What's In A Brand? Anvil Media Can Tell You How!

Anvil Media is a search engine marketing agency specializing in SEO, pay-per-click management, search engine marketing public relations, online reputation management, and social media marketing services. The company president, Kent Lewis, wanted to increase its visibility, cultivate his brand and establish themselves as leaders in their industry.

The way he did this was through LinkedIn. LinkedIn is like Facebook, except mainly for business purposes/connections. Through the power of keywords, seeking introductions from "People You May Know," and recommendations, he increased his brand awareness and the company's visibility tenfold. These are all things that can help any company become a mainstream name, but what are the pros and cons? What value did it add? Furthermore, how can someone else, or can someone else, do the same thing? We will explore all of those questions and more in this essay.

First, to start, connections are critical. Centuries ago, before we had to drive and travel, we were limited to the groups and companies we associated with closely. The people are known as a tribe. When someone does something that breaks the rules of the tribe, they are disconnected from the tribe and sent off into social isolation.

Now, connections are one tap away, and people are more lonely than ever. That feeling is disassociation. It is commonly associated with mental disorders, but it has a long-lasting effect on the general public. The inability to recognize and associate with the people you say are your friends is damaging and will cause long-term loneliness. The same ideas apply to business as well.

When people make quality connections, they are not only more likely to get an interview, but they are more likely to hire. Good relationships are also beneficial for freelancers; if the referral trusts you, you are more likely to get a customer. That is why brand ambassadors are so important nowadays. Making good and quality connections via the people you know can go a long way, both in your career and life.

There are also other people you know who can help you; that is through recommendations. Recommendations are probably something you have not heard of since high school, so here is a refresher. A recommendation is when someone recognizes your talents and wants others to know you are talented. Nevertheless, instead of you saying you are qualified, you have the individual say it for you.

This alleviates bias since the person is a third party but increases trust with the relationship because you have a verifiable record of being talented. In addition, LinkedIn is big on recommendations since many people, including CEOs, look through your profile to prove you are who you say you are and have done on your page. It is like the blue checkmark on Twitter or Instagram.

Now, what if you do not know many people, but you still want to be seen by your community? The answer to that is keywords. These are similar to the adjectives in a sentence; what is the person doing? What color are they wearing? How cold is it outside? The words used to answer those questions are descriptive to the question.

Keywords are illustrative, but they are exact. These can be words like 'Facebook ads manager for a small nonprofit for literacy' or even terms like "Instagram influencer, microblogger, etc." can be used as keywords in your previous/current job descriptions. When people search sites like Indeed and LinkedIn, they use these terms to narrow their search for candidates. Therefore, it is imperative to use words that are industry-specific and general to the public.

Additionally, adding interactive parts to your profile is major. Having to look over thousands of static resumes can be tedious and mundane. This also does not allow for the complete picture of your character to be shown to the world. Adding things like SlideShare and WordPress, among others, can be a massive plus to your brand awareness since people are more likely to stay on your page. They might even recommend you to a friend so that they can enjoy what your profile has to offer.

The last thing LinkedIn users can capitalize on is LinkedIn Answers. This is precisely like any other question/answer site. The user asks questions, community responses, and this gets repeated for decades. However, LinkedIn Answers are different for business ideas, advice on HR, management courses, and more. People come here to ask and to be informed. This is a huge up if you have much knowledge on the subject. Moreover, even if you do not, if something works that is not being said-talk about it! You never know whom that will help in the long run.

In conclusion, Kent Lewis accomplished his goal of being more visible. However, this does not just apply to him; his techniques and ideas are nothing new. The thing is putting it into practice and using it to the best of your advantage.