Designing Your Business 

When you look at how you design your business, what is the first thing that stands out to you? Is it the colors, the vision, the platform, the product. I think that what we all too often we don't think of the full picture when we start to create a business brand. We look to the traditional business model, yet that is a model that has long changed. You can no longer just expect to run a coupon, or place your ad in the yellow pages and get customers to come to your door. People have adapted to using social media, personal testimonials, and their adopted tribe to make decisions about purchases. This is a social world and more and more businesses have adopted the Social Media Business Model because that is the marketing platform that matters. It is why websites are responsive, it's why ads are created square and colorful. It's why innovation is blowing up the variety of products available in the marketplace. So therefore it all matters. The colors, vision, platform and products have to address and engage a social market of customers.

A Social Media Business Model steps from exactly what you love about your business, and then you tie that into something very transparent and authentic. You reach out and help your customer base because you want to, and not because you want to sell something. This is the very important key to building those key relationships in relationship marketing.

Your entire branding process from logo, website, marketing images and products all have to be fully aligned to what you  are trying to be as a business. It must be aligned to who you are as a person. You can't do it just for the money because it will shine through like a dingy penny. No customer wants to buy from someone that doesn't truly love and care about what they offer, and you won't last without that fan base.

You must make your business from the ground up something you love and share it in a way that is aligned to that feeling. Think about some of these games like Candy Crush, which boast beyond 100 million active users per day. How many people do you think saw that coming? Yet they are what the Social Media Business Model really is all about.

Finally, place your customer at the heart of your business. Share values with your customer, and let them know that they matter and that you are on the same team. When customers find a company that shares their values, they will remain loyal to that brand. You must leverage your content to create marketing that reflects that connected lifestyle, interest and the customer's needs. Stay true to your authentic self and you will have no competition.