Build Your Brand Without Building An Ad

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It probably doesn’t surprise you that consumers aren’t big fans of the ads most marketers and ad pros spend their time and money creating. There is, however, a form of brand communication the majority of consumers prefer.

In a brief blog post quoting research from the Custom Content Council, brafton.com reports that almost three-quarters of consumers prefer to receive information from companies in the form of valuable content or articles instead of ads. And over 75% of that group still hold that view knowing the company providing the information is trying to sell them something.

The reason, although undocumented in the article, would seem to be that consumers increasingly want to be better informed as they make their buying decisions. That holds true, and possibly even more so, for business and industrial buyers as well.

What is valuable content then? It’s information that helps the buyer understand considerations like:

• the various options available to solve a particular challenge
• advantages and disadvantages of different choices
• sizing, selection and usage factors
• reasonable expectations
• dangers to avoid

And that’s just a few quick ideas. Adapt this to your industry and audience by thinking about the questions they seem to ask most often. Help them answer those questions and you’ll help yourself become a more valuable and respected resource.

In fact, in a second article from the same source, it’s indicated that 67% of consumers find custom content valuable and 61% say they are more likely to buy from brands or companies that provide that type of information.

So, am I telling you to stop developing ads? No! Ads are a valuable marketing tool with a specific purpose which I’ll address in a future article and blog post.

What I am saying is this: good information or content is desired by buyers of all types. And your usage of it as a business-building tool can be extremely powerful and influential in creating the positive brand perception necessary for prospects to prefer your brand over your competitors.

Brand Benefit #6: Better internal focus and guidance

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There are many good reasons why brand development can be a difference maker for your business. This is the sixth of ten posts highlighting those reasons for your consideration. Read the previous post.

One of the greatest challenges your company will face as it grows is to maintain a clear, unified focus of direction and priority.

Increasing demands for time and attention will test your leadership's ability to stay connected and coordinated with the core principles that produced success.

Divergent marketplace and departmental demands as well as an increasing number of new employees with new ideas can create a powerful wave of pressure to become reactive rather than proactive.

A strong brand can give your entire organization a reference point for unity.

Guiding leaders toward positive growth strategies and away from core conflicts. Keeping sales, marketing and manufacturing focused on compatible developmental opportunities. Recruitment and personnel targeted on employees with the right abilities to sustain excellence. And everyone operating with passionate purpose to deliver the brand promise of the organization to your customers.

Read about the other 9 brand development benefits now.

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment.

10 trade show traps to beware of

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More than a few marketing dollars are blown at trade shows and often with little to show for the expense. Carefully consider these 10 areas of potential waste to better manage the risk and maximize the reward.

While it’s true, conferences, trade shows and exhibits are key components in the marketing communications plans of many business and industrial brands, they also have the potential to be some of the most wasteful expenses too.

Just because an event exists doesn’t mean you have to participate. Even if all your competitors exhibit. A fear of conspicuous absence is not a good reason to get involved.

The presence of the right type of prospects, with the right type of business expectations and the right type of opportunity to engage and influence them is the key.

In an article recently published by cbsnews.com, Michael Hess outlines 10 important trade show traps that can make or break your budget and your results. Several of the topics he touches on include:

1. Going too big
2. Extras
3. Travel expenses
4. No advance work
5. No call to action

The read is certainly worth your time if exhibits and shows are a big part of your prospect contact program. It’s always good to review the reasons and rationale you use to select and then develop the communications conveying your brand promise.

That’s especially true when every decision made has such a big effect on someone's bottom line…yours or the exhibit organizers.

Can you spare a second? ...Or 15?

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Who else hates to wait online for a video ad to play before you can get to the digital content you really want to view? That’s what I thought, 46% of you.

I know this because I just saw a short news item on the BtoBonline.com blog that said 54% of internet users polled said video ads online are acceptable if they are no more than 15 seconds long. What is your maximum time limit?

Other choices given those responding to the research were 30 seconds, 45 seconds or 60 seconds. But the favorable percentages dropped steeply after those who admitted being willing to view a 15-second spot.

So while you can’t extend these findings to all online video content, especially when the video content is the reason the viewer selected a link, the takeaway for me is that online ads of all types have to be very simple and direct to generate any expectation of a response.

Just how simply can you convey your brand difference? Can you make your point in a good 30-word sentence? A simple 10-12 word statement? A tight 5-7 word thought?

Distill your brand difference into a message you can deliver with that much focus and it will improve your communications in every form no matter the length.

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