Brand Building

PR Power Play: Boost ROI with the Strategic Hire a Publicist

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hiring a publicist 2023 | Hiring a publicist

Hiring a publicist can be a crucial investment for a business. Whether you are launching a new product, wanting to maintain a strong brand image, or hoping to reach a wider audience, a skilled publicist can make a difference. However, the return on investment (ROI) can significantly vary depending on how you work with your chosen professional. In this post, we will explore practical strategies to ensure you maximize the ROI of hiring a publicist.

Overview Hiring a publicist

When investing in hiring a publicist, the focus is not merely on the spending but on how the collaboration can yield tangible results. A publicist’s expertise can provide considerable value to your business, but you need a well-structured approach to harness it fully. Let’s delve into the essential subtopics that will guide you in effectively working with hiring a publicist.

1. Setting Clear Goals and Expectations

The foundation of maximizing ROI from hiring a publicist rests on setting clear goals and expectations. This crucial step provides direction, coherence, and accountability, ensuring that both parties align. It involves three vital components:

Defining Objectives

  • Identify Target Audience: Understand who you want to reach and tailor your strategies accordingly.
  • Craft a Unified Message: Collaborate with hiring a publicist to create consistent messaging that reflects your brand’s values and goals.

Measuring Success

  • Quantitative Metrics include measurable indicators such as website traffic, conversion rates, and media mentions.
  • Qualitative Metrics: This could involve brand sentiment, customer satisfaction, or other factors that might be harder to quantify but still crucial.

Alignment with Brand Values

  • Regular Workshops: Conduct workshops or meetings hiring a publicist to ensure they fully understand your brand’s ethos and vision.
  • Brand Guidelines: Create comprehensive brand guidelines for the publicist to follow.

2. Maintaining Open Communication

Maintaining open communication is a pivotal aspect of a successful collaboration with hiring a publicist. It ensures that both parties remain aligned, trustful, and responsive to the evolving needs of the campaign. This section explores three fundamental aspects of open communication:

Regular Updates

  • Scheduled Meetings: Regularly discuss progress, obstacles, and updates.
  • Reporting: Implement detailed reporting protocols to keep all stakeholders informed.

Transparency

  • Open Dialogue: Encourage honest communication about both successes and failures.
  • Budget Discussions: Discuss budget constraints and possibilities openly so there are no surprises down the line.

Feedback Channels

  • Feedback Tools: Utilize tools that allow seamless communication and instant feedback.
  • An Open Door Policy: Encourage open and honest communication at all levels.

3. Regularly Reviewing Progress

Regularly reviewing progress is essential in a successful collaboration with hiring a publicist, ensuring that the campaign is on track and aligned with the defined goals and expectations. This continual evaluation allows for prompt adjustments and fosters a dynamic approach to achieving results. This section delves into two key areas:

Monitoring Metrics

  • Use Analytics Tools: Leverage data analytics tools to track KPIs.
  • Performance Reviews: Schedule monthly performance reviews to evaluate campaign progress.

Adjusting Strategies

  • Agile Approach: Adopt an agile approach to pivot strategies as needed quickly.
  • Ongoing Collaboration: Foster continuing collaboration between all team members to make necessary adjustments.

4. Leveraging the Publicist’s Network and Expertise

Collaborating hiring a publicist extends beyond mere execution; it involves tapping into their valuable network and expertise to amplify your reach and efficacy. Here, we examine how to maximize the ROI by fully leveraging what the publicist uniquely brings to the table:

Utilizing Connections

  • Media Outreach: Utilize the publicist’s connections to access media opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible.
  • Networking Events: Take advantage of industry events to broaden your reach.

Benefiting from their Expertise

  • Utilize Their Skills: From writing press releases to crisis management, trust your publicist’s professional skills.
  • Continual Learning: Learn from the publicist’s experience and insights to continually grow and evolve.

5. Tips for a Fruitful Collaboration

The success of a partnership with a publicist doesn’t solely hinge on expertise or connections but relies heavily on the dynamics of the collaboration itself. This section provides practical tips to foster a fruitful collaboration, ensuring that the partnership is productive, satisfying, and contributes to the desired ROI:

Choose the Right Publicist

    • Interview Process: Conduct thorough interviews and seek references to find a publicist who fits your needs.
    • Review Past Work: Analyze their previous campaigns and results.

Create a Collaborative Environment

    • Joint Planning: Encourage joint planning sessions to foster a genuine partnership.
    • Shared Responsibility: Embrace shared responsibility for both successes and failures.

Embrace Flexibility

    • Adapt to Market Changes: Stay updated with market trends and be ready to adapt strategies accordingly.
    • Flexible Contract Terms: Consider flexible contract terms that allow for changes as your needs evolve.

Long-term Relationship

    • Ongoing Engagement: Consider retaining and hiring a publicist to continue to build continuity and trust.
    • Performance-based Incentives: Offer incentives for achieving long-term goals.

Brief Recap 

hiring a publicist is not just about spending money but investing in a partnership that can propel your brand to new heights. You can get the most out of your investment by setting clear goals, maintaining open communication, regularly reviewing progress, and leveraging the publicist’s network and expertise. Remember, a successful collaboration with a publicist is not a one-off task but a continuous process that requires commitment, understanding, and a shared vision for success. Happy publicizing!

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Breaking the Mold: Using Creativity to Differentiate your Brand

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Creativity to Differentiate Your Brand

In the current fiercely competitive business environment, it is increasingly crucial for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. With so many similar products and services in the market, it can take time for companies to stand out and get noticed. However, by using creativity, businesses can break the mold and set themselves apart.

What is creativity & why its important?

Creativity is the ability to develop unique and innovative ideas different from what already exists. It involves thinking outside of the box and challenging conventional thinking. Creativity is not limited to the arts alone; it also includes business.

When it comes to branding, the main question is how to make your business unique. Using creativity in your branding efforts, you can create a distinctive and memorable brand that resonates with your target audience. A creative brand can also help you connect with your customers on a deeper level and build a loyal following.

Utilizing your creativity to be differentiate
creativity for brand building

Think beyond the logo

While a logo is an essential branding element, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To truly differentiate your brand, you need to think beyond the logo and consider all the other factors that make up your brand identity. The logo should include your brand’s color palette, typography, tone of voice, and overall visual style.

One example of a company that has done this well to differentiate itself is Airbnb. Instead of using a traditional logo, the company created a symbol that represents the idea of belonging. This symbol is used across the company’s branding efforts and has become a recognizable and memorable element of the Airbnb brand.

Tell a story

People love stories; storytelling in your branding efforts helps to connect with your audience emotionally. By telling a compelling story about your brand, you create a more personable connection with your customers.

One example of a company that differentiates well is TOMS Shoes. The company’s founder, Blake Mycoskie, started after a trip to Argentina, where he saw children without shoes. He created TOMS Shoes as a way to help provide shoes to children in need. TOMS brand has helped the company build a dedicated and loyal base of customers.

Embrace humor

Humor can be a powerful tool in branding. Using humor in your marketing efforts can create a sense of fun and approachability that can help you connect with your audience. However, using humor that aligns with your brand values and doesn’t come across as offensive or insensitive is essential.

One example of a company that uses humor in its branding to differentiate is Old Spice. The company’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign, featuring a shirtless Isaiah Mustafa, was a huge hit and helped the brand appeal to a younger, more male audience.

Be authentic

Consumers are looking for authenticity in the brands they interact with. They want to know that the brands they support are genuine to their values. By being authentic in your branding efforts, you can build trust with your customers and create a sense of loyalty.

One example of a company that differentiates itself well is Patagonia – the company has a solid commitment to the environment. By being true to its values, Patagonia’s customers appreciate the brand’s commitment to sustainability.

Experiment with new mediums

In today’s digital age, there are endless opportunities to experiment with new mediums and technologies. By exploring new ways to communicate with your audience, you can create a unique brand experience that sets you apart.

Nike is a great example of a company that has been successful with new mediums. Nike has used technology to create interactive experiences for its customers, such as the Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club apps. These apps allow customers to track their fitness progress, connect with other Nike users, and access personalized training plans. By using technology in innovative ways, Nike has differentiated a brand experience that goes beyond just selling products.

Collaborate with others

Collaboration can be a great way to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to your branding efforts. By partnering with other brands or individuals, you can create unique and memorable campaigns that stand out.

One example of a successful collaboration is the partnership between Spotify and Uber. These companies collaborated to create a feature that allowed Uber passengers to control the music in their rides using the Spotify app. This partnership began a unique brand experience for both companies and helped them stand out from their competitors.

Take risks

Finally, if you want to break the mold and differentiate your brand, you must be willing to take risks. Taking risks means being open to trying new things, even if they might not work out. You can discover new ideas and approaches to creatively expand your brand by taking risks.

One example of a company that differentiates itself is Red Bull. The energy drink company has been involved in various extreme sports and events, from sponsoring skydiving and base jumping competitions to hosting the Red Bull Flugtag. In this competition, teams build and launch their human-powered flying machines. By taking risks and sponsoring these events, Red Bull has created a brand associated with excitement, adventure, and pushing the limits.

Recap

In today’s competitive business environment, creativity is more important than ever for brands that want to differentiate themselves. By thinking beyond the logo, telling a compelling story, embracing humor, being authentic, experimenting with new mediums, collaborating with others, and taking risks, businesses can create unique experiences that resonate with their target audience. Whether you’re a small startup or a large multinational corporation, creativity can help you stand out and build a loyal following of customers who appreciate your brand’s uniqueness and innovation.

 

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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8 Powerful Content Marketing Strategies to Increase Brand Visibility

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8 Content Marketing Strategies to Improve Brand Visibility

In this day and age, it’s more important than ever to have a strong online presence. If you want to stay competitive, it’s crucial that you utilize content marketing strategies to boost your brand’s visibility and help it stand out from the crowd. There are many different ways to go about this, but in this post, we’ll cover 8 essential tactics that will help your brand reach new heights.

1. Be Consistent & Go Beyond

You can’t expect to grow your brand visibility if you don’t consistently create and promote content. It also doesn’t matter how great your content is if nobody sees it, so make sure that every piece of content you produce has a clear call-to-action (CTA) for how people should engage with it.

Content marketing isn’t just about creating good pieces; it’s also about getting the right people to see them. To do this, you must have a clear understanding of who your target audience is and understand their interests and needs so that you can tailor your messaging accordingly.

2. Blog Like a Boss

Blogging is a great way to create relevant content and build trust with your audience. It’s also a highly effective way to get more links, traffic, and exposure for your site.

If you’re looking for a way to stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive online landscape, blogging may be just what you need!

To learn how to blog like a boss, check out these tips below:1. Start with an editorial calendar

2. Create engaging titles

3. Don’t be afraid of social media

4. Be consistent

5. Use hashtags sparingly

6. Make sure your blog posts have a clear call-to-action (CTA) at the end of them

7. Share your blog posts on social media when they’re published so people can see them in their newsfeeds instead of just having them buried somewhere in the depths of an online search engine like Google or Bing

3. Leverage Social Media

Social media is a great way to keep your brand front and center with your audience. Not only do you have the opportunity to build relationships with your customers, but social media can also help you stay highly visible on search engines.

Social media marketing is also one of the best ways to get feedback from people in your industry. You can see what they like and don’t like about your company and products, as well as what they’d like to see more of in the future. You can use this information to create more content that will resonate with them!

Social media has become an essential part of any successful content marketing strategy because it provides so many opportunities for engagement between brands and consumers–and if you use these strategies correctly, it will help improve visibility by increasing traffic from both organic search results AND paid advertising campaigns too!

4. Invest in Video Content

Video content is a powerful tool for your brand. It can be used in several ways, including social media, email marketing, and on your website.

Video content is an excellent way to build trust with potential customers by demonstrating the quality of your product or service in action.

Video content helps you stand out from the crowd because it’s more engaging than traditional text-based content like blog articles or blog posts.

5. Optimize for Search Engines

Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just about having a website. It’s also a process of making sure that the website itself is optimized to be found by search engines and their users. To do this, you’ll want to make sure that your site has relevant content and descriptive titles, descriptions, and meta tags; use keywords throughout; include a sitemap; add internal links wherever possible, and create as much content as possible with unique titles. These SEO tactics can help increase visibility in Google searches and result in more traffic to your site!

6. Improve Your Email Marketing Game

Email marketing is a great way to reach your audience and stay top of mind. It’s also one of the most personalized ways to connect with customers, which means it can be used for everything from lead generation and building relationships with potential customers to customer retention and boosting sales.

However, to make email marketing work for you, it’s essential that you segment your email lists into different groups: customers who have purchased from you before; those who haven’t but may be interested in buying now; people who have been interested in purchases but haven’t acted yet; etc. This will help ensure that each group receives relevant content so that they keep coming back for more—and eventually decide to buy from you!

Creating an effective email campaign isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. But if done right, it can lead directly back through links straight into your website where visitors will convert into sales leads or loyal customers (which means repeat business).

7. Build Your Online Community

Building an online community is imperative to the success of your brand. An online community is a place where consumers can come together and interact with one another, while simultaneously interacting with you.

Your audience will be able to chat about content they love, share their thoughts on how to improve things or provide feedback on products/services they’re interested in purchasing. They will also be able to engage in conversations around industry trends and best practices so that you can keep them informed about what’s going on in the world of digital marketing as well as other relevant topics related to your niche audience.

When building an online community, it’s important that you create an environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their opinions without fear of judgment from others within the group. This means creating guidelines for posting etiquette before opening up access to everyone who joins your group (following those rules yourself).

8. Repurpose Your Content for Greater Visibility

The more you repurpose your content, the more people will see it. Repurposing is all about making an existing piece of content work harder for you. It enables you to reach a broader audience with less effort and time spent, making it a great way to expand your reach without having to create new original content again and again.

Here are some ways you can repurpose your marketing efforts:

  • Make your existing content more effective by adding actionable tips or links within the body of the article that direct readers toward other relevant resources (like another blog post) that may interest them. This will increase engagement with readers and make them feel like they’re getting something valuable from reading what they’ve been offered so far—which they should! They just have no idea yet…
  • Make sure each piece of evergreen content has a strong call-to-action at the end so that readers know exactly what steps they should take next after reading something useful on one subject matter area versus another—and what might happen if those actions aren’t completed right away (e.g., “Watch this video now!”). This gives people who’ve already consumed yours or someone else’s valuable information somewhere else online another reason why they should stay engaged with whatever brand owns this particular piece of writing as well–because it could lead down several rabbit holes worth exploring instead!

You need to constantly work at creating content that is of value to your audience.

  • Keep creating content that is of value to your audience.
  • Creators need to keep creating content that is of value to their audiences, constantly working at it in order to get better and better at it over time.

While there are many different ways to create brand visibility, it all comes down to one thing: consistency. If you want people to pay attention to what you have to say and trust your brand, you need to do the work. You can’t expect them to come running just because they see a few tweets here and there. No, it takes consistent effort over time (and maybe even some luck) for people really take notice of what you do as well as who you are as a company or individual.

 

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Manage Your Startup While Working Full Time

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how to manage a startup while working full time

Starting and managing your startup or small business while working a full-time job can be difficult. It takes a lot of time and energy to get a new business off the ground, and it’s often hard to find the extra hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. 

In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for how to start and manage your startup while working a full-time job. We’ll also offer some advice on how to make the most of your limited free time!

If you’re considering launching a startup, or if you’ve already started one and are struggling to balance your work and personal life, read on.

Set Realistic Goals While Working Full Time

First, it’s important to set realistic goals for your startup. Don’t try to do too much too soon – it’s better to make slow and steady progress than to try to accomplish everything at once and then burn out. It’s also important to be flexible; as your business grows and changes, so will your goals.

Use Technology to your Advantage

Second, take advantage of technology. There are a lot of great tools out there that can help you manage your time more effectively, stay organized, and automate tasks that would otherwise take up valuable hours of your day. Utilize these tools to make your life easier and to free up time for the important tasks that only you can do.

Get Good at Delegating Task

Third, delegate! If you’re trying to do everything yourself, you’re going to quickly become overwhelmed. Delegate tasks to employees, contractors, or even friends and family members who are willing to help out. This will allow you to focus on the most important aspects of your business, and it will also help other people feel invested in your startup’s success.

Take Care of Yourself

Finally, don’t forget to take care of yourself! While Working long hours can be stressful, and it’s important to make time for things like exercise, relaxation, and socializing with friends outside of work. A healthy mind and body will help you be more productive overall, so make sure to schedule some time for yourself every week.

By following these tips, you can start and manage your startup while still While working a full-time job. It won’t be easy, but it is possible! With careful planning and execution, you can build a successful business while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Good luck!

Do you have any startup tips of your own? Share them in the comments below! And if you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends!

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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How to Use Infographics to Drive Traffic to your Journal Articles

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how to use infographics

Consider the articles you like to read. Are boxed text pieces, tables, and pictures “more easy reads” for you? Do color graphics catch your attention and pull you into the content? Consider how much more likely you are to engage with something that has a visual component while surfing through social media updates or reading online diaries.

The author’s objectives are to connect with the public and share material, with the objective of educating, informing, and motivating. Isn’t it time they made maximum use of all possibilities and formats to achieve these goals? An infographic is a way to display your article information, appeal to your current readers, and attract new audiences. Infographics are used by 65 percent of organizations to complement their content marketing strategy.

Why should I devote time to creating an infographic?

The best answer is that an infographic can be used as a marketing tool. By taking the time to design an attractive and well-crafted graphic, you are increasing the visibility of your work and attracting new readers.

You don’t have to be a professional designer or artist to create an infographic. There are many infographic tools available online that allow users to create simple designs with basic shapes and colors. In addition, most journal publishers will have staff who can help you with the design process.

What are some best practices for creating infographics?

Here are a few tips:

– Keep it simple: Use short phrases and sentences, avoid jargon, and use easy-to-understand language

– Use strong visuals: Choose high-quality images, use bright colors, and consider using icons or illustrations

– Be creative: Think outside the traditional journal article format and get creative with your design

– Tell a story: Use your infographic to tell a story that will engage readers and make them want to share your work

By following these tips, you can create an infographic that will help you achieve your goals of increasing the visibility of your journal articles and attracting new readers. Give it a try! 

How to use infographics to drive traffic to your journal articles

The first step may be the most difficult: coming up with a topic. After you’ve collected your data and organized it, it’s time to present it in a way that is visually appealing. 

After that, provide a solution to a problem!

People are more likely to engage with your content if they feel like you’re providing them with a solution to their problem. Make sure your design is clean and easy to understand. Use strong visuals and avoid using too much text. 

Also, tell a story with your infographic. Infographics must also have a fantastic design in order to capture attention and draw people in. People learn better through pictures, therefore this is the greatest method to interact with them. When creating an infographic, consider using one of the best infographic tools available online. This will allow users to create simple designs with basic shapes and colors. 

To be more professional and fantastic, infographics should also contain educational and entertaining facts to look more attractive and professional. According to some best practices for creating infographics, keep it simple by using short phrases and sentences, avoiding jargon, and using easy-to-understand language. Also, use strong visuals such as choosing high-quality images and using bright colors. You can also use icons or illustrations. Be creative in order to think outside the traditional journal article format. 

Most importantly, tell a story that will engage readers and make them want to share your work! By following these tips, you can create an infographic that will help you achieve your goals of increasing the visibility of your journal articles and attracting new readers.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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All You Need to Know About Choosing the Right Colors for Your Brand

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Your Brand

Colors play a huge role in branding, without proper explanation and the use of color, you may be sending the wrong message to your audience. You may not know, but every color that you see out there, particularly in the marketing domain explains color and a story behind it. There is always a relationship between the branding colors and the message that you want to convey to your audience. Therefore, it is important to research well and then choose a color for the brand while still looking for the answer to a very obvious question “who is going to make a Logo for me”? Once you have decided on something, it is important you send over the message to the designers so they know what they are expected to do.

With the use of the right color in the logo, you can influence your audience. There is a critical influence of color on the way we see the world. In case you are planning to start a new business or maybe thinking of rebranding, it’s time you understand the impact of colors on the consumer’s behaviors.

It is time you take a closer look at how you can incorporate colors into your brand strategy by keeping the following things in mind because obviously, you do not want to mess up your branding.

Colors and Its Meanings in Branding Life (Your Brand)

First thing first, here we are going to discuss how each color indicates something and means something in marketing. The use of the wrong color can just completely jeopardize your whole branding. Nevertheless, here we go!

  1. Red: If you are looking to grab attention and get your audience excited about something, red is the color to go with. It signifies anger, comfort, love, and life.
  2. Yellow: When advertising something adventurous, travel, enthusiasm, or happiness, yellow is the color to choose.
  3. Green: Sustainability, health, knowledge, and anything educational or healthy, if your brand promotes any of such a thing, go with green.
  4. Blue: It is the color of competence, integrity, high quality, reliability, and honesty.
  5. Purple: When it is about creativity, respect, and royalty, there is no better color than purple.
  6. Pink: It signifies romance, sophistication, compassion, love, and gentleness.
  7. Black: When you have to be sophisticated, serious, and intelligent, choose black.
  8. Grey: Choose grey, if your brand is all about class, timelessness, practicality, and neutrality.
  9. White: It shows innocence, space, cleanliness, and purity.

If you are still confused about how to choose the right colors for your brand, you need to read stay here and keep reading.

5 Tips to Choose a Brand Color

  1. Create Your Brand Identity

The colors that you choose for your brand say a lot about you, we have already discussed it before. However, you need to understand how the colors reflect your brand identity. They are one important part of your whole identity and how you should go about it. The whole palette explains your values and the message that you want your brand to communicate. In order to reach this point, you need to first explain your brand identity.

The most common practice that is followed normally is listing all adjectives that explain your brand character, list them as if you are talking about a person in general. Ask questions to yourself and see what perception you want of your brand in your customer’s minds. What is that thing that differentiates you from the other brands in your industry?

2. Explore the Meanings of the Colors

The industry you are in and the message you want to send over to the customers is the deciding factor in the overall branding. However, you must understand that colors are not the exact science and there is no particular equation that can accurately explain what the color defines. And this is where we make the use of the color combinations. If your message does not come in the palette of regular colors, it is time you make some right combinations.

As we have already discussed colors, explain the brand message therefore, proper study and research should be done to ensure you are on the right track. In order to understand, if you have chosen the right color for your brand you need to think of the differences in the meanings of the different shades when combined with the other colors. Blue alone may show something else but when combined with another color, it would mean something else.

Following industries use these colors in order to signify the right meaning.
a) Food industry: You would see most of the logos of the restaurant industry in the warm tones, one of the reasons is because they attract attention and hunger. Colors like yellow, red, and orange are a few of the many colors that are used for this purpose. However, when the brand is all about nutrition and health, green is the color that most brands use for their identification. And of course, pink and blue for the desserts and sweets.

b) Health and wellness: When we talk about health and wellness, cleanliness is the first thing that comes to your mind and nothing represents cleanliness better than blue color. The blue color shows responsibility and trustworthiness. Other colors to choose from are green and orange as they represent nature and wholesomeness.

c) Fashion: If your brand is all sophisticated and elegant you MUST go with the black color. No fashion brand can ever go wrong with the black color. You would be surprised to see how black and white are the most classic colors and they are always the safest choice. Nevertheless, you can also go with pink, red, and orange as well to show excitement, passion, and confidence as well.

d) Technology: You would most see blue color when it comes to advertising technological products. The color symbolizes intelligence, efficiency and trust. Moreover, you can also use orange as well as it is more friendly and optimistic. Other than this, purple also stands for creativity and quality.

3. Look for Inspiration

There must be a story behind your brand? Or a reason why you started it? Or something that must have influenced you to begin your brand. When you are working on branding your brand, you need to look for the reasons why you started the brand, what was the initial inspiration for you. It would help you decide your brand colors. Look through the colors your competitors are using the palettes they go through and try to think of their pattern. We are not in any way recommending you to copy their theme or influence, but you should look for inspiration from them. You both are in the same industry and nobody can guide you better than someone who has already been in your shoes. Think of all the lessons that you can take from their color choices, and the ways you can be different from them.

4. Choose the Main Color

Once you have taken all the inspiration from the competitors, it’s time you decide on the main color. The primary color will later then decide the whole palette for the brand. Such as the primary color for Tiffany’s is blue, you would see different shades of it in their whole branding. The same goes with the brands like Pinterest and Facebook, there is always so much that you can do with your primary color. The only thing is how you choose to do it.

Choose one main color that you think explains your business the best and their meaning is perfect for a brand. In order to reach the final color, you can try o the different colors and then choose the one that goes with the brand the best.

5. Choose Secondary Colors

You cannot depend on a single color for your whole branding, as good as it looks sometimes you have to choose other colors as well for the same purpose. When you have chosen the final color, look for the combinations and the colors that make the best combination with the primary color. You can choose more than one for it and then make sure the meaning of the combination is not confusing for your customers. It might be tricky for you but once you have decided on the whole palette everything later becomes easy.

Wrapping up!

Going with a branding color only because it’s your favorite is one irrational decision, you should know the science behind all the colors and understand why should it go with your brand. Most brands make the mistake of going with the colors only because the color is trending or the vibe of the color is good. It is not recommended at all. Changing your branding, again and again, is not possible therefore it is important when you are taking an initial step you should know when and how to go about it. The color you choose for your brand says a lot about you as it has a strong subconscious impact that most people do not know about.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Things to Consider Before Hiring Developers

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hiring developers

When you employ developers for your company, you may save the burden of recruitment. There are several things you may do to prepare for the procedure. Here are some ideas to help you get started with your planning. In and of itself, recruiting in the software sector is difficult. According to a Forbes report, there may be a developer scarcity in the industry. So, finding great talent to recruit might be difficult.

So, if qualified developers are already rare, where do you look for them? Or, to put it another way, how can you compete in terms of remuneration with significant IT firms?

You may always prepare for the recruiting process to relieve some of the stress. Before you hire developers, there are a few things you can do to prepare.

Before you hire developers, keep these things in mind.

Hiring requires more than just placing a job ad. When a result, think about these items ahead of time as you recruit software engineers, both before and during the process. These pointers may even make hiring easier for you and your company.

1. Get your company’s name out there.

Do you want to compete for top talent with other significant corporations? To improve employer branding, brainstorm with your marketing and human resources teams. Potential applicants will approach you for opportunities if everything is done correctly.

Present your organization as a wonderful place to work in order to achieve this. Make a point of emphasizing your company’s culture and ideals.

Also, avoid placing anything in front of your new job that can jeopardize your integrity. Otherwise, if word comes out that you were dishonest in promoting your organization, your reputation may be jeopardized.

2. Familiarize yourself with the software development cycle.

This will allow you to assess how well the person will fit into your workplace. In addition, applicants can assess their ability to perform successfully on the job. This reduces the chances of new recruits quitting after onboarding because their expectations were not met.


3. Clearly define qualifications.

What technical skills are required for this position? What kind of experience do you think qualifies as relevant? Is there anything specific you’re looking for in terms of soft skills? Before you submit the recruiting notice, you must address these critical questions.

Many failed hiring occurs as a result of businesses failing to properly define what they require. This may lead you to recruit developers who do not fit the culture of your company or who do not perform effectively on the job.

As a result, make a list of the qualities that are required for the position. You may also make a list of desirable talents to assist you in reaching a compromise in various scenarios.

4. Make a detailed job description.

While hiring developers, be cautious when establishing the job description. Make sure precise duties and responsibilities are listed for the potential applicant to evaluate.

Any company-specific needs, such as technology to be employed on a certain assignment, should also be included. You may also customize the position’s details.

For instance, if you require the role to work on a shift that corresponds to a different time zone. This may appear to be extraneous information, yet it might play a significant role in an applicant’s choice. It can also play a role in the retention of new hires.

5. Make a plan to assist in the verification of credentials and portfolios.

This is a piece of cake if you have a well-established HR department. However, if you’re still a small business, it could be tempting to skip over the applicant’s qualifications. However, even if you opt to engage freelance developers, this must not be the case.

Now, to make things easy for you, seek assistance from the staff. You may start with react interview questions when interviewing people and even ask the help of experienced developers to check credentials and portfolios. Because they have the technical expertise, they know who’s who.

Also, be sure you arrange the applicant’s credentials to be verified. It’s important to keep in mind that candidates may misrepresent themselves. As a result, it is preferable to be comprehensive during the recruiting process.

6. Prepare an evaluation of technical skills based on real-life events.

Create a test utilizing real-life challenges to assess how well a candidate fits within your business. You may look back at prior projects to see what troubles you had and try to replicate them.

Request that the candidate address the problem for you during the technical skills evaluation. Inquire about their solutions throughout the interview. This way, you can get a sense of how they operate and see if they fit your expectations.

7. Have a recruitment consultation lineup

Do you believe you aren’t qualified to acquire coding assistance? Then seek for persons with whom you may consult during the hiring process. These folks might be industry contacts or senior developers on your team.

There is no shame in seeking assistance. So, anytime you hit a stumbling block in one of your activities, ask them to assist you.

8. Look into the developer rate standard in the business.

Because good developers are in high demand, you’ll need to make a compelling employment offer. To make this happen, conduct some studies on industry salary and benefit requirements. After you’ve received an estimate, you’ll need to determine your budget and devise a strategy for presenting the offer.

Before hiring coders, do your homework.

The expense of hiring new personnel might be significant. It extends beyond the remuneration and perks you provide. However, you must also consider the costs invested prior to finding the suitable developer.

As a result, it’s important to be as informed as possible while hiring software engineers. And with these pointers, you’ll be more equipped to deal with the obstacles of recruitment. Take note of what relates to your scenario and tailor the rest of the advice to your needs.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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7 Benefits of Running a Business in Houston

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Is the cost of living in your city becoming unsustainably high? If you’re trying to get a new business off the ground, high prices for everything from real estate to labor can set you back. Or perhaps you’re opening a small local business, but you’ve found that the lack of a thriving business community in your area is making the process harder. You’re thinking about moving for the sake of your company, but you want to make sure your family will be happy wherever you settle down.

If you’re trying to figure out where your entrepreneurial future lies, you might want to consider moving to Houston, Texas. In contrast to cities with higher costs of living, it’s a great place to build up your business without making major financial sacrifices. And with PR coaching from consultants like Keetria, you’ll see business growth in no time. Plus, it’s a fantastic city for families! Here are a few reasons entrepreneurs can thrive in Houston.

Reasonable Cost of Living

Houston is a major metropolitan area with a surprisingly low cost of living, and reasonable prices have drawn in entrepreneurs and their families. For instance, if you’re thinking about buying a home, Millionacres states that you can expect to spend about $263,000. Median rent prices are also quite realistic for families and young professionals at $1,464 for a rental unit. Furthermore, there are plenty of apartments available for rent in the city, with a healthy rental vacancy rate of 7.4%.

And the low cost of living won’t just benefit you when it comes to renting or buying – it also means that you won’t have to spend as much to entice top talent. With lower labor costs, you can relax, knowing that your business has a longer “runway.”

Growing Population

Houston is a growing city, and this massive metro area is only gaining more residents. For business owners, this is a bonus: there is an ever-expanding talent pool in Houston, and every day, more professionals who are seeking new opportunities are choosing to settle down in the city. Right now, Houston is growing by 0.07% annually, and since 2010, the population has grown by 10.68%.

Diversity

Are you hoping to hire talent that can bring varied perspectives and creative solutions to your business? It’s time to start thinking outside the box and approach your recruiting and hiring process with diversity in mind. Houston has large African-American and Hispanic populations, and residents of the city speak more than 90 languages. The greater Houston area is definitely a cultural melting pot, and if you want to prioritize diversity within your business, it’s an ideal place to relocate your company.

Highly Educated Workforce

Houston doesn’t just have a large business network – it’s also a hub for higher education. Business owners can hire educated recent graduates from right in the city, and you can even bring on interns from local universities who want to gain valuable experience. These Houston colleges and universities graduate bright students who are more than ready for the professional world:

  • With multiple local campuses, the University of Houston offers unique programs in subjects like Space Architecture.
  • Rice University is consistently ranked as one of the best colleges in the United States.
  • Baylor College of Medicine is a top medical school for research students.

Entrepreneurial Community

No entrepreneur is ever on their own in Houston. You’ll be part of a community with loyal customers, helpful business owners, advisers, and local leaders. When you’re dealing with a problem, you’ll have the guidance you need to push forward, and you’ll feel inspired to take on bigger projects and challenge yourself. Bold Patents recommends these supportive organizations for entrepreneurs:

  • The Small Business Development Center provides free educational resources for business owners.
  • The Indus Entrepreneurs facilitates networking and mentorship opportunities for entrepreneurs.
  • LaunchEffect is a local incubator that offers lots of helpful services to entrepreneurs, as well as classes, hackathons, and more.

Fun Local Activities

Simply put, you’ll never be bored in Houston. On any given day, there are plenty of things to do, and no matter where your interests lie, you’ll be able to find an outlet in the city. From the eclectic restaurant scene to the gorgeous green spaces, you can enjoy a very high quality of life in Houston. And this benefits the local workforce – after all, happy employees are more productive and motivated! Here are a few places and events to check out in Houston:

  • Explore an extensive trail network and view stunning art installations at Buffalo Bayou Park.
  • Spend a day perusing the gardens, renting a pedal boat, and having a picnic at Hermann Park.
  • Let loose at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and revel in the city’s creative side at the Houston Art Car Parade!

Business Launch Resources

If you’re relocating to Houston from another state, it’s important to make a checklist of all the requirements you’ll need to fulfill in order to officially open and run a business in Texas. A few important tasks for business owners include:

  • Choose a unique business name that is not already on file with the Texas Secretary of State and file to register your business entity.
  • Apply for state licenses and permits, such as a sales tax permit from the Comptroller of Public Accounts, relevant regulatory permits, and necessary occupational licenses.
  • Take out a business insurance policy and open a business bank account.

And with so many transactions conducted remotely, you’ll need a strong internet connection to launch and grow your business. To find a fast and reliable internet service, check out local internet providers that cover your area and research their average maximum speeds. If you can get fiber optic internet service in your area, it’s worth the investment – it’s generally about ten times faster than DSL service.

With so many perks for entrepreneurs, it’s no wonder that business owners and hard-working professionals are flocking to Houston. For Houston’s entrepreneurs, the future is bright! The low cost of living, growing business community, and bountiful resources mean that success is well within your reach in Houston.

Ready to start building your business’s brand? Seek PR coaching from Keetria! Schedule a free consultation call through our website today.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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How to Draw Useful Tips from Notable Speakers, Coaches and Mentors

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How to Draw Useful Tips for Notable Industry Professionals
 

As an entrepreneur who is always interested in learning from experts and leaders in other industries, I am familiar with the vast amount of material available from well-known coaches and mentors. There is an overwhelming load of information and advice on a daily basis. So much, in fact, anyone seeking to hone their skills and need tips or advice on a particular subject can easily obtain this information online.

Here are 5 ways you can take advantage of your Internet connection to learn from leading professionals across multiple industries. Whether you’re just starting out or have been working in your line of business for several years, there lies a significant advantage in listening to other people’s perspectives on an assortment of topics, especially when it comes from someone who has the background and knowledge on the subject at hand.

Check out the tips below on how you can glean advice that will contribute to your overall worldview, increase your knowledge, or just learn something that you might not have known before.

Blogs & YouTube 

Many of the prominent and well-known speakers, personal development coaches and influencers have personal websites or Youtube channels where they regularly upload content. This material may consist of helpful blog posts or articles which will give you an idea about their perspective. If it’s a Youtube video, most of the time it’s a clip of them speaking at a conference, talk or seminar where they often provide their audiences with valuable information.

Either way, take the time to scour over your favorite speaker’s online content. If you’re unable to attend their events, checking out what they have available online for free is an excellent way to learn something new or to get their take on certain topics.

Newsletters

While some speakers and mentors post new content on their websites on a regular basis, others use newsletters that are mostly exclusive to those individuals who have signed up to receive their content. From experience, I’ve found the information provided in newsletters very helpful, and within my weekly newsletter, even though most of the content is not exclusive to my subscribers, I always include a recap of the recent articles on my blog.

One suggestion is to subscribe to a handful of newsletters of insiders or influencers within the industry you would like to learn more about. Subscribing to a variety of newsletters will not only give you a different perspective but also allow you to sift and sort through helpful tips and the information you need to get you further along. 

Teleseminars

Teleseminar is another great way to learn something. If you’ve subscribed to a newsletter, you might have already received an invite to join or participate. Similar to the newsletters, sometimes you have to be a subscriber to the speaker’s or mentor’s newsletter to receive the invite. Professionals on Facebook and Instagram also promote their teleseminars for free and use these as a vehicle to offer their paid services.

While some teleseminars cost a fee to join, there are plenty available each month with minimal to no sign-up fee. Whatever your industry, check to see if your speaker of choice is hosting a teleseminar anytime soon.

Blinkist

It’s been some time since I’ve read a book on Blinkist but as I write this, it instantly reminds me of how useful their service truly is. Services similar link Blinkist thrives because they allow us to consume the main gist and most valuable information in a minimal amount of time. Maybe you’re interested in a 300-page book but don’t have a chance to read it. Blinkist pulls the book’s main content and cuts it down to the minutes for reading or audio consumption.

With my present schedule, I’m unable to read as much as I’d like but I find having the option to scan for relevant info or to learn more about a topic without having to dedicate hours to thoroughly reading a book handy. When the time doesn’t permit you to soak up as much knowledge as you’d like to check out Blinkist’s library to see if they have books written by your favorite speaker or coach – you’d be surprised as to what you’ll find.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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How to Make Processes Which Maximize Your Productivity

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Maintaining high productivity is a struggle we all face.

As I sit writing this now, I can’t help but see the city skyline bathed in sun through the windows which line the room. The warmth eeks through the open doors and windows and the urge to nip out for lunch swells inside me.

At the same time, the political scene recently has been a flurry of big moments and captivating narratives – the headlines call out to me.

But I have to write.

I have to focus.

How do I keep my focus when surrounded by distractions? The answer I’ve found which keeps me pinned to my chair and my fingers glued to my keyboard is the art of following a process.

I’ll explain to you why I’m such an advocate for processes, what processes I use, and how you can build the processes you need to drive you forward each day.

Why processes are vital to your productivity

Let’s start with a simple stat.

According to Kermit Pattison, writing for Fast Company, interruptions are costing you a lot of time. In fact, the average time wasted as a result of switching tasks is 23 minutes and 15 seconds.

If you’re trying to complete multiple tasks per day, you put yourself at risk of losing a considerable amount of working time. In short, your productivity could be taking a nosedive.

By following a process, you can keep your mind focused not just on the task at hand but clearly on what task you’re going to do next. Instead of finishing one item on your to do list and wondering about what to get cracking with next, you flow straight into the following item.

This fluidity and clarity in your workflow seems almost too simple to make any meaningful change. I mean, it’s only careful planning, right?

Well, yes. But planning is crucial to your success.

Most of the time we don’t recognize the weaknesses in our own workflows because we’re so engrossed in them. So, here’s a tip. Check out a tool like RescueTime which you can install on your computer so that it tracks everything you do. It will see what websites or programs you’ve been using and then generate a report for you to show you how you allocate your time.

Don’t build your work practices on what you think you’re doing, build them on what you’re actually doing. You’ll see your inefficiencies more clearly and be better equipped to tackle them.

The processes I use to write these articles

At Process Street, we have a rule that you must make a process for any task you expect to do more than twice.

Let’s look at two of these processes. One general and one task specific.

The general one is how I approach my working day. I use Trello for my task management and each day I start off by sorting through my tasks to see what I wish to accomplish that day. I then take each task which I want to complete and move them into my To Do column.

Anything in my To Do column gets done that day. Anything not in my To Do column does not.

This act of defining what I need to focus on helps me gain focus. I can then go into each task and think about what needs to be done to accomplish my goals. If it’s a research task then I will put a short checklist in my card outlining the steps I expect to take. If it is a common task like writing then I know I will use one of my premade processes to follow.

In each card I note the amount of time I expect the task to take and I order my cards to clearly show which I’ll do first through to which I’ll do last.

This initial planning starts my day off with a moment of considered thought and saves me probably an hour or more each day.

If I’m going to be writing an article that day for our blog, I’ll specify which of my custom built processes I intend to use. Our pre-publish checklist is one which we share across the team and have all contributed to building.

This checklist is engineered to make sure every article we publish adheres to the high standards we set ourselves. There are a lot of small steps involved in this quality control:

  • Check every link points to the right place
  • Make sure all capitalization adheres to our style guidelines
  • Run spell check in American English
  • Make sure all images are coded correctly with keyword optimized alt tags

There are 30+ steps in our pre-publish checklist. That’s a lot of steps to remember without a process. Time after time our process guides us in the right direction and makes sure we don’t miss simple mistakes.

This process gives us quality assurance.

How can you build processes which work for you?

Building processes is a long term strategy.

Not just because these processes help create consistent quality or garner small productivity gains every day which add up over time, but because processes exist to be improved.

Start off by noting down all the steps you can think of which contribute to the completion of a task. This is your base process.

If you work within a team, it’s a very good idea to collaborate on this process creation. You can compare approaches and priorities which can improve the overall performance of the team, while moving toward a standardized approach to establish consistency and improve the scalability of your team, in case you look to hire further members.

Begin following the documented process you have drafted and take note of a couple of key variables:

  • How long does this take me?
  • Are there any tasks which I’ve left out?
  • Have I included unnecessary tasks?
  • What does my team think of the process?

Each of those questions will tell you something different, and each will point you in a different direction for optimizing the process.

Once you’ve systemized your business through these processes, it is much easier to create performance metrics to target – ones which are realistic and don’t negatively impact on quality.

With better performance metrics you can more accurately predict output and, in turn, overall company performance.

Understanding your own productivity and knowing how to measure it is the first step to really understanding your own company and recognizing effective ways to improve performance.

Build processes, productivity, and your company

Don’t take my word for it.

I’ve given you the necessary tools to test your own performance for yourself. I’ve laid out the steps required to begin to implement processes and to track their performance.

Try it out for yourself and see what the results are.

The most successful companies in the world are ones with strong operating practices. That’s no coincidence.

Use your own productivity as a base from which to systemize your business, and start today!

Have you used process optimization in your business before? Let me know your success stories in the comments below!

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