Convergence & Video

Before was focus and read now its click, play, listen and watch. Overnight video has emerged as the primary mechanism for communications online. 

Video offers some interesting opportunities for organizations. The web has effectively changed the game of distributing content. The term brochure ware has been dropped out of marketing lexicon while the notion of “PLAY” and digital media is the central element of the organizations brand building tool kit.

My aspirations to do filmmaking have come to fruition largely due to a groundswell of demand for content to be broadcast online and in digital format. Evidently we may all be filmmakers as video and animated digital integrates as a primary media for communicating.

Organizations contemplating their options and judging where to invest market dollars today have many choices to consider. You want to ensure you remain vital and competitive. Consideration to leveraging design and innovation in support of driving new business opportunities has to be central to growing and attracting new customers. The important foundation that remains constant among all aspects of technologies, medias, and tools whether digital, traditional, conversations or sand which boards is the identity framework. The core definition of who your company is or who you are as an individual is at the epicenter of successful brand development. So before you get out your HD camera, or engage the web designer or buy a billboard make an investment to engage creative people who will ask the proper questions, research and listen to you and in turn craft a meaningful identity framework that will support and drive building your brand for you and your committed team and your market.

The identity framework has the following structural elements.

Essence

Core Constructs

Extended Identity

Value Propositions

Attributes

Tag lines

We will have ample opportunity to go online and broadcast our organizations unique characteristics. Foundational to leadership in brand building is ensuring the story is meaningful, easy to understand and persuasive.

I got a call last week from an individual who was reading my blog from the United States he contacted me through LINKEDIN. I’ve been following the social media dialogue with great interest looking at ways to connect the dots for my clients as well I’m interested in leveraging the technologies for driving new business opportunity within my fold. I must say LINKEDIN has an upside that I believe provides great utility for people in marketing specifically those selling business to business.  In support of driving new business today I see four activities in support of sales cycles that frankly were not available until recently. The sales cycle chain of activity today goes as follows.

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1. Do an Identity Framework that is persuasive and meaningful. Place this on your LINKEDIN home page. Get a professional who understands brand to check it out for you or better engage a brand expert to execute your I.F.
2. Get referred by business people who you trust and whom you can in turn network with. Referrals today remain the fastest way to new business opportunities
3. Contact your new prospect based on the referral book time to meet.
4. Post the call; send the prospect a request for them to join your   LINKEDIN network.

Simple idea but for someone like me who has networked for many years growing relations this new step is a very effective touch point toward augmenting that initial telephone conversation and building your personal or organization’s brand.

This form of networking with prospects is a completely new way to build a relationship. Previously the telephone conversation set the standard for introduction and defining a relationship. I have found augmenting the conversation with LINKEDIN networking provides your contact core information that enables a much better picture of who you are, who belongs within your community of contacts and other relevant information that should the contact wish to explore their at liberty to do so. Preparation for meeting can be done with much greater understanding of who is meeting whom once the day arrives to shake hands.

Welcome to social media!