1. target keywords
in order to optimize, it’s all about matching the keywords that people are typing into their searches. as a business owner or marketer, you ought to know what makes you unique, what customers are looking for (especially online),  the problems you help to solve, etc. if you don’t, then you need to stop reading this post and call me right now! keywords are the hot buttons that people are pushing at the search engines and you should start by reflecting on what they might be.

2. launch an adwords campaign
whether you have no clue or some clue or all of the answers when it comes to which keywords people are using, please do yourself a HUGE favor and launch a google adwords campaign. it’s not seo or adwords – though i’ve heard it pitched this way by many companies. it’s BOTH! adwords is a sure-fire and objective way to learn the landscape. set-up is easy, their tools will suggest numerous keywords to embrace (and they’re always the ones you’d think of) and you’ll give your busineess free exposiure to boot. that’s right, google doesn’t charge for impressions (a.k.a. expsoure)…they charge for action taken by customers in the form of clicks on ads.

3. collect your rankings
start by typing in a bunch of high level (or generalist) searches in your industry to see where your organization lands. hopefully, you are somewhere on the map – even if you’re buried 10 pages deep. don’t ignore msn, yahoo and others. even though google has a little over 50% of the search market, so it is still worth surfing the other two engines.

4. experiment with meta data (a.k.a tags)
if you have no idea what meta data is then this may be over your head. if you have a blog platform for your website, then you have an easy means for getting into this and should look at your help documentation. meta data are tags that get associated with various pages of content, which then attract the search engines to your pages.  a cool tool for seeing how you’re doing in this regard is www.websitegrader.com.

5. focus on titles, links and boldeds
if you use keywords in important places on your site (i.e. page titles, links, bolded words, etc), then you will also be making your website more relevant to customer searches.

6. juice your blog
if you have a blog, then definitely include keywords and links all over your posts, again placing them in the most prominent places. if you don’t have a blog, then shame on you! there may be no better way to produce regular content that helps your website become a more valuable asset to customers.

7. create a landing page
no, i’m not talking about one of those annoying pages that sits at the front of a website that slows you down and rarely provides anything of real value. no, i’m talking about a landing page for people coming from google and other search engines that helps you act like you knew he or she was coming and begins to build the confidence that you can help with their specific needs..and starting NOW.  you need to be ready and waiting for shoppers, which is what these searches produce. create a landing page that’s lean and immediately requests contact information in exchange for something of value, like a rate sheet or proposal. here’s an example. you will dramatically increase the likelihood of converting their click or search into business this way.

if you’re ready to jump into this with me, then let’s get started!

here’s how to write or improve upon a biography…

1. list your objectives
just like any exercise, you want to think clearly and list 3-5 business reasons for produccing the biography. an example list might include: a) raise my profile in a specific circle, b) sell more products, c) streamline the process of getting publicity.

2. collect past coverage and efforts
make sure you collect all past publicity and biographies, no matter where they are from or who wrote them, you’re looking for common themes and opportunities missed. takle note of those who have covered the subject in the past.

3. establish a model and tone
find examples of biographies that you like, or media outlets where you generally enjoy the coverage. hone in on the specific tone you prefer from the writer(s). this last bit is important, because the way the story is crafted will determine whether it grabs or loses the reader. each audience is different, so you need to establish a tone and language that is both familiar and desirable for the place(s) where the biography will be featured.

4. talk to other people who know the subject
this one is lost on many writers or self-produced efforts. i’m not saying that the federal government is the ultimate model here, but when they want to investigate your credibility (like during the process of obtaining a level of clearance), they don’t just go on what you say is true and interesting. they talk to people you know (and often times without telling you who they’re going to contact and when). make sure you encircle the subject and talk to other people he or she knows for their impressions and memories. do this before you interview the subject. the reason why is that often the subject will often be skewed and limiting per what the angle of the story should be. people on the outside looking in are always more valuable than what the subject thinks. sorry, but it’s true!

5. interview the subject
of course, this is the task that will take the most time and thought. you need to pick the questions that will help produce the details you need for the story. either you can envision the framework of the story as you begin the interview, or you let the questions dictate where the story can go. a good starting point is to ask the subject about moments that he or she will never forget, the motivations behind what he or she does or people who had a profound influence on him or her. make sure to probe for failures and embarrassing moments especially (not matter uncomfortable it may make the subject), explaining that it is through these moments when perhaps the greatest lessons are learned – and where the most interesting aspects of one’s character are formed.

6. bring to life with images
don’t just rely on words when delivering your biography. make sure that you bring in various images from the subject’s history that are telling, or organize a photoshoot to capture images from the moment. a decision i recently made along these lines (though it wasn’t for a biography) was to present an image of me as a young child with my first record player for my facebook profile. the reasons for this were specific and threefold – a) the clothes and haircut pointed to the 1970s when i grew up, b) the record player showed the importance of music in my life from my beginnings and c) my smile (and Mickey Mouse’s from the record player) is authentic and sets the right tone for a social environment like facebook.

7. get feedback
along with not talking to other people who know the subject, this is the other big mistake that writers and self-produced efforts make. how can you know if the story you’ve created is well-written, moving, fitting, etc. if you don’t ask others to read it? don’t let an ego or sensitivity to negative feedback stop you from getting the most important go-ahead you need – the opinion of people who are just like those you need to motivate through the biography. don’t just ask friends either. consider paying someone for a second opinion, or introduce yourself to a group or circle that fits the audience of the biography. i’m dead serious about this one, because you can’t afford to waste first impressions!

over the 15-year arc of my career, i’ve completed nearly 100 premium designs. i’ve partnered with sole proprietor start-ups, non-profits like counterpart, center for community change and habitat for humanity, mid-size companies like bovis lendlease and digitek, and large corporations like pfizer and mitsubishi. while each market has distinct challenges, the basic principles of sound marketing, branding and communications are shared by all.

whether you’re starting a business and this is your first logo, or you’re rebranding an exisiting business, please don’t start the clock ticking without arming yourself with my “8 paths to a stronger logo” tip sheet. if you’d like me to create your logo, then lets’s get started.

here’s the list, in no particular order…

1. k.i.s.s. (keep it simple, stupid)
remember that this is not a romantic landscape painting, or a comic strip – this is a simple mark. you can only communicate so much with it. you’ll want to grab your editorial sword and slash away all of the fat to a brief list of 3-5 core values. only then can you begin the process of embodying these in a visual. notice that I said values – and not something resembling a story.

2. resist the urge to copy
while it’s always a good idea to provide your designer with a sense of your style or a mark that you like that already exists as reference, now is not the time to over-engage in best practices. if you copy your competitor’s branding, then you miss out on the advantages of differentiation. a good example of this would be the swoosh craze in technology brands. with logos, it’s more about fine art than commercial art.

3. use color effectively
this is somewhat of a variation on points 1 and 2 above. you want to limit yourself to a one or two color palette, where possible. in some cases, it’s ok to roll with three or more colors – like with a sports team logo. if your business is more warm than cool in its transactions, then stick with reds, oranges, maybe yellow, etc. if you’re a freezer burn compared to cool, then lean on blues, greens, maybe purple, etc. while it’s fine to portray balance (one warm and one cool color), just be aware that making a commitment to one side of the color spectrum is likely stronger. also, when looking at a shade of a certain color, don’t go with the shade that most competitors use, or that the most prominent competitor features. it’s never bad to call upon the long-term success of a navy blue business, but maybe a slate blue shop convinces customers to feel as though they can switch over to you and get something new or better.

4. consider a tagline
while not appropriate for every organization, it’s often a good practice to feature a tagline with your logo. if you’re a new business, then people may not know what to make of you. a tagline clarifies your main purpose for being. if you’re re-branding, then a tagline can re-frame a customer’s viewpoint of what’s  important to you – or re-affirm a core value that’s been lost, undervalued  or under attack in recent months or years. remember that a tagline should illustrate how you do business – not what your business is. all of your competitors share the same what as you, so to speak. it’s your job to show them how you’re different and how that is better.

5. keep it compact
a logo should be highly compact, or as comnpact as it can be. you will especially appreciate a logo should be highly compact, or as compact as it can be. you will especially appreciate this in merchandising, or when you are placing an ad. a tightly-contained logo makes life much easier for you, vendors and consumers. here’s a tip within a tip – a compact logo often gets blown up bigger on group advertising (ie. event banners). this means greater exposure and increased readability.

6. bring in texture
more than just a current trend, and in keeping with the notion that a logo is more fine art than commercial art, consider bringing some texture into your logo. i’m not talking about busying up a logo, or adding an over-done gradient or special effect. i’m taking about something subtle – like a painterly edge as opposed to a perfectly smooth edge. maybe you add a shine on one edge of the logo and a drop shadow off the back. It’s all in the subtle details here.

7.  make it universal
this tip is focused on the organization’s logo and not a service or initiative brand. you’re going to live with this logo for quite some time. the longer it stays exactly the same (or perhaps takes on small refreshes over the years), the better it will be working for you. make sure the style, colors, themes, etc. are as universal as they can be. we’ve all seen the horribly dated logo that makes us cringe. think about it…a trendy logo (in part) implies here today and gone tomorrow! some markets (ie. major league baseball, for example) can be highly traditional. having an old-school logo can be a good thing here, though it is not often the case. you want the best that longevity can offer.

8. paint it black
i’m not truly calling upon the great rolling stones song here, but reminding that a logo must work in black. it sounds like a simple enough thing until you consider how compelling color can be. in many logos, the color is so bold and essential that it doesn’t work without it. you want to avoid this, where possible. the way to bring some balance to this equation is to evaluate your logo based upon two major factors – color and form. start with a black-only form and only introduce color once the form has been vetted. if the form is weak, then it will only sing in color. if the form is strong, then it will work in both spectrums.

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