The Chameleon - Adaptive Marketing Ideas For Your Business

I'll remain objective here, and will in no way make this a political rant.

My sister-in-law sent me this screen shot from GMA this morning. The headline, "IS THE TRUMP BRAND DAMAGED". Her comment to me, "He could use your book".

At first, I laughed. I did not watch the segment, but my assumption is they were speaking about the corporate TRUMP brand. Regardless of your views on 'The Donald' or Hillary, there is no denying that both of their brands have been dragged through the mud - arguably, more so than any election before. Experiencing the Trump brand over the last few months has been interesting, and certainly revealing of his true character. So the questions posed:

During the writing of “Brand Aid”, we performed research to get an idea of how c-suite executives behave. We received over 6,000 responses to our survey on buying behaviors. The biggest takeaway from this survey was the fact that 78% of the respondents indicated that they looked up sales people before meeting with them. That’s powerful information! This tells us that your reputation does in fact precede you. What people find, or don’t find, when they look you up begins to form their opinion of you long before you meet with them.

What does it take to build a truly remarkable personal brand?

The concepts around personal branding have gained a lot of momentum recently, and for good reason. Taking control of your reputation before everyone else does is not only good practice, it is essential today. I have the good fortune of being inside the Millennial generation – I just squeaked in! I think this gives me a unique opportunity to understand older generations as well as my peer group. While personal branding is extremely important for seasoned professionals, it is typically a harder sell. The Millennial generation not only understands the importance, but we have the distinct advantage of growing up with technology and the social media aspects of life. While the aforementioned is certainly an advantage, it can also act as a huge hinderance in crafting a strong personal brand.

If you have just one social media account, then you have the opportunity to create a compelling professional bio. Every social network (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc) has space for you to tell others a little about yourself. Every network has different ways to do so, but regardless of the 'where', you need to know the 'why' and 'how'.

Last evening, Jesse Williams took the stage at the BET Awards to accept the honor for humanitarian of the year. He accepted the award, not for himself, but as he stated in his politically charged speech:

Do you want to control your brand? Be intentional!

Changes to the platform have made it easier to control and promote your personal brand on Facebook. How? By giving you more control over what you highlight and what information you share across the network. Here are some changes that can have a big impact on how you present yourself.

How to Start a Content Marketing Strategy - Let Go of Fear and Become Vulnerable

I was listening to the Elvis Duran Show on my way home from the pool this morning, and they were talking about National Nude Day. Before hearing this, I had no idea it was actually a recognized holiday. Did you? After returning home, a quick Google search tells me we sadly missed it, which means the show I was listening to was a rerun. By the way, mark you calendars for July 14th so you can celebrate or avoid this holiday at all costs. That is your decision. 

Back by popular demand - LinkedIn Photo Fails! 

My original post 15 LinkedIn Profile Image Sins You May Be Making is still the most read post I've ever done. It was a lot of fun, but it also got people thinking hard about their presence on social media. 

The following examples are taken from actual profiles I have seen. As to not totally offend anyone, I recreated all of the image types. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did creating it.

With marketing, there is almost never one correct answer. Most times, what works for one individual or company may not work exactly the same for another company - even in the same industry. There is certainly a try-test-adapt-try again methodology. Notice I said almost. If you are a professional, then listen up because your LinkedIn profile image may need help! There is really only one correct answer on what your profile image should be. It should be a clean, professional headshot of you. Period. This is one of the few times there is not another answer.

Whether you are a Millennial nearing graduation and looking to enter the workforce, or a seasoned professional looking to up your game, personal branding has to be a part of your arsenal. While determining your current brand, developing a clear & powerful message and then maintaining it is hard work, you can dramatically improve what people think about you before they ever meet you.

With marketing, there is almost never one correct answer. Most times, what works for one company may not work exactly the same for another company - even in the same industry. There is certainly a try-test-adapt-try again methodology. Notice I said almost. If you are a professional, then listen up because your LinkedIn profile image may need help! There is really only one correct answer on what your profile image should be. It should be a clean, professional headshot of you. Period. This is one of the few times there is not another answer.