We have one chance today to make a first impression that will in most cases make or break whether someone will continue with or move on from you and your business. If there is not something that immediately connects someone to you visually or emotionally, there is a high probability they will loose interest.
In the very first article I wrote for this blog back in February of this year, “What’s Your UBS-Unique Brand Style”, I opened with ” So, you are invited to a business party or event. You walk in and pretty much everyone is dressed in some form of black, blue, gray, brown, or beige. Then your eyes catch someone wearing a royal blue, cherry red, banana yellow, lavender something. Your eyes naturally go to that vivid color and person. That color attracts your visual attention and they become more intriguing”!
There is no question that visual marketing is the key first impression that your personal brand makes. The combination of all the things that represent us including our business card, website, blog, signs, logos, flyers and displays from web and print to in person all greatly affects consumer emotions, behavior, impressions and actions with regard to engagement with our brands.
I recently received a signed copy of my friend, CEO/Founder of SmallBizTrends.com Anita Campbell’s new book Visual Marketing-99 Proven Ways for Small Business to Market With Images and Design, co-written with David Langton. This is a well thought out, well put together book that really reflects how marketing has been transformed with the web and technology.
The book is yellow, orange, black and rectangular. It is a different shape for a book. It’s divided into three chapters with 99 specific examples of web and electronic solutions, packaging and dimensional marketing devices and print, logo and branding pieces. Each one stands out for its ability to define and inspire an idea that ultimately had a good return on investment for a business. That is one of the main points this book is making. That creative, unique and visual marketing tools translates into more business because of more brand awareness and recall.
My visual marketing has evolved over the past 5 years led by changes in my brand focus.
I started out the first 2 years leading with the training and consulting company I created, Train with Shane which mainly focused on sales and marketing for small business and professionals. My brand started shifting more , as I became a career author, blogger on several sites, career consultant and speaker. My content shifted to include more brand/branding, integrated media marketing , social media strategy , blogging and radio podcasting. These were the services and platforms that I have built my brand success with.
“You make a stand with your brand, when you put your stake in the space and build out your tribe and community.”
This is a slogan that developed this year which describes the process I have been working with people on. Define what you do, commit to claiming a place in your industry space and build a following through marketing to your target customer. Sounds pretty simple right? What it takes to succeed at actually doing it is at the core of this book: visual marketing that is about personal branding.
Technologies and applications have given us more ways to be innovative, creative and consistent across traditional, web and social media platforms. We now have several playgrounds for the amazing uses and functions for visual marketing tools.
Big shout out to Billy Crystal for his memorable impression of Fernando llamas on Saturday Night Live, and the catch phrase he will always be known for which reminds us that visual marketing is how “you look mahvelous dahling” !
Check out the video and song lyrics for giggles!
Author:
Deborah Shane is an author, entrepreneur, radio host and expert. She is the heart and soul of her business education and professional development company, Train with Shane and is in her third year of hosting a weekly business radio show on blogtalkradio.com. She writes for several national business, career and marketing blogs, and websites including smallbiztrends.com, careerealism.com, Internationalbusinesstimes.com, Smartbrief.com and blogher.com Her new book Career Transition-make the shift-the 5 steps to successful career reinvention is available now on amazon.com. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogtalkradio @Deborah Shane, or visit www.deborahshane.com.
