July 2009

 Nurture Institute      www.nurtureinstitute.com

Better Than Branding: Credibility

Discuss branding with a room full of marketers and the discussion inevitably turns to logos. In reality, while brands are often expressed in the form of logos, unless you are Coca-Cola (or Microsoft) it’s unlikely you will get the “mileage” out of your brand to justify the expense of any traditional branding activity. Instead - focus your branding efforts on “credibility” tactics - from customer quotes to testimonials and case studies. As with traditional branding - be creative in how you use these credibility pieces. Start with these ideas and build on them.

1. Going to a tradeshow?
Have customer quotes printed up on poster board and hung around your booth.

2. Don’t restrict case studies
 to a special section on your site. Integrate them throughout - use pull out quotes and testimonials on all pages.

3. Look for testimonials that express initial skepticism
Most prospects start in a skeptical mode: “I wasn’t sure that your VOIP service would be effective for us, but …”.

4. Create a multimedia experience
around a case study of a particular client: state the problem, the solution you provided and the benefits of your solution in a simple 30 - 45 second video. Use it in on your site, in e-mails and other sites. Make sure you do it from the point of view of the client as if the client is speaking to the audience.

5. Make it visual
Use your clients logos and images (of products) to make your case studies, web pages and other materials “pop”.

6. Re-visit your clients
The best stories frequently come long after a case study is done. Use surveys and phone calls to get updated results and quotes.

Need More Information on How Credibility Can Strengthen Your Marketing?
Download our Nurture Whitepaper:
Credibility: How to Give Your Customers a Reason to Listen
 
Download our
Credibility Package Offerings
 

For more information, contact Barbara Pfeiffer.
The Nurture Institute is a full-service marketing agency dedicated to help you explore new and creative ways to connect with
clients and prospects. Visit us today for more information on Nurture can build your pipeline.