In Black And White

Is Your Social Media Branded?

Paula Black — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:30:00 -0500

Whether it’s a blog or Twitter page, make sure your presence online is a true extension of the personal brand that you’re working to build. The question this week was: My social media is a [fill in the blank] representation of my personal brand: Great - 20% Good - 40% So-so -...

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Your Personal Brand: Social Media

Paula Black — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:15:00 -0500

Social media has become a major talking point in the realm of marketing and business development. Today, almost every professional has a LinkedIn profile, if not a blog, twitter account and yes, even Facebook page. Whether or not you choose to participate in any of the above, you should know that...

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The 4 Steps To Increase Visibility

Paula Black — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:54:00 -0500

There are 4 simple ways that you can dramatically increase your visibility-- and credibility-- in the circles you want to be known. This week we asked: In the past six months I have: Written an article - 51% Given a speech - 19% Made use of social media - 4% Started a book - 0% Done...

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Your Personal Brand: Increasing Your Visibility

Paula Black — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:33:00 -0500

You can’t have a brand without visibility. It’s rocket fuel for your marketing and business development efforts. We’ve discussed the importance of Google (if you haven’t yet, go Google yourself... you may be surprised what potential clients will see first), but there are...

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Who Do YOU Want To Target?

Paula Black — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:21:00 -0500

You can never be all things to all people. It’s important to recognize your target market and make THEM your focus. This week we asked: My target market: 1. Is abundantly clear - 53% 2. Is somewhat clear - 47% 3. Is not clear to me at all - 0% My Thoughts: It’s great that...

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Your Personal Brand: Narrowing Your Market

Paula Black — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:32:00 -0500

Strong branding REQUIRES that you have a clear target market. In other words: any group, or individual (for that matter) that you need in order to succeed. Your homework for the week: Sit down and think about who YOU want to gain business from. It could be fortune 500's, financial...

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What Do You Stand For?

Paula Black — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:50:00 -0500

From Martha Stewart to Alan Dershowitz, all successful marketers need a verbal identity to illustrate what they stand for and how they stand apart. The question this week was: I can verbalize what sets me apart: 1. In one sentence - 0% 2. In one paragraph - 0% 3. In a somewhat rambling way -...

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Your Personal Brand: The VERBAL identity

Paula Black — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:18:00 -0500

This week we need to address the second step in defining your personal brand. The verbal identity. You’re not just a lawyer… you’re a specialist. It may be in criminal law, real estate law or immigration. How can you own a slice of your specialty? This is the time to verbalize...

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What's your trademark?

Paula Black — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:36:00 -0500

Whether it’s bow ties, a bald head or a signature pin, never underestimate the power of your visual identity… it can make you memorable. This week we asked: I have a clear visual identity or trademark… Yes 0% No 50% Maybe 50% My...

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Your Personal Brand: The VISUAL Package

Paula Black — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:27:00 -0500

Research shows that it only takes two seconds for people to develop a strong first impression. Smart? Likeable? Trustworthy? And it’s all based on the visual. YOUR visual identity, your package, your trademark. Just like a trademark Tiffany-blue box or the bright red of a Coke can… you...

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YOUR PERSONAL BRAND: What we can learn from celebrities...

Paula Black — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:41:00 -0500

*Special Friday Post While we’ve just begun our discussion on creating a personal brand, the ideas behind it have been around a long time. The best and most creative personal brand examples? Celebrities! I recently caught this segment on personal branding on The Today Show and wanted to...

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The 4 Steps To A Personal Brand

Paula Black — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:25:00 -0500

How do you create a personal brand? You make a commitment to do something every single day. This week we asked: My personal brand is... Crystal clear to me. 0% Somewhat clear to me. 8% Needs some work. 90% I haven’t thought about it. 2% My...

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Your Personal Brand: What is it and why do I need one?

Paula Black — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:26:00 -0500

We’ve spent the past few weeks looking at your firm brand. What it is, how it’s conveyed and what it means. Now I’d like to move on to another branding topic: your personal brand. We all know it’s not enough to simply do a great job anymore… you need a competitive...

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Are You Making the Most of Your Website Content?

Paula Black — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:16:00 -0500

Forget the bells and whistles... your website needs to reinforce your brand, your message and your points of differentiation via powerful, compelling content. This week we asked: When visitors come to our firm website they can recognize our points of differentiation... 1. Instantly. 13% 2....

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Your Brand: The Question of Content.

Paula Black — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:37:00 -0500

Last week we took a look at five important marketing materials. This week I want to discuss one in depth. Your website. These days nearly everyone has a website. Unfortunately, not everyone has a truly business development-driven website. Forget for a moment the possibilities of technology...we...

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Do Your Materials Reflect Your Brand?

Paula Black — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:43:00 -0500

By regularly reevaluating even the simplest of marketing tools, you will make it easier to continually present a current visual representation of your firm. This week we asked: When was the last time you evaluated your marketing materials? 1. ... within the last 6 months. 15% 2. ... within the...

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Your Brand: 5 Marketing Materials You Need To Look At Today

Paula Black — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:00:00 -0500

Law firm marketing materials can encompass everything from business cards to brochures to websites and are often one of the most overlooked aspects in day-to-day law firm marketing. In my mind there are five major materials you need to evaluate: your website, your brochure, your business cards,...

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Make Sure Your Name Is Memorable!

Paula Black — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:00:00 -0500

A firm name is a sensitive subject, but ultimately your first opportunity to create a lasting impression. This week we asked: How many partner names are in your logo? 1. One name - 17% 2. Two names - 32% 3. Three names - 15% 4. Four or more names - 36% My Thoughts: Kudos...

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Your Brand: The Name Game

Paula Black — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:56:23 -0500

The cornerstone of your brand is your firm name. If you don't have name recognition... what do you have? Is yours memorable or is it a mouthful? Is your receptionist the only one that gets it all out, and it's so fast that no one really understands what she said? Over the next day try this test:...

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Your Brand Is Your Business

Paula Black — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:54:45 -0500

Repetition! Repitition! Repitition! This week we asked: Are you protecting your brand? 1. Lent our firm name to a project/event that did not further our brand. 16% 2. Drawn business in via synergistic and brand appropriate partnerships. 5% 3. Had multiple logos/colors/fonts on firm materials....

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