Edan Gelt

In today’s environment, budgets are tight and you have to get the biggest bang out of every dollar spent. Learn how you can be increasing your brand awareness on a budget. You know you have to brand but now is not the time to hire out, you can barely cover payroll.  Don’t lose hope, here are a few simple things you can do without breaking the bank. Why Brand? Let’s start with the basics – the “why”.  The point of branding is to showcase what makes you different from your competitors.  Marketing conveys your unique value and consistency increases the power of your brand. Stick to it Identify your strategy, value and messaging at the get go.  When you waiver and change your position frequently, you waste valuable dollars and lose trust with your target market. Get it right, right away.  That’s not saying you can’t make small changes along the way or as you grow but know who you are and stay the course. Laser Focus Identify who you are trying to reach.  You ca...

There is no doubt about it, 2020 is perhaps the most difficult year any of us has had to face. This year is also challenging for many of the world’s top brands. Top brands are now being forced to rethink their communication strategies. These leading brand strategies are now focused on communicating in trust, taking responsibility, having direct interaction and effectively communicating to consumers all while remaining empathic and positive.  Consumers and business leaders are suffering from unprecedented stress and uncertainties. With the lockdowns and restrictions coming and going and economic uncertainty hanging over everything. In this climate, brands are having to be more sensitive in their communication strategies.  The last thing anyone wants to see right now is an advertisement full of smiling revelers having the holiday of a lifetime. While the rest of us are stuck at home worrying about our health, jobs and when we will get to see families and friends next. Businesses...

Did you know that 90% of consumers research online and rely on review sites before making a purchase? Google reviews make it or break it for your business. We live in a world where everybody Googles everything, and ratings can make or break your business. Just a half star increase in your rating is equivalent to a 9% increase in revenue per Harvard Business Review .  Comparing your business to a book on Amazon:       5-Star or four-and-a-half star books sell well       4-Star books sell occasionally       3.5-Star or below books rarely sell one copy  If your business was a restaurant, Berkley economists found that a half star improvement makes it 30-49% more likely that a restaurant will sell out during peak hours.  Let’s compare the data above to a home seller looking for a lawyer or real estate agent.   Starting at the top of the sales funnel – you send out emails, adve...

Social media plays a huge role in the lives of consumers. It has been estimated that 2.62 billion people worldwide use at least one social media platform and the average time spent amounted to 135 minutes per day. According to Forbes, personal branding is now more important than ever and, if managed effectively, will give you an edge over your competition and allow you to build trust with potential clients. Brand communication is therefore key to creating a solid and trustworthy image.  When starting out you will need to choose a social media platform to broadcast your content and this means knowing your audience and where to find them. For example, if your audience is interested in the beauty industry and loves to watch hair and make-up tutorials then maybe podcasting isn’t for you and it would be best to stick with Instagram or YouTube. Business guru and YouTuber Vanessa Lau advises not to get caught up in "shiny object syndrome", trying to launch your brand across a multi...

In my last blog “Where Video Marketing is the King of Content”, I discussed the importance of creating video marketing to stay relevant online.   While writing this blog series, I also created my own vlog “Minute of Marketing” as a how to DIY guide, sharing insights and examples of marketing initiatives.   Depending on the type of business you own, your goals and the clientele you cater to will determine where you should share your video content. Are your clients business professionals or are they casual customers? What social sites are you most comfortable on, what social sites do they frequent? Do you have a website and social channels set up yet? Regardless of platform, a multi-channel distribution strategy is key – you need to place your media where your customers and prospects are and often they are not all in the same place at the same time.   WEBSITE If you have a website, start posting your videos there.  One “About Us” video isn’t enough – regular...