5 Branding Tips All Startups Should Know

5 Branding Tips All Startups Should Know

TundeGold  

5 Branding Tips All Startups Should Know

Building a memorable brand is more important than ever.  In this climate of unlimited choices,  your brand has to be cohesive, memorable and differentiated to captivate consumers and eventually capture mind share.

Branding isn’t simply a visual identity, and a lot of start-ups go wrong by undervaluing the importance of branding initiatives. Think of branding as a vehicle for communicating your value to the world, engaging consumers on an emotional level, and creating a sense of ownership for your customers and fans.  A strong brand paints a picture of your core values, your personality, points of difference and clearly communicates to the consumer why they should choose you over competitors. Here are 5 branding assets you absolutely should not launch without.

1. A Memorable Name

Good brand names are rarely arbitrary.  They are carefully curated ambassadors of your brand personality that convey your brand’s position, tone, and values.  Names can be proper names (based on the founders if you like), descriptive names, imagistic, alphanumeric, playful, invented etc. Whatever you deem appropriate to get the tone and personality of your brand across is fair game.

Once you’ve identified a few names, evaluate them based on ease of spelling, sound, appearance, appropriateness and relevancy to the target market, and level of distinction.  Once you’ve settled on a name you love, do a trademark search before you spend time and energy on a logo design.  It might also be a good idea to test the name with your target market to make sure it resonates in a positive way!

2. A Strong Logo

When it comes to identity design, brands need to “go big, or go home.”  Logos need to be instantly recognizable, memorable, and cue the product/service you are offering. Color is increasingly important in logo design. In fact, color has been found to increase brand awareness by as much as 80%. Because of the nature of human brain, we recognize color long before we can decipher words, and we often associate certain colors with particular brands. Opt for highly recognizable shapes, unique and customized typefaces, and an ownable color palette, as they all help to increase brand recall.

After you’ve designed your logo, remember to test it.  Look at your logo in the company of other brands it will be surrounded by.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it appropriate for the category so consumers can relate it to a product or service?  Yet does it stand out enough to be memorable?
• Does it read well in print, on package and online?
• Does it work in both black and white and color?
• Is it appropriate for the consumers, cultures, and subcultures that will be receiving it?
• Does it convey the brand personality?
• It is cueing the emotional response you are hoping for?

3. Meaningful Marketing Collateral

Alexander Hamilton said, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” Brands need to own their positions and exhibit personality and emotion in order for consumers to make real and meaningful connections with them.  Arguably the greatest brands of the last century such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Nike all have human qualities to them.  The emotions of their brands are palpable at every level.  We love them, we bring them into our homes and we make them a part of our everyday lives because they stand for the same things we do.

4.  An Optimized Website

Anybody can create a website — the Internet is full of sites where you can do it for free.  It is somewhat harder though, to create a website optimized for good user experience.  Your website should be a showcase for your brand personality, with rich and valuable content that will make consumers want to stay on your site and share it with their friends.  It’s a mistake to create a website just for the sake of having one.  It can be a truly invaluable tool for telling your brand story, proving your credibility and engaging with consumers in real time.  It is also the best place to gauge perceptions of your brands and products. Good sites balance design and functionality.

5.  A Well-Rounded Promotional Strategy

Social media is becoming a sort of “gold rush” with businesses attempting to lay claim to as much mind share as possible.  Interestingly, in a recent IBM study, 70% of executives thought their businesses would be perceived as “out of touch” if they did not engage in social media.  However, the same study also concluded that most people use social networks to interact with friends and families, not necessarily brands.

The point is, social media might not be a gold mine for your particular business.  A well-rounded promotional strategy will prove more fruitful in the long term, as you are engaging consumers through various mediums, and through a multidimensional approach.  Before you get caught up in promotional buzzwords, identify who your consumers are and where they dwell.  It’s not just a “presence” that will capture attention and be a driver to purchase. Brands need to convey real and tangible benefits across the board for consumers even to think about engaging with them.

What other branding tips do you know?  share with us in the comments field. 

-(Credit: Bplans) 

7 Digital Marketing Skills that Nigerian companies are hiring in 2018

7 Digital Marketing Skills that Nigerian companies are hiring in 2018

TundeGold  

7 Digital Marketing Skills that Nigerian companies are hiring in 2018

It is necessary to discuss about this topic, because LinkedIn did a study of top 25 skills that got people jobs in 2014 and 4 of these skills were marketing related.

• 5 – SEO/SEM marketing
• 12 – Marketing Campaign Management
• 16 – Digital and Online Marketing
• 20 – Channel Marketing.

I agree because I noticed that Nigerian companies had similar job openings too. Keep reading.

7 Digital Marketing Skills that Nigerian companies are hiring in 2018:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Are you good at optimizing a website for Google search and humans? Can you make a website easy for Google to crawl and rank in the right category of keywords? Then, you are the man/woman that companies are looking for.

2. Content Creation / Content Marketing /Copywriting

Most savvy companies in Nigeria have come to realize that just having a website is not enough. In order to achieve long-term sales goals, they must invest in content marketing.

The problem is, most of these companies don’t have the time to write articles for their company blog or create ebooks.

That’s where a content marketer, copywriter or blogger comes in.

To succeed in this field, you must be a good researcher and have the ability to create content that is educational, inspirational, entertaining and solves problems. The content doesn’t have to be all text, you can re-purpose your content to include videos, Slideshare presentation, photos, and podcast. 

3. Web Design/Development and UX
Can you build websites and/or mobile apps that helps to attract new visitors, convert visitors to leads or customers? Companies are hunting for you right now.

4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Do you know how to use tools, like Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Twitter Ads effectively?

Do you have a deeper understanding of keyword selection, landing page optimization, copywriting and measuring the effectiveness of PPC campaigns?

Then you are what employers need. Go dust your resume and portfolio!

5. Email Marketing / Marketing Automation

Did you notice that between 2014 and 2015, Email marketing became popular in Nigeria?

Every Nigerian company is busy buying bulk email lists and sending blasts the wrong way – unfortunately.

Why did I say, unfortunately? Because I DO NOT support buying email lists. I’m an advocate of PERMISSION-BASED email marketing in Nigeria. If you need send people marketing newsletters, the least you can do is ask for their permission. Let them do it voluntarily.

Back to the topic, email marketing is not dead. As old as it may be, email marketing stilI has and will always be one of the most effective ways to market products and services.

But, in order to get qualified for the job, you must be well grounded in list building, lifecycle email copywriting, segmentation, HTML/CSS, and automated workflows.

6. Social Media Marketing/Advertising
Do you have great listening, writing, design and selling skills? Are you an avid reader and eternal learner of new technologies? Do you like measuring the results of your marketing strategy? Then you are the social media manager that Nigerian companies are looking for! Companies want you to manage, engage and convert their social media prospects into buyers. They also want you to keep up with the frequent changes in social media ad platforms. 

7. Video Production/Marketing
Can you tell stories and engage an audience with videos? Can you edit, host, promote and market that video on YouTube, Instagram, Vine and other channels? Nigerian companies are looking for you.

 

Which Nigerian Cities Have The Most Digital Marketing Jobs?
According to LinkedIn jobs section and from my own experience, the 4 major cities include:

• Lagos
• Abuja
• Port-Harcourt
• Kano.

Now that you know all of the above, go sharpen your skill in this regard

-(Credit: Caroline Wabara)

WHY ALL BUSINESS OR BRAND NEEDS DIGITAL MARKETING

WHY ALL BUSINESS OR BRAND NEEDS DIGITAL MARKETING

TundeGold  

Running your own start-up is no small feat. There are a million things that need your attention. 

Most entrepreneurs in their early days ignore marketing as it looks like an out-of-budget spend and is considered as a liability.

However, if done in the right way, Digital marketing can be a huge boom for your start-up and will give you consumer insights to grow and accelerate your business. Here’s a list of five things to do to market your start-up.

1.Be Mobile-ready:

In the digital landscape, it is of utmost importance that you are mobile-ready. Not only do you need to design a website in a mobile-friendly format, but also ensure that you need to think of a strategy that helps you reach out to your customers on their handheld devices. 

2.Content is King :

Content without doubt is king — a statement that all of us have heard and which can make a brand win or lose. The right content gets the consumer to engage and relate to the brand. 

3.SEO is a Long-term Investment:

SEO is not a short-term project, do not engage in it once your website is ready and then forget about it. Google, on a regular basis, announces updates and your website needs to be compliant based on those updates. Consumers use the internet to get information on almost everything. Hence look at SEO with a long term objective.

4.There is More to Digital than Social Media:

Digital marketing is not just about social media. There is a lot more to it. The world of digital comprises content marketing, bookmarking, videos, SEM, geo targeting and a lot more.  As a start up you must only invest in tools and platforms that make business sense. 

5.Digital Marketing When Done Right Can Create a Big Impact in a Long-term:

A thumb rule that every entrepreneur must remember is that there are no short term gratifications. And that you need to constantly optimize your content it is both an art and science, however do not expect results overnight.

Conclusion:

A brand is no longer what we tell consumers, it is what consumers tell each other. Give your brand or business online presence by marketing digitally. 

I CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS WITH YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING CONCERNS...

Get in touch in with me via the contact page

Why Are You on Twitter?

Why Are You on Twitter?

TundeGold  

Claire says that Twitter is effective as a tool to coalesce your message, make a difference and create a movement. She has developed a framework—not surprisingly called T.W.E.E.T.—to help you build and effectively promote cause-based campaigns.  She explained the Acronym TWEET thus:

Target. Why are you on Twitter? The three most common targets or goals are:, information accounts, personalized accounts, and fundraising accounts. Which one you choose sets the tone of your tweets. Claire recommends choosing a personalized account if “you do not have a dedicated staff member who can devote a set amount of time to finding and culling important information about your cause.”

Write. The important thing is to get going without over editing. Fail fast. Who should write the Tweets? “The audience is savvy, and users who are not authentic are drowned out and their audience stops listening.” How often should I Tweet? Claire says that’s a highly contested answer. She offers a host of answers from Twitter “experts.” You’re sure to find an answer and rational that you can be comfortable with.

Engage. Connect with others so you’re not tweeting in a bubble or you won’t get your organization where you need it to be. “Connecting your Tweets with existing relevant information that people are already viewing on Twitter—or making your own Tweets the relevant information that others are looking for—should be your goal.” Use #hashtags to identify your Tweets as part of a group of like-minded Tweets. Use lists to follow the relevant Tweets of others—even if you are not following them. Retweet but fill your timeline with them. She notes, “If one follower retweets every Tweet your organization writes, their recommendation for you holds less weight.”

Explore. Find new people. Twitter is about relationships. 

Track. See how it’s working by tracking your progress. 

See you at the top!

-(Credit: LeadershipNow)

HARD WORK OR SMART WORK?

HARD WORK OR SMART WORK?

TundeGold  

Many of us want an easy formula for success.

The truth is:
Nothing that is worth having comes easy, and nothing that comes easy is worth having.

They say "Work smart, not hard."
But I say "Work smart AND hard."

The success formula is: Patience, perseverance, focus, enthusiasm, commitment, and hard work.

Hard work puts us where good luck can find us.

To your continued success....
I remain...
Yours' inspirationally,
Tundegold
#mondaymotivation
#tundegoldinspires

Talent is Half in the Equation of Success

Talent is Half in the Equation of Success

TundeGold  

Talents is half in the equation of Success. Hard work completes this equation.

Football lovers would remember two great players with similar football characteristics -  Luis Nani and Christiano Ronaldo.
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Nani and Ronaldo are perhaps a case study in the value of the talents you cannot see as much as those you can. Arriving from the same place, both had (or have) all the footballing ability in the world, but the diverging manner of their respective Old Trafford exits is perhaps most greatly down to the difference in perspective in the six inches between their ears.

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the most naturally talented player on the planet, but hard work and dedication have elevated him to his "deserved" status as one of the world's best, according to former Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune.
More people join the narrative and believe that Lionel Messi is more talented than Ronaldo,  yet sheer hardwork,  right attitude and determination has made him equal (or almost) Messi's feat in their football career.

Ronaldo has the desire to win and his work rate is unbelievable. You get a lot of talented players who don't have the desire to do the work, but Ronaldo put in the work.

Luis Nani was a promising player with flashes of brilliance in the goals and assist he scored and made. He has all the abilities and talents like Ronaldo: quick feet, agility,  ability to use both feet, good eyes for goals, that many believed he is even talented than Ronaldo,  but again Nani didn't get to be listed among the great Legends in football. What was missing?
The Success equation isn't complete with o le raw talents. Other variables like Attitude and HARDWORK are germane.

Nani's Manchester United Exit is a Reminder that Talent is only half the equation.

Talent + Good Attitude + Hardwork = Super Success.

'Yours inspirationally,
Tundegold
#mondaymotivation
#tundegoldinspires 

The 10 Bad Boss Behaviors that can Kill any Firm.

The 10 Bad Boss Behaviors that can Kill any Firm.

TundeGold  

A former manager of mine once told me, “If I am going down, you are going down with me.” That was in relation to having a bad sales quarter. From that point on, there was no need to pay attention to her. It becomes difficult to continue to feel passion for the job once you see a lapse in integrity in your boss. It only got worse from there, so I knew it was time to start planning my exit strategy.

Bad boss behaviors lead to poor employee engagement and high turnover. When you have a manager who treats you with respect and has your back, you are more likely to give your best and stay longer in a company but when you have a bad boss, you're much more likely to be disengaged, suffer from anxiety and want to leave.

The 10 Bad Boss Behaviors:

These are complete deal breakers:

1.Micromanaging - This is the number 1 killer of creativity and innovation in the workplace. It fosters an environment of distrust as employees feel suffocated and confined. They monitor an employee's every movement. To some employees it feels like harassment. If you hired someone for a job, give them room to get it done.

2. Setting up people to fail - focusing more on employee's weaknesses rather than strengths. Such bosses keep tabs and use this against employees in their performance appraisals. They can list all the mistakes an employee makes even if it was discussed and rectified. They also don't hire people who are smarter than them or share their knowledge to preserve their position.

3. Picking favorites - hiring and/or promoting the wrong people. They only recommend employees in their "inner circle" for assignments or growth opportunities whilst they keep back other employees. They recognize and reward the same employees. They surroud themselves with sycophants. Additionally, if an employee stands up to them, the victimization begins - they are considered a poor team player and treated as an outcast.

4. Taking the credit for employees' work or successes. - Bad bosses will do anything to look good including taking credit for the employees work or ideas. Self-promotion is their top priority. There is nothing more demotivating than working hard to earn something only to have it unfairly taken away. This causes employee engagement to plummet.

5. Making false promises to get an employee to accept a job or a responsibility. Once the employee is in the position, they keep changing the goal post when target is almost achieved or after achievement. They are seen as untrustworthy and inauthentic.These types of bosses don't keep their word. They practice the carrot and stick approach for employee motivation.

6. Ignoring feedback - Not listening- Some bosses don't listen to subordinates or they only want positive feedback. They don't admit mistakes. They take negative feedback personally and treat those poorly who give such. So onlooking employees learn not to say anything. Worst than asking for feedback is not doing anything about it. Employees know they are wasting their time and stop giving helpful feedback. Such leaders operate in a bubble and set themselves up for failure.

7. Not standing up for employees - Throwing employees under the bus. It's demotivating working for a manager who does not stand up for their team. If someone makes a mistake they turn into judge, jury and executioner. They are quick to point fingers. It leaves employees feeling like they are on shaky ground.

8. Overworking employees. They have unrealistic expectations about what is possible from employees. They don't stop to celebrate successes. They see this as a waste of time. Their main focus is on the bottomline and they show no empathy. They don't care about employees and don't try to hide this. If an employee is ill, their main concern is when they will be returning to work. It's demoralizing working for such a boss as this. They don't want to authorize personal days or they question the need for sick days.

9. Losing their cool when things go wrong. These types of bad bosses have low emotional intelligence and employees know to stay away when they are upset. They also insult employees or come off as disrespectful with the tone they use. They make employees cry. They rely on fear and intimidation. Employees have to walk on eggshells around them.

10. Displaying incompetence. They keep offloading their workload and responsibilities on high performers. They view their position as one of entitlement rather than one of responsibility. They fail to give clear direction or provide frequent feedback.. These type of managers get promoted based on the "The Peter Principle" which states that the selection of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate's performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. Thus, "managers rise to the level of their incompetence."

A manager's job is to facilitate a good working environment for his/her employees. Good bosses are those comfortable and secure in who they are, whilst bad bosses are competing with their subordinates. Bad bosses create toxic work environments. Toxic environments drain employees emotionally, mentally, and physically. I have seen many employees in these circumstances become so disengaged to the point, they are only there for the paycheck until they quit. Good bosses are few and far between, and employees long for such bosses who will support, inspire and help them to grow thus making their work experience a memorable one.

In the end, people make companies successful. Any strategy or business plan relies on motivated and engaged people to make it happen. This is why the most successful companies focus on people and relationships. Your success is a result of your team. Take care of your team! - (Credit: Linkedin) 

REPUTATION IN EXCELLENCE

REPUTATION IN EXCELLENCE

TundeGold  

Attaining Perfection may be an uphill task,  but striving towards excellence in all life's endeavor should be a top priority for you my friend.
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You see,  Switzerland is reputed for Quality wristwatch and no matter how much such watches are being sold,  it sells.
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People recognize excellence/Quality when they see it and can pay highly for any excellent service or product.
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So why settle for less? Why be a mediocre earning peanut when you can sharpen your skill and serve excellently?
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You need sustainable increase in your resources? GET REPUTATION IN EXCELLENCE.

#tundegoldinspires

BE YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER

BE YOUR BROTHERS KEEPER

TundeGold  

A lot of Nigerians are getting frustrated by the day. People are unnecessarily throwing tantrums at each other,  no thanks to the dwindling economy we find ourselves in. But to survive,  our destinies lies in our hands,  we'll need to develop and propagate the culture of helping one another however miniature way it may seem. 

For instance,  'let us Stop buying airtime from banks.
Buy from hawkers (those who sell on the road or around your home areas), because our brothers/sisters are becoming jobless.' 
Buy from people not machine,
So they can earn a living. This looks small,  but it can help someone stay in business and stay out of the street perpetuating crimes. 

Some times,  little little acts of kindness would keep your neighbors hope alive thus reducing the number of suicide being committed daily. 

Before the world would end as predicted by the Holy Books,  I doubt if this entity called Nigeria would ever get a Messiah to take us to the promise land. The promise land can only be imagined but not experienced by the citizens of this nation

Therefore,  helping one another would cushion some effects of frustration which many are undoubtedly passing through at this moment. Waiting for our leaders for a better life has recurrently become an exercise in futility 

The future as a whole seem bleak,  but there can be fragments of rays of hope for the select few that will heed my advice succinctly suggested above.  God Bless Nigeria. 

Yours' inspirationally, 
Tundegold. 

#tundegoldinspires