Niche branding is simply a way of identifying and communicating what makes you different from a whole lot of people in your domain. It is the deliberate act of projecting particular set traits capable of influencing a favourable perception. It is a way of clarifying and communicating what makes you different and special. To achieving your desired goals and self-fulfilment, you cannot afford not to mind how people perceive you. Minding how people perceive you or taking control of how they see you by identifying your unique strengths and projecting those strengths are the prime focus of personal branding.
Look within: Discover your innate gifts and abilities. It is essential to discover what sets you apart. You will definitely discover a whole lot of abilities within you, but it is important that you stream-line your abilities to the basic ones you know you can make use of without much stress and with deep passion. This will help you discover your core competencies and focus on refining them for a better use. What are the things you get results from overtime? What provokes you to give solutions? Take responsibilities. The factual meaning of responsibility is to respond-to circumstances around you with your-abilities.

Get visible and strategically position yourself: Develop a plan on what you want out life (or your Endeavour) and how you can achieve them. Set achievable and realistic goals. There’s is something in you that the whole world needs, find it, develop it and give it a commercial value.”

Build a network: Relationships are powerful; they can make you or mar you. There are relationships you must avoid if you really want the best out of life. Get the right relationships that can catapult you to the next level in your domain.
Add value and then some: Whatever your brand is, it is meant to add value to people’s lives. Though you make earnings, but you sell value (meet needs/solve problems) to get money

Accelerate your brand power: You do this by getting aligned with a major trend in your field and with creativity /ingenuity move towards the head of it. Play by the books, read intentionally in relation to your endeavour.
Marry an important ethical standard as a complement to what you chose to do with your abilities: Marrying an Ethical standard is purely delivering your services/products on principles of justice, fairness, morality and integrity.

N.B This piece was written by Seun Adeogun, a brand specialist in Lagos Nigeria

Social media is now a current buzz but many are still afraid to join the bandwagon. I must say that social media is not for everybody though. Even it has capacity to generate enough awareness and engagement for all. For those who cannot be transparent, honest and love cover ups, it will be good to avoid  involvement in the game of social media. Social media will not also be useful to closed organization that is opposed to new changes or are stuck to old ways of thinking. I know many will say they are not in that category but their attitudes, acts point them into a different direction of what they are saying.

Whatever schools of thought your brand belongs to, always remember that legacy is better than currency. To be current is different from leaving a legacy that is enviable. For those who want to engage social media marketing and do not have the basic guidance, here are my thoughts.

Remember it is all about dialogue: Social media marketing rests solidly on conversation and not monologue. Those who would not listen or do not want feedback should not consider going social media.

Remember it is viral: If done well, your message can reach millions in a couple of days. Therefore it is important to know what to say, where to say it, how to say it and when to say it as well as who to direct it to. If you are not careful, negative news is like harmattan fire it spreads like epidemics. So it is for positive news. Though that takes more time to fly.

Integration makes it work: Learn how to co opt everyone to make the desired effect. Social media is not a solo race. You need involvement of all enthusiasts to spread the word and make it viral. Remember, word of mouth is now world of mouth. This is my thought this morning. Let me hear your opinion.

I am a strong believer in the cliché which says  ‘if you think education Is expensive, try ignorance’. In many ways I have come to understand that a literate individual who is well informed can become a great advocate than someone who is misinformed or carry around wrong opinion. I am beginning to see why some brands seem to be doing well with informed advocate than those who care less about brand education.

Many brands that spend money and invested time on educating their publics will be perceived as leading, caring as well as best of its kind.  As an individual, I learn from every one, everyday teaches me a lesson. Through some acts, I become better informed and  learn a lesson in every act. I am beginning to understand why some brands are perceived as big, dependable, and formidable through certain minute steps they take towards a better understanding of their brands while other brands that waste huge funds on advertisement do not match them in terms of strength, perception, equity.

I recently attended an effective internet training organized by American Consulate in Lagos. The purpose is to enlighten professionals, business men, journalists as well as to make them better informed persons on their jobs. More importantly, the consulate through this act of benevolence uses the medium to educate the participants, who are mostly enlightened citizens of  host countries about their activities, what they stand for, the benefits they offer. They go ahead to provide other free services that they will need to be more informed. The  overall objective based on my perception  is to provide necessary tools that will make these enlightened audience appreciate the country better.

These constant interactions, trainings, small sponsorship of events are going on all around the year. I also noticed that they use the platforms to tell participants where the consulate’s corners are located around the country. The purpose of the consulate corners also is to provide relevant information, education as well as to place necessary tools that will enhance participants’ perception, understanding of this world leading national brand. Today I am well informed and will be in a better position to spread positive information than the bad one about Brand America (not just because I want to run for greener pasture or to sound patronizing)  because I am better educated now than before.

My question then is what, where are the programmes your brand is running to enhance brand’s understanding, credibility, words of mouth, and increase numbers of your brand’s advocates? Many brand custodians think along big budget advert. Interestingly, not many people are carried away by such. Have you organized meetings to help your distributors understand the product you are offering so they can help you transfer the knowledge to the end users? American consulate Lagos also organizes and co sponsor, as I was told, musical events/concerts.

I think these are off core benefits for the target audience but it goes a long way to enhance its perception. No wonder then many daily throng the embassy for visa applications. Despite the fact that many are refused , they want to go again and  again until one day ‘according to many of them’ not minding what the cost of visa application fees are.

The heavy traffic the embassy receives every day is a product of apositive  perception our people have about that country and not necessarily because the country owes the magic to their success as I want to believe. Meanwhile I must conclude with kudos to visionary leadership, brand management and excellent positioning of brand America.