The Most

On July 7, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Branding1 Comment

Marketers always want to be the most innovative, most creative, most quick to change, make the most increase in sales… generally, we want the MOST success, however that is measured. Sometimes, we get so caught up in OUR quest for the most, that we forget what most of our CUSTOMERS want or need! Maybe most of the customers like the old way, the old product, the old campaign, the old measure of success. Sometimes customers want what they’ve known for most of their lives. Sometimes, there’s a reason that most of your competitors’ ads look mostly the same, and maybe your most creative ad isn’t what’s needed for the situation.

It’s a hard truth to hear for most marketers, but sometimes good ‘ole Marketing 101 is the best path to take. After all, as I’ve mentioned before, marketing is about people, and the point of marketing is to grow sales profitably. In a recent survey of ads for one of our key magazines, we learned that our ads had a most adverse effect on our readers. They didn’t like our creativity, but much prefer the old style that is prevalent throughout most of the magazine. While I’m glad we were willing to take a step out, this feedback helped me realize that our customers aren’t quite ready to respond to the new style… and that’s ok! My goal is to reach the most customers, with information in the most clear way possible. In light of these findings, I’m going to go back and make our ads look like most customers prefer. That’s the most rational decision, don’t you think?

Brand Recall Fail

On June 16, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Branding, Selling1 Comment

My husband and I were on a tight time schedule to attend a wedding last weekend, so I asked him to bring all of the necessary items that I needed to dress for the event. He was a groomsmen, so we had to be there early enough that it would work best for him to pick me up straight from the office. In true “too busy” fashion, we didn’t discover this until I was already at work, and hadn’t packed the items to change. Part of my list of things for him to pack, was clear deodorant, since I planned on wearing a sleeveless black dress. Unfortunately, I have two types of deodorant sitting in the bathroom, so I thought I’d describe the brand, packaging, and messaging to him to ensure that he grabbed the right stick. This turned out to be an epic fail, as I mixed the messages and imagery between the two brands I own, AND random TV commercials I’ve seen. Sigh… I think marketers everywhere are shaking their heads in shame at this failed attempt at brand recall.

“Little black dress approved” has become a popular tagline for a lot of deodorant makers, so naturally, I assumed that my clear stick had some version of this tagline. It turns out that neither brand in the bathroom featured this tagline, but I assumed it should be there, since the deodorant I wanted to use was designed specifically to address the issue of wearing black garments. The good news is that this tagline stuck with me enough to pull it out of my memory without any help. The bad news is that I can’t for the life of me remember which deodorant maker actually coined that phrase and prints it on their packaging. Marketers should be a little wary of being too generic and clever with their taglines, and make sure that the tagline lives with the brand, not with the item. Just as “Google it”, “Xerox it” and “Kleenex” are now synonymous with their respective functions, becoming ubiquitous can damage a brand’s ability to be recognizable and memorable.

Imagery is a powerful tool to aid in recall of a brand. However, as with the popular tagline, the “little black dress” has become a popular image to associate with clear deodorant. Thus, I told my husband to grab Brand A, and that it would have a picture of the little black dress on the front. Wrong… it was Brand B that had the picture of the little black dress! In theory, I look at these sticks every single morning, and yet all that stuck was that one of them had a little black dress. Brands need to make sure that common images have some distinguishing characteristic that’s unique to their brand, to ensure that customers aren’t just filing the image away. If I go to the aisle and want to use the “same” brand as last time, but I incorrectly associated that brand with a particular image, marketers have failed to obtain the sale. Most clear deodorant commercials feature a woman slipping into a black dress and checking the mirror to make sure there are no deodorant marks on her garment. The brand may only flash for a second, so if you’ve engrained the little black dress in my brain, make sure that you’re packaging re-enforces what you’ve been showing me on TV.

Finally, color played a role in this case of mistaken identity. Both sticks have a greenish-bluish hue to the packaging, so it’s hard to distinguish when you’re already confused the other characteristics like tagline and imagery. Some deodorants seek to change their colors to stand out to customers in-store. Since most sticks have the same size and shape, color is one of the few distinguishing characteristics to play on. Hair care and skin care products do a much better job of differentiating by color, but it seems like a lot of deodorant makers are using the cool, calm colors in their packaging. I understand the sentiment: you won’t sweat as much when you’re cool and calm, and the color gives a customer a sense of “refreshed and relaxed” when using the product. But, if every competitor is giving this same feeling to the customer, you’ve got to find another way to stand out. Take Teen Spirit, with it’s loud colors and bold imagery. They’re using colors to say that your deodorant should aid in your fun, spunky life, and they stand out in a sea of “calm and cool” showcased in most deodorant aisles.

So, can your customers get their husbands to grab the right stick of deodorant? The situation is a little humorous (he just grabbed both), but the dilemma is real: are your distinguishing characteristics really helping you stand out? Can customers readily pinpoint your brand based on your advertising and packaging? It’s literally the million dollar question!

The Power of the Peer

On May 18, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/Workwear, SellingLeave a comment

Dress: Ross

Heels: Alfani Step ‘n Flex

Earrings: NY & Co.

Like the outfit? See more details here!

I was debating about even trying this dress on when I found it at the store. My husband was with me, and he really wanted me to try it on, but I just couldn’t do it. Enter my mom and my sister… who not only convinced me to try it on, but ALSO convinced me to buy it! Marketers take note of the power of the peer.

From what I’ve seen, heard, and personally dealt with while shopping, it seems that most women prefer to shop with at least one other person. We like to have someone to give feedback, and sometimes we WANT to be convinced to buy something that’s slightly out of our comfort zone. Men seem to be the complete opposite, with an “I’m on a mission” and blinders attitude that results in quick, fruitful shopping trips. However, men seem to pay heed to peers in other areas, like electronics or cars. This seems pretty stereotypical, but I’ve seen my husband scour forums for information on amps, keyboards, and video cards, eliciting information from others who’ve been in his position.

Marketers already know about the power of the peer, and they’ve taken steps to create entire brands around what the collective peer group finds attractive. This brand identity is carefully crafted to not only make a customer feel like they fit into their immediate peer group, but also helps them come back to the brand by fitting in with the larger peer group. This is why brands can’t be everything to everyone all the time, since people gravitate toward those who are “like them.” There’s also aspirational brands, which seek to help customers fit in with a peer group they would like to be in. It’s the reason that celebrity and athlete endorsements are used in advertising; to make the customer feel like they are peers with that person, since they use the same brands. Entire store concepts and industries flourish around the power of the peer, with elaborate dressing rooms and lunch spots, to take a quick trip to the store from mundane to shopping excursion with the girls!

I’ve seen the power of the peer in my own life, and I know it works! What are you doing to encourage the power of the peer as they interact with your brand or retail location? How are you shaping the collective peer group that your brand represents? By getting the attention of the peer, you’ll up your chances for getting the attention of the customer! Like the outfit? See more details here!

Go Live!

On May 17, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, SEO/Website, Work and Office2 Comments

I just had a thrilling first in my career… managing a website go live! I’ve been on this project for almost 4 months now, working with a third party programmer and an internal team to get the final product, a brand new website, pushed out. It’s been a long time coming, and I was excited to push the “go live” button. So, a few things I’ve learned from my first go live…

Glitch-free? Yeah, right! Things will go wrong, no matter how much testing and editing you do prior to the release. There’s a few things you just can’t know until you release the site out into the world. Being married to a software development engineer, I know this logically in my head, and I know that problems on the live site do not indicate total failure. However, it’s hard to combat the failure feeling when links are breaking on a site that’s out in the real world.

Your on-site programmer is your best friend. Due to the afore-mentioned glitch problems you are sure to encounter, your on-site programmer is your best friend! My IT guy helped me work out problems as I encountered them on the fly, which was tremendously helpful and comforting. He was just a chat window or quick walk away, meaning that any issues we faced could be fixed in real-time. I highly recommend maintaining a strong working relationship with your IT personnel, as they are invaluable in today’s technology-driven world.

Your highest priority is not everyone’s highest priority. I’ve been heads down on this project for several months, and I was just sure that my mass email about the new live site would result in an onslaught of feedback. Simply untrue, as my highest priority is not everyone’s highest priority. Again, I know this logically in my head, but it’s a little deflating when only a handful of people share my enthusiasm about the culmination of this HUGE endeavor. This is also important to remember when thinking about your on-site IT/programmer… his schedule doesn’t automatically prioritize my website go live! I made sure that he was going to be available to make on-the-fly edits, and that for the few hours immediately following go live, my priority became his priority. Again, I highly recommend planning for second or third place, and making sure that you inform the key personnel about when you’ll need them at the drop of a hat!

It’s been a crazy week, and it’s only Tuesday! I’m still soliciting feedback from my team and other external users (a big thanks to my husband, for instance!), but I’m proud of the work I’ve done on this project. It’s been a great learning experience in project management, software and technology, and cross-functional teamwork, and I’m excited to turn my attention to the next website overhaul on the docket.

Different Facets of a Brand

On April 13, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/WorkwearLeave a comment

Brown flats (Pardon the wrinkled pants, long day!)

Pants: NY and Co.

Shirt: H & M

Earrings: JC Penney

Flats: Can’t remember, similar

Like the outfit? See more details here.

So, I talked about “Ashley” outfits in my post last Wednesday, and I posted on Monday about how brands are compromised. Looking at today’s outfit, I saw a pretty strong link between those two posts. Strong brands are multi-faceted, and you can’t just rest on your laurels when it comes to branding. Sure, you were the “safest” brand or the “trendiest” brand or the “highest quality” brand yesterday, but what are you doing to further your brand today? You need to branch out from the core trait and make sure some of the secondary traits are well-known to your customers. By doing this, you might just attract a new segment!

Why is this outfit “non-Ashley”? If you look at the details, you’ll see big, bright pink earrings, where “big”, “bright”, and “pink” are all out of my comfort zone. You’ll see immediately that the top is flowy and multi-colored, where, again, “flowy” and “multi-colored” are not words generally used to describe my wardrobe. So, have I gone mad, and completely compromised the “classic” brand that is Ashley? I think not! I think I’ve shown you another side my personal brand, the side that is adventurous, comfortable, and sometimes playful. While it may seem like these aren’t qualities to describe a professional person, they are qualities that help you move up the corporate ladder. For example, are you a team player, willing to get your hands dirty by going to the front lines and serving customers? Are you willing to take on a project that seems scary and challenging? Can you roll with the punches when your flight is late, the shipment didn’t arrive, or the client meeting got bumped up by 2 hours? While my “classic” style projects cool, calm, and efficient, business is not always that way. Business is messy and frantic at times, and you need to project a brand that can handle such an unpredictable environment.

The same is true with companies’ brands. Yes, you want to make sure customers know you offer the highest quality, but you also want them to know that you can meet their needs with competitive pricing, customer service, turnaround time, and consistency. Maybe you’re the most fashionable brand in your sector, but you want customers to know that you offer quality and selection, not just “the latest thing”. Brands aren’t compromised by showing a different facet, but rather when customers have a bad experience. A new facet of a brand should be a pleasant surprise, one that makes you say, “Wow, I had no idea that brand XZY ALSO offered this! I mean, they were great before, with the highest quality, but they also offer a huge selection!”

So which facets of your brand are developing and revealing? Are you putting your best foot forward in new ways, or are you clinging to one brand image that may not encompass its full potential? Like the outfit? See more details here.

When Brands are Compromised

On April 11, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Customer Service, SellingLeave a comment

I’ve had a few experiences recently that inspired this post, and I’m sure you’ve experienced the following: It’s a blazing hot day, you’re running late for a long meeting (or class in my case), and all you really want is a nice, cold Coca-Cola. You drive through a fast food restaurant and order your Coke, and as you pull away from the window, you’re ready to take that first satisfying sip. The liquid hits your tongue and it’s a flat or syrupy or otherwise compromised version of your favorite soft drink. This has happened to me twice at the same drive-thru, so I’ve decided to just avoid ordering Coke from that place. While it’s not Coke’s fault, and it’s not really in Coke’s control, their brand has been compromised. So, as one major part of a marketer’s job is to protect the brand, how do we fix this situation?

Absolute control. Let’s talk about control, the kind where every piece of a product is made for and by the company, sold by the company, and maintained by the company. The first company that comes to my mind is Apple. Apple is all about the control, from every piece that enters the computer and every sales person that walks onto the Apple store floor. They are reluctant to give any piece of quality control over to any other company, which makes for fewer opportunities for the brand to be compromised. If you maintain strict control over every aspect of a product or service, you’re much more likely to keep the brand image in place. While control can help you maintain your brand, it can be expensive, and in some cases, can limit growth. It can be expensive because efficiency and therefore lower costs are generally achieved through specialization. The likelihood that a company can efficiently produce every piece of their product puzzle is slim, so complete control will make it difficult to cut costs. Further, complete control can limit growth. This is particularly true in the service industry, since one person may provide the service better than another, and you can’t clone that person. So, if you get to the point where customers only drink coffee made by one barista, or only do business with one teller at a bank, you’ll have a hard time growing. It’s great that you’ve got one or two stellar employees, but you’ve also created a bottleneck if you can’t get the rest of your employees or partners up to par.

It wasn’t me. Another tactic to avoid compromising your brand, is to make your partners or franchisees take the risk with their own brand. This is especially prevalent in the fast food industry, where most of the restaurants display a plaque stating that each store is individually owned and operated, with a local contact for complaints. However, this approach is a little frustrating to customers. I’ve found that Taco Cabana is very inconsistent throughout the metroplex, and it drives me nuts! I get a craving for some enchiladas, and I know there’s a Cabana in close proximity, but then I have this fear that it will turn out to be one of the “bad” ones. You never want anyone doubting the quality of the brand and changing their purchase based on the fear induced by several bad experiences. Technically, Taco Cabana the parent company can claim that it’s the individual store’s fault. But, realistically, Taco Cabana has entrusted their brand to these individuals, so the “it wasn’t me” trick rarely pans out.

Better training and personal ownership. I think the best way to combat brand compromises, is better training and personal ownership. We all know my affinity for Starbucks, and I’ve got to give them credit once more. This company goes to great lengths to train their employees to take personal ownership of each customer experience. They have several weeks of training to ensure that each barista knows how to make a quality product, and empowers them to embody the Starbucks brand. They offer incentives for long-term partners, from benefits to career paths, which helps employees feel more invested in the success of the company. Many large companies offer tuition reimbursement or additional certifications to help train their employees to better represent the company. By giving employees the tools, and empowering them to own the brand personally, companies ensure that their brand experience will be consistently delivered by those on the front lines.

Be “known” for something. Finally, I think brands can avoid being compromised by picking one trait to be “known” for, and make sure that this aspect is always consistent. For example, Nordstrom is known for outstanding customer service, and they instill this sense of service at every level of the corporation. It’s less important to customers for the size to be right or the shipping to be fast, because they know that dealing with the Nordstrom customer service representative will be pleasant. The customer service is always consistent, which covers any mistakes in other areas of the purchasing process. Some companies try to be everything to everyone all the time, and this lack of focus often results in inconsistent experiences with the brand. Thus, one bad experience isn’t viewed as just “one”, it’s viewed as a reflection of the brand as a whole. After you’ve mastered the aspect you’re “known” for, you can begin tackling the other issues. Again, Nordstrom has become known for quality and consistency in sizing, shipping and materials, but only after mastering customer service.

So, how do you deal with a compromising brand experience? Are you putting in the effort to make sure that customers trust your brand, or is it a risky choice each time they decide to try out your product?

How Does Your Packaging Affect Your Personal Brand?

On March 9, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/Workwear1 Comment

Like the outfit? See more details here!

Just like products, we package ourselves in many different ways. And, just like products, the packaging is often the first thing you notice. For business people, our packaging is usually in the form of our clothing and appearance. Are we clean cut and put together, or sloppy and scattered? It would stand to reason that you want your Account Manager (or similar position) to be organized, detail-oriented, and able to meet deadlines on time. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable with this person handling your account if they looked like they cared about their own “account”? I’m not saying you have to buy $1,000 suits and get $100 manicures and haircuts, but you do need to take some time to make yourself look presentable. There’s been quite a bit of controversy over dress codes and appearance requirements in the media lately, but I think these stories bring up some valid points about personal branding. Is your packaging showing off the best qualities of your personal brand? If your personal brand stands for creativity, does your appearance reflect an out-of-the-box thinker? If your personal brand stands for analytic thinking and spreadsheets, does your appearance convey this? I recommend evaluating yourself the same way you evaluate products, services, and people every day. Define the top three qualities of your personal brand, and make sure you’re packing yourself in a way that showcases these qualities! Like the my “packaging” for the day? See more details here!

In-N-Out Burger Comes to Dallas

On March 7, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, New Product LaunchLeave a comment

I spent a few years in California, and the pride and joy of the fast food industry in this state is In-N-Out Burger. I’ve also heard others from around the US mention that In-N-Out Burger is AMAZING, and if only there was an In-N-Out Burger where they lived! I don’t mean to start a fight, but I’m not that impressed with their burgers… don’t get me wrong, they’re tasty, but I can get great fast-food burgers from several different establishments in Texas. However, I can’t debate the success of their business model, as they’ve grown exponentially since their inception. A classmate of mine was kind enough to help me out with a link to a story in D Magazine about In-N-Out Burger coming to Dallas. So, what do I think about this latest fast food invasion?

In-N-Out Burger will be successful. Flat out, I can’t deny that In-N-Out Burger will be successful, and I think they’ll take DFW by storm. Texans love a good “local” business, as evidenced by the success of many In-N-Out Burger counterparts, including Raising Cane’s Chicken, Dr. Pepper, Whataburger, and Chic-Fil-A. Texas is a state with pride, and we love to see a company pull itself up by the boot straps and deliver some goodness to customers. In-N-Out does just that, with limited expansion over the last 50 years, and meticulous quality control.

A business model that works for Dallas. As mentioned above, many “local” chains have been successful in Dallas and Texas at large, by offering limited menu options. The limited menu options stress that limited product focus allows for increased quality. Take a look at some of In-N-Out Burger’s indirect competition: Cane’s “One Love”, offering a choice of chicken tenders, chicken tenders, or chicken tenders. What about Chipotle or Freebird’s (an Austin transplant that also garners a significant cult-like following) which offer customizable burritos. On the menu, you only see 5 offerings, just like In-N-Out. But, dig a little deeper, and you find seemingly endless ways to customize your order. Sandwich shops like Which Wich, Subway, and Jimmy John’s have also found success with a model of limited menu offerings that are ultimately customizable.

Winning the customer on culture. Further, the limited product focus allows the restaurants to sell you on “culture” vs. product. It’s easy for competitors to duplicate products, but extremely difficult for them to create the culture, buzz, and dedication to a brand. In-N-Out Burger fans talk about a devotion to the brand as a whole, not just the great burgers. We’ve seen success of culture over product in Texas again and again, which indicates that In-N-Out’s strategy of brand and culture should make it fare well in our great state. Dallas, in particular, is a great test market for the state, since our area hosts a variety of culture, business, art, technology, and several colleges. You’ve got the perfect mix of people who are open to brand devotion, and those who just want a great burger.

The “secret” menu. One key to all the product craze, culture and brand devotion, and endless options from only 3 or 4 menu offerings, is the “secret” menu at In-N-Out. Ever heard of Animal Style? What about Protein Style? You won’t find these on the menu, but you’ll hear someone order it and wonder, “Wait, what’s THAT?” It’s like a treasure hunt every time you head to the chain, trying to figure out what else you can order from the underground offerings. Check out the article in D Magazine for more options on customizing your burger.

So, while their burgers don’t necessarily make me go wild, their brand and strategy are a marketer’s dream! I have always found In-N-Out Burger to be an excellent source of marketing inspiration, and I can’t wait to dive into the social media and insane sales that are sure to follow the opening of their first DFW location. See… their marketing is already working, as I’ve just given them free publicity 🙂

Buying into the Illusion

On March 2, 2011 By ashleyfausIn Branding, Outfits/Workwear5 Comments

Dress, heels, and blazer to dress up — Dress, heels, and blazer to "dress up"

Like the outfit? Check out the details here!

First, a disclaimer: I totally buy into the illusion, so this is more humorous than judgmental. But let’s face it, to some extent, we all know it’s an illusion. I’m talking about the illusion of formal business attire or “dressing up” for the business setting. When we had the Big Bosses touring the office, we were told that we needed to “dress up” while the Big Bosses were in town. While at the trade show, I saw women in sky-high heels trekking around the show, but watched them switch to tennis shoes for the walk from the shuttle to the convention center. The illusion is the perception that formal business attire creates, and we all buy into it. Why? Here’s my take, as deduced from articles, experience, and conversations:

Be dressed equal to or better than the person you’re speaking with. This piece of advice is offered to help you convey authority, success, and respect for your party. If you want to appear to hold a position of authority on a subject or in a company, one way to do it is to show up looking different than your guest. Hopefully, looking better than your guest, as it projects an image of a detail-oriented, thoughtful person. It shows that you understand the power play, the occasion, and preparation for such a meeting.

Expensive clothes and accessories equal success. It’s been said that you should dress up to convey success, as formal business attire generally costs more than shorts and a t-shirt. It gives the impression that you must have been successful at whatever endeavor allowed you to purchase that suit or that watch. And, if you were so successful with your previous deals, surely you’ll be successful at whatever partnership we’re about to embark on. There’s also the intimidation factor that goes with having more money than the person you’re meeting, so it gives you more of an air of authority, knowledge, and generally desirable qualities.

Projects a “professional” image. This is what’s really humorous to me, that we all think formal business attire equals being professional. You can be completely drunk and obnoxious in a suit just as easily as shorts and a t-shirt. You can finish your work in a timely, detailed manner just as easily in jeans and flip flops. For some professions, yoga pants actually improve your job performance by increasing freedom of motion. Imagine crawling around to hook up a computer network in a full suit or a skirt! Many office environments require this type of skill, but this particular profession in an office environment can be impeded by standard business attire. “Professional” also includes modesty, which is much less of a problem for men than women in today’s culture. That’s why it’s also humorous that the mechanics had to wear jeans when the Big Bosses came to tour. It’s not considered immodest to see a man’s calf, so wearing longer pants doesn’t increase their “professional” image by making them more modest. By contrast, a skirt is generally considered more dressy, even though it is often less modest because it shows more skin. We place so much importance on the appearance of professionalism that we sometimes overlook the reality of professionalism. The reality entails completing your task to the standards set before you, not necessarily looking good while you do it.

Here’s the flip side: When you’re so successful that you achieve the right to dress however you want. This is the Big Boss who shows up to the meeting in jeans with holes, sandals, and an old t-shirt just because he can. This guy STILL has the confidence that makes his guest understand the level of success his actions and skills have helped him attain. How do you tell the poorly dressed, clueless intern from the uber-successful, rich boss? The intern will realize his mistake and shrink, trying to making himself smaller so that you see less of his “unprofessional” attire, while the Big Boss struts in with no qualms about how he looks. That’s why I think it’s all an illusion, because you see the Big Bosses of the world giving off an image of confidence and success, no matter what they wear. Formal business attire and “dressing up” seem to be a way for the lower-level workers of the world to project the same air given off by the high-level players. Don’t get me wrong, I dressed in heels and a dress for the Big Bosses, but I had to secretly smile about the fact that I did my job just as well when I arrived in khakis and a company polo the day before. Like the outfit? Check out the details here!

Email Addresses and Your Personal Brand

On November 29, 2010 By ashleyfausIn Branding4 Comments

With the recent announcements that Aol and Facebook are introducing a new look and new features, I’ve got email on the brain. It’s no surprise, then, that an invoice I received hit a nerve, and prompted today’s post on professional email addresses and your personal brand. In today’s economy, I know a number of PR professionals, marketers, and graphic designers are doing freelance work for bigger companies. Contractors have always been utilized in the business world, but never more than today, due to increased connectivity, better tools for a remote working arrangement, and cost effectiveness. That being said, one would think that freelancers would take more time and energy creating, presenting, and maintaining their professional brand.

Make your email address professional. My mom gave my brother and sister nicknames when they were little, including “bubba” for my brother, and “chickie” for my sister. I started calling my sister “Tootsie” years ago, and the term of endearment has stuck with her all the way to her present college days. She also played soccer in high school, and thus, her email address throughout high school was soccertootsie@aol.com. Now, this may be fine for a few harmless emails from one 15 year old girl to another… but to use that to her current professors or potential employers? NO. Similarly, my brother would never want to be known as the guy with bubba@yahoo.com as his contact information on his resume. And yet, the invoice today had an almost equally ridiculous email address attached to it. In fact, I’ve received several emails from this freelancer from another silly email address. This person has not one, but TWO unprofessional email addresses from which to do business! If you’re going to work as a professional among other professionals, pick a professional email address. Choose something like firstname.lastname@address.com, or a first initial and last name. You want people to remember your brand with confidence, not snickers over the nickname your mom or sister gave you when you were a kid.

Choose a professional provider. Ok, we all know Aol gave a lot of people their first email address. But let’s be honest, who actually uses Aol anymore? Out-of-touch people still use Aol, that’s who. Or, what about all the random providers that no one has ever heard of? I know some more remote locations use these providers, but most professional environments use a major provider. Even if your name looks professional, if the provider to the right of the @ sign looks unprofessional, you’ve canceled yourself out. You can get free email addresses from major providers, like Gmail or Hotmail, that garner much more respect for your tech savvy, hard-working, professional brand. But it’s not just the address that needs to be professional, it’s also the first connection. Which do you take more seriously, the invitation to “friend” a potential business partner on Facebook, or the invitation to “connect” with a potential business partner via LinkedIn? Do you really want your new bosses to see you in a bikini on your last vacation? Make it a policy to put your professional brand at the forefront by including a professional email address on a professional medium.

Make your signature professional. Give yourself a title, even if it’s just “Independent Contractor”, “PR Consultant”, or “Marketing Professional”. Include your professional email address, phone number, website URL, and possibly “on behalf of [company]” in the signature line, so that members of the organization know you’re a legitimate member of their team. When you just sign your emails with your name, people within an organization may question your credibility or right to have information, payment, and decision-making power on their project. Improve your professional image by being professional down to the last word of your electronic correspondence.

Back it up with other electronic information. If you plan to freelance long-term, create a website and a business name. A well-maintained, informative website lends credibility to you and your work, and allows potential employers to vet you before paying good money for your services. Set up a LinkedIn profile, and post updates about projects you’ve done, with links to the information on your website. This ensures that companies receive a professional image, rather than a personal image, when they are looking to hire a contractor. Give your business a name, and set up payment options for the business. Nothing says “suspicious” like an invoice requiring payment to an individual… especially when that individual has not established credibility elsewhere on the web. Once you have a business name and website, you can then use the domain name in your newly created, professional email address.

If you want to be taken seriously as an independent professional, you’ve got to present a professional image, starting with the address on your correspondence. Don’t be soccertoots@aol.com, be ashley@musingmarketing.com, Marketing Professional, with a proven track record of success!

Consciously Corporate

Category: Branding