Secrets of On-Line Branding, Part 3

Continuing with Merideth Levensen’s article, point number three is:

3. Adopting a copycat or generic brand: Don’t copy other people’s buzzwords. Originality is key.

Based upon other statements Merideth makes, it would be easy to miss her point that “Originality is key.”  I agree.

However, I want to focus on another mistake that people make – that a brand is merely a buzzword. Branding is much, much, much, more than what is really a “tag line” or “Value Proposition.”  Since I cover Value Propositions in my books and in much more detail in my seminars, I won’t bore you with the details except to say that this is the number one communication tool in networking!

The simplest example is my describing myself as the “Chief Job Doctor.” It accomplishes my purpose of communicating what I do, my value, is memorable, and raises an unspoken question that allows the start of a communication process. Is it totally unique? No. There are a few “job doctors” on the internet but no one who does exactly what we do and has the background that we have.

What is your unique value proposition?