your 3 most visible brand assets and why you shouldn’t underestimate them

Your 3 Most Visible Brand Assets - And Why You Shouldn’t Underestimate ThemPresented by: Elizabeth Harr

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As a savvy marketer, you are probably very

familiar with the more obvious elements used

to create a brand, such as name, logo and

color palette.

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But your brand doesn’t stop there. In this presentation,

we will take a closer look at three fundamental brand

pillars that are critical in conveying your brand to your

target audience.

Your Website

Social Media

Content & Thought Leadership

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But before we go too far, let’s take a look at 3 brand principles you may not have on your radar.

1Your brand is built every day.

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First things first, building a successful brand

isn’t a one-time effort or a project with a

contract; it’s a daily endeavor, a never-ending

story, a constant eye on the prize.

2Brand = Reputation x Visibility

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A brand is also equal parts reputation and

visibility, and you need a 50-50 blend of both

to really make an impact. Think of it like a

seesaw: your reputation builds your visibility,

which builds your reputation, and so on. In

fact, without the right amount of both these

elements, you stand to lose business.

of firms have received a referral from people they have not worked with.

Source:VisibleExperts®:HowHighVisibilityExpertiseHelpsProfessionals,TheirFirms,andTheirClients

Going Beyond Traditional Client Referrals

81.5%

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That’s right—having visibility around the

things your audience cares about can garner

brand referrals from people who have not

worked with you.

3Your brand is you, but it’s not for you.

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Although your brand may be built and created

by you—it is not for you—and your dreams

for what your brand could be should not be

clouded by what your brand actually is to

your target audience. Every element you

create, from logos to collateral to email

salutations, must always be designed with

this audience in mind.

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And speaking of your audience, a successful

brand uses multiple touchpoints, both digital

and traditional, to connect with its target.

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The good news is, for every traditional

marketing tool you use (print advertising,

meetings, networking), there is a digital

corollary (email, webinars, social media),

which allows your brand to build its

reputation and visibility across all key

marketing mediums at the same time.

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Traditional Brand Strategies

Digital Brand Strategies

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However, not all mediums generate the same impact

with potential buyers. Up next are 3 often under-

appreciated brand elements that can help build your

brand’s reputation and visibility:

Your Website

Social Media

Content & Thought Leadership

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Every bit as important as your logo or tagline,

these fundamental brand pillars are also

among your strongest brand assets, and

should be developed and nurtured with the

same intensity you applied to choosing your

name, icon or font.

First and foremost, your website.

The most visible aspect of your brand, your website is also often the first touchpoint to

your brand for potential buyers.

Check out these statistics:

Source: Visible Experts®: How High Visibility Expertise Helps Professionals, Their Firms, and Their Clients

80.8%

of buyers check out your website. Before they give you a shot at winning

their business.

of professional services buyers have ruled out a firm because of an

unimpressive website.

29.6%

Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms Research Report

rule out a firm because they couldn’t understand how

the firm could help them.

43.6%


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Your website should be your brand’s hub. But before it can drive growth, it needs the following elements:

We provide the services you need.

This is how we do it.

Freedownload!

Freedownload!

Educational Content

SEO

Blog

Links

Offers

Clear Messaging

Mobile Friendly

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

The next critical tool is social media.

Participation is mandatory — it’s can be a powerful force in both brand recognition and perception, and in many cases social media

can become the mouthpiece of your business.

Let’s take a closer look.

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Brand Benefits of Social Media

Promotes content.

Serves as online networking.

Contributes to SEO.

Functions as research tool.

Contributes to recruiting.

Source: Visible Experts®: How High Visibility Expertise Helps Professionals, Their Firms, and Their Clients

59.9%

of buyers check you out on social media.

17.0%

of non-client referrals are made because of social media.

Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms

18.2%


of referral makers 25-34 years old won’t refer a provider who is not on social media.

Millennials’ Revenge

#HingeACEC

And LinkedIn is the premier social network for business professionals,

with over 300 million members.

#VisibleFirm

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Whatever the channel, it’s not about just

showing up and creating an account;

proactive involvement is a must.

Social media is about showcasing your brand,

interacting with your audience, and educating

them on your expertise—and why it matters

to them. Which in turn builds your brand’s

reputation and visibility.

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Social media is about showcasing your brand

through interacting with your audience —

educating them on your expertise.

Which brings us to content—your proof points around your expertise.

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But content can’t be just words on a page; it

must be targeted to the issues and topics your

audience cares about, and offer them original

insights and solutions to these concerns.

Let’s see why you need to start thinking about

remarkable content.

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According to our research, firms that consistently win new business do so by educating their target audience with new and original information.

Winners Runners-Up

#42#1Educated Me with

New Ideas or PerspectivesEducated Me with

New Ideas or Perspectives

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In fact, content is how buyers learn about your expertise, and consequently, about your brand overall.


#RethinkingReferrals

Rule out referrals because the firm had poor quality content.

23.5%


rule out firms because of poor quality content.

Whoops.

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What does great content do for your brand?

Eight key things:

Builds Trust —- can this be an image instead of words?

1. It builds trust 2. It demonstrates your expertise 3. It allows prospects to sample your thinking and

approach 4. It encourages SEO; search engines love original content 5. It helps qualify and nurture leads and build your brand 6. It’s less expensive than traditional outbound marketing 7. It works around the clock and around the globe 8. It drives growth and profitability

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Without valuable content, your brand runs the risk of fading into the noise of competition, and you are not engaging with your target audience as a viable, reputable expert who can answer their needs. Without valuable content, your brand runs the

risk of fading into the noise of competition,

and you are not engaging with your target

audience as a viable, reputable expert who

can answer their needs.

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Good brand strategy will recognize — and

utilize your firm’s website, social media, and

educational content as fundamental tools for

conveying your brand to your target audience.

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These tools are the most visible attributes of

what matters most in professional services —

expertise.

Use them to help you stand out from the

competition — and put your brand on the

path to greater success.