ARE YOU BORING?

Boring is probably the worst insult you can get. I think most people would rather be mean or rude than boring. Boring means nobody cares to think of you because there's not much to think.

So why do so many businesses settle for being boring? 

Here are three common things businesses do that make them boring and bland, and what to do instead if you want to titillate your audience

1. Use superlatives

Unless a reputable source said it’s so (and you can cite them), saying you are The Best at anything is pretty lame. How do we know you’re the best-- because you said so? Of course you’re going to say that, you’ve got a pretty obvious agenda.

INSTEAD, TRY THIS:
Give some specifics. Whether it’s Geiko saying they will save you 10% or more on car insurance (instead of saying they are “the cheapest”), or Dominos saying they will deliver your pizza in 30 minutes or less or it’s free (instead of saying they have fast delivery), Specifics are more believable and will go much farther than some generic claim with nothing to back it up or compare it to.

You can also say something entirely different and badass- but that’s a different article.

2. Write too many words

Unless we are sitting down to read a book we actually want to read, we don’t want to read. So if you can’t sum up your point in a few sentences or less, don’t bother writing it.

And break up your points with paragraphs.

And use headlines.

Because they are easier to read, and lots of words are boring.

3. Talk about yourself

It’s hard not to talk about ourselves, after all we are the inspiration and the reason for our business' existence. Maybe compare it to being ones child, an extension of ourselves. We are the center of our own universes, and it’s a habit that’s hard to shake.

So it’s no wonder that everyone has their bio, their story, and their history all over their website. It’s the story we know, and it feels important.

But you know what is interesting and important to me, the customer? What you’re going to do for me. How looking at your website, or learning about your company, is going to benefit me.

Us customers are not just self-centered a-holes, and it's not as cold and sad as it sounds. It’s actually quite wonderful! It’s the reason businesses exist: to create and give value to others. It’s a noble cause that comes with a perk of being able to support yourself monetarily.

So do us a solid and talk more about the value you created for us, and how it’s going to help us, and stop telling us about your hobbies and pets and how long you’ve been in business (I don’t want the oldest company, I want the most effective company for solving my problem.)

Your customers, and your bank account, will thank you handsomely.

THE GOOGLE APOCALYPSE: IS YOUR WEBSITE GOING TO BECOME EXTINCT?

Since April 21st, 2015, Google started taking mobile-friendliness into account when ranking website, and this change promises to have profound and widespread impact on the web and how we search.

This means if you don't have a responsive website, (meaning the website adapts to the screen size on which the viewer is looking, readjusting images and text so you can just scroll down to find information instead of zoom in) you are a dinosaur according to Google.

Why are they doing this to us?! You might ask.

Google dominates the search engine space because it's so damn good at adjusting its algorithm so that you almost always find exactly what you're looking for. Since more than 50% of web cruising occurs on mobile or tablet devices, and looking at your dinosaur website on a phone sucks, Google is ready to tell you you need to shape up or ship out. 

Responsive websites have been around for a few years now, so we don't want to hear your sob story. But we understand life gets in the way, you been meaning to redesign your site and make it mobile friendly and you just haven't had the chance.

Well, Google is giving you a great reason to now.

Now we know, starting a new website project feels like a big undertaking. You aren't looking forward to spending the next 3-6 months going back and forth with a designer, and then a programer, to get this thing up.

What if you could have it soon? I mean, IMMEDIATELY? That's why we invented the Brandup. It's a 1, 2 or 3 day intensive where we design and build your brand and entire responsive website so you can get back to business. Read about it here.

If you need to solve this problem soon and you don't want to waste 6 months doing it, schedule a call and see if a Brandup is right for you. If you know you're ready, you can take the first step and schedule a Brandshrink to get started.

HOW MUCH DOES MARKETING COST?

ASK YOURSELF:

If you knew that for every dollar you spent on marketing you would get two dollars back, how much would you spend on that campaign?

EHHHHH!! wrong answer.

You would spend a BAGILLION DOLLARS!!

You’d spend everything you could get your hands on! You'd mortgage your house, your car and your kids! (Stolen from a presentation by Joe from Ajax Union-- thanks for your wisdome Joe!)

And yet, you aren't mortgaging your kids, now are you. Why not?
Because how much you should spend also depends on 2 things:

1. How much you want to make

2. If you “believe” in marketing
    

If you don't spend a lot on marketing, then you either don't want any more money, or you don’t believe it works.

It makes sense to not believe in "marketing", because it often doesn’t work. "Throw shit at the wall" marketing is where you spend money on random actions, like a mailer or a random newsletters, but have no clear goal or way of tracking it. Then, if you aren't magically wealthy after, you stop marketing completely and decide marketing doesn’t work.
 

Spend money to make money

The other kind of marketing, marketing that turns $1 into $2 (or $4, or $10) requires you to spend money and not get any in return at first (gasp!) and to keep going anyway (Badass). There are infinite ways to market, and every business is going to benefit from a particular recipe of ingredients. Like a cake without enough sugar and too many eggs, it won't taste good if you don't find the right mix for your business.

Social media might work great for Mommy & Me Yoga but horribly for Joe Schmo the Insurance Salesman

Joe Schmo might benefit more from networking meetings, but Ms. Peabody with her new cosmetic product won't see any return networking. You can make some educated guesses, but until you test and track, and test and track, again and again, you won’t know.

Once you test and track, you will find out there is a magic formula for your business that will multiply your marketing dollars.

If you invest the time and money into finding out where you make not just a decent profit, but the highest return, then you can start shoving as much money as you can in that direction and feel confident about the dollars you will get back. And when you commit and support this ecosystem overtime, the benefits will grow exponentially.

But you must invest money and time to find that magic recipe.
 

Further Benefits

If you find that magic number for dollars in and dollars out, then the sky is the limit. You have a slinky that you can expand and contract as you wish based on the amount of money you want to make and the lifestyle you want to lead. And that information, the knowledge of what marketing actions can turn x into 10x, greatly increases the value of your business to potential buyers, should you ever decide to sell your business and go live on a beach somewhere.

But first you have to have something special to sell. Read how we built a brand that sold itself in Ch 1 of Badass Your Brand:

5 REASONS LISTS WORK

Articles and newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your network, but how do you get people to read them? Try writing in list format, it's easier than it sounds and makes a world of difference. Here's why:

1. We've Got Shrinking Attention Spans

Many of us have an obsessive need to check our phone and email constantly, and the distractions online make is difficult for us to focus sometimes. Feels like we've all got ADD! When there's a list, at least we know we'll get the basics even if we get distracted before we finish the article.
 

2. We Want Easy Answers

Who doesn't? Sometimes the only way to attack a difficult challenge is to make a list of simple steps, and likewise when we are faced with a challenge, we find it comforting to see that there are really only X number of things we need to think about to fix it. Breaking it down so it's easier to digest is a sure way to get people reading.

3. Lists Immediately Tell the Reader How Long The Commitment is Going to Be

Ever notice when you're taking a survey that they usually let you know the page you are on and how many pages there are total? This practice is common across many forms of communication from websites to books. That's because it's been proven that when one doesn't know how long a process is going to take, we bail sooner and out of frustration. If you want someone to finish a survey, or look through a slideshow, or read through an article, letting them know at the beginning how long it's going to be actually encourages them to stay to the end.

4. We Don't Read Linearly Anymore

At least, not online. Our eye scans and jumps around to get the gist before we commit. Studies show that the way an email is read is as follows: 

1) Read the subject, decide it's worth opening.
2) Read the intro line, decide it's worth moving forward
3) scan the headlines (or list titles, in this example), see if you want more info
4) read the paragraphs of the headlines that intrigue you
5) Maybe read the conclusion (step 4 might be eliminated for the super-time crunched)

So if you want to get a point across, make the bolded headlines the most important points.
 

5. Easier to remember

We've got information overload, so a list is a great way to have the main points stick in your head. It's valuable to actually read the information about each topic, but the topic itself will help you recall that information more quickly.
 

Conclusion

Want people to read your carefully crafted article chock-full of valuable information? Try breaking your points into list form, at least once in awhile. More people will open it purely out of curiosity to see what your believe those 5 most important blah blah blahs are. (You clicked on this one didn't you?)

3 NEW WAYS TO BUILD AN AUTHENTIC BRAND

A lot of companies talk about being authentic because we all gravitate to organizations that feel honest; it’s refreshing and builds trust. But today the guy who says “trust me, we're honest” has the opposite of the intended affect.

Being Real Isn't as Easy as it Sounds

In branding, authenticity is defined as delivering on your brand promise. Say what you are, and relentlessly back it up. Of course you must have a brand promise to begin with, which means standing for something in everything that you do. It's actually the opposite of being exactly who you are, because if you show all the different aspects of your company, you will confuse your customers who won't understand what you "authentically" stand for. As a person, you're complex and hard to define simply and quickly, but your brand message should not be.

 

3 Obvious/Not Obvious Ways to be Authentic

1. Don't Say You're Honest, BE Honest

Not because you are dishonest, but because everyone says they are honest (and nobody says they are dishonest). This white-washed message carries little weight in the eye of the consumer. To be authentic, you must instead demonstrate your honesty through the actions and behavior of your brand. Don’t say anything you aren’t 100% confident you can back up.

EXAMPLE: JetBlue

"You Above All"

All airlines say they are about the customers, but JetBlue does an amazing job of making all of their company decisions in line with their brand promise. Fewer rows in each plane for more legroom, first bag checked for free, unlimited free snacks and Direct TV. This is a brand that you really believe puts “you above all” and the success of their company is not unrelated to their badass authenticity.

Those authentic actions become stories told to friends, increasing the people in your sales pipeline over time. Conversely, not fulfilling your brand promise through actions makes that an even more fun story to share, and not in your favor. And that means lasting damage to your image and business.

2. Owning a Negative Has Just as Much Potential

Since everyone says they have great customer service, their product is the best, yadda yadda... these messages can start to feel trite and, at times, even dishonest. 

In the last few years, Dominos has been playing up their less-than-gourmet pizza in an ad campaign, inviting, and then showing off, all the brutal criticisms. This vulnerability and honesty about their product worked, the campaign (and new recipe) catapulted the chain’s stock price from $12 per share to more than $75 in 4 years.

Being authentic in this way very badass. It takes guts to show your flaws and being unapologetic about what it is your company really cares about and what it doesn't care about, which are equally important. This approach to branding inherently makes your business stand out as different in the face of a sea of corporate jargon and bland sameness. Keep it up and don't fall into the vacuum of status quo; that continued effort will build your authenticity over time.

3. Terrible Situations Are Your Chance To Be “Authentic”

You don’t have to be perfect, quite the opposite! When hiccups do happen (and they do for everyone), look at it as an opportunity to flex those muscles and show customers those benefits you have been selling. By handling the situation in line with your brand promises, you'll get everyone raving about your great customer service before you have a chance to brag about yourself (*note: bragging sucks, other people bragging about you is delicious)

Conclusion

Authenticity is built by how a company acts everyday with every client interaction, not by saying it's so. Be it a luxury company whose touch points are always dressed to the nines, or a service company who always responds to email within 30 minutes (even if just to say you will get back to your customer with an answer shortly). Being yourself, or "authentic", takes direction, planning, and consistent effort.

DON'T BE RALPH LAUREN, BE RALPH LIFSHITZ

"RALPH LAUREN, APPLE, NIKE AND STARBUCKS"

Almost every business that walks into our studio mentions how they aspire to be a brand much like the 4 listed above. We always appreciate our client's ambitious branding goals, but take the time to remind them that these companies did not become universally loved by selling to everyone when they started. 

Instead, they started by selling a very specific product and idea to a very specific group of people and, more importantly, that product or idea was something bold and different: Badass.

If you really want to own a brand like Ralph Lauren, then don't be like Ralph Lauren.

HOW DID THEY DO THAT?!

RALPH LAUREN

Most people aspiring to have a brand like Ralph Lauren's don’t know that he started out as Ralph Lifshitz selling ties out of the back of his car. His angle? He wanted to allow men to make a statement with their ties. And unlike the skinny plain ties of the time, Ralph Lauren’s wide ties were colorful and made of luxurious materials. Being bold and different lead to being recognized and remembered, the foundation of a badass brand.

APPLE

Apple had decades of almost going bankrupt. It’s rise to Brand Superstardom came after almost 30 years in the business, staying true to their mission to simplify the complex so that everyone will be part of the future with computers. They dug in as the more intuitive, creative computer choice, which feels obvious now but was a bold, risky stance to take at the time. Apple's current success eclipses how difficult it is to take a stand as something different or other, but illustrates how big the payoff can be.

NIKE & STARBUCKS

Nike was known as Blue Ribbon Sports for the first 7 years of business, and only sold running shoes for more than 2 decades, and Starbucks sold coffee beans for their first 10 years in business.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO ME?

When starting or rebranding a new company, don't look at the biggest, oldest, most successful brands as they are today as your model. When you look at how they started and what they did to become the recognized, global brand, you will find lots of boldness and badassery.

These companies all started with a simple badass mission and narrow focus rife with game changing vision.
 

HOW DO I FIND MY BOLD BADASS SAUCINESS?

Do you want to own something that people will remember? Are you ready to think about WHY people will think about you above all others? Think about a Brand Shrink to get some insights into what makes your company Badass.

WHY MARKETING WITHOUT BRANDING WILL LOSE YOU MONEY EVERY TIME

When your brand is bland, your marketing dollars are like The Little Engine That Could - gone terribly wrong. You'll just keep chanting I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can indefinitely, never really able to push the train over the mountain!

Badass Branding saves a "cookie" in your customer's mind. 

Have you ever gone to a website, and then realize that ads for that company keep popping up on other websites you visit after? It's a kind of online marketing called retargeting where the website downloads a "cookie" on your browser that follows you around, reminding you (a prospect) about the product/service you looked at. When you have a badass brand that is noticeable and memorable, it downloads a cookie into your prospect's head. 

 

Try It For Yourself

Think about the last time you saw something really cool, something that really stood out to you as interesting and different. Did you think about it afterward? Maybe take a second look later? Possibly share it with someone who also might be interested?

What if everyone that encountered YOUR business had that experience?
Would your business benefit? 
 

The Blind Spot

It is enticing to want to spend every dollar you can on marketing your business and bypass the brand, particularly if you think a brand is just a "nice to have." After all, you want to increase sales, and marketing seems like the most direct way to sell to consumers.

But being short-sighted is not good for business. Marketing will make a sale today, but the brand is what sells today, tomorrow, next quarter, next year, 5 years from now...

Would you rather your marketing dollars pay for sales today? Or sales today and forever moving forward?
 

Marketing Without A Badass Brand Makes For a Steep Uphill Climb

We all invest money in our companies because we want to increase sales, but it's important to understand the role each plays in the sales process.

Marketing: How people find you

Branding: WHY people buy

Sales from Marketing: The way anyone becomes aware of what you're selling. You can't buy something you don't know about.

Sales from Branding: The reason someone buys from you instead of the next guy, and buys in the future, too. If your brand sticks out in my mind, I will remember you and come back when I am ready to buy, or ready to buy more.

Branding without marketing will make you the best kept secret, but some people will still find you. Marketing without branding, on the other hand, will burn out your engine and your capital. 

It's not that you you won't have to pay for marketing when your brand is badass, quite the opposite. Once you have a brand that supercharges your marketing efforts, the ROI will be so damn good you'll be happy to invest more into it. 

Instead of pushing your train uphill forever, investing in your brand will take all the potential energy you've built up with your business and turn it into sales for years to come.

WHY YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT YOU WANTED

MODERN. PROFESSIONAL. CLEAN. SOPHISTICATED. COOL. 

Everyone wants their brand to be at least a couple of these things. But what does Modern, Sophisticated, Professional, Clean + Cool look like? 
 

PROBLEM: 

Words often only give the illusion of communication and understanding; we all think we know what "modern" looks like, but we all think something different. 

Two very different examples of "modern"

SOLUTION:

Mood boards get the client and the designer on the same page.

The mood board gives us a chance to understand, for example, whether or not our definition of “modern” matches up with their definition of “modern" (see example above.)

They create a foundation of understanding by agreeing on the definition of the most crucial sentiments that will inspire the creative work. Without such agreement, it's likely a designer and a client will have different ideas of where the project is headed, leading to the client feeling like they didn't get what they paid for.

And it’s why, time and again, our clients tell us our first round of brand concepts is spot on. Here are 4 examples of mood boards designed for our clients, ALL of which can be considered modern and sophisticated. However, each contains its own distinct imagery and style that represents the values and personality of each individual brand.
 

This brand is futuristic and aggressive with an emphasis on mobile devices since it is an app.

This brand is more artisan, with a handcrafted feel and imagery to match since it is for a specialty food product. 

This is a colorful, friendly and community-based board for a upbeat company that provides services for non-profit organizations

This board is elegant and minimalist, but with natural texture for a jewelry brand that uses uncut stones. 

You can also check out the approved mood boards at the beginning of these 1st round brand presentations, and then see the brand concepts that followed. As you can see, mood boards are crucial to getting on the same page with your design firm to ensure you are happy with the results!

FREE LOGOS!

Did you know that Squarespace has a logo generator that offers free logos to anyone with a site? ($10 for none SQSP users). This and other cheap logo alternatives, like fiverr or logo contests like this one, has outraged lots of people in the design world. 

We think it's great! 

For the right people, this is an awesome tool and we think you should share it around. Better to use the SQSP generator (and copy their business card mock ups) than make it yourself. The built-in constraints will make it cleaner than what a non-designer would make on their own.

Doesn't this undercut the value of Worstofall Design's work?

Of course not! Here are 4 reasons why this platform is not only awesome, but should be saluted by everyone in the small business, design and branding world.

Cause we're in Brooklyn, so we're probably all perfecting our mustaches

1. IT WILL INSPIRE MORE BADASS DESIGN WORK, IN GENERAL

Photoshop has made some things very simple for those who know how to use it. This means the design world has a low barrier to entry since anyone with Adobe Creative Suite can open up shop and call themselves a design, or even a branding, company.

This logo generator makes clean design even more accessible to people who don't even know photoshop.

But these tools ultimately weed out the designers who don't necessarily have value to add. It means that designers need to up their game to compete, and that should inspire higher and higher quality work. These programs push creatives to be creative again, and it's being fought because true creativity requires thought, and it's hard. Designers: don't fight it, embrace it like any real creative would and make something new.

2. IT WILL MAKE BADASS DESIGN WORK STAND OUT THAT MUCH MORE

If you go on SQSP and pick a font and logo for your company, you will quickly see why those decisions require expert eyes. Once you see how difficult it is to make something new, it will make you appreciate the value and price tag for hiring professionals. Similarly, if one goes through that exercise and doesn't end up seeing that value, but rather thinks 'why would I pay thousands of dollars for a logo when I got this one for free?!'  then this service if perfect for you.

Cause we're dreamy?

3. TIME IS MONEY AND THIS MAKES THE SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENT

Since everyone starting a business needs a logo, but many don't have a budget for it, there is much time wasted with designers and start-up owners trying to agree on terms. In the end, nobody wins, time is wasted, and it's terribly inefficient. 

Better that those without a budget don't bother those trying to make a living, so that time spent applying, and negotiating terms for, a design project are closer to making a deal from the beginning. This will actually increase the value of design by better matching supply with demand and freeing up both parties with more time creating and less time being mis-matched.

4. IT'S CAPITALISM WORKING FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE

Why shouldn't people with no money be able to start a business? Take that starter logo and do your worst with it (and you know we mean that in the best possible way) work your tail off, sell and save, and when you're ready to take that company to higher places and have the budget to do it then you can invest. It's nearly impossible to open a business with a badass, differentiated brand unless you have big money to invest, so this makes it easier. All hail capitalism!

Worstofall <3's Bacon

In short, this is a great tool to promote starting businesses, and only helps to promote the value of expert design & branding. Squarespace does it again!

PHOTOS: A simple way to strengthen your brand

Don’t know what to post? Here’s an easy way to strengthen your brand AND make social media posting easier

The more you can infuse a consistent message, voice and look into everything your company puts out in public, the stronger your brand will be. That means each aspect of your touch points is up for grabs. Photography can be an easy way to strengthen your brand, simply by being aware of it.  Here are 3 ways to use photos to strengthen your brand. 

1) WATERMARK

People love photos, they’re an easy way to experience a story without much thought. They can also be an easy way to get your brand in front of clients over and over without being invasive. When you host an event, for example, posting the photos afterward gives a reason for people to experience the event again and think about what a great time they had! In Worstofall’s experience, the newsletters with event photos by far get the highest open and click rate- because people are either dying to see photos of themselves and they also want to make sure they look good.

So make sure your logo is on all the photos as this will subconsciously strengthen the viewer’s association with your brand and relate it to either a) the great time they had at the event or b) a great event they missed but will want to attend again. Photos from events also get shared across many social media outlets so friends of attendees will see them too, so there are exponential opportunities for visibility. And you’ll want those  to know those photos are from your brands badass event!

WARNING: Watermarks can easily look cheap. Get a second opinion before you move forth with your watermark. Generally anything that’s in the center of the photo or in a large decorative font is something to avoid as it can often be distracting or tacky.

2) STYLE

If your brand looks good under the instagram filter, try to pick a couple filters you like and stay away from the rest. Too much variation feels all over the place. Filters, on the other hand, are a great way to help an amature photographer show consistency. So if you are a weight loss coach, and you are constantly sharing photos of your meals and of your trainees at the gym, think about using one filter for all the food photos, and another for all the gym photos. Over time, your followers will associate gym photos with a sepia tone (for example) and meal photos with a white border with your brand.

3) SUBJECT MATTER

Particularly on social media, there is a tendency to want to share everything because you are looking for things to post. But if you’re a construction company, just because your operation’s manager had a birthday doesn’t mean you should post a pic of the office party on facebook. On the other hand, if your brand is all about how your company is a big happy family, then you should post that photo and many more like it on a consistent basis.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so make them count!