Today many brands are yet to see the impact of running a blog can have on their performance. Many brands still believe that blogs are just for small kids or any brand that just want to join the bandwagon, plays ‘me too’ game. What an individual do not know will rob him of its value. Blogs are gradually becoming a positioning tool that helps some brands to stand out when properly done. There is no denying the fact that great blogs are products of strategic goal, planning, dedication, commitment, research, reading, and listening among other factors. Content is key and optimization of the blog, content is also a great work.

For some who may not know what a blog is, it is good for us to start this way, a blog is the shorten form for the word web-blog which can be translated as a web journal. Interestingly blogs have become a veritable tool in social marketing. A tool to gather feedbacks from the target as it has transformed monologues to conversation. Though what I have noticed is that to have a personal, corporate blog that will really help the brand, individual needs consistent, compelling, creative contents that draw people back.

Blogs offer visibility that a brand may not have enjoyed before. It has also increased ‘linkability’. In a recent data released by Technorati 2009, I understand that 71% say they have greater visibility in their industry when they have blogs. 56% say their company is now regarded as a thought leader as well as 40% have been asked to speak at conferences. Adam singers say ‘the importance of having a blog today is premised on the fact that the future is not telling it is showing’.

 A blog helps a brand to remain in the radar instead of being out of radar. It helps a brand to stay in touch especially if the blog has become a force in intelligent and relevant knowledge sharing. A great brand blog can help the brands make more engaged customers who are willing to give a referral, positions brand’s expertise, launch a project as well as to experiment with great ideas that the brand may want to push. The instance response to the ideas expressed on the blog can provide a bird eye view opinion of what the future of that brand’s idea look like.

For brand to go far know, not being afraid to give away free knowledge by the brand will help to create a thought leadership. If in doubt find out from many brands that have recognized blogs. They will be able to tell you that they enjoy WOM than those brands that have remained silent. Those who do not have spend more money on pushing their ideas and they all have to depend on third party to express their opinion. Meanwhile strong brand platforms in forms of blog can serve as a voice for any brand to express its own side of the story. This may/will help the brand to enjoy public sympathy that may not be there before. Interestingly many strong brands now have a platform through which they disseminate news that may be of interest to them.

Without a blog today, you may be doing a lot of damage to your brand without knowing. Thought leadership helps brand to stand out as well as fashion out a strong niche that draws necessary attention from the target market. I know you have being involved in the conversation but where is your brand’s platform that guarantees your brand’s voice will be heard loud and clear?

Last Saturday at a meeting with one of my protégés, I was asked ‘Are you sure you are getting correspondence result in your personal brand’s effort online’? I said, it all depends on what individual is measuring or comparing his result with.

Every thing that is worth doing is worth measuring. If a brand can not measure progress in any endeavor, there is a cause for alarm. Being a digital citizen costs a lot-at least in term of time investment. I asked ‘why are many developing nations’ citizens struggling to ‘play’ the yearly American Visa lottery if they do not attach values to that. They would have analyzed that winning a visa lottery to America will end their woes? Whether that is true or not is a discussion for another day.

That is why I am of the opinion that brands should invest in hiring a community manager or consultant to really make headway. Attending a day seminar does not turn an individual to a guru in this vast planet. But that can be a starting point and an eye opener to the demands. So getting real value will be determined by what you are willing to give in exchange for the illumination you are seeking.

Nevertheless, let me outline here the process I think we guarantee getting real value from online activities/involvement;

Listen: Do you really want to make impact? First listen and listen attentively. Wean yourself from any preconceive opinion of how it should work, or the trend the conversation should be taken or who should participates. Such thoughts will have colored brand perception and will not allow objective analysis of the conversation. I was monitoring a conversation on Facebook yesterday and what I read surprised me. A brand got angry because of a feedback and wrote ‘unprintable stinker, rejoinder’ to the soul who ventured to give contrary opinion. That is not how to do social media/online activity. The brand has forgotten that close to three hundred million audience can read that response, and that every conversation is archived. One day that conversation can be recalled.

Set objective: Now that you have listened, you may need to set brand’s objective of what your brand needs to achieve through participation. That will help measurement.

Participate/engage: it is time to take action and swing your racket. Always keep your brand objective in view because it is possible to be distracted by the level of noise online.

Measure: Learn to measure result along the way. Never wait till the end of the year. That may be dangerous.

Lead: Take leadership position in something. Be known for your expert opinion. Be a brand with great influence in something. Your brand may not achieve this overnight, but that should be the goal. It is at this level that your brand makes right impact. I see youthere.

Promo.

The Nigeria chapter of Social Media Club has announced a 2-day National Conference on Social media and Brand Positioning aimed at helping Nigerian brands maximise the marketing  opportunities that social media platform presents them. The conference will hold on February 25^th and 26^th 2010.

The conference is expected to help brand custodians appreciate what other brands are doing on social networking platforms like Youtube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. It will also help identify what they can do to make them socially relevant while maximising the opportunities with these platforms. Social media is the future of advertising and brand communication. Globally acclaimed brands have already identified that the future of brand position is in the social media and they are constantly seeking ways to leverage on these media. We are convening this conference to ensure that Nigerian brands identify the opportunities and take advantage of them in growing their brands to be global players.” 

The 2-day conference will feature topics like ‘Application of Web 2.0/social media to health industry initiatives.’, ‘Web 2.0/social media optimization strategy for brand success.’ Speakers and facilitators for syndicate session includes Kingsley obom-Egbulem, chief creative office HCDI Lagos,Dr. Bolaji Obadeyi, CEO, Health Logics, Lagos, Mrs. Nike Essiet, founder, Action Health, Lagos, and Mr. Wale Goodluck, Corporate Service Executive, MTN Nigeria.

 Other speakers include Mr. Akin Adeoya, Publisher M2 Magazine, Uche Nworah, renowned brand scholar, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Hon. Minister of Information and Communications will chair the conference while Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, Hon. Commissioner for Information, Lagos State and Mohammed Abdullahi, National President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) are the special guests of honour.

Waoh, the Personal Branding and corporate success seminar was successfully hosted last weekend. There were lots of funs. The facilitators did a good job. I opened the floor by taking the class on the need for urgent appraisal of individual personal brand. This was followed by Dayo Olomu (U.k) presentation on how to enhance personal branding through networking. Waoh That guy is on fire! He demonstrated his passion and shared his personal journey and adventure into fame through the use  of personal branding. His class was electric as people shouted and responded greatly. The Saturday early morning session by eight ‘o’ clock was great. Adeolu Akinyemi came with a dimension on The aspiring Gorrila story and he de-emphasized unnecessary competition. Then I took the class on managing personal brand reputation and how to take advantage of the cyber space. Lolu Mogaji talked on Image and personal branding. His presentation was an eye-opening session to many. Then came Meka Olowola , Head corporate communication- Oando Plc. This guy’s class rock and was a bomb! I do hope that you will not miss next session schedule for June 2009 ending. Details will be supplied later.

As part of my gift to everyone that reads this blog, I have just released the much awaited new e-book On Personal Branding: Personal Branding For First Class Professionals.  Please download your copy at the side bar of the blog where you have free e-book offer. Here is the link in case you have issue in downloadingit:http://yinkaolaito.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/personal-branding-for-first-professionals.pdf

Product review:         MANHOOD MAGAZINE

This is to let you know that Kingsley Obom-egbulem just published a new magazine that is focused on manhood: issues that affect women and all that bothers on how to positively live a great example as a man. It is focused on redefining Manhood from the negative vibes associated with some men and how most men have not lived up to their responsibilities. It catalogue the stories of homes that suffer the absence of Men, where most have taken advantage of their “macho power to abuse womanhood’ among others. It will be a great read and reference magazine for men and women, singles, married, NGO owners among other. The Magazine is a must read on essence of manhood. For details you can send mails to editor@manhoodmagazine.com.

Every personal brand has greater potential force of reckoning than we all acknowledged. Each given personal brand has innate capability to impact the thoughts, deeds and actions of those around us. Interestingly, when we do our parts, the law of psychological reciprocity which states “human beings are instinctively impelled to return to others the feelings and emotions they give us” work in our favour. This is where brand’s effectiveness, influence and rewards come from. This begins with being ready to serve.

The statement above calls for deliberate action on the part of the individual personal brand to strengthen the position of its own brand. This ensures the brand garners much gain and influence within the target market. There are three noted avenues that personal brand can use to strengthen the brand and that formed the focus of our discussion today.

1. Listen: listening is an effective tool in communication. Those who keep speaking without listening never learn anything news and as time goes on they lose credibility, followership and attention. They are associated with a notion of always wanting to dominate, lack of concern to others’ feelings. Listening involves seeking to clearly understand what others are saying and how they are feelings. When a brand does this, it solidifies its relationship more with the target and the brand gained more attention in the process.

2. Awareness: This has to do with brand’s ability to empathize, being in tune with itself as well as those around it. A step further is an attempt to always understand who you are becoming and the necessary sacrifice that needed to be made for your future that will add values to the target audience too.

3. Healing: The society is hurting. Your niche is inclusive. Thanks for being a great brand evangelist, but your brand achieve more when it becomes a healer, solving problem by removing hindrances, discovering better way that can make life better for the niche. There are ways to do this; we will discus this in the nearest future. Do you have experience here? Share yours with our community.

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. Now if I only know which half-John Wannamaker

Advertising consumes huge budget and yet it is often does not have tangible ROI. It focus most times is not to generate sales. So why invest in it or not? Like marketing, brand advertising is to create awareness, expose differentiation and to help consideration for the service/products.

If things are done properly, the intangible will manifest in:

1. Exploiting lifetime relationships, values of a customers

2. Turning customer to loyalists.

3. Make customers advocates

But come to think of this, if customers know which half is wasted, what will be the lots of advert agencies? Giving the economic crunch, will you still invest in advertisement or conversation marketing? Which one is important to you as a brand or as a corporate brand? What will you advice your clients to do?