I have a marketing tip to share with you today, which is directly connected to the day I started to look middle-aged.

I know. It sounds weird, but I promise you it isn’t.

Well, it’s not TOO weird.

It’s all about the marketing importance of your branding. Specifically today, I’m thinking about the visual impact your current branding has on your sales results.

But I need to start with my face. (That’s a sentence I never, ever thought I would write).

From fresh-faced to middle-aged

I honestly have no idea what day it was, when I went from looking like a fresh-faced young man, to middle-aged. If you’re old enough to have become middle-aged, I bet you’d answer exactly the same. That’s because the way we look changes very gradually, over time.

Hold that thought.

I believe this same gradual process also explains why so many great small businesses have out-dated / ineffective branding. And as a direct result, create a bad first impression and lose out on the clients (or customers) their business needs.

Take a look at almost any small business that’s been trading for more than 5 or 10 years and their branding is usually extremely poor. In many cases, it didn’t start that way. Here’s what happened.

When their current branding was launched, it looked fresh and compelling. It had the type of design that would impress any prospective client. Then, a bit like my face, their branding slowly started to age; along with their website, social media profile, newsletters and everywhere else their branding is seen. It happened so slowly, that they haven’t even noticed.

That’s my theory. And I think it’s a pretty darn nifty theory too. After all, no business owner knowingly turns clients away every day.

Does branding REALLY matter, Jim?

Yep. It does.

Seriously, it’s actually really important no matter what size your business is.

And here’s why.

I’m going to use a common example of the power of branding, which you’ll be able to identify with. I want you to think about the visual branding you see when you visit a website for the first time. Experts say (depending on which ones you listen to) that when you visit at a website, it takes less than a second for you to form your first impressions.

You get the almost instant impact of the overall look; the logo, colours / colors, fonts, tones, graphics, photography, typography – – and all the visual branding components on the site.

And you very quickly build your first impression.

They look competent.

They look clueless.

They look relevant.

They look out-of-date.

They look interesting.

They look dull.

They look dynamic.

They look lethargic.

They look professional.

They look amateurish.

They look sizeable.

They look small.

They look successful.

They look strapped.

They look expensive.

They look cheap.

And all this happens before you really know anything about them. Yet it powerfully changes the way you feel about them in all the ways I just mentioned, and a hundred other ways. Remember: People buy based on feelings, NOT logic. That’s how important good branding is.

Of course, first impressions are not always accurate. But first impressions always count.

Here’s why: Many lousy businesses have great looking branding that inspires confidence and attracts clients. Conversely, many great businesses have ineffective branding that creates doubt and turns clients away.

An excellent business that creates a bad first impression will 100% definitely be losing sales and clients. Especially from those who are looking for a good, quality service. Prospective clients looking for something ‘cheap’ will think they’ve found it, when they see what looks like a struggling small business.

If you’re not attracting enough sales or leads. If you’re attracting enquiries from people with small budgets. If your social marketing efforts are not getting the results you want. It could be time to invest in your branding.

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

Viral marketing is something I get asked about a lot. It’s actually pretty easy to understand.

Every piece of viral marketing consists of 2 things.

1. It goes to someone. (They received it).
2. Then it goes through them. (They share it with one or more people).

For both of those steps to happen, a marketing message needs to be easy to share and remarkable in some way.

Allow me to explain.

Easy to share

As I mentioned previously, the Kentucky Fried Chicken strapline is an excellent example of an easy to share message. It’s just 3 words long. Finger lickin’ good. That’s easy to remember and share.

The marketing message from Apple is even easier to share. When someone is using one of their products in public, there’s a highly visible Apple logo pointing at everyone who can see them. Until recently, the Apple logo on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models was illuminated on the lid. Today, those logo’s are (like those on iPhones) highly polished mirrors.

Remarkable

What makes viral marketing viral, is that it doesn’t spread from the vendor to the marketplace. It spreads from person to person.

This means viral marketing not only reaches a lot of people, but unlike advertising, the people sharing the message are those we know and trust.

Here’s an example I mentioned a while ago. Jennie knows I take lots of notes. So, when she discovered a note-taking app that blew her away, she emailed me with a link, so I could see it. Within 10 minutes, I’d bought it too. Jennie’s remarkable experience provided her with the motivation to share what she’d found with her huge circle of friends. I’ve now shared it tons of times, too. Plus, I blogged about it.

Then there’s my friend and former client, Greg. When Greg recommends my services to his friends and contacts, he tells them; “Jim doubled our turnover in 5 months”. Greg’s experience of my results is what motivates him to tell people. And his message is just 7 words long, meaning it’s also easy to share.

What about you?

If you want to attract massively more word of mouth referrals or go full-on viral, your message needs to do the same. To go to people and then through people.

Take some time to review how clear, easy to share and memorable your viral marketing message is. Then look for ways to improve it as much as you can. The more remarkable it is, the more widely it spreads. If you don’t already have one, create one. The fewer words the better. Greg’s is 7 words long. KFC did it in just 3 words.

This is not an easy project. So if you can hire expert help, I recommend you do. Either way, it makes no sense to ignore the most powerful form of marketing on the planet.

Image: Sigmund

Before someone decides to hire you or buy from you, they need to feel confident. So they start looking for clues. Clues that will tell them whether they should hire you or avoid you.

Why?

Because your prospective clients have all made bad decisions before.

They’ve been let down.

They’ve had promises broken.

Some will have even been ripped off.

This time they want to get it right. And that’s why, before they invest in you they need to know:

• If you’re reliable and likely to keep your promises.
• If you’re experienced at solving whatever problem or problems they have.
• If you offer value for money.
• If you’re approachable.
• If you offer the flexibility they need.
• If you make it easy to do business with you.
• If your fees match your promises. (Promising great service for an average fee is the main way to scare them off).
• If you seem to love what you do. Note: This is easy to overlook – but it’s really important. Here’s why.
• If your customer service is up to their standard.

You get the general idea.

They’re looking for clues that help them build the right picture. And here’s why this matters. If it’s a picture they trust, you’re hired. If not, you lose. People are making these decisions all the time, based on the clues you have left. Let that sink in for a moment.

Where do your prospective clients look for clues?

Almost all will do the following as a bare minimum. They’ll visit your website. They’ll check your social media profiles. They’ll search for your name and company name on their preferred search engine, to see what others are saying about you. If they speak with you, they’ll obviously be looking for clues in what you say. Most will go several levels deeper. This is especially the case if there’s a lot of trust involved in the services you provide.

Depending on your industry and how cautious the prospective client is, they may dig even deeper.

What kind of picture do your clues paint?

For example, every business owner claims to offer a professional service. However, as you know, many operate from a cheap looking, outdated website. This instantly turns prospective clients a way.

Does it really matter?

Yes. It’s extremely important. And here’s why.

I’ve met with some superb service providers over the years, who leave lousy clues. If you didn’t already know them, you’d never hire them. Even if people recommended them to you, after checking them out online for a few minutes, you wouldn’t consider contacting them. They just don’t look like serious professionals. And it’s costing them a fortune.

Here’s the thing – – No business can afford to leave money on the table like that. You know you’re a capable professional. You also know you care deeply about your clients and deliver an excellent service.

But unless your clues leave prospective clients feeling confident about contacting you, you’ll lose a fortune. And it’s 100% avoidable.

Now what?

Try looking at your business through the eyes of a stranger. A stranger who eagerly wants to hire a service provider in your industry. Unless you’re fully confident that your clues paint the right picture, start leaving better clues. Make hiring you easy.