It’s the third Monday of the month so that means I have a special guest for you today. That’s right, it’s time to hear from someone other than me.
The title itself might actually give it away if you are a regular reader of my blog. If you will recall my guest post last June of the same title, my good buddy Ken Pickard did such a fabulous job that you all asked that he come back again and share part 2 with us.
You know me, I do aim to please so I asked Ken if he would love to share more on this topic so without further ado, take it away Ken.
What’s up my friends…I’M BACK!
I’m so thrilled to have been invited back to Adrienne’s amazing blog. If you remember just about 2 months ago I did my first official guest post and it landed a spot right here on this blog! I was so thrilled that you all received my post How to Build a Rock Star Brand with open arms. It’s currently the second most commented post, but that’s clearly due to the amazing readers, followers and supporters Adrienne has.
If you remember back to that last post you may have realized that the title and the subject matter didn’t really go together. Or did it? Let’s take a quick look at that before we dive into part 2 of how to build a rock star brand.
I received a few emails from people who, responded in the comment section with a great comment but then emailed me with additional questions on brand building. So why did I craft the last post the way I did?
Simple really…all the best products that I have bought over the years have a foundational aspect before they deliver the actual goods. Now think about that. When you purchased an online marketing or blogging course, did you go through some kind of personal development or leadership piece before the actual meat of the product was shared?
Some people think that’s just extra fluff. But think again. It’s a leveling agent or foundation piece. See when you create a product and you’re trying to appeal to a large audience, it’s easy to set the stage right away. The beginners will appreciate it and the more advanced members will feel at home because they already “get it.”
The same thing can happen when you are create a blog post…or series of posts. Set the stage. Create a foundation for people to climb on and follow you to the next step. This just so happens to lead us right into today’s topic of how to build a rock star brand.
Rock Star Brand Homework
Before we jump into the meat of brand building we need to cover some additional “foundational blocks.”
1. Know who you are. So many times I’ve seen people start blogging or start out with a certain angle and niche, only to change it 6 months or a year later. A little up front work on you will go a long way. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to find out who you are online. Remember you have taken your whole life to identify who you are offline. Your presence online takes time to create as well. It takes time for others to see who you are.
What do you have to offer? It’s not a product or service; it’s your leadership and skill set that you are going to share. It’s your personality type.
What do you want to help people with? It must be more than just making money. Are you a teacher type or a dreamer? A leader who leads by example of one who can portray the proper balance between work and play?
What mode of reaching out. Do you prefer, blogging, video, articles, teaching?
2. Know your readers aka Avatar. You can substitute; audience, customers, followers here. There are several questions you can ask yourself to help find your target avatar.
What are their dreams and goals?
What are their fears or frustrations?
What keeps them up at night?
How much money do they make now and how much do they want to make?
How old are they?
Do they have a family, if so what’s the common age of their children / grandchildren?
What do they like to do for fun?
What are their hobbies?
Do they travel, can they afford to?
These are just a few questions to think about when looking for your perfect reader. When we know who we are, what we have to give and who our target audience is, then it’s simply a matter of bridging that gap. Your job of building this bridge actually becomes easier than you think. Especially if your target audience is anything like you. Did the light bulb just go off? Yeah thought so.
Most people who go through these exercises find out that they are looking for people who are like them. Now all you have to do is give who you are and they will get what they want.
Three P’s of How to Build a Rock Star Brand
Perseverance – Name all the people you know who have succeeded but have not failed one time or another. These would be the perfect people, the ones who never make a mistake. These are the ones who can legitimately tell you “I told you so.” Anyone? Yeah… me neither. Actually I can name one person and he paid the ultimate price. But that’s a different story. Oh and by the way I don’t think he ever said…”I told you so.” If you can name someone else, then chances are you don’t know them or their story very well.
Now list all the people that have succeeded but have failed at something. I’m sure you have noticed that every leader you are following right now has a story. And most of these stories have some kind of pain in them. From homeless to millionaire in two years, from $50K in debt to owning a mansion free and clear in 6 years. I bet you can name several leaders or owners of companies who have succeeded and you can rattle off their names with pride. All these people have persevered and I’m willing to bet that they all have made some mistakes along the way.
The subject is perseverance, but the connection is in the story. Think of the people you follow. Do you hear their story like all the time? So much so you can recite it verbatim? That’s because it’s relatable! Others can connect with it. The act of failing forward and picking yourself up is not just for you…it’s for others around you.
Presence – Have you wondered why some people seem to have a certain air about them? It’s called charisma and can be very powerful both offline and online. The presence you bring is very impactful when you understand how to harness it. Remember above when we talked about knowing who you are and knowing who your readers are? Your job is to bridge that gap right? This is where your presence can over deliver.
One of the best books on this is “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Dale Carnegie said right in the beginning of his book…”To get the most out of this book you must have a deep, driving desire to learn, a vigorous determination to increase your ability to deal with people.” Your presence is similar to your actions on the battlefield of your goals.
Are you strong and confident? Can you lead people in their journey and quest to their goals? Are you positive and supportive or are you negative and often complaining? Life happens…get over it and move on! The quicker we pick ourselves up when things go wrong shows our character. As well as how we interact with others. Blame, pointing fingers and telling others “I told you so” will not make the grade when building your brand. Empowering and empathizing will.
Platform - Leaders know leaders who can get the job done. We also can spot other leaders who stand out by simply making it happen. We don’t buy excuses we do what it takes. Having a platform serves us on several levels. Take in point this following analogy.
You are following someone you respect a lot. You’re the student and they are leading you towards your goals. The leader in this case would be the one driving a speedboat and you are the follower on the skies holding the tow rope. This leader is the one in control. They are guiding the boat and you are the one following their every move…whether you want to or not. Now if they truly have your best interest in mind they will lead you the right way. But what if something changes? Either from you or from your leader. At some point you may just want to go on your own.
Leaders often do!
At some point you are going to have to let go of that rope and sink or swim. At some point you are going to let go and instead of riding in someone else’s wake…you want to develop your own. You then realize that you can actually build your own island, docks and speed boats for others to use. You now have a list, following and respect of other community leaders. Not only is your brand lit up in lights, but you have a platform others can leverage for mutual gain.
Wrap it up
Was any of this information new? Absolutely not. Has your outlook changed? Hopefully so. Here’s the deal with brand building. It’s going to be built with or without you. It’s built on how, when and why you do what you do. It’s built on your character and interaction with others. It’s built over time.
Recently our industry…network marketing just got a couple of black eyes. One was with Zeek rewards closing its doors. The other was how the community handled it. The first part happens. Whether a company intends to mislead its people or not doesn’t make a difference if the doors are closed…they are closed. Speculation rises and true colors are shown.
This is where the second black eye came from. It’s how the community reacts and interacts. There were the vultures. The people who dropped their links to their company in the comments section on posts that were designed to update the community about Zeek. This is weak in my opinion. A true leader would never do this as their platform is already created or is being molded for something much better.
Then there were the know it all Monday morning QB’s. A lot of respected leaders were right out of the gate with their “I told you so” or “I knew but couldn’t say anything.” or “My 25 years in the industry taught me…” To me these types of people are just being an ass and just pissed all over everyone who was working with Zeek. I’m sure every single one of them made a mistake now and then while they were learning this game and working towards their goals.
Some of them saw the potential issue of how and what was actually being traded for money. But most have no clue on what really was the issue for Zeek closing its doors. Some just said it looked spammy or I didn’t get it. That I can respect. But I just lost respect for all those who claimed to know better and now flaunt it like sheriffs badges.
Did you know that there were lawyers and doctors and financial planners involved with Zeek? Did you know there are real people with real emotions who not only had hopes and dreams, but are now wondering what to do. How you react and interact with others is showing your true character which leads to your leadership and character to your brand.
How do you want others to see you? All you have to do is open your mouth or type it as a status update. People will see you for what you are.
Build your brand with positive impactful relationships.
Ken Pickard
Ken Pickard is “The Network Dad” and a freedom fighter. This father of 5 has helped many people find their niche and passion using social media and their blog. Tell him your Goals and Dreams and he will help YOU own them until they are your reality.
Ken is abolishing the “Lone Ranger Marketing Mindset” by building tribes and mastermind groups. There is no reason why you need to learn it all by yourself.
The Network Dad
Bonus…
I have been following the four E’s when I put anything online. Enlightening, Educational, Entertain and my favorite…Empowering.
Questions, comments or concerns. leave a comment below for the community and share your thoughts. Make sure you have read Adrienne’s post on how to leave a good quality comment. Don’t forget that your comment here is also building your brand…positive or negative.
{ 94 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 20, 2012 at 8:23 AM
Hey Ken, quick question about the avatars.
I went through and created mine a while back, but the one metric I was a little sketchy on were the ages. Demographics were coming from analytics but where do you determine age of your audience?
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 8:28 AM
Good morning Warren, pleasure to see you. Glad you stopped by to read Ken’s post and I know he’ll be anxious to answer your question. It’s a good one too.
Thanks for your comment and enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 20, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Morning Adrienne.
There is a thank you (for being one of my first commenters on my new site)
in my Sunday’s post but I’ll say it here also. Thank you!
Have you ever created a persona or avatar for your audience Adrienne?
If so what details did you fill out?
For myself I had 4 and used:
Language
Sex
Reason
First time/repeat
Duration
knowledge level
The one i missed was age
Oh, and for a chuckle I’ll share their names!
Desperate Dave
Startup Suzie
Friendly Frankie
Problogger Pat (Didn’t use an image of Pat Flynn but I suppose it would have fit LOL)
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 8:56 AM
Ah, you’re going with the thank you page for first commenters. You’ll have to let me know how that works out for you. I don’t care for them myself because they take that commenter off the page before they can share my stuff. Most won’t come back.
When I’ve done this I’ve thought of me Warren. I’m the perfect candidate for what I have so I look at myself which of course includes my age. I try not to be biased because I think this is a good fit for men and women but I admit wanting to help more women because I don’t think we have enough successful ones in this industry.
I love your names, that’s so cute… Thanks for sharing this with me. You definitely made me chuckle this morning.
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 20, 2012 at 9:05 AM
I don’t get what you mean about the thank you page for first commenters?
It won’t be a weekly thing or anything like that, was just to show those who got the ball rolling for me. (sorry I might be misunderstanding your comment).
I was however planning to go with a “Thank You” page for first time commenters.
Is this a bad thing? Or is this what you meant?
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:12 AM
What I meant was when you have a first time commenter on your blog, in my own opinion, thanking them for visiting in your comment reply to them should be enough. When they hit that “submit” button they are taken to a “thank you” page. That means they won’t share your post on the social media sites because most won’t go back to the page to do that. That’s what I meant. But, that’s just my opinion and have found that most people don’t set these pages up correctly and I’m taken to them every time I visit. I find them annoying and I won’t go back to share their content.
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 20, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Ahh, gotcha. I did have this on my “to do” list.
I wasn’t aware of the issue that they sometimes sent people back repeatedly to that page (I can see how that would be annoying)
Thanks for your feedback Adrienne I’ll definitely give it some more thought.
There may be a better way to show my appreciation anyway.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Just telling them in your comment Warren and making that personal connection. That’s the best way you can thank your commenters. And don’t just do it one time. Let them know you appreciate them taking the time to stop by. A different page is nice but to me doesn’t add that personal touch!
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:20 PM
Warren,
Great question. Most people look at their own age bracket and start there. However I would also look at what it is you are providing. What is it that you are providing?
If you look at product first and are trying to identify your target market, then you might do a comparability study. Try doing a couple of survey questions to your list or community of followers.
If you are looking to target a certain age group then you would want to identify their wants and needs first. Things like ease of use and support are going to be big for the baby boomers. One of the largest growing groups online. Things like website development and tech stuff would be good for Gen x. And serious do it yourself funnels are god for Gen Z. These kids really get into the tech stuff more than anyone else.
Lets us know where you see your products fitting and lets see where we can help you.
Ken
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 20, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Hey Ken, thanks for the post and the reply.
Products are in the internet marketing/blogging niche (video training, e-books, etc.)
And purchasers seem to fall into the 18 – 40 range, but I’ve created Avatars for my blog and came up with 4 personalities and each one is missing the age simply because I wasn’t sure how to arrive at the number.
I’ve been working to enhance my sales funnel so that I can have a better understanding of which type of person visits my site, and then how best to steer that person toward a product. I’d like to come at it from a “what problem am I currently solving for my audience with content, and how can I leverage that further in a product”.
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Warren,
Sounds like you actually have a good problem on your hands. Identifying your target audience is the first step towards building a presence in a niche. We want to be that big fish in a small pond. The next step is to actually transcend this space.
You have found your buyer. Stick with that. You don’t need to dive any deeper as you may be going the wrong way. Your blog is designed to reach out. Those who get you message will draw themselves in. You will start to see that your pond is expanding.
Stay focused on who you are and what your typical buyer is. But don’t worry to much about limiting the different personalities that could visit your blog.
When I first listened to Dani Johnson talk about the 4 main personality traits I was lost. I wanted to camp out right in the middle of of all of them. I quickly realized I could connect with all 4 types pretty easily. This was actually freeing.
Then when I arrived at my own avatar I thought I was going after a younger version of me. I found out that I was actually attracting an older version. This was great because the older version actually have more money than the younger. I also tend to attract the supportive nurturing type as most of my trainings are easy to digest and I break them down completely.
Let me know if this makes sense.
Ken
Twitter: plrnetmarketing
August 24, 2012 at 2:59 AM
It makes sense Ken. And I can see how having a different vision in mind could affect your marketing. With you thinking you were attracting a younger version of you (perhaps with less disposable income) you might be tempted to create lower price point products and end up doing a ton of work for very little profit. I have a couple of $13-$29 products but need something more substantial I can have as a cornerstone product. I have one about to be released at $29 but maybe it’s better to go back to the drawing board with it, add a ton more value to it, and then recalculate the selling price.
Twitter: vidyasury
August 20, 2012 at 8:23 AM
Such valid points. And yes, Ken, I remember Part I. Great takeaways here. You are right about knowing most of this – yet, what happens with many people (that’s what I hear them say) is, there is so much blogging advice out there, it is kind of overwhelming. And the anxiety to be perfect takes them deeper and deeper into advice – so all they’re doing at some point is just reading advice and not taking action. Information overload
and brain freeze.
Interaction is key and relationships are the bonus. I love the three P’s as you described them!
Thank you for a wonderful read, Ken!
Thank you, Adrienne. Rich post!
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Hi Vidya,
Thank you for stopping by this morning and glad you enjoyed Ken’s second post here. I think he raised some good points as well and like you mentioned, nothing we didn’t already know but we all get caught up in listening to way too many people when we really know the basics.
Thanks for your comment and I’ll let Ken reply to them all.
Have a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Vidya,
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you liked part 1 as well. Yes there is lots of advise going on out there and honestly this is where people start. That question of…”How do I get people to follow if I don’t have any experience. And how do I get experience if I don’t have any followers.” Of course “followers” can be replaced with customers or readers or associates right?
The easiest way, like you said is interaction. When I coach new people who start a blog or an online presence I often take them through these steps listed above and then have them “mix it up” in these social sites. Look for people who are asking questions. Then Google or Youtube the answer and reply with a link to their questions.
When I started online I did 2-4 of these a day for an hour each day via Twitter. Just about everyone cam back thanking me for the information. Not only did I learn something new, but then gained a valuable follower. Easy to do…easy not to do.
What other ways dto think think would help people with this overwhelm anxiety?
Ken
Twitter: chrisnpi
August 20, 2012 at 8:50 AM
Hi Ken, nice to see you here again.
You mention a lot of important things in this post, but IMHO there is one the most important – perseverance. Not giving up after failures is essential – we live in the REAL world and it’s impossible to work and live without mistakes… We should only know how to take lesson learned and implement them back
Thanks for sharing your great post
Chris
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Good morning Chris,
I wish I could say I’ve never made any mistakes Chris… Man, would that ever be a lie big time. I would love to meet Mr. or Mrs. Perfect though. I’m sure there are plenty out there who believe they are just that.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Chris,
Isn’t it funny that the one thing people want to avoid is the one thing that would bring people closer to them? Think about it…when we share our story of struggle or failure we are actually connecting with others because just about everyone has had some kind of rocky road in their life. But the true leaders will always talk of vision and showcase a way out.
I have always called this failing forward. But now I just refer to this as paying your dues for success. Sounds like you have witnessed this first hand…am I right?
Ken
Twitter: SylvianeNuccio
August 20, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Hi Ken and nice seeing you at Adrienne’s today again
One word, EXCELLENT! And a keeper.
Just the advocate of the devil here under number 1 did you mean “Know who you are”? you’ve just forgot the “are” in the first line. Not a big deal, just wanted to let you know
It’s true that some people go with one theme for a short while, and then change niche totally because they haven’t thought thoroughly about what it is they want to do for sure. My advice to them would be “find your passion” first and then, start a blog, because it’s going to take a lot of passion to write week in and week out for as long as you want your blog to live.
Thank you for this valuable post, Ken
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:09 AM
Thanks for stopping by this morning Sylviane and glad to hear you enjoyed Ken’s post. I agree, it’s a keeper!
Thanks for catching that Sylviane, I read over it last night and tried to catch them all but obviously I missed that one. Thank you for pointing it out and I’m sure Ken will appreciate that as well.
I appreciate your comment and enjoy your week okay!
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Sylviane,
Thanks for the comments I’m glad you liked the post. Thanks for the missing word as well. I get going a little to fast sometimes. Thank goodness for spell check, just wish someone would make an idiot check!
You’re right on the money when it comes to blogging about what you’re passionate about. True, I wish more people would look at this a little bit more when they first start out. Unfortunately, they just don”t know any better.
Ken
Twitter: SylvianeNuccio
August 21, 2012 at 6:01 AM
OK, I’m going to reply to your comment to test my own blog which had serious issues yesterday
Well, if they had “idiot” checkers I would be the first to get one. It’s so much easier to see other people’s errors than your own
Yep, looks like my blog is back an running! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Sylviane,
Test received. And yes I would be right in line as well! I’ll be heading over to your blog shortly to check out your new piece of content.
Ken
Twitter: spencerjones
August 20, 2012 at 9:08 AM
Good to read your guest post again Ken, I love the perseverance part. This is what I think makes the difference between success and failure. I recently heard an interview with Tony Robbins where he was answering a question on why people aren’t following through and achieving success. The answer was – they didn’t do it because their back’s not against the wall and so they didn’t had the drive to persevere and follow through to achieve success.
But once they are in a situation where they are in deep trouble, they need to do whatever it takes to make that success happen. It’s absolutely true, what if we all have the drive to break the barriers and move towards success.
Dr.Spencer Jones
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:15 AM
Hi Spencer, great to see you this morning.
Tony is right about that. That’s why most of the “stories” Ken shared are from the bottom of the barrel to huge success. If you’re about to lose your home or you’ve been thrown out of your house you have the reason to make things better. Most people don’t have it bad enough so they just skim through life. Their drive and their “why” isn’t big enough and that’s why we hear that annoying phrase over and over again. It’s the darn truth.
Thanks for sharing this Spencer and I do hope you have a fabulous week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:49 PM
Spencer,
Amen to that one! Yes the biggest success stories have come from those who’s backs were against the proverbial wall. Here’s the kicker though…your goals must be a heck of a lot bigger than your current need. Once you have enough to pay the rent or get out of debt, then what?
With true entrepreneur, the vision changes right? We start to hear of bigger and better reasons to build a business. Typically it starts with what I need, then it shifts to what they need, then it shifts to a cause or bigger purpose like a movement.
What if we start talking about that cause or movement up front. What if we empower people to adopt this thinking early on? What do you think it would look like if more people kept that fire while they moved from desperation to global movement?
Things that make you go hmmm…
Ken
Twitter: RyanBiddulph
August 20, 2012 at 9:11 AM
Hi Adrienne,
Perseverance is a critical factor in the brand building equation. Speak your message day after day. Program like-minded folks to respond.
Keep consistent! Consistency wins in the branding game. Lack of consistency confuses followers. Which skews your brand message.
Get clear. Decide what you want to build your brand on. Establish a solid foundation. Proceed to stick with your crystal clear message. Daily.
With patience and persistence your brand can grow to rockstar proportions.
Thanks!
RB
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:16 AM
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for stopping by today and checking out Ken’s post. I do believe he’s got another winner here. I appreciate your comment.
Enjoy your week now.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 3:52 PM
Ryan,
It sounds like we’re talking the same language! Love it. Yes brand equity is vital and consistency certainly builds that up. I also agree that clarity is vital. Speaking the same message over time provides that clarity.
Thanks for stopping by and giving to the community.
Ken
Twitter: wonderoftech
August 20, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Hi Ken, It’s great to see you back over here at Adrienne’s place! I like your three P’s and three E’s. There are bloggers who really care about their readers and it shows. Adrienne is certainly someone who cares about her readers. She also has had perseverance. She has been around a long time and has learned from her mistakes. She has shared her learning experiences with us too.
Thanks for coming by and sharing your wisdom with us, Ken!
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for sharing that and I appreciate that so much. Yep, I definitely have perseverance but then again, so do most of the bloggers I’ve encountered during my online journey.
Ken and I were talking just last night and it’s a shame when you think about those people who are really just here for themselves. I think it’s crucial to think of others because isn’t that why we write? To help others learn and in your case, find out about the newest things? I know I enjoy it so much and am able to make all these fabulous connections.
Thank you for sharing that Carolyn and I definitely appreciate you so very much. You enjoy your week okay! See you soon.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 4:52 PM
Carolyn,
Thanks for the comments and welcome. Adrienne certainly does emulate the perseverance to a “T” And the act of sharing the journey is so a perfect way to connect with your readers. a little drama now and then doesn’t hurt. But when we give the bigger visions it’s contagious.
Caring about others shows your character and leadership. I think this goes so much farther that an “I told you so”
Ken
Twitter: annieandrehacks
August 20, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Hello Ken,
You’re back with more juicy content.
Loved all of your P’s. Sadly when i started Blogging I had no idea who or what i wanted to do. The problem was that i had so many interests, so much information, too much and i wanted to cram it all in in a short amount of time.
No amount of research or further digging could have helped me and I know several dozen bloggers who experienced the same thing. It wasn’t until i just said screw it and just started it and let it take me to where i am now. If i had waited until i had it all figured out, i don’t think i would have even started. i would still be buying and consuming products rather than doing and learnign from mistakes.
In a perfect world it would have been nice to have had it all figure out but c’est la vie.
As for Perseverance, I think something like 50 percent of blogs started fail before 3months are up. and then something like 70 percent before a year. i can’t remember the exact numbers but i know it’s something big.
Looking forward to your third appearance.. Ken.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Hi Annie,
I’m with you, I had no idea what I really wanted to do. I didn’t know enough about the online arena to even figure this all out. Sad, I know! I just ran with it as well and see where I ended up. Just like you, kind of falling into it all. But, I guess that was a good thing for us both.
Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to hear Ken’s take on this.
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Annie,
There it is…just get out and do it. All this stuff about setting up your brand is really just a starting point. it’s something for people to sink their teeth into when they don’t know what direction to go. But at some point you just have to jump in and figure it out.
i have no doubt that the stats you shared are close if not conservative. My first product yielded a 95% success ratio for students completing the class. But that’s because it was a small case study ad we kept them hyper focused. My second product had a lot more students and about 50% of them didn’t complete all the modules let alone get their blog up and running. And a year later many of them quit.
When it comes dressed up in overalls and looks like work…it probably is. But the rewards are not only your goals, but solid life lessons of struggle and perseverance.
Thanks you for leaving your comments and sharing with the community.
Ken
Twitter: kenpickard
August 20, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Adrienne,
One of the drawback to being on the west coast is everyone to my right gets an early jump on things! Haha… you have such a great community and have set the bar right where it needs to be for guest posts.
I know this one is a bit beefy, but I hope there is plenty for people to take away and chew on a bit. I’m looking forward to interacting with everyone and welcome all opinions.
Thank you for having me back.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 10:59 AM
Hey Ken,
Well thank you Ken and I’m just so blessed that you decided to grace us with another post and I have no doubt everyone will enjoy reading this one just as much if not more than part 1.
I love the beef myself and I love when I read things that I already know but possibly in the past have questioned myself at times. Hearing it from someone like you reaffirms that I’m doing the right thing, I’m headed in the right direction.
Stay tuned for all the comments so have fun with this one and welcome back. Anytime my friend, anytime.
~Adrienne
Twitter: harleenas
August 20, 2012 at 11:25 AM
Another wonderful post Ken!
Oh yes! I remember the first part and so is this one another learning experience.
I especially liked the three E’s and P’s shared, and most of them fit in so well with Adrienne herself. She is well known for her perseverance and yes, her charisma does touch all those around her – isn’t it?
You are absolutely right about the need to know ourselves foremost, and then our readers so that we really know where we are heading and what’s expected of us. I guess with a goal and aim in mind you make a better headway. It makes a lot of difference if you know what your passion is and then work towards building it up, which is when you can never really go wrong because you are then driven towards it.
Thanks for sharing an enriching post.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 11:59 AM
Ah, always a pleasure to hear from you Harleena and thank you so much for your kind words. I definitely am persistent, no one can accuse me of being lazy.
But hey, you’re the same way!
I appreciate your comment and always eager to hear Ken’s point of view. Thank you again and enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 12:09 AM
Harleena,
Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you liked both posts. Yes leading with your passion makes a world of sense…especially when you know what that is.
And knowing ourselves, what we offer and how certainly helps as well. We tend to see a lot of people figuring this part out later than earlier in their online career. So at least most are getting it.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Ken
Twitter: ABloggers
August 20, 2012 at 11:31 AM
I heard the news about Zeek Rewards, amazed the amount of revenue that company was dealing with. Quite shocking when you see the actual figures. But more concerning was how they were sold the concept of the business.
I’m no expert but, I would not be surprised if you see the “Empower Network” come toppling down, it seems to function with shady dealings.
Be honest, can not say it better.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Ken would probably be more of an expert to chat about Zeek Rewards. I was introduced to it but I don’t like to put too many irons in the fire myself.
Empower Network is another story. I don’t know either David personally but I have no doubt this is just an area they will have to adjust but I don’t see any shady dealings taking place at all. Just too much hype about the kind of money that you can make so people bypassed their training and started doing their own thing. And of course, that was the wrong way to approach a business. They’ll come back and probably more powerful then they began.
Thanks for your comment Simmeon and I appreciate you contributing to the conversation.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 12:30 AM
Simmeon,
I can actually speak to both Zeek and Empower. With Zeek the issue seems to be that payments made to affiliates were from the moneys from other affiliates, instead of moneys from the actual sale of bids. There needs to be a product or service in exchange for money to be collected and then paid out to other affiliates. The act of penny auctions is not the issue. These have been around for years. if Zeek could have paid affiliates based on actual bids used or sold, then they still might be in business.
For Empower Network it’s a totally different beast. Empower has a 100% commission model that’s actually based on products. The blog platform as well as the multiple training programs. There are pass ups and roll ups to keep the compensation plan interesting, but this is totally legal. Empower has one of the best MLM lawyers on staff and actually heeds his, Kevin Thompson’s advise. I have met Dave and Dave a few times as well as Kevin, who speaks very highly of what Empower is doing.
Empower has been through the ringer in it’s short 10 months. Banks have closed services tendered to Empower. The FTC has investigated them and Facebook has slapped them by not allowing blog links to be seen on Facebook. Empower will continue to grow and brake the mold of how business can be doe on line. Is it for everyone…no of course not.
But here’s the bigger picture. New companies will come and go. New ways of making money will come and go. Those who work on behalf of the people by offer the best products and services legally will do fine. Those that play beyond the rules will get penalized. The challenge for the users is to know the difference. The challenge for the leaders to be an advocate for our community and help those who want to be helped, not to belittle them if they make the wrong choice.
Let me know if this doesn’t clear things up.
Twitter: Bridge2successG
August 20, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Hi Adrienne
Thanks for a great guest post.
It all make sens to me what he is talking about, Ye i did belong yo Zeek
I enjoy my time with them did not make a lot yet so I am glad i did not
lost a lot. But that is life sometime you win some time loose but
on the in you did try and learn.
Regards
Theuns
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 1:35 PM
You are most welcome Theuns. Glad you enjoyed Ken’s post.
Sorry to hear you were with Zeek because I’m sure everyone is upset with their closing. This stuff happens, that’s for sure.
Appreciate you stopping by and enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 12:34 AM
Theuns,
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate you stopping by and support my guest post on Adrienne’s blog. Yes, live and learn is a great motto to learn by. Then we can share our journey and expertise with others.
I’m glad you didn’t loose a lot. I didn’t loose much either, but know many others who did.
Ken
Twitter: Bridge2successG
August 21, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Thx Ken
For your replay also It was great to get a replay bak from the Guest Blogger
hope you have a great Week.
Regards
Theuns
Twitter: berget
August 20, 2012 at 3:22 PM
Hey Ken,
Great post. It got me thinking about several things and especially two. The first is about that I always start asking my clients about their perfect customers. I ask them a lot of different questions and close to 100% of the time they haven’t thought about who their perfect customer is.
It’s very interesting. And at the same time, I actually haven’t thought about who my perfect client is either
The other thing is emotions and how important it is how you make people feel. What I remember after a meeting is how a person made me feel, not so much the facts and figures, but the emotions.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Hey Jens,
Glad Ken got you to thinking on this one and I know what you mean. Your clients may not have thought a lot about this and I know I hadn’t. So you are not alone but the feelings will always stick with you right! That will keep me coming back to them for more.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 12:43 AM
Jens,
I’m glad you brought up both of these points. Some time ago I took an hour working through the 20 questions I give my clients on who their avatar is. I was surprised to find that I was not attracting the person i thought I was.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I was attracting an slightly older crowd. They have more money anyway….but that’s not the point. The point is it’s actually easy to write to your target audience when you know a few things. They become like family. This is the best skill set you can master online.
The other point you brought up is the second best skill you can master. the art of building relationships. This comes from knowing and understanding peoples emotions. The example of why people actually buy things. It’s not out of pain or pleasure, but out of comfort, belief and leadership.
You almost have an unfair advantage over others when you know how to leverage these concepts. I’m grateful that I was able to get you thinking a bit.
Ken
Twitter: timbo1973
August 20, 2012 at 4:02 PM
Hi Ken
Great to see part 2. I learn so much from coming over to Adrienne’s blog!
One thing that really stood out for me was ‘Know who you are’. When I first started my blog I had no idea where it was going to go. Even now it’s not that old but it’s still evolving and I’m letting my personality drive things a bit more. I guess it’s more a confidence thing to start off with.
I like the ‘Three P’s’ as well and would maybe add Patience to that list. I’m sure it does happen but for most people your blog’s not going to be an overnight success. It takes time to build a community and to foster those relationships.
Thanks for a great post Ken.
Tim
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 4:25 PM
Hi Tim,
I’m always so happy to hear when you learn things by reading what I share. That’s what I’ve enjoyed about having guest bloggers. They can share knowledge that I don’t have with my readers so it’s a win/win.
I will agree about the patience one too Tim. It’s something I’ve had to work on most of my life. I continue to blame my Dad for that but I’m also a Leo. Deadly combination…
Glad you enjoyed Ken’s post, thanks so much for sharing your insights with us both.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 1:14 AM
Tim,
Thanks for stopping by and adding your comments. I’m glad you liked the post and gained a little ah ha there. True that knowing yourself helps to get the ball rolling. Easier said than done for some. But while it can be a bit of a learning curve it’s a must if you want to craft a strong presence online…ie your brand. But the emphasis should always be on the value you bring to the table.
Patience would certainly be a good one to add to the mix, but it doesn’t sit well with the type A crowd. Although we could use more of that I suppose. lack of patience is our weakness. And it does take time to build that following ad community. unfortunately it only takes a few misguided stokes of the keyboard to ruin it.
Ken
Twitter: bdorman264
August 20, 2012 at 4:08 PM
Hola sir; good to see you at Adrienne’s.
Very good advice and I have found just being myself works best for me but sometimes need to plug some of my holes with the proper tools that are available. You can never learn to much, huh?
Thanks for sharing.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 20, 2012 at 4:26 PM
I hope you’ll always continue to just be you Bill! That’s definitely a big win/win for us all.
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 1:18 AM
Bill,
Thanks for stopping by. No you can never learn to much. You might appreciate the first post I did for Adrienne. Rock Star Brand part 1. I linked to it in the post. Let me know your thoughts on that one as well.
Ken
Twitter: suejprice
August 20, 2012 at 11:25 PM
Hi Adrienne and Ken
Nice to see you back here Ken
I love this post and wish I had the advice when I started blogging. I was all over the shop. It is only very recently when I did Ray Higdon’s ProBlogger course that I became much clearer on my avatar.
I was quite shocked Ken to see the behavior of people after Zeek closed. I agree with you there are two things that happened. There was the close of Zeek and then the community reaction. I think the saying “if you have nothing good to say – say nothing” should apply to some people.
Sue
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 1:21 AM
Sue,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Yes it helps to know your avatar for sure. Gives you a good edge on connecting with your community.
Yeah it’s sad to see the post Zeek closure carnage. these things happen, but to many Monday morning QB’s with their “told you so.” It’s one thing to offer advice and support but certainly another when it’s brought with a big stick.
Ken
Twitter: suejprice
August 21, 2012 at 3:24 AM
Thanks Ken.
I just read your response to Simmeon and wanted to say well said and thanks for the detail. Also I learned more about EN and given I am in there that is heartening.
Sue
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 1:35 AM
Sue,
I’m glad you got some extra value out of that. Sometimes it’s tough to get passed all the hype of a program or company, but when we can shed light on the value, then others can make that informed decision.
Ken
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 21, 2012 at 8:22 AM
Hi Sue,
Always a pleasure to see you and thank you for commenting on Ken’s post. It’s such an honor to have him back and to address this particular topic. So glad you found it enjoyable and helpful. I sure did.
Enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: donna_tribe
August 21, 2012 at 12:46 AM
Hey Ken, Good to see you here once again!
Perseverance, Persistence, Patience! No one has ever had overnight success. Ask any leader in the industry and they will have a story. Things happen like Zeek, but I must quote my favorite saying by Frank Sinatra: “I’m gonna pick myself up and get back in the race….that’s life”
I often hear that song in my head when things get into a slump or I hear another horror story about companies going down on and off the internet.
It is up to the individual because it is business! We may get a black eye, but that will heal. As long as we don’t let ANYTHING stand in our way and make our business decisions from our heart and mind, it will be OK!
I enjoyed reading this post and I thank you Adrienne for having Ken here once again. Ken is a leader. We go back a ways and I’ve watched the changes in his business – Ken always finds a way to jump up ahead of the crowd.
Thank you both,
Donna
Twitter: kenpickard
August 21, 2012 at 1:25 AM
Donna,
Thanks for the awesome comments! I know you’re an advocate of the industry as well and lead by example when it comes to building people up.
You are right on the money when you mentioned that this is business and these things happen. We do get black eyes now and again, but those who get back in the race…as you say…have the best chance of leading a life by design instead of accepting the default life.
The choice is there. Stumble fall down but never stay down!
Ken
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 21, 2012 at 8:28 AM
Thank you Donna for always adding such value to the conversations. I appreciate it and know that Ken does as well.
I think the closing of Zeek has been an eye opener for a lot of people. It’s the way we handle this that shows true integrity. And I love that saying of Frank’s. What a guy..
Thank you again for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. They are always greatly appreciated.
~Adrienne
Twitter: mel8730
August 21, 2012 at 10:17 PM
Hi Ken,
Thanks for coming back and sharing here.
The light bulb definitely went off after reading item #2 – know your readers. I’m realizing that my target audience is a lot like me. This puts a whole new perspective on drafting my blog posts.
What happened with Zeek is really unfortunate. I have a few online friends who were in Zeek. One of them tried to show me the opportunity, but I just didn’t get it. I’ve seen lots of my friends spammed by others with different opportunities now that Zeek is gone. Considering that some of these people were pretty upset about what happened, I thought it was pretty uncool of others to present their opportunity at this time. But to each his or her own…
Thanks again for sharing. I look forward to your next guest post.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 22, 2012 at 8:17 AM
Hi Jamella,
Glad you enjoyed this one and had a light bulb moment. Gosh, I love those and can really relate to what you’re saying. We both know there are others just like us looking for the exact same thing. Dah! Sometimes I wonder where my head is.
I appreciate your comment and always lovely to see you. Hope your week is going much better then last week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 1:41 AM
Jamella,
It does put a new outlook on your posts when you realize you know you your talking to and they are like you. Sometimes our target audience is like us (say the frustrated marketer) and sometimes we transcend our own target audience. We can still relate because we’ve been there.
Yes it was tough to see Zeek crumble like that. A lot of people didn’t get it or had a bad vibe about it…and that’s cool. But what was worse was the criticism people gave to those who were in it, saying i told you so. A lot of people thought they did their homework. And many were actually building it like a real business.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Ken
you are right ken
many bloggers change their direction few month after they start
it does’t look good to readers
thank you for the tips
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 22, 2012 at 8:18 AM
Oops… It happens to us all Farouk and it happened to me. I’m guilty of changing my direction but looks like it turned out for the best. Yay!!!
Great to see you, thanks for commenting.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 1:44 AM
Farouk,
You know this happens, even to the best planned strategy. it’s only natural as we grove our path. Hopefully the thought of having some kind of plan in the beginning is a good one. I’ve seen several new bloggers toss hundreds of posts because what they were taught was not what they really wanted to share.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Ken
Twitter: geekywriters
August 22, 2012 at 5:06 AM
Hello Ken,
Great post.
The benefits of being a strong brand are tremendous. But building a strong or rockstar brand takes time as well as efforts.
As you mentioned three P’s in your article Perseverance, presence, platform of building strong brand. I think there’s four C’s which help us to craft more strong brand: Creativity, Clarity, Consistency, and Competitor.
If we are creative enough to come up with great ideas and plans to push our brand on new heights then we can craft a strong brand.
If we clearly know who are we, and who are not, what we do and how we do then we can hit the target.
If we are consistent in what we do, in what we say we are then we can build a strong influence and fan followings.
I think we should always keep an eye on our competitors like what they are doing, how they are doing and blah blah.
If we can combine 3 P’s with 4 C’s then we can easily build a rock star brand.
BTW, Very insightful post..
-Romy Singh
1- Creativity:
Strong brands are very clear about who they are and
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 22, 2012 at 8:20 AM
Hi Romy,
Wow, thanks for that fabulous comment and those four C’s are pretty right on as well. Heck, if Ken would have added anymore to this post it would have ended up as a mini book.
But seriously, thanks for your input and I have no doubt Ken will enjoy adding to this.
Always a pleasure and hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 1:49 AM
Romy,
Those are great concepts and ideas to add to your brand for sure. Thanks for adding them to the list. The cool things is we can probably write a dozen posts around this very topic and create a mastermind group to wrap it all up. imagine the product that we could create around this.
The only thing i might change is competition with collaboration. I understand where you are coming from in that we should keep an eye on who’s doing what in our niche or industry. But collaboration has a little more positive ring to it.
Thanks for the comment.
Ken
Hey Ken,
I guess your three P’s can be merged and called as just a single P(Which means Perfect) for me.I haven’t read your first part of “How to Build a Rock Star Brand ” but i am pretty much sure that it is as informative as this post.i am going to read it once i finish on commenting to this post.
For me Platform will be the first criteria to follow on.Because if you got the right platform to walk through then only you can feel the presence and preserve it for future use when it comes to know about the leaders as well as your readers.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 23, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Hi Aditya,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with Ken. It’s always appreciated and I love the “Perfect”… All wrapped up into just one thought right.
Hope you’re enjoying your week. Always a pleasure to see you.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,thanks for appreciating the “Perfect” word.I guess it just relates to the way one blog, in the sense that a blogger researches about a topic and merge all the information to one single post to bring more value to it.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 24, 2012 at 8:41 AM
My pleasure Aditya and for the use of it here, I definitely understand what you’re saying.
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 1:55 AM
Aditya,
Interesting perspective. i interpreted the “platform” as one that was created from who you are and what you’re known for. For example….when we look at Adrienne’s blog and read some of her posts and comments, I get a sense of where she stands on things. i get the feeling that she is a leader who is not afraid to speak her mind and tell it like it is.
She can be counted on and has a reputation and an audience. There are other leaders out there who have similar things going on for them, but due to their outlook and they way the engage with others cause me to question their intentions. However they have a platform as well.
It’s their each own uniqueness that makes them who they are. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.
Ken
I agree with you Ken,Adrienne is a person who is straight to the point and what she feels she tells it through her blog.The blog reflects her image exactly what she is in real life i guess.She is particular and pretty much concern about what to provide and coney to the audience and when it comes to the rules to comment on her blog,i am amazed to see how much concerned she is when it comes to blogging.
Most of the bloggers hesitate to tell what they actually feel and try to play safe in while commenting.
Twitter: myspalmer
August 23, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Hey Ken!
I love that you discuss presence. It’s so important to harness our charisma, our special sauce to build our brands. A business without a Voice wont ever be an engaged brand. I think you also make a great point about the foundational building blocks. Often times, a lil’ too often, biz owners set out to create a brand without having a solid foundation to build on. Lastly, life sure the hell does happen. The universe does not wait on us to have the perfect time to get things done. You either pick yourself up and press forward or lay there complaining about what should’ve been. I’ll take the former. Great post Ken!
Thanks Adrienne for bringing Ken back. This post wasn’t full of the latest news per se, but i’d be surprised if some eyes weren’t opened.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 23, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Thank you Mys for your comment and I appreciate you sharing that with us. I agree with you that our own voice definitely needs to be heard in order to have an engaged brand. I’m sure Ken has something to share on this as well.
Glad to have Ken back and hope he’ll accept my invitation again in the future.
Enjoy your day Mys.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 2:42 AM
Mys,
Thanks for the comments. Yes charisma and presence is our special sauce. I like the way you put that. It’s amazing how such a simple thing like having your own awareness of yourself can actually attract others to you. It’s that confidence in knowing who you are and what you’re here for.
The thing about your brand is to not force it though. So many people think that it’s something you must have when shooting out of the gate. And others have no clue who they are for the longest time. It can be as simple as a tag line or certain position in a niche.
And no this isn’t anything new by a long shot, but hopefully something people can get an “aha” moment from.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Ken
Twitter: steveshoemaker
August 23, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Adrienne and Ken great team you guys make!
Adrienne thanks for letting Ken use your blog and thank you Ken for your hard work on a great post.
I totally agree with you when it comes to knowing who you are trying to connect with. This is very vital because this will help you to craft your message from a place of originality when you have this one nailed. When your creating content and post or whatever from who you really are you will attract like minded people you can’t help but.
Steve
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 23, 2012 at 5:20 PM
Hi Steve,
Welcome to my blog and glad you enjoyed Ken’s post.
Ken always adds such value no matter where he is and I’m so privileged to have him contribute his knowledge on my blog. Glad you enjoyed it and I’ll let Ken do the honors with his reply.
Hope you’re enjoying your week Steve and thanks again.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 2:46 AM
Steve,
Thank you for the comments and complements. I appreciate it. Hopefully others will get that sense of that it’s not a hard thing to create. Simple in the begging and let your brand build. Yes, when we know who we are and who our audience is, then bridging that gap is actually effortless. It’s also helpful when others can build your brand as well. Like social proof and testimonials.
Ken
Twitter: akhilendra1
August 24, 2012 at 1:43 AM
You are bang on target, it has happened with me also. As you mentioned, understanding self is the one of the first steps we should take. If i don’t know myself, then how can i help others? And if i cannot help others, i can never create a air around me.
Thanks for the great insight.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 24, 2012 at 8:38 AM
Great comment Akhilendra and thank you for sharing your views with us. You were way ahead of me when I started because I didn’t know which direction to go. I admit being one of “those” Ken talked about. Oh well, I finally found my place so all turned out good.
Thank you again for your comment.
~Adrienne
Twitter: kenpickard
August 24, 2012 at 2:48 AM
Akhilendra,
There it is right there, huh? Build that presence by knowing you who are. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Ken
Twitter: Deone_Higgs
August 24, 2012 at 6:02 AM
Hi Adrienne and Ken,
Great tips and advice here Ken!
Over the last year I’ve learned many of the factors you’ve listed here and their importance to building ones brand. I especially agree with you that it’s important for us to know who we are and to clearly share that with our readers. Perseverance is key. With a consistent presence online we generate a dedicated following that find our content of use to them.
For me, I wanted to ensure that my message was understood before I started thinking about how to make money at it. And now that I have that, I am beginning to lay out a plan of action to begin working on the revenue aspect. That’s probably not the ideal way of going about doing it, but I just didn’t see how I could build a brand if people didn’t know what I offered.
My niche is self-improvement/empowering… I love to encourage others to seek their own personal growth, by sharing my own journey through my website. So far, it’s been great. Now I feel I am ready to bring in more products.
I have become more focused on finishing my book. I feel that will be a great move for me at this point in the game. And have great hopes to be finished within the coming months.
Thank you both for sharing this with us. It really brings into perspective how well I’ve managed to build my own rock star brand with the little knowledge I had in going about doing so.
All the best to you both. Cheers!
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 24, 2012 at 8:51 AM
Hi Deone,
Thank you so very much for your comment Deone. I have been following you from the start and I think you’ve done a marvelous job building your brand and now you’re an author. You are inspiring others and helping them move in that same direction. I applaud you for that and your big heart for helping others.
You are a rock star my friend, one of the best!
Thank you for coming by today and you enjoy your weekend in your beautiful surroundings.
~Adrienne
Thanks Andrenne for share your views. It’s not a easy task to build a attractive brand. First of all you properly understand your audience. If you help them they also help you. it ‘s a beautiful post , I think it helps lot’s of new young stars those are straggling for a good brand name.
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 24, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Thank you Kuladip for your lovely comment and we definitely have Ken to thank for this one. I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your views.
~Adrienne
Twitter: carollynnrivera
August 24, 2012 at 1:19 PM
Yes, everything you do is building – or maybe tearing down? – your brand. That’s why it’s so important to be mindful of everything. These days nobody can afford even one ill-thought-out tweet or update. One comment, one status – it can really make or break you. The funny thing is, you could be impeccable and then one day say something really stupid and that’s the thing people will latch onto. It’s tough to recover from a mistake with the world watching and judging! I try to impress this on people all the time, especially younger people, that your photos, your comments, your thoughts and ideas – if you put them out there people are going to use them and judge. Everything you do and say is part of you and your brand.
Ok, so you’ve got Ps and Es, I think you could come up with a whole alphabet of branding. Sounds like another blog post
Twitter: adriennesmith40
August 24, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Thanks for sharing that Carol and I was telling my Mom just the other night. I’d watch the news more if they reports at least half of the good stuff that happened. All they report is the bad.
On social media too, impress upon the people who are doing good and don’t attack them for the one thing they may say. They could have been having a bad day and just let her rip without thinking, being in the heat of the moment. You shouldn’t tear people down because of it but everyone is always eager to find the bad instead of be happy about the good.
