Branding Archives - Page 6 of 8

24Nov 2018 by Bob Cargill

Rock Your Audience

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media

I recently saw a ridiculously awesome movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. You know the story. It's about the legendary rock band, Queen, and their late, great lead singer, Freddie Mercury. There's a scene in this movie in which the band is developing the idea for their song, "We Will Rock You." You know the song. They wanted to engage their audience. They wanted their fans to be part of that song. Watching that scene and listening to that song gave me a thought. As it was for Queen in playing that song, it is for all brand and businesses. You want to engage your audience. You want to involve them in whatever it is you do in some way, shape or form. You want to rock your audience.

21Sep 2018 by Bob Cargill

Satellite Stages on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

I heard Bono on Sirius XM Satellite Radio recently say something about satellite stages. His band, U2, uses these types of stages, often set up in the middle of the audience, to get up-close and personal with their fans. That’s how it is for brands, businesses and anyone who uses social media for professional reasons, too. Your website is your main stage, your presence on social media your satellite stages. Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like to give your own audience the opportunity to see and hear more from you as a human being, not just a corporate logo. Put yourself out there. Connect with your followers. Engage with your fans. Use social media like a series of satellite stages on which you display a more believable and…

09Aug 2018 by Bob Cargill

The Importance of Being Liked on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

It’s one thing to be popular in real life, but what about on social media? You want people to like you there, too. Whether you’re on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, you want your friends, fans and followers to like everything you share as a business and brand. The more content you share, the better, but make sure it’s relevant, timely and high-quality content, not mediocre, run-of-the-mill stuff. Social media is not a one-way street, either. It’s important to engage with others online. The more you like their content, the more likely they’ll be to pay attention to yours. You want people to like you not just in real life, but on social media, too.

30Jun 2018 by Bob Cargill

Podcast: The Importance of Authenticity on Social Media in the Fake News Era

Advertising, Branding, Business, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media

Fake news is all around us. Turn on the TV. Listen to the radio. Read the newspaper. Liars, cheaters and stealers abound. Who knows who and what to believe anymore? That’s why it’s more important than ever for businesses and brands to have candid conversations with their connections and constituents. Honesty has always been the best policy, but today the truth will set you far apart from the competition and the clutter. Today, the more transparent, authentic and immediate you are, the more successful you will be in business. Use social media to engage with your audience as human beings, not logos and corporate colors. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and the like to establish long-lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships with your customers and prospects. Keeping it real as never been more…

20Jun 2018 by Bob Cargill

Podcast: Do Things the Opposite Way on Social Media

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media

Try doing the opposite of what you’ve been doing up until now on social media. That’s right. Take off your sales and marketing hat, and put on a hat that says, “I’m just like you.” Not only are the algorithms on social media not working in your favor, but your audience is tired of the same old promotional messages you’re sharing with them. If you’re not paying to play, chances are you’re not reaching very much of an audience at all, anyway. So, put a face on your brand and a smile on your face. Show that you have a personality, not just a pulse. Do what George Costanza did in episode 86 of “Seinfeld.” Do things the opposite way on social media. Be less promotional and a lot more…

13Jun 2018 by Bob Cargill

Red Tape and Social Media

Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media

Red tape. Unfortunately, it prevents many businesses and brands from making progress in any way, shape or form on social media. Whether it’s because too many chefs are in the kitchen or there is just far too much adherence to outdated rules, red tape can undermine the success of your very best efforts. The most accomplished social media practitioners have a green light in front of them, not red tape. They get autonomy and support from colleagues and management, not questions and criticism. The most effective social media programs are authentic, transparent and immediate. They’re carried out quickly and seamlessly with very few interruptions. If you expect to be successful as an organization on social media, you’ve got to cut to the chase and cut the red tape.

29May 2018 by Bob Cargill

Create Social Media Moments and Memories for Your Audience

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

Look all around you. Everybody is taking pictures everywhere they go. You want to capitalize on this trend. Anything you do as a business or organization needs to be optimized for social media. Your people. Your office. Your content. Your events. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you want to be making it easy for your connections and customers to share something to do with your brand with their own respective networks. Your fans and followers want to talk about you. They want to amplify everything about you to a wider circle of people. They’re looking for something to capture and disseminate via their own feeds on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. Give them the opportunities. Give them the inspiration. Create social media moments and memories for…

07May 2018 by Bob Cargill

Immortalizing Your Brand’s Audience on Social Media

Boston Marathon, Branding, Business, Marketing, Social Media

It feels good to be able to run 26.2 miles on any given day, but I was particularly happy to finish the Boston Marathon on April 16, 2018. For starters, this was the 11th time I've run Boston for charity, the fifth time for Christopher's Haven, raising nearly $2,000 this time around for this ridiculously awesome non-profit organization. It was also especially gratifying to be able to go the entire 26.2-mile distance despite such extremely inclement weather conditions. Pouring rain. Stiff headwinds. Cold temperatures. The long, challenging journey from Hopkinton to Boston this year was about as far from a walk in the park as you could imagine. After I crossed the finish line on Boylston Street, I asked one of the volunteers to take my picture, as I wanted…

29Mar 2018 by Bob Cargill

Social Media Isn’t Rocket Science

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

Social media isn’t rocket science. Yup. Using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like is easier than you think IF you make it a priority. But that’s just the problem. Many businesses, organizations, institutions and communities don’t get it. They are still giving short shrift to what they view as an unnecessary, newfangled way of communications. They think social media is a fad or something the cool kids may do, not something they have to make a priority. Think again. Employers should be training their employees TODAY how to use social media on behalf of their brands. Anyone in a leadership position should be immersing themselves NOW in everything to do with these online channels and making sure their constituents are right behind them. Team members are your advocates. Those…