Thank you to our sponsors and to all that attended our 2017 Economic Forecast.  Below you will find the presentation brought to us from Dr. Jacobs. 

​Perception vs realityPosted on January 6, 2017 by DKelly


Which do you see? The gold/white dress or the black/blue dress?
Perception can shape reality in your client’s minds. And just as some will see the gold/white or blue/black dress in the image, sometimes your clients perception of your brand does not align with its reality.
Do your marketing materials, website content and overall marketing align with what your business is really all about?
Have you reviewed them since their creation or asked your customers their thoughts about your brand image?
Do you need a brand refresh or help with a redo of your marketing materials? If so, give us a call at 5by5 Design LLC, at 586-997-9647 or contact us by email.
To help explain this concept, below are some tips for creating a positive brand image.
How to Create Your Positive Brand Perception
Update Your Technology and Your Website
We are getting very “smart” from phone, TV, 3D, and online and web learning. So keeping up with the latest technologies reflects the value you can deliver to your customers and community. There is a current look to Web technology with widgets, slide shows, social integration, linking that we all use, expect and want.
Invest In Your Professional Branding
Having your own look, logo and image across all your marketing and social platforms helps you stand out, be more unique and says “I’m serious.”
Invest in yourself and your branding.  Get a referral for a graphic designer from your network whose work you like.
Qualify Your Relationships and Connections
I wish everyone well, but qualifying the best people, communities and activities to invest my business time on is crucial. Build relationships and connections with those who can help you grow toward your goals the most.
Increase Your Dedicated Meetings and Conversations
Dedicated in person meetings or phone calls does more to move a relationship forward than just about anything. Making the time to get more personal and get to know people shows your interest in them and creates the opportunity for them to get to know you better, too.
Commit More Time to Purposeful Social Media Marketing
Eighty six percent of marketers say social media is important for their business. One of the biggest benefits of social media is its ability to connect and engage with people on a regular basis. FaceBook is the top social media followed by YouTube, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Smart, strategic activity that keeps you in front of key people will grow your business relationships.
Get Out, Join and Volunteer
Be involved in your industry, community and niche daily. Suit up and show up and be an active participant, not a quiet bystander.
Our personality and professional image sets the tone for how we are all perceived. How we look, what we say and what we do can leave a positive, lasting first impression or ending impression. It’s up to us to be consistent, authentic and fresh in all of our self marketing activities.
Relationships are gold but they take time. Invest the time in the right people and it will boomerang back to you.
Perception is reality – and we can create them both in positive and memorable ways.
 
The above article paraphrased from Small Biz Trends website
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