A-HA defines "BrandStand"

I am becoming more and more convinced that the ONLY way to create a website that has super value for your company is to think about the content that must be initiated, maintained, updated, and updated, and updated BEFORE you spend any time or money on any whizbang bells and whistles.

Make it authentic, easy to understand, relevant to MY world, and give me a really easy way to share with others.

AND - you should read the A-HA blog's post about "BrandStanding" whether you are a large or a small organization.

You think before you talk...look before you leap...and you should always plan before you launch.

THINK and PLAN about your brand and what in the world you want people to SAY about you. Then you have the driving reason behind your content.

Here's the link: Do you “brandstand” for your biz?

What you do and How you feel

For July is the end of the year. The time off around July 4, and then a family vacation planned for the end of July always mark the end of my year.

I go away, rejuvenate and come back refreshed, if not always ready to roll.

I usually take a little time to stop and think, reshape my plans for the coming year, and then try to figure out how to get myself motivated to do the things I KNOW I should do, but I don't always feel like doing.

My Friend Jerry has a great post with some hints:

URL: Vacations and business

Presentations

A week or so ago I gave a presentation that I had not had enough time to practice. I got through it OK, but I didn't engage my small and critical audience the way I had pictured in my mind. My mother used to make me practice school presentations two or three times in front of a mirror...that really helped me notice my ticks and annoying expressions. I didn't make time to do that on my last presentation, and it felt weak.

Sticking with one of Brain Bucket's tenets of marketing...let's think about that.

Guy Kawasaki has a recent post that helped me start the thinking part:

URL: Speaking as a Performing Art

Now I just need to figure out the innovative approach to my sales presentations...oh, and then I have to practice enough in front of the mirror so that I can execute it better next time.

Any ideas?

Thoughts on Marketing

Here are three blog posts that highlight three big ideas about your business.

Marketing is changing and it is time to think about your business, the work that you do, and how you find and keep your customers.

Here are three BIG ideas for you to consider.

1. Seth Godin: Drivers...do you recognize your approach? Is that the approach you want?

2. The Messaging Times: Marketing Buzz...you say you want something viral, something that people are going to tell their friends about. But have you thought about HOW and WHY? And while you are thinking about that, why not think about WHO can help you do that?

3. Epiphanies, inc: Content Focused Marketing...you want your website to carry it's own weight. You don't want to spend money on a website that doesn't actually bring people in the door. Sounds good, but that means that there's no skimpin' on the content. The folks at the "A-HA" blog advocate content driven marketing. It is harder, but so much more effective that thinking up some ridiculous slogan without any real "umph" behind it.