Branding | Ryan George

#183

Feb 14, 2012

Learning From Public Perception

Confronting Public Perception

The fight to save and grow the auction industry is in the hands of us who market in it every day. Our success will require us to step out of our perspective, our conveniences, our assumptions. Our jobs will most likely continue to require more steps and a wider skill set. I’m in this, too. To maintain value for my clients, my responsibilities, packages, and services have changed over the past years. Have you found that to be true? If not, how long do you think your status quo will serve you well?

#180

Jan 5, 2012

What Would Your Brand Do?

Image used by permission by purchase from iStockPhoto.com

Your Brand as a Filter

or years, I’ve rolled my eyes at mission statements and the like, especially the ones that get posted on store walls or printed in company brochures. I don’t really care what a company’s mission statement is. If your customer service and marketing already exemplify it, I already know your vision and values. If they don’t, why give me a yardstick to to measure your shortcomings?

#174

Nov 4, 2011

10 Tips for Better Marketing Emails—Part 1: Do’s

Spam Folder, used by permission through purchase from iStockPhoto.com

Email Marketing Tips

If these suggestions seem like common sense, know that I’m still not seeing them used as common practice by many small business owners—auctioneers in particular. For all you do to sell your professional brand in the marketplace, don’t sabotage that work and expense with cheap and lazy email marketing.

#171

Sep 1, 2011

6 Marketing Myths Entrepreneurs Believe

Lessons From Bad Billboards

In short, avoid myopia at all costs. Get outside of yourself, your business, your ego. Don’t get bored with your branding; instead, realize that well-policed marketing will accelerate your brand over the long haul—long after most YouTube sensations have come and gone.

#162

May 12, 2011

Your Brand Doing the Heavy Lifting

Company Promotion Ads

Your company promotion can communicate something far different from what its words say. Sadly, most small business advertising says, “I’m much better at what I do than telling you what I do,” or “You need to trust that we’re more professional than our advertising makes us look.” Don’t be one of those companies.

#148

Dec 1, 2010

Getting the Right Clients On Board

Prospect Selection

Not all clients are created equal, even if they can keep you equally busy. Most of us want high-margin, headache-free work; the challenge is how to attract that work.

#146

Oct 29, 2010

Retail vs. Wholesale Branding

Brand Spectrum

If you want premium retail results from your services, implement premium retail tactics. If you want to develop a low-margin, high-volume workflow, give buyers and sellers premonition of such proficiency. And if you’re somewhere in the ambiguous middle, never . . .

#145

Oct 15, 2010

Is The Business Card Obsolete?

Business Card Design

The business card as a medium isn’t dead, but yours has to come alive to survive the digital age. If you overlook the value of your business card, so will your prospects.

#144

Oct 1, 2010