Everyday gives me an opportunity to learn and observe people around me. I learn from people who have been successful and those who are still on the radar of success as well as from a complete fool. In fact there is no one on the surface of the Earth that qualifies for such appellation as ‘complete fool”. The more we dig deep the more we find the wisdom in the lifestyle of someone we call fool. The kind of wisdom we may learn may not necessarily be what works but what may not work so one can distance his ways from such lifestyle.

In a recent chat with a group of individuals, someone asked me ‘how long should I stick to personal branding building? My answer shocked the individual. Because I could see he was actually looking for a quick fix it. I did answer by saying ‘as long as someone has his being’. The reason is not farfetched. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you have to manage the result of a misadventure in order to minimize its effects. Sometimes the journey may seem long, tiresome and one may think of quitting because of lack of immediate, quantifiable result. When someone is discouraged in the journey, it will be the best time to read biographies, minds of those we refer to as successful. One can do this by reading their books, listen to their audios or visit blogs of successful people.

Recently I read an excerpt of Larry King’s (Of CNN) book ‘The Art Of Talking’ where he maintained that his first radio job was gotten through enthusiasm about 37 years ago. That is not just an addendum but a pointer to something. The followings are some of my thoughts on how to make your personal branding efforts count:

Plan: you must know where you are going and chart a course to the place. Be ready to set achievable goals that will not increase your blood pressure unnecessarily. Set target on how to achieve your desire.

Patience: Never take yourself too seriously. You are not an instant super star. Otherwise you will get frustrated so easily. A time was when there was no single comment on all my blog post here. Along the line I nearly become bitter. Thinking my work is not getting recognition or attention. I almost abandoned the project. I guess I must be honest with someone out there. But later I changed my mind and continue; today the story is changing as everyone can see. Rome was not built in a day is still applicable to personal branding project. Individual needs high level of patience dose to excel.

Perseverance:  The higher level of patience is perseverance. This is the icing on the cake. Many people would have fallen along the way before they get here. This is how to add ‘extra’ to the ordinary to make it extraordinary. My question today is ‘are you given in to discouragement and you want to let go? Remember you are closer to the goal than when you first started. Keep at it.

Yesterday, I was speaking at an annual conference of a youth advocacy group I had the privilege of pioneering about a decade and half years ago. I actually led the group for three years before I committed the assignment to some other individuals who could steer its wheel of progress. This group today (which was predominantly undergraduates then) now has doctorate degree holder, computer scientists among other professionals. I was billed to speak to this group on the topic: Developing marketable skill. The time spent was a great one. When I got to a part of the presentation that requires I ask them the question “how many of them are on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as well as how to develop right skill in appropriating online social networking sites to their own advantage”, I was shocked to note that many of them say there is no time and it could be a distraction to life.

Not being in the social media cloud today (especially the three that hold the preeminence among them) is tantamount to going the way of losing brand’s relevance, visibility as well as recognition. It does not also make personal/corporate brand memorable. Neither can any brand gains top of the mind status anymore without involvement. It is that bad. With heavy money, the brand may feature in local environment but not any more in the global realm.  Out of sight is becoming out of mind gradually.

Not being in the cloud makes your brand to miss out in the 24/7 conversation.  This may harm or make your brand. I read a statistics that really blew up my mind in this regard. I was informed that social media clouds now are the most popular after the porn sites. Another major point that dawned on me from my researches is that any brand that is not in the cloud now will not be found as people search out for brands( personal, corporate) that they want to engage everyday. When you are not there, you are gone.   You can download /view the presentation slide here

In about two weeks ago, I had the opportunity of anchoring a reunion meeting for my Alma matter where I did my undergraduate studies. As the custom is, during most reunion meetings, each person has opportunity to introduce him/herself to the group. The first thing that dawn on me was that many still do not still have a sellable personal elevator speech in this age and time. Personal selling speech is ‘insanely’ important today because it tells people at a glance who you are.

May be one day we will focus on that here. Most people that I listened to confused this great personal marketing tool with what their job titles are and  what their companies are offering.

Personally, though I learnt a great  lesson that day as a professional. Because I assumed this gathering brings together graduates who have left college for years and most of whom are gainfully employed, I played the expert game when it came to my turn to introduce myself.

Ideally on a good day, my elevator speech runs like this: I am Yinka Olaito. I help individuals, organizations to maximize values in their brands/ideas through adequate positioning of their brands to the target audience that can pay premium. My competitive advantage is in developing engaging strategy that turns customers to advocates .I am a multi-skilled individual who combines passion with right skills to make my unique difference. If there is time, I now add those skills I use that you can find here.

With the assumption that I am talking to learned persons that they are, I just used my usual byline above. The chorus of: ha ha, ha ha, caught my attention and I was wondering what I did wrong. The truth I learnt was that, while using your elevator speech, look around at your audience and break it down to their levels incase you may be sounding too big to the people you want to sell yourself to. I learnt that day to look around and see whether I need to simplify my elevator speech based on the environment. I immediately coined a simpler one for audience that may find the above too big to comprehend. So here is what I came out with: I am yinka olaito, I help individuals, organizations create, find opportunities that give them vantage position .Do you agree with me, can you share your own experience in this regard?

Many things have been said about DNA. Wilipedia defines DNA as ‘Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code. It contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cell’. Science has showed that human Dna gives a clue to the  physical representation of any human. The DNa when properly conducted shows clearly the components, origin of an individual. A Dna will give away an individual who claims he is not a specie of a particular tribe if he is really is. As a brand, online Dna is very important. A brand can not deny a photo of employee in a compromising position posted online years after except when such is deleted from the page. Brand must ensure that its online DNA aid brand communication and emotional connection, brand has to have a programme and planned policy that guide what is posted online. Each brand ‘online cell’ will one day culminate in a pool of results that identify whatever is deposited online about the brand. There is no amount of cover up that can be done now that does not stand the chance of being exposed in the nearest future. The reason being the fact that printed words stay as long as humanity exist except an alteration is done. Brand’s online Dna can either affect negatively or add value to the brand. Let us examine some of the brand’s DNA cells, components that will expose the brand if not properly fed, managed.

1. Wikis: Find out what is in your brand wikis today. Never wait till tomorrow. Anything posted there is a brand cell that can malfunction if not properly fed.

2. Websites: whatever that is posted on your brand’s website also constitute some of the Brand’s DNA cell that can either grow to boost brand image or destroy it. The website design is also a factor.

3. Blogs: Every brand needs a blog to build conversation, engagement and awareness. When properly managed, this brand Dna cell helps a lot in early detection of any online sickness or health

4. Forum: Transparency, truth and practical involvement helps this brand’ dna cell to flourish.

5. Chat room: there are several chat rooms online and a brand can do well by having a chat room on its website if it is possible. This will build interaction and communication

6 Emails: never send emails when you are angry or feel cheated. You may say more than what is required. Immediately you click on ‘send’ that is it. It can be used one day. I had learnt a great deal from this.

7. Articles: This is another brand’s online dna cell. Use this to promote and not to destroy your online Dna.

Beware of what your brand online molecules are saying because they can stand as a long-term storage of information that can aid or destroy your brand. It will be difficult to deny this as google never forgets.

This is the second and concluding part of the earlier post on this topic. Enjoy it.

1. Absence of too much technicalities: Most active communities do not make it mandatory for members to learn new software before they can participate in discussion, before expressing their opinions. I have come across few communities which I really liked but which require that I sign unnecessary forms, I normally move away.

2. Make sharing an easy process: in today’s 24/7 online word, sharing is power as opposed to knowledge is power. So any community that does not make sharing easy may be chasing community members away without knowing. Ensure the community has features like RSS, Digg. Facebook compatibility.

3. Speak the tribe’s language: Is the online community speaking the tribe’s language? No matter how good a public speaker is if he/she does not speak the language his/her audience understands, the efforts put in are exercise in futility. Community member needs to be at home with proverbs, jargons that the tribe speaks. An exception though is that the use of general language that everyone understands is necessary in some cases. So find what works for your community.

4. Send customized messages; sending direct, personalized messages is also helpful in building connection among community members. This gives a sense of belonging and appreciation especially when the group is large. It shows that the owner is not looking at every member as part of the crowd but as a significant individual who make up the community.

5. Response time: active community that will enjoy members’ participations is not an easy task. Though the dividends outweigh the inputs at long last; such communities carry huge responsibilities. That is why such always have dedicated hands or whereby it is a personal site, the owners always encourage contributions from known members of the community or accredited hands that he/she can trust. So when community members require clarifications and further information it does not take unnecessary long delay to reply.

Aside from the above, disposition of community owner, builder to negative comments may also affect  active participation as some may view the community as intolerant to opposing views.

 6. Investment in Brand credibility: To also promote brand’s contribution, the owner may need to consider investment in the online community credulity. Promote, the community, seek relevant accreditation of respect authorities around. There is also the need to create greater report with mainstream media so that the community can be covered whenever issues that relate to the brand’s niche is being discussion. Everyone loves to be associated with success. Strong mainstream endorsement for the community by reputable mainstream media can also promote connection and contributions.

In all, active community is not a product of overnight success; they are products of unwavering, relentless commitment to a passionate cause it believes in. Do you need to build an online community that will aid your brand visibility, loyalty, word of mouth and you do not know how, ask for help, we may offer you that service. You can download, print a colorful   PDF version of the two parts here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19530704/How-to-Promote-Contribution-Connection-PDF

Many-brand owners as well as community leaders, wonder why their online communities do not enjoy active participation. Online community like brands needs a lot of emotional interactions to promote active members’ involvement.

Online community aim must rest on a regular provision, satisfaction of building common interest that endears community member to each other. Not that alone, it must promote community interaction, relationship building. Online community that will thrive must share generously information and experiences that strengthens individual and group cohesiveness. Online community that do something unique will always build a loyal community that help spread word of mouth and encourages strong ties.. Interestingly another writer has said that in today internet savvy world, word of mouth is now world of mouth. Another thought that still appeals to me here is that of chad Levit when he says ‘What is clear is that those who do something different and create compelling content that is easy to distribute, find opportunities where others find closed doors’.

In my understanding and experience, building a strong community takes time, dedication, commitment. When it is a corporate community building one is trying to build, there are features that need to be on the corporate website that can enhance active participation. These features include blogs, chat room, discussion groups etc. For personal website, which is often refers to as blog, there should be plethora engagement tools like comment sections, sharing tools like Digg, del.icio.us, RSS among others. These engagement tools promote contribution, interaction among community members.

The followings are some of the major factors that will promote active participation, contribution as well as connection among brand’s community members.

1. Reliability, Truthfulness: This is also known as dependability and trust of the information n the community. More importantly, this will encourage community to openly share and connect.

2. Dedication: The dedication of the community owner, builder will have to be tested. People do not care how much you know but how much you care still holds water. Sharing and posting once in three month content will not help active participation. Most highly populated, active communities have something everyday or at most thrice a week

3. Value/benefits: What is the value of the community? Does the community promote global interaction? Will it cause a positive change of perspective that can bring personal or communal empowerment? Is the content highly applicable or self serving, ego-promoting?

4. Community Design/Aesthetic:  One other factor that draws people to a community aside from content is the brand community aesthetic, design. Many will revisit the community and comment just because the brand community design appeal to them. This may serve as a mean of emotional connection for some. Though the number may seem insignificant but it holds a possibility.

5. Setting right rules: Most active online communities have rules. They do not promote abusive words, exchange of hot words, and hatred among community members.

Every great enterprise that has succeeded is not a product of overnight action. It is birthed with sweat of hardwork, persistence and a high level of determination. Many have the erroneous believe that since social media offer opportunities for visibility, the result will be instant since they can create an account within minutes.  The truth is like in any dance, one has to repeat the steps. Over and over again. Once the first step is initiated in connecting with people with a purpose of engagement, the brand needs to make sure it stays connected until it bonds strongly with the target audience.

Social media do not guarantee capturing instant sales lead, database, survey research instruments as the case may be, it is only sure when the goals are set. Persistence is used as lubricating oil for the wheel of social media progress. Efforts must be made consistently to touch base with brand’s target audience. This offers greater benefits to increase brand’s chances of stronger bonding. This will increase also the chance of making a success out of the brand’s social media effort. Persistence will teach the brand to realize that continuous effort must be made to connect with target effort no matter the time require to do that. Connecting with influencer takes time, focus , energy among other vital details. Ability to be there for the audience by being ready to answer questions they may ask even when it is not that convenient require patience and persistent as well as strong will. Social media do not encourage lack of focus too. Never be in the habit of shifting position of your offerings in terms of contents, comments. Anything that will not get you decent attention should be omitted as fast as possible.

Always be willing to do a review or what we call audit to find the effectiveness of your brand’s efforts.

We can look at a community in different ways. But here we see a community as a group of people, who believe in an idea, choose to live together through common systems and who believe in the healthy propagation of community values, ideas. With strong community, brands have realized over the years the need to help transform corporate services, values and they have become agile through adequate networking, building conversation. Great brands have put greater value on people as the centre of their achievement. The community has been used to solicit useful and fundamental techniques to get it right. Any brand that shy away from building virile community today will have to do with spending huge capital on marketing research, advertising, and Public relations among others. Most of the challenges today can not only be solved by hiring external consultants, even though that is good, but through strong community, brands can generate untold information that if applied can safe them cost.

A successful community, particularly the online one can help put the brand on international radar. Though level of members’ engagement count. Brand’s online community can be created through several platforms and it all depends on the goal of the brand. The paybacks of great online community for brands-Personal, corporate- usually are many. The kind of features on the platform and the requirements will go a long way to help the community. Demanding that community members fill in a lot data that are not necessary to participate in the community may chase many away. Make the platform as friendly and considerate as possible. Never ask the community to submit highly sensitive information about them as that can chase many away. In fact such is not necessary

Having said this, let us examine advantages in a strong brand community.

1. Word of mouth: This has become a very good instrument to reduce cost of operations. More importantly, what a third party says about your brand is much appreciated than what the brand says about itself.

2. Brand awareness: Brand community spread your brand faster than any methods available. Brand community online helps you to gain strong brand awareness because of the excitement to show off. Ask great brands if in doubt. People always want to be associated with success. In our country here there is typical example of many football fans to talk about foreign brands instead of the local league.

3. Idea Generation: Strong community supplies vital feedbacks, ideas that would have require big buck in research among others.

4. Consumer loyalty: brand community also builds loyalty to the brand.

5. Bonding: Most brand community who are excited about the brand are often engaged as well as bond with one another through means of identification with brand’s souvenirs, logo.

6. It guarantees referrals: Strong brand community also guarantees untold referrals for the brand.

Realize that community creates dialogue. Community pulls together millions of eyeballs and human brain in unified connection. What is good about this is that two good heads are better than one. Your brand community can help a lot if you know how to tap into their resources.

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Today we are faced with billions of interruptive marketing. It is every where. When you log on to yahoo or any of the popular social networking media, you are daily bombarded with flashes of interruptive marketing or advertising to use the known language. It has become the major source of revenue of most free sites where people can open account. As much as I do not have any misgiving about that, I am of the opinion that brands should begin to see ways such channels can be used to add value instead of playing the “ME too” game. Many brands should see the handwriting on the wall by now but alas, their consultants, Ad agencies in collaborations with in-house experts are more interested in what they will gain than what is good for the brand.

There is nothing bad in creating this channel for a brand as long as there is a subtle connection of value-adding benefits to the audience whose privacy is being infiltrated. According to one internet article, Interruptive marketing is the process of interrupting prospective clients from whatever they are doing at the moment… to get their attention in order to begin/further sales relationship.

In the early part of world wide wed introduction, interruptive marketing works because of its persistence, hard work among other factors. More importantly it works because it resonated with the time where information passage reigned supreme. The other factor that aided the effectiveness of interruptive marketing then was its newness.

Today time has changed, interruptive marketing has become an irritation and it is wearing out prospective clients yet that has not informed many brand owners to device a new direction to follow. Even though this system can still be used, it must obey the present age rule. Today many hardly look at such marketing strategy especially in the social media platforms that are meant to be where we meet friends, socialize. The worst offense is to start a sales pitch. People are developing strategy to avoid many of the platforms that promote such marketing tactics.

These interruptive marketing messages can be redrafted to establish relationship that will lead potentials from being an acquaintance, to consideration, interest and a final decision process which make the potential to become a fan. Seth Godin captures the essence of this in a book “permission Marketing” when he maintained that marketers, brands have no right to sell in most of these social networking sites (italics mine) but to initiate first a permission to start a relationship that will probably lead to the road of connection. As we know we hardly give a total stranger a chance to start sales pitch at the first encounter. The wisdom in this is that even if brands have to “advertise” in social media platform, the wordings of all their interruptions should be drafted in a way that will lead the potential to a site where content marketing or the usefulness of the brand is already store. I think after this process should sales pitch be introduced otherwise, the first impression created may take several efforts to erase. The challenge with this is that Ad agency- because of the need to show ROI- will always counsel brand owners to the contrary. What a calamity! On the other hands, potentials they want to reach also hate unsolicited advert that is out to sell in a social gathering. Interruptive marketing has become an assault today on the potentials and this is against the rule of etiquette. Brand through their ads on social media should begin a process of asking for permission to be a friend, be ready to accept no or be gentle on their psyche through use of  “suggestive” words like a guy who needs a date.

On social media platform, I will want to agree with what Seth Godin says “You can either appear like a shameless flirt or as a gentleman”. Brands need to foreclose the road of aggressive approach they are now using and become gentlemen. I am of the opinion that permission strategy will work better than interruption, guerilla methods being used by brands today. Interruptive marketing is becoming noisy, wasteful, annoying and damaging and the difference in all is the approach and the wordings of the adverts. Most of them are devoid of any value-adding content or a direction to one.Most are laden with highly sentimental contents that are repeated everyday. What happens to creativity? They are already in saturation stage, brand owners please change!

Reputation has to do with standing, status, repute and character. Every brand must embrace the truth in the saying that says “learn from yesterday, live today and strategize and hope for tomorrow’. Reputation like integrity is a social capital that can be spent tomorrow and especially during recession. But it seems many brands here do not care about such stuff as long as long as they make their money and enjoy patronage. They care less about the fate of their target that spends millions on them weekly.

Interestingly, google is not sleeping. Google is a good information keeper. Google never forget. Google is a good Librarian who keeps information for ages. One day the information can be recalled and used. I am not sure many brands-corporate, personal –are aware of this. If they do they will watch against what is being said about them and protect their hard earned social capital. Today, major brands have not learnt from yesterday in our clime. An issue like ‘DELL HELL’ is still fresh in the mind of that great corporation. A casual neglect of a supposed ‘mere insignificant’ mentioned of DELL Corporation activities sparked a destructive fire for that corporation- I hear someone says ‘that is where internet is king and consumers’ rights are protected’.

A major telecom here associated with YHell may also be going towards seeing hell because of their online reputation. There are about two hackers’ websites that are associated with its game show and their brand management team seems not to care a hoot despite the fact that we have alerted them. One expects they will make this known publicly to their valued customers. They did replied our mail but beyond that we have not seen advert to warn many unsuspecting publics that may fall prey. These set of people may put their experiences online and that may spark a fire.

Based on the above story, I have decided to raise brand owners awareness on  how to manage their brands’ reputation at the two major platforms we have now.

1. Physical Space reputation management: This has to do with every platform that anyone can feel, see, and touch etc. This include logo on a paper, car, stationery items, business cards, press releases, advert, magazines, cars, office environment, internal brand’s attitude etc. Proper or inadequate management of this platform may either affect brand’s reputation in the mind of the target audience.

2. Cyber, online space reputation management: Many brands have continued to ignore what is done on the cyber platform because they feel we are not there yet. Interestingly the few that are online are talking, interacting in forums, social media, online ‘think tank’, websites, blogs etc. We have noticed few hackers’ websites that are purported to be owned by the major brands which exist on the cyber space now. Yet these major brands could not detect them early until someone alerts them. Today there are basic internet software that can be used to track mere mention of the brand’s name on the net not to now talk of having a website that carry the brand’s name, logo, disclaimer notice among others. This software can be operated by a designated employee who works as a community manager. This allows easy and early detection. This we have noted in some of our earlier posts.

Does your brand care about its reputation? Are your employees empowered to enhance your brand’s reputation? If you can not answer these questions in affirmative, send your internal brands to PERSONAL BRANDING AND CORPORATE SUCCESS SEMINAR holding in Lagos Nigeria in April 17-18, 2009. For enquiries send text, cal or mail -07029778785, info@michaelsage.org, tunde@michaelsage.org