Name Recognition - Breaking Down Your Professional Branding

Name Recognition - Breaking Down Your Professional Branding

By Matthew E Alleyne

A brand is more than just a name - it's the overall image that people have when it comes to who you are or what your business is. In the current climate, there's a lot of competition for markets, just as much as there is competition for various jobs. Making a name for yourself and making your name stand out is important.
Likewise, with online branding, you want someone searching for your name to find the right kind of information. Increasing name recognition isn't exactly rocket science but it does take a certain level of strategy and planning in order to brand yourself properly in this department.
So what can you do to increase your name recognition?
The Branding Company:
You could indeed go all out and hire someone to handle and promote your personal or professional brand. For a fee - often a bit on the hefty side - they'll take all your material right down to photos and bring it all together to coincide with a single unified message and image under your specified name.
The Value:
Provide a mission statement or a list of core values that show why you're here, why you exist and what you provide or bring to the table.
The Tagline:
If it works for movies & the actors within then it can work for you. It's not recommend to filch a DeNiro line but come up with something that speaks spades about you and your brand. If it's memorable, then so too will your name be.
The Content Marketing:
Are you doing everything you can to get your name out and get it heard? You should be writing press releases, articles and blogs that all feature your name or an author box about you. Let people know that you and/or your business are thought leaders within your market. When people recognize that you're an expert then your name starts to stick deep.
Know Your Audience:
This might be common sense but common sense isn't common knowledge. It might be shocking to realize that your target audience isn't necessarily found within your own industry. If you want to truly build on your brand then you should extend your reach so that you're hitting ALL of your target market. Those people you market too are spread out all over - make sure they hear your message.
Join the Conversation:
People hear this one a lot, but few actually move on it in order to help solidify their brand. You can only reach so many people and you can only do so much in the online world. There's a whole physical world out there made up of people who want to know you. Be engaging and joining the conversation offline - such as within conferences and seminars - you can reinforce your name and brand with your own style and image.
Be Different - Embrace the USP:
Branding yourself is about standing apart from the other guys within your market. With this in mind, use tip sheets that highlight why you're better than a competitor and use these tip sheets as a basis for your branding statements. When you hammer home what makes you different, it's easy for people to remember you because of your unique offering.
These are just a few of the things you can do to improve your brand position and recognition both online and offline. There's no one secret potion or special answer to make the process simple. Branding yourself is a slow process, especially if you stay authentic and transparent to the people interacting with your brand.

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Sports Marketing Firms Demand Character and Charity-Minded Clients

Between the rants, 'decisions', and salaries of today's athletes it's important to reassess companies' and athletes' values. Many professional athletes make a lot of money fast, which in their mind can put them above the general public, bringing forth poor decision making and a sense of superiority. It is important for the agencies and companies promoting professional athletes to place an emphasis on high morals, values, and good behavior.
Since professional athletes are such celebrities and role models, the companies and industries bringing them money need to examine their clients' characters just as much as their abilities. Companies like sports marketing firms, who bring in the money for top athletes, need to consistently implement the importance of their clients acting responsibly.
Not only does examining a professional athlete's character make for a respectable client, but it will also create a lasting image and good reputation for the brands involved in the endorsement partnership. Sports marketing firms are right in the center of deciding whether an athlete carries the strong and high enough character necessary to do business with. Additionally, the participating brands would like to stick their products' names on reputable athletes.
In addition to judging an athlete's character for branding purposes, sports marketing firms must also evaluate the sports stars for charitable opportunities. Since professional athletes have such a powerful influence on the public, they must demonstrate a desire to give back to a cause or their communities. All individuals, including professional athletes, have come from somewhere and gone through or witnessed a disability, need, or injustice.
As such powerful public figures, athletes must work together with sports marketing firms to give back and help those in need. As a focal point in every deal, these firms have the ability to make all sides of the deal win. Such companies have the expertise to merge: giving brands a lasting positive reputation, an athlete an endorsement deal, and most importantly a charity the necessary media attention and funding it needs.

Tyrone Tibbitts has been following the trends in sports marketing. He's been a follower as well of Warren Moon and Dave Meltzer Sports 1 Marketing CEO, both experts in sports and sports marketing industry. Learn more at http://davemeltzersports1marketing.posterous.com.

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