5 Reasons Why Repetition is the Key to Brand Development

Online brand development starts with the decision of what is the most appropriate identity for you and/or your business. The next logical step is to establish how to brand the identity you have chosen in a way that is effective and in alignment with what it is you do.

Quite often the best approach is develop a series of branding strategies that will make your efforts the most effective and your coverage the most extensive.

From this point on your focus will be to make sure your identity branding efforts are both as consistent and as repetitious as possible.
No matter how 'slick' or cutting edge your strategies may be, if they are not reinforced consistently they will do you little good. Ultimately the key will be in your repetition since this will be what eventually embeds the image you are reinforcing into the minds of people.

Here are 5 reasons why repetition and not necessarily the design of the strategy itself plays a key role in how effective your online identity branding efforts will be.

Expands Exposure

The greater the repetition the deeper the market saturation. This obviously leads to more exposure as your efforts begin to reach more areas of the internet. Much like filling a bucket of water, the more you put into the bucket the fuller it gets and so the same for your repetitive identity branding efforts.

Conditions the Mind

As more people begin to repeatedly see your brand in different areas online, they begin to form the association between the image itself and what you are branding.

This is simply conditioning people to automatically make this association and is exactly how branding strategies work towards the development of any brand. The more they see your efforts the stronger the association becomes, plain and simple!

Arouses Further Curiosity

If people see your image or brand often enough it is quite common for their own curiosity to compel them to seek further information on what the image represents.

Remember the whole point behind establishing a brand is to increase your marketing effectiveness and by getting people to visit your site you now have the chance to do so!

Brings Forth More Witnesses

This is the point where your repetition has saturated the market allowing others who may not have formerly seen your 'impression' a chance to view more about you. Quite often this occurs after others have referred them to do so due to the viral effect that is taking place. It is hard to avoid the 'buzz' about you when your image is seemingly everywhere!

Image Reinforcement

Your consistent repetition serves to only more firmly establish your identity. With each new effort your exposure grows and the association between what you are branding and the image you are establishing becomes that much stronger. This reinforcement is exactly how to brand yourself or business or even both online.

Brand development is a very important aspect of internet marketing because it helps make you more easily noticeable online. The process is actually not very complicated and starts with the determination of what is the most appropriate identity for what you do. From there a decision is made how to brand this chosen identity into the minds of others.

In most cases the utilization of multiple branding strategies is often seen as the best approach. No matter how dynamic or cutting edge your selected strategies may be however, effort will be wasted unless the image is reinforce as repetitiously as possible.

This simple act of repetition plays a key role in how effective your identity branding efforts will be, and the 5 reasons discussed above are testimony as to why. Without repeated and consistent reinforcement even the best strategies will fall short of making the impression you want in the minds of others.


About the Author: TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina. For more tips about effective online brand development and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques visit: http://affiliatequickstart.com/.

Starting Your Agency, Do You Need a Partner?

When starting any business the thought of a partnership may cross your mind, if even for a minute . Would it be a relief to have someone by your side to share the responsibilities or a burden to have to ask someone else what they think should be done?

When SCF was started I was leaving the employment of an attorneys office and was thinking that I could offer a better service then what I had previously experienced both in the work place and as a surrogate. Everywhere I turned people said that I should open an agency. I had worked on the "inside" and had met IP's and surrogates who believed that I had what it took to walk someone through an entire surrogacy program. I was affiliated with professionals who said that they would support a surrogacy agency. As a matter of fact, Surrogacy Consultants of Florida, LLC was the first agency in Florida that was not connected to an attorney's office. Purely independent of Clinics and Psychologists as well, meaning that we were open to working with all ART professionals nationwide. Any IP who had a favorite RE or Attorney could come to us and be matched with a surrogate and return to their own office for treatment.

Excuse me for being sidetracked! Anyway, I decided that operating an Agency the way I envisioned it should be run would take more then just one person and I asked one of my friends and strongest supporters, Sita, to be my partner. She said yes and we were off and running. What YOU need to do is decide what your vision for your business is and what you are willing to devote to it. Are you basically wanting to control every aspect of the business including start-up finances, book keeping, marketing, advertising, recruiting, management, materials, media, invoicing, all phone calls, filing, Internet web sites, e-mailing, interfacing with professionals, attending conferences, printing, attending meetings and follow up etc? I sure didn't! Having someone else to share the burden can be invaluable. Do you want to work 24/7? You will if you are alone. What if a family member is sick and needs your undivided attention? What will happen to your clients then? Family vacations might be a thing of the past if you don't have someone to cover you. I think you can see which side of the fence I sit on here. I know wonderful small agency's run by a single person but they have to outsource (hire an answering service, a book keeper etc.) and limit their services and the number of clients they can take on so that they can give quality time to their customers.

Before you think that you can start up on your own and then add someone I would think again...that is HARD. Adding a new partner after start up, one who didn't go through the growing pains with you or did they risk any financial investment, may not have the commitment to the company that you have. Something to think about!

I think I will end this here....it's your ultimate decision...GOOD LUCK!

Sharon LaMothe
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Re-Energize Your Business; Re-Think Your Marketing

Here we are into the second month of 2012 ALREADY! And how is YOUR business coming along? Have you finally caught up from the holiday break? Don't you think it's time that you finally reach out and make some changes in your marketing plan like most of your competitors are doing? Read below and be re-energized for the upcoming months!


Sharon

LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Entrepreneur's Journal: How to sell when no one is buying

In any recession, customers get stingy. It's natural.
But is there something different this time; that is, are customers becoming long-term frugal?

Perhaps. With an unemployment rate at 10.2%, it will likely take several years for it to get to normal levels. What's more, consumers are saddled with debt and have experienced drastic reductions in wealth (especially with the fall in the real estate market).

In other words, when it comes to selling your products or services, you might need to take a different tack. If not, your business may just waste away.

What to do? Here's a look at some strategies to get the business of long-term frugal customers:

Rethink Marketing: While social media has been hyped up, it is still critically important. Let's face it, customers typically first go to the Net before making a purchase. And, if you're company does not show up, you're certainly in trouble.

To this end, you need to get savvy with search engine marketing, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter and so on. They will not only engage potential customers but also build a growing digital footprint.

Some excellent books on the topic include The Social Media Bible and The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff.

Value Message: Who doesn't like a bargain, especially for a good product or service? Even those who are looking at luxury goods are trying to get a good deal.

But, when crafting your value offer, you need to put much thought in the message. Just look at Stuart Frankel. He operates several Subway shops in southern Florida. Desperate to drum up business, he came up with a simple idea to sell $5 footlongs on Saturday and Sunday.

Interestingly enough, the result was stunning, as sales spiked. At the same time, profit margins remained stable.

Customer Feedback: During tough times, your customers may be looking for alternatives. This means you need to communicate more and perhaps even provide enhanced offerings. In fact, this may help increase "word of mouth," which could result in getting more customers.

Also, ask your customers some questions, such as: What do you value the most? What else would you want?

This can be extremely valuable in terms of targeting new customers, as well as fine-tuning your marketing.

Be Upbeat: In light of the negative media, it's not easy to be positive. But you need to. It's critical for motivating your employees and building confidence with vendors and potential customers.
Tom Taulli provides a variety of financial services to business owners, such as business plans, cash flow management, and taxes. You can reach him at taulli.com.

Sustainable Tips to Save Small Business Owners Money By Catherine Corley

There are several ways that being green positively affects your bottom line.


Creating Interest and Loyalty

Employing greener practices in your place of business creates interest and loyalty from a variety of sources, like your consumers, investors, and your own employees. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) also supports this theory: “(There is) growing interest by consumers in wanting to frequent restaurants or feeling more positive about frequenting restaurants that are instituting green practices,” said Sue Hensley, senior vice president of communications for the NRA. “I don’t see consumers’ interest waning in that area.”

Showcasing Your Sustainable Efforts

You may be surprised to find your customers and associates have been waiting on you to capitalize on their enthusiasm, creativity and loyalty. According to Merchant Circle, this is one marketing opportunity that small businesses can easily take advantage of. Adding/improving upon more socially responsible service offerings also increases public image and stakeholder engagement. A company with a positive reputation often has the competitive edge.

Offsetting Climbing Energy Costs

A restaurant’s profit is typically only 3-9 percent of its total revenue. The money saved on operating costs adds directly to the bottom line, so saving 20 percent on energy operating costs through no-cost, low-cost and investment energy improvements can increase your profit as much as one-third. Check out a full list of best management practices for your business sector here.

Tips to Get You Started

The key for a business owner is to still provide goods and services at a profit, while sustaining the environment. Here is a list of some of the key elements to start thinking about when first taking on sustainable practices for your small business:
* Set goals — Identify your purpose, whether your goal is to cut costs or to be environmentally responsible, or both.
*Watch the bottom line —Implementing sustainable practices that provide no return on investment are not practical or wise.
* Start small — Look at reducing energy, even if it’s as simple as unplugging charges while not in use. Switch to CFL or LED lighting—you don’t need to wait to phase these in; your overall energy reduction justifies the immediate switch—and then progress to purchasing energy-saving appliances. Realign procedures to maximize energy efficiency.
*Look upstream — Find sustainable suppliers and sourcing. Know the environmental impact all your sources have on your business.
*Look downstream —Examine your waste stream. Look for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.
*Build green — Implement green building practices. There is even an option to seek a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
*Invest in people — Investing in the community and your own employees is an essential component to sustainability.
 *Learn more – Join and support sustainable organizations and attend their education events.
*Get certified—Invest in a Life Cycle Assessment or seek an audit from a third-party certifier, if applicable.
*Tell others—Share your story with customers so they know not only where your products originate, but also why they should buy your product over others, especially if it costs more. For more, read “True Restaurant Sustainability: More Success, Better Future,” published by NetWorld Alliance.
*Avoid “Green Washing” —Part of being profitable while being green for small businesses is gaining a loyal customer base and creating interest. It is easy for consumers today to be skeptical of all of the “green” talk that is going on.
Catherine Corley is Vice President of Strategy for Sam’s Club, which published the white paper, “How to Be Green and Stay Lean: How Being Sustainable Can Save Your Business Money.”

Why Blog at ALL? Top 6 Reasons By: Sharon LaMothe

I have had several people ask me about blogging...after all, setting up blogs is one of the many services I offer on LaMothe Services, LLC http://lamotheservices.com/. I thought it would be a great idea for me to post my answers here (on MY blog) for all to read...and decide if they, too, want to join the blog craze!

Why Blog at All? Top 6 Reasons

By: Sharon LaMothe

1) Think of a Personal blog as an on-line journal that you can share with your family or friends. You can post pictures of your latest vacation, your newest family member and chat about how the garden is growning. Whatever your interest you can blog about it!

2) A Business blog is a great FREE marketing asset that is a must have in this economy. Its a wonderful way to introduce new products or services or give Kudos to your best employees. You can run polls, have contests, and ask your clients for input and comments.

3) With almost everyone in the business world having computer access, there are a large number of people reading blogs. From professionals to potential customers or clients, blogs are here to stay and are even accused of taking the place of newspapers a crossed the country!

4) A blog offers credibility to you and your business. It also shows that you are on top of technology and not the "dinosaur" that some may accuse you of...

5) Blogs are viral (in a good way!) They attract regular visitors and subscribers...your blog can be RSSed (Real Simple Syndication) into your website and social networking pages.

6) Blogs not only offer a voice for you and your company but you can think of it as a form of communication of epic proportions along with the ability to "publish" anything you want at any time you want.

If you have any questions regarding blogging and how you can set one up, just contact me at SurroMatchFL@aol.com.

Sharon LaMothe

LaMothe Services, LLC

http://lamotheservices.com/

Your Online Reputation

This is something that I feel every business owner should keep in mind, especially if what is being "sold" is your own good name! Your reputation for being fair, honest, hard working and dependable is so important in the running of a surrogacy agency.

Read on and tell me what you think!

Sharon
http://lamotheservices.com/
Your Online Reputation
Does integrity really matter in online business? The owners of PCS Productions in Texas would likely say, "Yes!"

This company began in 1995 and has worked to develop quality audio and video productions. Their services extend to web design and hosting, audio streaming and print media projects.
This company has worked diligently to establish integrity in each form of media they present. Many of those media specialties interact with other forms of media so they must make sure they can transfer branding ideas from one concept to another.

I think what may be most impressive about this company is they have an extraordinary track record. Client testimonials are glowing and well respected.

If you are known by the company that you keep then this company visibly has a sense of integrity. Their staff has been sent on assignment to virtually every continent in the world and their work is called upon repeatedly by existing clients while others also seek them out for their skills.

So is this a puff piece about PCS Productions? No. In fact I don't know anyone who works there, nor have I visited with anyone. So, I guess you could say I am not promoting a service, but pointing to some interesting parallels I often find in the best businesses.

This company has a good reputation and that's the point of this article.

As an online business you need to work to establish a reputation that is used as a calling card for potential customers.

The web already has enough scam artists and fly-by-night operations so when I find a point of positivity I cling to it and then point it out to others.

The establishment of a strong work ethic combined with consistently providing the best possible service can do wonders for your business in the long term.

Someone once told me, "You really should take the high road. There's a lot less traffic." At first I smiled, but it's true. We all know someone who is adept at cutting corners. Perhaps we have encountered a business that left us high and dry after they got our money. We like those 'high road' companies.
What we want as business owners are those glowing testimonials that profess the depth of our commitment to excellence. These are words that may well encourage others to buy our product or use our service. Those precious words will not come if the customer is just another dollar figure.

As a business owner you place your name and reputation on every order you ship out. You stake the trust others would like to place in you on the way you handle issues that come up.


It's a whole lot easier to lose a reputation than it is to gain it back. Reputation is an investment in your future. It's an investment that can go away if you don't protect it wisely. What that means for a business owner is you have to put your customers first. Their concerns need to be a concern for you. Their issues require you be a problem solver. Deliver more than you have to and show absolute respect to your customers. After all, they are the ones you serve.
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About the Author: Scott Lindsay - Make A Website or Make Your Own Website Fast at HighPowerSites.com. Start a Home Business and Sell Ebooks at BooksWealth.com.

10 Top Tips for Banner Advertising

Banner Ads are the attractive advertising medium that quickly grabs the visitors attention. Implementing an attractive banner ad is more important in order to effectively utilize the features or the power of banner ads.

The success of your online advertising purely depends on how far you are putting the right efforts in building the banner advertisements. You need to take care everything from animation, color combination, banner size and most importantly the Ads positioning. This article carries proven tips that really works to boost the performance of your banner ads. So designing an rich and attractive banner advertisement is easy if you are doing that simple.

1) Design Clear And Simple Banners.

When it comes to attractiveness, you should keep things simple. That is 100% applicable for designing the banner ads. Make your banner design simpler. That really attracts the visitors impression. The first impression is more important and that should be the best impression. Simple design helps you to make quality banner ads. Learn how to make perfect quality banner ads.

2) Focus Your Target Audience.

Targeting the audience in advertising is the prior goal. So you have to understand the audience first. Do you have that understanding ? If not, try to understand in the sense know at least, what they expecting from you and your business ? This helps you to design Ads with correct and accurate facts or information.
3) Keep The Brand In Banners.

It is advisable to show your branding over the banner ads. In general, branding helps the visitors to remember you web site. So put your logo and URL over the banner ads at least in the lowest corner or in the top. Branding helps your ads to stand out from the other banner ads placed nearer.
4) Ask questions on Banners.

Asking questions on the banner ads is the intelligent way of calling the visitors. In general, a question strikes the people to look for the answer. So ask some attractive or catchy question to the viewers. Thats the ever known best Call-To-Action.

5) Banner Ads Placement.

Even though you have designed a poor banner Ad but when placed in a hot position (top, top-left, top-right, middle) of the web page it wins. At the same time, placing a well designed ad at the worst place (lower-left, lower-right, bottom) of the web page fails. So it all depends on where you are placing the banner ads. Find out the best position, by experimenting with different banner Ads placements. That makes sense.

6) Test Drive The Banners.

As I told, experimenting is more important. Both the banner design and the placement you have to test. Do more test, do even more test and measure the impact. Do the corrective action and finally, your banner ads will be in the right place.

7) Use The Right Design Tools.

If you are looking for selecting the right designing tool, better go for great tools like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft’s design and publisher tools etc. That really works well and helps you to make attractive designs. Try to become the expert with these tools. Learn the banner design tips.

8) Using Gimmick Attracts The Eyes.

Gimmicks really works well. Try to put some catchy and flashy objects or text over the banner ads. That grabs the visitors eye on the first look. Attracting on the first site is more important with banner ads. Using colorful gimmicks adds more value and adds that rich look to your Ads. But don’t overlaod the graphics, that will become uglier.

9) Keep It Professional.

A professionally design banner ads drives the visitor to explore more. It builds the trust over the advertisements and gives the good confidence to the visitor. Like “this advertisement looks professional so the information it offers should also be professional”. So flow your professionalism through out the banner design.

10) Give Importance To Text In Ads.

Texts are not only important in Text Ads but also in banner ads. It not like banner ads should only have the graphical and animations. You should have the right text. Your slogan or a question or even an offer. Use the selected keywords over the banner ads that directly relates your web site or business. There should be a balance between text and animation. Better to go for the 50-50 approach. That helps to make better looking Ads. You should know the tips to write text ads and apply that for banner ads usage.

Always keep in mind, an attractive banner ad should have Simple Graphics & Right Text which leads to higher Click Through Rate.

Mr Ven

Happy New Year!!

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

Content is KING!

Now that your website is looking good, design wise, what about your content? What are you going to have on your website for your potential clients to read and learn about? You know what the most important part of the content is don't you? Good Writing! And to keep people coming back for more, updating your content often. Now when we are talking about a website for a service like surrogacy I don't believe that visitors are expecting to have something new on your site every time they visit. If you actually have a gallery of available surrogates and egg donors then, yes, that needs to be updated each time you have an approved candidate come on board. IP's especially will continue to check in and see if there is anyone new that they may be interested in. However, if you are running your program in a way where Intended Parents and Surrogates have to call for information on available matches then you need to have another way to keep your site fresh. Some suggestions are to have an events calendar and list all related conferences and seminars whether you are planning to attend or not. You can list birth announcements or even birthday announcements with the permission of your surrogates and IP's. You can have a surrogacy or ART in the news where you have hot links to articles that may be of interest to your visitors. Will your agency hold luncheons? Holiday parties? Meet and Greets? Have a place on the site, with photos, for these events. Why not add a blog? Fresh content is always available if you know where to look.

What about the pages that will not change as often? Your About Us page, Contact Us Page, your Home Page with your Mission Statement? Are you going to have a page that lists your services? Will that page also have your price list? Are you going to have separate pages for Intended Parents and Surrogates? Keep in mind that they WILL read each other's pages. Are you going to have a page to list professional links? (This will be good to have so that you can have a link exchange for your continued marketing) Are you going to list medical requirements for your surrogates? And legal aspects for your IP's? There is a lot to think about and your website can have several pages before it's all said and done.

Yes, there will be more to come, but your homework now is to list out what content you are planning on sharing with the rest of the world! Happy writing!

Sharon
http://lamotheservices.com/

Personal Power: Living From the Inside Out

I wanted to share this with you today because I feel that we often forget that we have "personal power"! We move through our daily life being pushed and persuaded in what we "should" think or what we "shouldn't" question or we may just be wandering aimlessly until "things resolve themselves".

Below is a great little article that may put it all back into your own hands and offer you some guidance in bringing back your own personal power. Take that control and know that you are in charge of your life, your hopes and your dreams. You have the Power inside you!

Sharon LaMothe

LaMothe Services, LLC

http://lamotheservices.com/

Personal Power:Living From the Inside Out

by Laura Belsten, PhD, MCC

Lao Tzu, famous Chinese philosopher living over 2500 years ago, stated that the biggest problem in the world is that individuals experience themselves as powerless. Powerless individuals feel helpless, negative, lethargic, frustrated, resentful, and often live in fear, enslaved by circumstances they perceive as beyond their control.

The opposite of powerless is an inner awareness, an internal state of being we refer to as “personal power” in the emotional intelligence field.

Personal power is an inner awareness that makes us feel in control of our lives. It is an inner knowing that we can achieve our goals, a calm conviction about who we are and our ability to get the things we want in life.

Quiet Confidence

People with a highly developed sense of personal power have a quiet self-confidence that they can set the direction of their lives, and they do. They are able to distinguish among circumstances over which they have some control and those they do not. They define themselves from the inside out (for example, their internal self talk includes messages like “I am a capable person, I can manage this setback, I’m good at managing conflict, I’m creative”)

The biggest barrier to success in almost any endeavor is powerlessness, negativity, helplessness and inertia. Mahatma Gandhi had no army, never held or accepted political office, never used violence. He was a small, frail man, yet he defeated the armed might of the British Empire, driving the British out of India without firing a single shot. How did he accomplish this?

Personal power. Personal power can move mountains. Personal power solves problems.

Dr. Laura Belsten is Dean of the Graduate School of Coaching, Master Certified Coach (MCC), and a national leader in the field of Emotional Intelligence. Personal Power is one of the twenty-four key competencies of the Emotional Intelligence Profile. Learn them all!