?’ question in their minds.

Instead, consider missing out a day if you genuinely don’t have content to provide. It happens, there are slow days for everyone. Missing the routine for a day will give you time to pull up some new content, and when the audience chimes in and sees there isn’t an update, they’ll be curious and more likely to check back the next time.

Misfire #3 – Fadding Out

The difference between a movement and a fad is that a fad sits on the surface of things, changing very little; whereas a movement alters the very basics of how the world functions. ‘Virtual Reality’ was a fad. People hyped it up, but there was no way the majority of people were going to shell out thousands for VR systems and their ten-pound headsets. Twitter is a movement, having developed a broad appeal and fundamentally changed the way people think about spreading information.

We have spoken of the need for innovation and the ability to take risks in brand development, and these things are still true. However, how innovative is it to jump on board something someone else has created? Instead of following the trends, focus on what your brand needs and how it functions. If adding in an element makes sense, do so without hesitation. If you have to force it, forget it.

Misfire #4 – Losing Focus

At this point it’s virtually ancient history, but there is a lesson for modern brand development in the Video Game Crash of the 1980s. The short of it is that every single company worth mentioning decided video games were the future, and opened up a video game division. They launched these efforts without any serious dedication to the craft of game design, and some succeeded while others failed. The most bizarre entrant was Quaker Oats, the people that make oatmeal. The result was a complete disaster.

What business would an oatmeal company have making games? On the surface, any business they desired. Perhaps it was always their secret passion, who knows? However, they lacked any serious experience in the venture, and you probably can’t find ten people out of a thousand who remember what game or games they put out.

Focus on your message. This ties in with the idea of fads, but warrants its own point. If you have to stretch yourself or come up with a new department to accommodate a new idea, it’s time to sit down and decide just how essential this idea is to your core message.

Author’s Note: Article published here.

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Enzo F. Cesario is an online branding specialist and co-founder of Brandsplat, a digital content agency. Brandsplat creates blogs, articles, videos and social media in the “voice” of our client’s brand. It makes sites more findable and brands more recognizable. For the free Brandcasting Report go to www.BrandSplat.com/ or visit our blog at www.iBrandCasting.com/

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The marketing strategy that will get you faster and farther than anything else put together is developing strategic alliances with other businesses so you can promote each others products and services.

Strategic alliances are powerful because:

And how do you find strategic partners? Well, you decide the qualities of an ideal strategic partner for your business; you begin to identify those businesses; and you get in touch to suggest a partnership.

=========================== Problems with Proposing Strategic Alliance ===========================

I was inspired to write this week’s article because I’ve received several strategic alliance requests recently that were really, really off-target.

And I thought it might be helpful to share with you what I consider an effective way to propose a strategic alliance with another business.

To illustrate effective and ineffective approaches to strategic alliance proposals I’m going to use those heroes of doctor’s office waiting rooms: Goofus and Gallant.

If you didn’t spend much time in doctor’s waiting rooms during the 60′s and 70′s here’s a quick explanation: Goofus and Gallant was a feature in Highlights: a children’s magazine which offered entertaining and educational information for school-aged kids.

Goofus and Gallant was a comic with two boys–Goofus was a jerk: inconsiderate and selfish. Gallant was, well, gallant: considerate and polite.

=========================== Strategic Alliance Proposal: Goofus-Style ===========================

When Goofus writes to a prospective strategic ally, his is interested in one thing and one thing only: what he, Goofus, will gain.

It’s all about Goofus.

Things Goofus does when he writes his proposal to make sure there’s no question who the proposal is all about:

Now, confession time, I’m guilty of sending Goofus-style proposals. Why? Mostly because I didn’t know how to write something more effective.

Fortunately, I’ve learned how to write a proposal that actually connects with prospective allies.

Read on for the Gallant-style proposal.

=========================== Strategic Alliance Proposal Gallant-style ===========================

To sum up Gallant’s approach, Gallant assumes that the business owner he’s approaching first needs to be able to trust that Gallant wants a win-win partnership before they’ll take the next step.

Here is what Gallant does to make sure his proposal clearly communicates that he wants everyone to benefit.

He knows who the key people are in the business, he knows what the business’ products and services are, he’s visited their website and perhaps he’s even read a few articles written by the business owner.

=========================== Why Companies Don’t Use the Gallant-Style Approach ===========================

The biggest objection is “it takes too much time.” And the Gallant-style approach for sure takes longer than the Goofus-style approach.

No argument from me.

But if you look at the time spent from the perspective of which hours produce the best results in terms of attracting profitable strategic partnerships, Gallant-proposals are a lot more effective.

=========================== Burning Bridges versus Opening Doors ===========================

Plus, a “no” to a Goofus proposal is usually a “no and don’t come back.” Goofus proposals result in slammed doors and burned bridges.

Gallant proposals that don’t result in a “yes” or a “let’s talk more” usually result in a “let’s talk in six months” or “it doesn’t fit what we need but here’s someone who could use what you offer.”

=========================== Bottom Line ===========================

If you approach other businesses to ask about strategic partnership opportunities and you’re not much response, you may be sending Goofus-style proposals.

Gallant-style proposals require extra time and effort to personalize and speak to specific win-win benefits, but every hour you spend putting effort into a Gallant-style proposal is easily worth the effort of sending 100 Goofus proposals.

Not to mention the doors that open when the company you’re approaching feels truly seen, heard, and appreciated.

…

Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, “Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!” go to www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm

You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com

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