Branded An Old Western Or Smart Business
I read something today by a fairly new marketer that stopped me and gave me pause. Many newbies are being taught not to brand themselves but ride the coat tails of others who have come before them instead. In that type of thinking no one will ever know you. All you are doing is bring attention to those who’s tails you are riding. You are building their list, making them rich and doing nothing if anything for you.
There is a reason that we are taught to take certain steps in life and in marketing. We do not run before we walk and we do not put off until tomorrow what we can do today. You see as long as you are not working on branding you. Well you will always remain faceless, you will always be forever more known as that guys guy. They will never know you. They will always believe your thinking is somebody else’s ideas. You will not be known for being creative and your own person.
The reason everyone is told to do first and foremost give themselves an internet presence is because it is necessary. You start with your own space on the internet whether it is a blog or a website. Regardless of what it is about you need to start there. This will be your internet home. You have a home in which you live in and you need one on the internet. From that home you make some roads to some destination or paths as you will. The first 5 you need are Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube and Google+. There are more but these are the good places to start. 
Than you offer content and value. It can be quotes, it can be recipe’s it can be how to crochet. The idea is that you give value and content and become known. Once you have this you than begin to build. A list is needed and this list will come slowly at first but it will come if you follow the basic directions of those that came before you.
I have not spent over 7 years not learning a thing or too. In those 7 years I have learned a great deal. I have been successful. When I let go of my own stubborn ideas, that told me I could do this on my own. And my way and started listening to those that came before me, success start coming my way.
I got myself those sales funnels, why because they follow up after information is gathered with content and value from me. Not someone else, but from me. I offered free information that was valuable and gave others the right information. I have a list today because of those sales funnels. I have people that look to me and ask me how to. Why because I listened to the guys that were successful in their own right. They had done it before me and they had done it slowly and with a plan that works. It was proven it worked than and continues to work now. Now more than ever. 
I call that blind thinking, drinking the kool aid. You know what happened to those Kool aid drinkers that follow Jim Jones right. (if not read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple) Believe me that self-serving thinking will get you nowhere. It will get those guys that are asking you to ride their coat tails rich. You will not get rich behind them and what will happen is you will find yourself a year or two down the road still not branded, still unknown and still without a list. They want you to build their list, they want you to work for them and not you, so they can work that much less.
Sony, JCPenny, Sears, Whirlpool did not get their names overnight and they did not get them by coming in on the coat tails of others. They worked for their names and they worked hard. It took time and marketing methods. Back in the day word of mouth was the sales funnel of today. Yes it works. Marketing is an art form. I love it and work hard and continue to learn and what I do know about is that it takes some time but you always start with branding you. Period there is no short cut to that.
Use the mind that the good Lord gave you. You get a learners permit for a reason, to learn before you drive. So taking the steps may be slow but believe me those first few months of setting up the foundation and building in you and your business will pay off. In the end your business is your business. You must from the very beginning work your business for yourself. All those that have come before you do not tell you to brand you for no reason. They do not tell you get a capture page for no reason. They do not suggest email campaigns for no reason. They do not tell you give value and content of your own for no reason. It works and works well. Have a great day.
Cindy Slick
http://free2.marketingontheweb1.net/
http://marketingontheweb1.com/
https://marketingntheinternetjungle.wordpress.com/
marketingntheinternetjungle 