Personal Branding Podcast

Personal brands: Making the Most of your Quarantine Period (Solitude) How to maximize your ‘Stay-at-Home’ Season “It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.” – Bill Gates Here are a number of ideas and activities you can consider to maximize the moment. 1. Introspection: sit back and review your life, take stock of where you've been, what you've done and where you are going. It's a good time to reassess your life. Ask yourself questions, be hard on yourself and gradually get answers to them. 2. Relax: take time to slow down, have a good rest as much as you can, your body and your mind needs it. Don't get too busy, take it easy on yourself. 3. Read books (materials): use this period as an opportunity to read some books. Read it at your own pace and add to your knowledge. Subscribe to useful online newsletters, magazines and blogs. 4. Listen to audiobooks: one of the quickest ways to consume contents is by listening to the audios. Get as many audio books as you can, listen intentional, listen while doing chores, let it just play at the background. For your kids, Amazon has made available it’s audible platform for kids all over the world to listen to a huge collection of stories for free as along as schools are closed. Visit https://stories.audible.com/start-listen 5. Enjoy music: create your own playlist of your favorite tracks and enjoy. [I'm currently enjoying my classical playlist] 6. Write a book: your story is unique; someone need to read that. Your wisdom is great, share it with the world. Begin today, just write! [Send me a mail if you desire to write a book] 7. Kid's Time: if you are blessed with children use this period as an opportunity to bond better, get to know them well. Play fun games with them. I bet, this would be one of the best investments and memories you'd never regret. 8. Learn a skill: pick any area you'd like to learn and delve deeper. Take an online course or coaching. Add to what you already know. Enrich yourself. 9. Practice your craft: if you had always wanted to paint, do it. Try some new recipes. Dare something and do it! 10. Drive-Through: not a time through a fast food joint but a time through the woods or hood. Drive slowly through town, observing nature and savoring the moments. Observe all those things you've been missing in your daily commute. [This will not be appropriate of your City is Lockdown] 11. Teach a course online: Share your expertise, either as a side gig or voluntary activity. Many online platforms offers such opportunities e.g. teachable.com, skillshare.com, udemy.com you may want to start a YouTube channel. All these could help with some extra income as well. 12. Spark up the love: if you are blessed to be married, make the most of the moment. Revive the love and romance in your marriage. If in a relationship, get creative with SMS to keep the love going. 13. Seek God: get to know your creator the more, spend time praying and listening to God's voice. It’s good time to invest in prayers. Praying for the affected, pray for family & friends and pray for the world. 14. Plan Properly: a good time to look at your schedules in life. If you have not had any, then do so, set goals and targets to pursue. Plan your career. The aftermath of the crisis will have an impact on many careers, think ahead, plan and prepare. 15. Healthy lifestyle: check your diet to ensure you are having a well-balanced diet. Exercise daily to stay in shape and healthy. 16. Reconsider your Relationships: it's a good time to prune, know those who really matter and those who matter to you as well. There are levels of relationships and not everyone should have a front roll seat in your life; cut of those you need t...

The Invisible Forces of Brands “Branding is more of a perception than a product(service).” – Bernard Kelvin Clive Beyond colors, logos and all the visually appealing attributes of brands, there are other intangibles that trigger their success. Today, I will share with you what I call the invisible forces of brands. In countless instances, I have seen a number of individuals and businesses placing so much emphasis on their brand tangibles at the expense of the intangibles? Visuals play a very critical role in branding. However, beyond visuals come the values, services offered, products and customer satisfaction, customer care, consistency of delivery of brands promise, etc. The above mentioned attributes do more good to a brand than just overly focusing on the visually appealing stuff. A couple of months ago I recommended a friend’s business, let’s call it ‘Kim Catering Services' (KCS) to a client(Vernon) who badly needed their services. I had informed the client and told him the company does a pretty good job. As my recommendations came highly valued, the client took my word for it and engaged the services of KCS. KCS had sent one of her staff to inquire about the specific needs of Vernon. After the first meet up, KCS never sent any message nor invoice, just nothing. Vernon kept asking what the issue was and all KCS did was to keep promising to deliver to no avail. Long and short of it is that, the business between the two parties never happened. Another request came in from the same client for another recommendation despite the first incidence. I recommended another friend’s business to the client. Much to our chagrin, the same back and forth and bad customer-client relationship was exhibited and transactions never happened. In mind-blowing fashion, it happened a third time! Then, I thought to myself, there must be something really bad happening here. Although these recommended companies are great, well-known brands in their niches, they failed the test of brand delivery. They have all the niceties of branding but their invisible forces are killing their brands silently and slowly. This is not only unique nor limited to these three brands but so many other local brands around. They invest in their brand tangibles – logos, colours, signage, social media and make loud noises yet they fail in delivering their intangible assets. Yes, these brands are damn good at what they do – no doubt, yet they haven’t come to the realization that the overlooked aspect of their branding would be undermining their brands. Key areas brands must reinforce in their branding process include but are not limited to: Brand Values: What the brand stands for and the willingness to sacrifice to ensure they stay top of their game. Right from the initial brand building process, every company should sate what their values are such as: integrity, respect, leadership, professionalism, excellence, etc. These become the underlining forces that drive the brand. When customers experience these attributes, they tend to leave a great impression on their minds about the brand. Some time back, I observed something awesome at one of the branches of GCB Bank where an elderly man had entered to withdraw money. Despite the long queue, one of the tellers immediately instructed the security man to offer him a seat and the staff quickly attended to him. An act like this will send string signals to many of their clients about the bank caring for them (elderly). Brands that live up to their values are highly recommended. What are your personal values and those of your brand? In choosing your brand values, ensure that they are meaningful, different, memorable, actionable, clear, and timelines. Take cues from the following global brand values: BMW has · Integrity: Asking customers for frequent feedback. · Respect: Treating each customer with dignity ...

How Brands Can Stay Woke in Epidemics “To have your brand deep-rooted in the hearts of clients & customers requires empathy – humanize your brand” – Bernard Kelvin Clive Life happens! Life is filled with the unaccepted, regardless of how carefully and practically you plan, sometimes things may just go off unannounced and unexpected. What you do in times like that is as relevant as your plan. In the wake of the current alarming epidemic, a number of brands have suffered losses and others are making gains, however, it’s not about win or lose. Yes, whatever the case some may win others may lose but exceptional brands that care for its people will be looking at staying relevant but not just cashing in for profit. Today, let’s consider ways brands can stay relevant and make impact and continuously stay top of mind. I have identified 3 main ways brands can drive change regardless of ongoing cultural or global crisis. The very first thing brands can do is to prepare for the unexpected; have precautionary plans, anticipate likely mishaps and develop strategies to handle that. If these steps are taken care of, it reduces the shock and likely negative impact of the unforeseen and unexpected Here are the three main things you can do to salvage the situation: Evaluate: The good old book has these wise words to govern us, it reads “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” – James 1:17. In times of pandemics, brands must put on their best listening ears, to gather all they can before they take any other steps. The first most important step to take towards resolving crisis is to get all the needed information at hand. Ask all the necessary questions regarding the current happenings to understand the situation. Now, with enough data, you would be in the best position to handle it and address it right. The caveat is that in a digital era, it’s easy to sample data on social media, which may not be accurate, so always verify source, get to root for authentic messages. Once you have the needed information, you are in a good position to align that with your strategic plan to help curb the situation. You prepare and plan on how to use the information gathered effectively. Empathize: People love to identify with those they love and those who show them love. Great brands are people-centered, they show care and support. To move men to take action in areas you desire requires you to touch their hearts. In times of crisis and pandemics, people get affected in many ways; which in one way or the other may impact your brand. Yes, you may not have anything directly to do with them. The truth is that we are in a connected world, what affects one, may eventual affect the other. If not directly, its consequences may be damaging. The best way to get your brand out there is to identify with those affected, show care, love and support. Let them know they matter. You don’t just stop at sympathizing with them you go out to help. You offer support in many ways that you can. At the heart of crisis, people need support not brands making loud noises about their products and services or trying to cash in by selling their brands. Great brands give, you may decide to offer massive discount, free gifts and offers etc. You should consider these acts as an investment of your brand in the lives of people. It may cost you a lot but its potential returns are huge. Your brand will be engrained in their hearts as a caring brand and if they want to do business or recommended a product or service, surely yours would come highly recommended. I recall one act that Nestle (GH)Ltd, did for its distributors/retailors during the erratic power outages (Dumsor) in Ghana(Accra); they gave out high quality solar powered lamps out for free. These little acts meant a lot to their distributors and retailers; which is still been talked about by some of them.

Here are key Mindsets to develop for your Brand The truth is that every brand will be tested at a point in time, if not most of the time. Ground Mindset: This is having the fundamentals of your brand right. Don’t jump the initial stages of defining and reasons for your brand. The ground rule is to know 'your 'why' for your brand. Develop your brand and business purpose into one simple statement that you can share with others easily – let’s call it, your elevator pitch. Answer these questions… Why are you branding? Why are you in business? What unique value are you bringing to the market place? Who needs and wants are you meeting? Once you have clear answers to these questions the others follow. You can then look at your brand name, logo, tagline, attributes, identity, etc. Firstly, get grounded, get your brand basics right then you can build successfully on it. Don’t start of social media, branding is not just about social media. It’s a great tool for building your brand but it’s not all about branding. Growth Mindset: Brands are like living organisms; they grow and evolve. Successful established brands understand the growth mindset and hereby use it to their advantage. The growth mindset has to do with the understanding that to become a better brand requires a process. Going from one stage to the other and it doesn’t happen just by a sudden push of a bottom to propel one to the top. When you have that understanding you will prepare your grounds/foundation and build on it gradually. You are determined to find ways to better your best. Growth has to do with consistently improving, fine-tuning and tweaking to ensure your brand stays fresh and strong in the mind of your audiences. A growth mindset asks; what can I do to become a better brand? What can I do to give more value to my clients? A growth mindset listens to feedback and makes things better, they refuse to stay the same. They constantly add new things to make the brand better. In connection with your personal brand, you may need to take some extra courses, go back to school, get some coaching, learn a new skill, read wider and try new things. When you become better your brand becomes better. Just like living organisms, any brand that does not grow dies! Grow your brand consistently, become like the proverbial wine – age with grace. Glow Mindset:  It’s good to grow in every aspect of life and consequently to glow (polish, perfect) your brand and business. Growing is not just good enough you need to move the nudge up a little. You must glow! Glow mindset in brand building is the quest and strive for excellence. To reach the iconic stage of branding. To be known to represent nothing short of remarkable, excellence and value creation. Glowing is the icing on your cake, it is the light on the candle. When you glow you make your brand more visible and impactful. Glow mindset refuses to stay the same, they polish their pearls till it glows. They do all they can to stay top of mind – to be the only preferred choice. Glowing kills ambiguity and uncertainty in the minds of consumers. It shortens their decision making cycle. Once your brand comes to mind, you shine through. Be consistently remarkable – glow! Key take-home:

The best time to write and publish a book is now. Yes! No matter how busy you may be, there is a way you can have a book in your name to share your ideas, establish your expertise or grow your business. In this episode my gust Michelle Vandepas, The CEO of Grace Point Publishing walks us through the process of getting your books published. Listen, learn and share. Download, listen, learn and share Resources: GracePointPublishing.com CEO Branding Goals Are Dead! Branding Beyond Visuals Business Networking Made Easy Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding

Benefits of Personal branding Are you known, unknown or too-known? Growing up in Sub-Sahara Africa, it was quite uncommon for successful people (experts) to toot their horns, it was seen as bragging, being boastful and proud. Rarely did I hear or see someone beat their chest and raise the head up high to declare their expert status. They would rather do their great deeds quietly and let others praise them for it. A culture which I think had hampered many great talents who would have shot up to the limelight if they were a little ‘loud’ about what they could do best and had packed themselves to that effect.  However, times and seasons have changed, if one is that good at what they do now and doesn’t make frantic effort to be known, he may die in oblivion. You know what, without the right understanding of a thing, it’s abuse is inevitable. It’s about time to delve deeper and uncover the greatness embedded in you and put your best foot forward, letting go off the old beliefs holding you back. To shine brighter and let the world know what you’ve got to offer – making the world a better place. As the good old book puts it “you can’t light a candle and put it under a table”. It’s meant to glow and offer light.  That’s you! Hello there, welcome to the personal branding age, the ‘me- era. In the “me’ era, the value people place on individuals as brands is premium. This is to say that people are giving more attention to personal brands now than ever before. From celebrity brands to business mogul brands. The power of ‘me. is on the rise. So, then how do you take advantage of the rising tides and times? Come along with me… To begin with, let’s define personal banding.  Personal branding is how you distinctively market your uniqueness. How you position yourself to offer value to the market. If you’ve been battling with yourself whether to start building your brand or not, may these benefits spark a new positive desire to begin. Here are some benefits of branding yourself – personal branding. 1. Credibility: Personal branding positions you as an expert in your field or niche. It establishes your expert status, and guess what? We largely trust experts. If you can be trusted in this age, you have a business, but if you cannot be trusted you’ve lost business. Personal branding helps you build trust. By constantly delivering on your brand promise establishes trust. It tells people, you are authentic and credible, you promised X and delivered X. A successful personal brand is consistent in all it does. 2. Connection: One of the greatest assets in life is to have a network of people who know your worth belief in you and willing to engage your services. That’s the value personal branding offers you. Building your brand sets you apart from the huge competition out there, getting you closer and closer to your audience and the right market for business. It helps you build meaningful relationships with other businesses and brands. Your connection grows not just wider and better, because you know exactly the kind of people you want to impact, influence and do business with. Your brand reveals who you know and who knows you! Are you known in your field? 3. Contracts: Imagine having built a large following on social media and having firms hiring you just to endorse or mention their br...

Personal Brands: 20 Things to Dare in 2020 Now is the time to spice up and step up your personal brand! “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” ― Helen Keller. The opening quote by a woman who defied odds to reach for greatness should trigger you into action, by daring greatly. I have listed things anyone can dare to do this year and at any point in life. You can add or subtract, just make it your own. Pick and do what you can, challenge yourself. This might not be for everyone, however, everyone can find something worth daring. 1. Write a book This may be the best time to write that book in you. Your story needs to be heard. Just start writing. 2. Go on a date Yeah either married or single, you can just pick a location to go spend some quality time with yourself, your spouse, fiancée or family. It makes a lot of difference. 3. Travel/ go on a tour Perhaps, you have never traveled outside your village, town, city or country. This may be the time to do so. Plan for that trip today. 4. Learn a language Language is a very powerful communication tool, if you are at least multilingual the better. Learning a new language can be empowering, just add one more to your list. 5. Go back to school You may think it’s too late but hey no! You can still take that course. If it's necessary, make it happen this year. Make enquires and pick a form. 6. Start a business (side hustle) You may need an extra income or may have plans for a startup business. Just begin, get the needed resources and launch out. 7. Adopt a child If this is the best option for you, go for it. Your adoption may just be to cater for the needs of someone's child. Do it! 8. Start a family If you've been planning to settling down and the right time is up, go ahead don't keep postponing it. Prepare for. a wonderful family life. 9. Plant trees Contribute to a greener world and save lives by simply planting a tree. We need fresher air and a better environment. Be a tree planter. 10. Run a Marathon You may just decide to do this for the fun of it not necessarily for a medal. Experience it! 11. Go on a retreat Go out of town, find a serene place to meditate, have deeper soul searching, pray and commune with God. 12. Start a farm A backyard farm would be an ideal starting point if you have space for it. Be it plant or animal farming, cultivate this as a hobby or business. The returns are worth the effort. 13. Acquire a land If you have land, you can have more. If you have none, now it's a great time to secure one. Invest in lands, it always appreciates. 14. Volunteer Service to others is service to God. Offer to serve freely in any capacity that you can. Be of help to others. 15. Compose a song Yeah! You don't need to be a musician or songwriter to write a song, you just need to appreciate life and nature to begin. Do it in your way. Sing your song. 16. Start a personal library You need not be a lover of books to start a library. For posterity sake, have a resource of books that can help generations after you. It could be a great way to transfer knowledge and impact lives. 17. Grow your assets (invest) It is a good practice to have multiple streams of income. It makes life worth living and lightens the pressures of life. 18. Read more books And one more book to your reading list, then another, then another. Read as much as you can. Get enlightened. 19.

Myths about Goal Settings 1. A goal must be in writing. Not entirely, you can have unwritten goals. 2. A goal must be time-bound. Setting timelines for your goals helps but not all goals need deadlines. 3. A goal must be specific. The truth is that sometimes a goal only gets more apparent when you start working towards it. 4. A goal must be attainable. Sometimes you just don't have proof that a goal would be achieved. You can only hope and act on your faith. 5. A goal would make you happy. Happiness is a decision. If you tie your happiness on the realization of a goal, you will live life unhappy. You can reach your goals and still feel empty and unfulfilled. Regardless of these myths, research has proven that people who set goals are largely happier, and are more successful than those who don't. So, now let's get started with our goals. Recommended book: Goals Are Dead! Simple Strategies for Achieving your Goals while Enjoying Life

20 Twenty20 Tips for a Great Year How to Make It Your Best Year Ever Bernard Kelvin Clive How different would you live your life if there was no calendar? At the end and beginning of every year, there is an increase in goal setting activities, people set goals and resolutions with the hope of achieving them. The question is, what if these activities were a lifestyle, done throughout the year and not tied to a particular ending or beginning? What if, we simply decide to enjoy our daily lives while pursuing or set goals and dreams? Well, today I present to you tips to make the best of your daily life, hence your year. Let’s get started! Tip #1 Define your Success Success means different things to different people. To begin with, define what success (a great year), means to you. In your terms, don't let society determine that for you. Once you've done that, you set yourself free from the pressures of society by not leaving to impress others and ready to succeed. Tip #2 Be Decisive Decide to make it great. Once you define what success and a great year or life mean to you, the next thing to do is decide to make it so. You are a decision away from your life's breakthrough. You hold the keys to your life's happiness. Decide this day, to make the rest of your life the best you can ever have. Tip #3 Your big idea! You must have an intriguing idea, a dream; something you are so passionate about, a problem to solve, a need to meet, a mark to make. That is your Dream, Your Vision, Your Goal: Be specific! See the big picture. How will it be like, when you finally get it? What will success mean to you? Set crystal clear goals; goals that will set your heart on fire. Make it important to you. Tip #4 Focus (Follow One Course Until Successful). Master One thing. Don’t dissipate your energy. Ask yourself, what one thing do I want to be noted for this year? Then channel all your energy and resources to make it happen. Become so good at what you do that you can’t be ignored. So, become the best in your chosen field. Tip #5 Raise the bar on yourself! Think Big! Expand your vision and expect more from yourself than anyone, then, go make it happen. Compete against yourself and challenge yourself daily. Use your creative imagination. Think win, win, in all the time. Ask: How can I help someone win today? How can I be a miracle to someone? Tip #6 Build a team Carefully select your dream team. Remember: you are the average of your 5 closest friends you spend the most time with. Evaluate your circles in the previous year, did they help or hamper your progress? Then revise where necessary, it matters! TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More Tip #7 A better approach Ask yourself, how can I do this better? Innovate! Permit yourself to succeed in those areas. By working in the area of your strengths, your talents, and gifts you can master your craft with ease. Tip #8 Fail fast! Hey! Don’t be afraid to fail. Feel the fear and do it! Face your fears. Things may not turn out as you planned but don’t give up, learn from them. Get up anytime you fall and fight on! It’s all part of the growth process. Tip #9 Stretch yourself! Don’t just do the easy and fun things to just get by, leave your comfort zone, exceed your limits, and break that barrier. Do the difficult task. Discipline yourself to succeed. Tip #10 Write things down! Write your goals down and read them often. Revise them as when necessary. You must stay current; be updated on current trends around the world especially in your field. Read great materials, books, articles, etc. Tip #11 ACT!

Personal Branding Predictions for 2020+ "We're the generation. We can't afford to wait. The future started yesterday and we're already late"- John Legend The question is, what do brands have for the future and not what does the future hold for brands. For brands that are determined to stay top of mind in business today, will require more than what worked yesterday. They must be willing to go the extra mile and pay attention to the following pillars/predictions. Have a prepared mind to harness future possibilities. The truth is that the digital landscape is predictably unpredictable. However, with the right data, one can prepare ahead, stay abreast and take advantage of the ever-changing tides of technology. Here are what to do and expect in the coming year(s). 1. Brand reinvestment: To reap a bounty harvest in any field of endeavour requires sowing good, seeds in a good soils and nurturing it to grow. Right environment and timing are critical success factors. In the same way, any brand that desires to make the most of the coming times must begin planting (preparing) and pruning (strategizing). Great brands don't just show up overnight, they are deliberately built. In effect corporations must educate their staff and equip them appropriately by investing in them (seed sowing and nurturing) if they desire to thrive. In the coming years, Companies will begin empowering their employees to build strong and influential personal brand, so they can leverage it. Corporate employee brand advocacy programs will be on the rise. That will be the game-changer. Personal branding for corporate gains. It's going to be a win-win for the employer and the employee. Additionally, brands must always reinvest in plans and strategies that are working and never to settle. Invest in research and development and invest in employers as brand advocates/ambassadors. 2. Jobs and Hiring: Companies will be hiring candidates with established personal brands/ influencers aside from their expertise and qualifications. Candidates with strong Personal brand, social media presence will be the preferred ones. It's time to pay attention to your 'Personal Brand. If you are a job seeker, begin building your online brand today. Note that every piece of content you churn will either help you or hurt you. You've got the power to build that strong brand now. 3. Content Building: It's not about ‘content being king’. The truth is that, there is and will always be lots of content on this age. What's needed most is, relevant, timely and accurate content. Providing relevant and usable data that can scale brands and businesses. In the coming years, Brands will start creating and curating original content for promotion. Creating their data banks. Media and data will be the tool to be used as a driver for growth and dominance. Video content demands will still be on top. What are you to do? Pay attention to every video publishing platform and invest in quality content production, not the hype. So, it's your time and turn to act now. “The Future belongs to those who are building Brands now, for they will be sought-after” - Bernard Kelvin Clive The future of branding is personal. [Ponder]

Have you ever had your social media post stolen before? Someone claiming ownership of your creative work? What do you so? In this episode my guest Audrey Dauvet, an International Intellectual property expert throws more light on that. Download, Listen, Learn and Share. RECOMMENDED Resources: Awaken the Giant in You CEO Branding Goals Are Dead! Branding Beyond Visuals Business Networking Made Easy Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding

In a data-driven economy, the more and accurate data you have the more powerful and profitable you become. In this episode I interviewed the founders of Praxis, AJ Yager and Meaghan Connell, who shared on how to effectively use data to drive business growth exponentially. You will learn how to Track, Analyze and Visualize data effectively. Listen. learn, download and share. RECOMMENDED Resources: PRAXIS Awaken the Giant in You CEO Branding Goals Are Dead! Branding Beyond Visuals Business Networking Made Easy Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding

The Future of Brands; Assets for Brand Acceleration "The future is not just about the use of TECHNOLOGY it’s about the use of the MIND more creatively - THINKNOLOGY" - Bernard Kelvin Clive The Future of Brands demands harnessing two important assets; Mindset and Skillset. The ongoing narrative suggests a massive shift in the use of technology for businesses and brands, whilst some jobs will be wiped by the advancement of technology; Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data, etc., many more would be created. It is therefore imperative for brands to prepare for the coming shift. Firstly, by engaging their minds more creatively and innovatively, it will offer them the opportunity to leverage technology to their advancements. The mind has always been the most powerful tool ever created, anything birthed in this world is as a result of the creative use of the mind. The mind comes, then the other tools and technology. For without the creative use of the mind, technology will not help in brand and business acceleration that much. Technology becomes a major driver of change and development when the mind has been programmed to think big, creative and innovatively. It’s in so doing that technology can be engaged in a deeper way to solve problems and meet the needs of humanity. Remember, branding begins in the mind. Having seen a number of brands and startups springing up all around Africa, it is assuring. However, the downside is that many of these startups and brands are not able to stand the test of time, they fizzle out too soon. These brands may have good intents but largely lack the needed skillset to help them succeed. Among the numerous factors that contribute to the fall of them is the lack of proper preparation and growth planning. Without a clear purpose, structure, needed skillset, focus and tenacity to stay during the crisis, many brands fall easily. Anyone can start a brand and business but to stay at it and succeed requires courage, discipline and strong-willed determination. So, to accelerate your brand, develop a creative mindset and acquire the needed skillset – technology to aid your brand to thrive. Brands that will transcend the coming age, would be brands that are purposeful, people-focused, authentic, innovative and technology-driven. I leave you with the quote by Stewart Brand, that says “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part of the steamroller, you’re part of the road.” The question is, are you going to be part of the change agents or you will be part of the changed? The best is yours! "The future is not just about startups but stay-ups; anyone can start but it takes those who can stand the test of time to stay relevant." Bernard Kelvin Clive RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON AMAZON: Awaken the Giant in You CEO Branding Goals Are Dead! Branding Beyond Visuals Business Networking Made Easy Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding

Even if social media has been a part of our lives for at least a decade now, it is still obvious to perform and avoid mistakes, especially for brands that want to engage in conversation with an online community. 1. Promote yourself more than 25% of the time If people are on social media it’s all about having fun and having a good time, so they’ll hate receiving promotions all the time from your Facebook page or Twitter account! Without wanting to, you will therefore lose followers on your social network. The promotion of your company or brand must therefore be done in a subtle way and no more than 25% of the time you spend on the network. For example, if you post 4 messages a day on Twitter, only one should promote your brand or company. 2. Race to more “likes” Let’s not hide the fact that we all like to have many likes on our Facebook publications or retweets on Twitter. These different interactions make it possible to better disseminate a product or service. However, number is not synonymous with quality. 100 likes does not necessarily mean that 100 customers will buy the displayed product. Among the likes are enthusiasts of your sector of activity, friends or professionals. So don’t make any mistakes! It is not these large numbers that help you improve your business. 3. Social networks are not just marketing tools Social media was originally designed to connect and connect people, not to do marketing. Being present on social networks only to promote your products or services is the worst possible start. Create and stimulate conversations between you and your prospects. In this way, you create a lasting interest in your brand. Show that you are not only there to sell, but also to share experiences between enthusiasts of the same subject. Social networks are amplifiers and do not exist only to make more numbers. Connect people around your company, respect your customers and they will give it back to you. 4. To be a robotic limited company without a touch of humanity People on social media like to communicate with others and not with a robot or a square profile that can only answer with “yes” or “no” or pre-recorded sentences. You must therefore add a touch of humanity to your profiles and messages. If you respond to a comment on your profile, then don’t respond with the classic phrases like “we received your comment and we thank you for the attention you paid…” be yourself on the social media, it’s as if someone is talking to you in real life! 5. Do not address negative comments If you are following and you have read point 3, we have advised you not to respond to insults, but it is an extreme case, not to respond if you cannot control yourself but the best thing is to respond (without vulgarity always) and with a touch of humour. Generally speaking people are likely to write a negative comment rather than other things, they can spend a lot of time on your site and like a lot of topics without saying anything, but as soon as they see an article that they don’t like they will leave a comment. It will therefore be necessary to take the time to read these negative comments and respond to them so that a relationship of trust can be established between you and your customers (or potential customers). For your answer it will of course be necessary to try to transform the negative comment into some positive things. 6. Too timid use of social networks It is a mistake to ask yourself whether or not social networks can be beneficial for your company. Unless you can’t manage your online presence properly, learning how to connect and communicate with your target audience is crucial! And in the Internet age, most of the people who make up this target are present on social networks and i...

“In a Social Media-driven era, the lines of privacy have almost been blurred out.” - Bernard Kelvin Clive ― Bernard Kelvin Clive 1. Lie: This branding thing is easy, I just get on social media. Truth: Branding is tough. Great brands take time to grow. It's a consistent, constant process. There is no overnight successful brand.  2. Lie: I don't need it. I know myself. Truth: knowing yourself is good but not enough, others must know you: your expertise, what you bring to the market place. Your distinctive value. “Whether you believe in personal branding or not, once you are hooked on social media, your brand is being formed” ― Bernard Kelvin Clive 3. Lie: My brand is Okay. I have a huge following. Truth: Brands grow and evolve. If you settle you will soon be outclassed. Having a good following on social media doesn't automatically translate into a reputable brand. If you don't stay relevant, you will be relegated. “Be wary of what you do with the attention social media gives you” ― Bernard Kelvin Clive 4. Lie: Opinions of others don't matter. Truth: Well, once you are here to truly serve people and determined to offer value, their opinions matter. It serves as feedback for your brand. 5. Lie: Nothing can destroy my reputation. I have a solid brand. Truth: Even Giant Oaks too fall. Never get complacent. Brands develop daily. If you fail to guard your hard-earned reputation, it could be destroyed overnight.  6. Lie: My private life has nothing to do with my public life.  Truth: In a Social Media-driven era, the lines of privacy have almost been blurred out. Whatever you do in your closet may show up in public. It's a piece of great advice to be a man of integrity. Don't try to be who you are not.  7. Lie: When I'm ready I will build my brand. Truth: The future belongs to those who are building their brands today. Waiting to build your brand someday will be a great disservice to you. It takes time to build brands, begin now, tomorrow might be too late. Resources: Awaken the Giant in You CEO Branding Goals Are Dead! Branding Beyond Visuals Business Networking Made Easy Rebrand: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Branding