We were going to launch a site called WordofMouthMarketing.org. During the few months we were planning it, everyone kept saying WordofMouth.org — they kept dropping the word marketing. Even employees and contractors who were working on the project. That was a problem. If our own team couldn’t get the name right, how would our customers [...]
Tag Archives: branding
Be friendly
Want people to love your company? Be nice, say hello, give praise. One of my favorites — random compliments for users of MailChimp:
If you want them to share it, don’t take yourself too seriously
I love these funny eCards from H&R Block. Simple, easy to share, and a lot of fun. And unlike tax advice, people actually share and forward them — but they’re still clearly from H&R Block and are a great reminder of the tax deadline. My advice: Be happy, but be somewhat relevant.
Authenticity has to be authentic
You can’t create “authenticity” in the Branding Department. It’s not something marketers can invent. (That would be the opposite of authentic.) Run away screaming if you’re in a meeting to “create authenticity.” But you can unveil it, demonstrate it, and let people see what makes you real. Example: There are some stunning BBQ food trucks [...]
How to write good
Only type what you would say out loud. Try it. Call a friend and read the last thing you wrote and see if you sound ridiculous. You probably wrote something that you would never use in a meeting or conversation. Then — just say what you want to say and let your friend type it [...]
Great brands are boring
Resist the urge to change your marketing every month. Don’t change your look, theme, or logo because you’re bored. Building a brand takes time and consistency. You need to build familiarity for years and years until everyone knows who you are and what you stand for. Take this advice from M.P. Mueller of branding shop [...]
Be interesting, or be invisible
Getting noticed on a store shelf is almost impossible these days. You don’t have many choices: Pay for special placement, pay for gobs of advertising … Or be fantastically interesting. Anti-Monkey Butt anyone? What do you need to do to get noticed?
Did you notice that bit.ly is now bitly.com?
I blogged last year about how dumb it is to base your brand on a domain controlled by the Libyan government — or any other country where you don’t have a presence or a practical way to enforce your rights. And we all know that Libya hasn’t been what you’d call a great place to [...]
When fan videos go nuts
Watch this. It’s great. The big dilemma for brands: What do you do when a fan video is not quite the brand message you were hoping to convey? (I’m not talking about negative attack videos. Just weird or off-message.) What do you do?
Check out the Comic Book!
Work With Me
Learn to be a great word of mouth marketer.
Learn more >>
We're the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands. Learn more >>
Learn about my keynote speeches >>
