Sound n' Sight

Invest In Your Brand

The following is a guest blog article by Liz King. If you are interested in guest blogging for Sound n' Sight, please read my guest blogging guidelines . And if you have any thoughts, please comment below. Liz and I both would love to hear what you have to say!

It seems all I hear these days is how to use technology and social media to brand your business for free. I actually spend a lot of time talking about it myself. In fact, I'm getting tired of having to talk about it!

It occurred to me over the past few weeks that regardless of how much "free" marketing there is out there, there's still a huge value in making a financial investment in your branding efforts. For companies that are barely scraping by or just starting out, social media can be an amazing tool, but it can't be the only thing you rely on. Making a financial investment in your branding is good for a couple of reasons.

Financial Investment = Personal Investment

Taking out the credit card (does anyone use a checkbook these days?) to pay for a $1000 ad takes some guts. No matter how rich you are, seeing money going out is always less enjoyable than seeing it come in. The mental decision that it takes to make that payment creates a link to action. Getting free marketing often makes it harder for us to value it and contribute to it's success. Whether for good or bad, making a payment often kicks us into action.

Good Brands Are Recognizable

In addition to the personality and emotion of your brand, people will remember it for the way it looks. Remember, good looks don't come easy. The image your website and print collateral display are critical to the image your consumers have of your brand.

 

I have two amazing designers in my back pocket who have developed my brand in print and on the web. I also work closely with specific photographers. It's not cheap to pay for amazing images for your website, but the investment is worth every penny.

Taking advantage of free marketing can be wonderful, but don't overlook the necessary expenses to supplement your branding process. Saving up for the perfect video for your website is well worth the financial investment. Just like you wouldn't expect to be drop-dead gorgeous without going to the gym, your brand is only as good as the time and money you put into it!

Liz King, owner of Liz King Events has been in the events business since 2003 and has produced events such as Media Networking Night at Columbia University, Living It Up at Metro Community Church, and many other corporate and social events. In addition to planning, Liz is very involved with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks to promote events and collaborate with other event professionals. She maintains her personal social network and also helped to launch Columbia University's Center for Career Education Facebook and Twitter accounts in 2008. She currently works with staff to reach over 1,000 students through these tools.

(Photo by Phillie Casablanca)

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