BrandMag | Issue 9 | January 2018

Online marketing magazine for SMEs

BRANDMAG ISSUE 09 | Q1 2018

CAPE TOWN SMALL BUSINESS TRAVELLER

2018 Digital Trends Feature THIS YEARS BIGGEST TRENDS

Kristen O’Connell RECRUITMENT GENIUS

BEATING THE SYSTEMS & MUCH, MUCH MORE!

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BRANDMAG ISSUE 9 | Q1 2018 EDITORIAL Stacey Kehoe - Editor stacey@brandlective.com Rachel Akiboye- Editorial Assistant rachel@brandlective.com Zenya Smith - Content Editor zenya@brandlective.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Mark Rimmer mark@mrmograph.com

CONTRIBUTORS Alex Obertelli Briony Quinn George Horton Lucy Gordon Rachel Akiboye Vicky Shaw Will Baxter-Hughes Zenya Smith Zoe Risbridger Smith

PHOTOGRAPHERS Kurt Rebry www.kurtrebry.com

ADVERTISING Alex Obertelli - Advert Design alex@brandlective.com If you are interested in advertising in the next edition of BrandMag, please contact us at sales@brandlective.com for more information about our advertising rates.

FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the first edition of BrandMag for 2018. We have evolved our strategy for the magazine and will aim to focus on attracting a fanbase of readers who might never normally consider picking up marketing magazine. We want BrandMag to be for readers who want to know what is happening in digital marketing without getting confused by all the jargon thrown around online.

While as a nation we are advancing in the way we interact with technology, we know that as owners of SMEs it’s not always easy to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing. We are bombarded by updates so regularly that it’s difficult to know what to believe and what to ignore when it comes to evolving digital trends.

We aim to cut through the confusion and give you clear, sensible and reliable information from writers and experts that you can trust.

We want it to be entertaining and informative, at times contrary, but above all useful. In this edition you’ll find fantastic insight on how paid advertising is impacting organic reach on social media, our amazing cover feature of Kristen O’Connell reveals what it takes to grow a global business. And (not to be missed) the BrandMag editorial team reveal predictions for digital in 2018!

One thing is for sure, the digital landscape is constantly evolving and so to quote Steve Maraboli, “Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing…changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant.”

CONTACT BRANDLECTIVE

Happy New Year!

Email: info@brandlective.com Phone: +44 0207-407-2672 Address: 73b Weston Street, London Bridge SE1 3RS

STACEY KEHOE - EDITOR

Disclaimer: The rights and licences for all Shutterstock imagery in this publication have been authorised and obtained.

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A LOOK INSIDE THIS ISSUE !

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SAMINA COURTIN - INTERVIEW Mon Dessert founder, Samina Courtin explains why science and art may not be as unrelated as you think!

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DIGITAL TRENDS We’ve come together to let you know what we think will be trending this year in the digital space for brands.

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ORGANIC REACH

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CAPE TOWN

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE

BEATING THE SYSTEMS

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NEW TREND Boost your engagement with our tips on video content.

SEO UPDATE SEO is an ever-changing horizon, and much like the British summertime, just when you think you’ve planned for all eventualities an unexpected situation arises.

NICHE MARKETING WITH PIOTR RUSINEK The UK property market is worth £6.79 trillion with an annual increase of £491billion, equating to 3.65% of GDP. There are different avenues to explore from property flipping, rentals to buying at auctions so finding the

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KRISTEN O’CONNELL

RECRUITMENT GENUIS TELLS US HOW TO GROW A GLOBAL BUSINESS.

ENTS

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BRANDMAG THREE SIMPLE QUESTIONS

NEW TREND BOOST YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR TIPS ON VIDEO CONTENT

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ideo content marketing isn’t the future of content marketing; it is already here. The statistics don’t lie.

According to MWP, online videos are watched by 55 percent of the world population daily, Wordstream, on the other hand, claims that more than 10 million videos are viewed on Snapchat. Our favourite statistic, however, comes from James McQuivey (a marketing research analyst) who suggests

one minute of video content is worth 1.8 Million Words. Video content is here, and it works, providing a useful engagement tool for companies looking to get their brand out there. We want to help you have a clear idea of how you can use this tool and in turn boost your online profile.

OUR TOP 5 TIPS SECRET VIDEO CONTENT TIPS 1) MAKE THE VIDEO A STORY, NOT A SALE 2) THINK OF A CAPTIVATING FIRST 10 SECONDS 3) TAG EVERYONE IN THE VIDEO WHEN IT IS PUBLISHED 4) EDUCATE LISTENERS AND ESTABLISH YOURSELF AS AN AUTHORITY IN YOUR INDUSTRY. 5) DON’T BE BORING

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

Certain companies fail to understand that while videos have a positive impact on engagement, they need to stand out. The fast-moving nature of today’s generation fosters only video content with true relevance, merit and flexibility to viewers. Social Media is consumed in bite-sized chunks, and recent research suggests people are more inclined to watch videos that are short, vibrant, engaging and including a creative call to action.

In the past year, we have witnessed video rise even further in importance, especially on Facebook. Facebook introduced the Feed Quality Programme in April of last year, which al-tered their posting algorithm in favour of video. Essentially, video now ranks higher regarding impressions per post. If the video content is good, the reach will be far higher than a photo, news or blog update.While this is only one of many platforms, a concentration on video can be seen across the board with Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest all expressing their concen-tration on video since 2014.

WITH THIS IN MIND, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE THREE KEY THINGS YOU SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT WHEN CREATING ENGAGING VIDEO CONTENT Which platform?

Always consider which platform you are broadcasting on. If you are using FB to go live, simply uploading an Instagram story, or showing off something on Snapchat to followers, you should always consider the format and the way people can then interact with that video.

Instagram video posts are used predominantly by product companies to promote their products, and it is likely that videos posted on this platform will require a tremendous amount of production value. On the other hand, bloggers and personalities seem to utilise Snapchat and Instagram stories to great effect and employing their phone camera to communicate their message to their followers. We implore companies to use every platform they can, but individuals must be wary of the kind of video they are creating, how it is optimised for the specific platform and how it will then affect their brand.

Is it relevant?

Being relevant is extremely important. Whether you are a blogger, consumer company or service provider you need to think about who your audience is and how the content you are creating will be relevant to them. Is the video in question on trend and is the material captivating enough to make listeners click through to your website?

A video is only useful if it appeals to those it is placed in front of. We argue that videos should be no longer than 2 minutes and should quickly communicate your companies message consistently throughout. Relevancy is defined by what your audience wants and how you convey a message to them. Never upload a video for the sake of uploading, always look for a purpose.

How will my video stand out?

Finally, consider the aesthetic and how this fits in with your product or service. If you are utilising the video for a product reveal. Do you want an on the ground feel or clean vibe? It is all variable on what you are attempting to market, but a significant question all the same.

All in all, we are confident that once these three points have been considered a good video will follow suit. Working with video is now the primary form through which brands interact with their followers and is proven to be more efficient in generating interest in your brand. Keep things relevant, work out a clear aesthetic and place it on the right platform, you cant go wrong.

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Beating The Systems Is Organic Reach A Thing of The Past?

If you’re a business using social media, you’ve probably noticed that reaching new customers organically, without paying for advertising or boosting posts is becoming increasingly difficult.

The hardest pill to swallow for online marketers is that this decline of organic reach has come about, well…organically, and in many ways, is a product of their own success. This is because as more content is created and shared online, individual posts have less time to make an impact before they are swallowed up by newer, more relevant content.

So, is organic reach a thing of the past? And is there a way of outsmarting the system and raising the traction of your content without paying for the privilege?

Facebook In 2016 organic reach for Facebook pages fell by a staggering 52 percent. Two dominating factors have paved the way for this decline; Firstly, following or liking a page doesn’t automatically mean that a user will then see every update from that page on their newsfeed. In fact, in 2012, it was revealed that on average only 16 percent of ‘fans’ were seeing brand page posts on their news feeds.

Facebook has openly discussed how it ‘filters’ newsfeeds in the past, stating that algorithms are in place to avoid overloading users with more content than they could possibly digest in a day. On average these algorithms filter newsfeeds to contain around 300 posts; these posts are selected according to how often a user interacts with particular people or pages, the popularity of the posts, i.e. how many likes or shares they have received, and whether a user has responded well to similar content in the past.

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The second factor is simply that social media is becoming oversaturated with businesses vying for consumer attention. To counteract this, Facebook has introduced measures to reduce the volume of customer-focused content. The site is now taking steps to limit posts that push products, use advertising language, or which re-hash the same old content on newsfeeds, meaning that if something comes across as an advert, it will lack visibility unless it is upgraded and posted as a paid Facebook Ad. Although these algorithms have been put in place to improve user experience, for SMEs with a limited fan base, it has made it incredibly difficult to reach out to new consumers. However, while it’s unlikely that these businesses will see their posts go viral organically, there are things they can do to boost visibility.

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Keep Up To Date With Algorithms Understanding how algorithms work is critical to outsmarting them. Algorithms rank content from friends and family first, information second, and entertainment third, so content needs to be either informative or entertaining to become visible. Recent algorithm updates also mean that posts with links that load slowly on mobile devices will show less in news feeds, as too will posts that appear ‘spammy’ or intentionally misleading.

Feature Content From Others Many businesses make the mistake of thinking their content should be all about them, and forget that the core purpose of social media platforms is to be social. This means it’s important to share other people’s content. By monitoring your audience, you’ll be able to assess what it is that interests them and what they want to learn. By sharing content from external sources that serve these requirements, you’ll build up a reputation as being a source of knowledge and gain more visibility as a result.

Share The Right Content Increasingly, people are turning to Facebook to learn about current affairs and expand their perspectives, think about how many conversations start with ‘I saw this thing on Facebook...’. When marketing your business and reaching new customers, it is up to you to utilise Facebook’s shifting purpose. There is far more you can do than post photo’s of your products, you can share thought pieces related to your industry, blogs on emerging trends and popular videos. So leave the pretty pictures to Instagram, and focus on meaningful engagement with your audience.

Instagram

Twitter

Much like Twitter, your target audience can find your content when searching for particular hashtags and keywords. This means for maximum visibility you need to ensure you are using a rich selection of hashtags describing your brand, product and industry, as well as what’s in the images you are sharing. Unlike Twitter, however, Instagram recently moved away from displaying a reversechronological feed of posts, to driving the content it believes each user is most interested in to the top of their feeds. Since introducing this new algorithm, Instagram has reported people have been liking, commenting and engaging more with photos.

However, it does mean that your company’s posts may not be seen instantly by everyone following you. This means you will need to experiment with finding the best time to post your photos and invest time into engaging with your audience.

Organic reach works differently on Twitter. Unlike Facebook, your content will show in all your followers feeds and will be visible to anyone who searches for hashtags or keywords you have used.

However, because of the speed at which Twitter moves and content being organised according to time, posts can quickly disappear under the sheer volume of new material being pushed out through the platform. You can overcome this by scheduling important tweets to go live multiple times and using social media management tools such as Sprout Social, which will queue your posts and publish them at peak times when traffic from your target audience is at its peak.

LinkedIn LinkedIn has up until now, displayed content in the order in which its posted. However after the professional networking site recently launched the option to upload video content directly to the site, there has been some talks among users that the site is now prioritising video content in feeds, and rumours that a new algorithm may be on its way. So the key takeaway? Push out your video content across LinkedIn; new algorithm or no new algorithm, there’s nothing to lose!

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KRISTEN O’CONNELL BUILD A GLOBAL BUSINESS BY NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS SUPERLATIVE RECRUITMENT'S FOUNDER TELLS US HOW IT'S DONE As a global entrepreneur who has managed to carve a successful niche market for herself, recruitment aficionado, Kristen O’Connell talks to BrandMag about some of the critical factors that have helped her grow a international business. From the importance of building stable relationships through to finding a range of different mentors, Kristen shares some of her essential tips to help aspiring entrepreneurs so the same.

Having started the firm with a single freelance client in 2010, Superlative Recruitment kick-started 2018 with over 250 clients across 12 countries based entirely on referrals. The firm’s CEO Kristen attributes much of her global success on her decision to nurture her professional relationships.

The company creates job adverts for some of the world’s most exciting and innovative startups in the sales and marketing industry.

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Kristen stated “I loved the people, the support system and most importantly the freedom and opportunity it gave you to make something of yourself.”

Discussing how her relationships with her clients and suppliers helped her start a business with vigour, Kristen explains, “When I decided to move into a recruitment role, overnight, I had ten clients ready and willing touse my services.

Soon enough, Kristen was offered an exciting opportunity within the business, which would see her relocate to a brand new country and city. Ms O’Connell was selected as one of eight people to move to London to help establish the business in the UK. She jumped at the opportunity and moved to the UK, but the new start in a brand new country soon had her reconsidering her personal and professional priorities.

n an industry that is solely based on building rapport with both consumers and clients alike, Kristen has built her reputation on using these connections to create engaging job advertisements.

It was then that I realised how vital relationships were going to be. But it doesn’t stop there once you have these connections.

Maintaining good relationships is vital too. I think, to get the most out of relationships, it’s imperative, to be honest, and transparent. If each party knows what the other wants it will be a more successful relationship.”

Ms O’Connell’s journey to entrepreneurship began straight out of University when she took a job with a small sales and marketing firm in nearby Boston, MA. The role was commission only, and although Kristen was doubtful about her abilities to sell, she was enamoured by the ambitious and supportive professionals that she was surrounded by on a daily basis. It was here that she discovered her love for the sector.

PASSION GETS YOU OUT OF BED WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH AND FUELS YOUR ONGOING DEVELOPMENT WHEN THINGS ARE GOOD.

KRISTEN’S SIX STEPS ON BUILDING A GLOBAL BUSINESS

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1

Take pride in your relationships, personal and professional

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Take the time to build your reputation

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Aim to rectify a problem with a solution

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Recognise the potential scale of the opportunity

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Believe in yourself and listen to your coaches

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Stay connected to your industry

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eflecting on this moment, which she describes as a career epiphany, O’Connell decided that it was time that she paired her unwavering passion for the industry with her desire and natural instinct to nurture and coach professionals. It was then that she discovered that there was a gap in the market for recruitment services. Kristen was delighted to make the connection that the skills she had acquired in the world of sales were also transferable to recruitment. During the session, Kristen’s infectious passion for coaching and mentoring shined through while she recalled her professional experiences. O’Connell believes that this has helped her take Superlative Recruitment across the globe. Kristen said “I believe it’s important for a new entrepreneur to make sure they are passionate about their business venture. Passion gets you out of bed when times are tough and fuels your ongoing development when things are good.”

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO GROW A BUSINESS ALONE; AND IT’S MY PARTNERS, CLIENTS, COACHES, SUPPLIERS, AND MY TEAM THAT HAVE MADE THE JOURNEY SO REWARDING AND WORTHWHILE. THE NUMBER ONE THING I’VE LEARNED IS IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO TRUST YOUR COACHES AS THEY CAN SEE THINGS FROM THE SIDELINES THAT WE CAN’T SEE ON THE PITCH, METAPHORICALLY. WITHOUT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE I’VE MENTIONED, I WOULDN’T BE WHERE I AM TODAY, AND I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.

Having launched in 2010 but becoming fully incorporated in 2015, Superlative Recruitment has helped over 250 clients across 12 countries increase revenue through hiring and training over 100,000 sales representative and recruiters. The firm now boasts 150 active clients. Along with her team, Kristen has lead the company to build on their average year on year increase of 56 percent.

Kristen’s wealth of skills and expertise she has gained dealing with young business owners undoubtedly comes across when she recalls her past professional experiences. She urged aspiring professionals to get out of their comfort zone and to seek out new connections to expand their network. O’Connell said “Last year I realised I was living in a bubble and all my friends and coaches revolved around recruitment and sales, so I took a chance and hired business coaches outside the industry,” stated Ms O’ Connell.

In her closing remarks, Kristen leaves us saying she believes that growing a global business requires substantial relationship building. She said, “I’ve learnt just how vital strong relationships are to the growth of any business, especially when working alongside mentors that I have such high regard for.”

Kristen is now looking forward to building on her existing professional relationships as well as forging new ones outside of the sales and marketing industry. Ms O’Connell now plans to continue building her global business by expanding her services and develop her training and coaching workshops to help new and existing clients.

For more information on Kristen and Superlative Recruitment visit the website at www.superlativerecruitment.com. You can also follow Superlative Recruitment at @Superlative_Rec on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

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A guide to Cape Town: The Business Traveller WORDS BY ALEX OBERTELLI

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outh Africa’s Cape Town is the perfect amalgamation of business and pleasure, blessed with natural beauty to complement its status as a blossoming economic hub.

Widely known for being the home of Table Mountain and a vast array of great wines, if you happen to end up here on business it’s fair to say you’ve lucked out.

The all year, all-weather destination comes wellequipped for business, boasting some of the biggest names in hotels and a variety of opulent restaurants.

We recommend staying at the Commodore Hotel, and entertaining clients at the nearby One and Only on the V&A Waterfront, which offers a fantastic sense of arrival.

Wondering what to get up to off the clock? Cape Town offers a plethora of options for business travellers who have a little bit of extra time for sightseeing. Take in a Western Province rugby match, or head to the water for a shark dive - with so many outdoor activities at your disposal, the only struggle will be choosing what to prioritise.

Getting around Cape Town couldn’t be easier. Like most cities these days, Uber and a variety of other taxi-based apps are your cheapest and most reliable option.

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For further ventures it may well be worth renting a car, which is an inexpensive and popular option.

BrandMag’s Pick: Chapman’s Peak drive!

To catch some sun in between meetings, head to Clifton Beach. To grab lunch on the run, head to Giovanni’s Deliworld. To celebrate closing a deal, head to the Hussar Grill restaurant in Camps Bay.

We recommend hiring a car (or driver) to take you and your associates on a glorious stretch of coastal road that connects Noordhoek and Hout Bay. If you have time, we would suggest extending this to include Cape Point, ticking off another iconic Capetonian landmark in the same motion. Look out for Baboons and Ostriches that are known to lurk roadside making great photo opportunities.

To unwind, head to Hout Bay Manor for a session of spa treatments. To find the best view, hike to the top of Lion’s Head for sunset (remember to bring plenty of water!)

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BRANDMAG

SEO UPDATE

SEO is an ever-changing horizon, and much like the British summertime, just when you think you’ve planned for all eventualities an unexpected situation arises. Best practice in this field is therefore a journey, and it’s our job to map out what and where the most important changes will be in 2018.

1. MOBILE Firstly, this year could be the one in which mobile is finally deployed first ahead of web in terms of importance. 57 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, and keywords rank differently there versus desktop. Therefore, mobile-orientated and optimised content will need to be cultivated this year to improve ranking rather than treating the platform as an afterthought.

2. SNIPPETS Secondly, featured snippets and quick answers were a popular feature of Google searches last year, and look to continue well into 2018 (and beyond).

This means, if not already in place, a strategy should be made for certain content to fall into a ‘Q&A’ format. Thinking about the searcher’s intent has never been more important, as a carefully crafted ‘answer box’ strategy can increase a website’s authority and conversion.

3. WEBSITE LOADING TIMES Thirdly, speed matters. The loading times of web pages significantly impacts how your site ranks in search results. Google expects pages to load in under three seconds. Utilise free resources like Pingdom Website Speed Test to see how your site stacks up, and make tweaks to the UX (user experience) as required.

4. VOICE SEARCH Last but by no means least is voice search. ‘Oh this doesn’t affect me…’ – wrong. Google reports that 55 percent of teens and 40 percent of adults use voice search on a daily basis, and the ratio of voice search is growing faster than type search. What does this mean for your SEO strategy? Well for starters, voice search requires a new research routine for keywords. Voice searchers use normal, full length conversational sentences instead of the odd-sounding query lingo.

WILL YOU BE INVESTING TIME AND MONEY INTO SEO IN 2018? MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE GOOGLE ALGORITHMS THAT WILL AFFECT HOW YOU RANK FOR YOUR DESIRED KEYWORDS

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NICHE MARKETING: ATTRACT A FRENZY OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

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niche is the subsection of a market on which a specific product or service is focused. To own a niche market, you must have a unique product/service. You want to be the only one selling what you’re selling.

Piotr Rusinek, a London based property sourcer and investor; set up Synergy Property Partners four years ago to combat the slow transaction times experienced at auction. To date, the value of transactions Piotr has conducted for both clients and himself is in excess of £12 million.

The UK property market is worth £6.79 trillion with an annual increase of £491billion, equating to 3.65% of GDP. There are different avenues to explore from property flipping, rentals to buying at auctions so finding the right area to specialise in is key.

The market itself is fairly saturated; therefore branching out and finding a niche is more important than ever. Piotr Rusinek has managed to do just that. Having observed many property auctions, Piotr discovered the majority of investors didn’t know how to purchase at auction in the most efficient way. Piotr stated the average transaction time was twelve to eighteen months, but he has mastered cutting the transaction time down dramatically and helps his clients gain fantastic ROI’s “There aren’t many people in the industry that were doing what I do, especially when it comes to purchasing” he said.

“I feel it’s important never to stop improving and adapting your business. Innovation is key particularly in a smaller niche like mine” advised Piotr Rusinek. Through targeting smaller subsections, It will be easier for others to understand what it is you do and for whom.

Helping you become an expert in your field. As the group is more specific, it’s quicker to become well known, subsequent-ly increasing your profile. Furthermore, it becomes easier to attract a better quality of clients to you, as you have built up the trust, credibility, and it is clear what you specialise in.

INNOVATION IS KEY PARTICULARLY IN A SMALLER NICHE LIKE MINE Alongside the work he does at auctions, Piotr also teaches his process at Auction Mastery. He al-so hosts a Youtube Channel called Auction News, “I think it’s important to share information and be an educator. As more people come to you with questions there is a higher chance of them providing business opportunities and you being considered a leader in your field” he added.

The significance of niching can’t be understated; there is always a risk of spreading yourself too thin by targeting mass markets. Niche marketing allows you to focus on specific groups of people, and understand their particular needs. However, it’s worth noting there is a big difference between your niche and target market, your niche is who you work for e.g. property investors. In addition to that, as the pool of people, you’re looking at is smaller, it will make it far easier to identify potential clients and partners.

You can find out more about Piotr and Synergy Property Partners by visiting their website at www.synergy-pp.com. You can also stay up to date with the latest property auction news by subscribing to the YouTube channel Auction News TV.

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SO YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND? THAT’S GREAT. JUST MAKE SURE IT’S AUTHENTIC!

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n Building a personal brand that perfectly balances authenticity and commercial appeal can undoubtedly be described as an advantageous skill. Although the idea of meticulously handcrafting a credible personal brand from scratch can often be overwhelming, it doesn’t have to mean that the process only applies to high profile personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

These figures encapsulate their professional brands and products and have managed to become inseparable from the companies they forged, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same too.

In this article, we will be answering some of the questions entrepreneurs often ask when taking the first steps to building their personal brand. We will also be sharing our advice that will help entrepreneurs build persona that sufficiently represents their

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personality, while also ensuring they stand out from the competition. Before the process of building a personal brand can even begin to get underway, it’s crucial that entrepreneurs genuinely understand why it is essential and how it can help them maximise their potential and earning capabilities.

According to data collected from the digital library service Scribd, 82 percent of buyers trust a brand more when the CEO or senior leader is active on social media.

Also, 77 percent of buyers are more likely to buy from a company whose CEO is active on social media.

This proves the impact and influence a personal touch can have on consumers and can be vital in understanding why consumers respond positively if they affiliate a product or service with a personality.

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TOP THREE BRANDING QUESTIONS ENTREPRENEURS ASK THEMSELVES I know I need to self-promote but find the whole idea of talking about myself uncomfortable. How do I stay authentic but engaging?

The world-renowned personal branding expert Dan Schwabel believes that self-awareness is one of the key factors to building an authentic personal brand. Taking the time to understand your strengths, weaknesses and values can be an invaluable exercise when trying to understand how you can connect with your target market. Writing a list of your missions, what you want your brand to stand for and what you are passionate about are all necessary step when thinking about how you want to see yourself represented.

But dig deep, you’ll be surprised how even your mild idiosyncrasies can appeal and connect with a target audience. This will be the key to unlocking the exact ways you can add value to your industry, and you can have the comfort in knowing that it represents you to your fullest.

How much information is too much to share and how can oversharing affect my brand?

Although it is vital to share relatable and engaging anecdotes on social media and beyond, it is also important to remember that it not only your story that you’re sharing. You may be leaving your friends and family open to some unwanted attention if you share sensitive information that involves them too.

Oversharing when it is not necessary or even relevant can leave receivers feeling confused. By oversharing through your personal brand you may run the risk of only ever disclosing information in a contrived attempt to curry favour or sympathy.

Authentic and relevant information to share can be anything from your past failures, stories on how you decided to become an entrepreneur and any apprehensions you may have had along the way. These relatable, real life experiences all help build rapport and engagement with your clients or consumers.

The key to authentic personal branding is to offer your audience a window into your life, while also maintaining professionalism and protecting your image.

Research conducted by the website Grey Box Creative found that half of the 75 percent of professionals who Google themselves, found that the results portrayed them in a negative light. You do not want your personal brand to fall in that dreaded 37.5 percent.

Ultimately, you will need to be discerning when considering the types of content you want to post and the image you want to portray.

How can I make myself stand out?

As of 2017, Quora reported that there was over 2 billion active websites in the world. From big brands and small business to freelancers and personal brands, consumers have a plethora of options to sift through to find exactly what they need.

In order to stand out from the wide array of options, it is important to seriously consider every single aspect that will make up your personal brand. Your style and appearance, your public speaking skills and your principles and ethics are all factors that consumers judge entrepreneurs on when considering committing to a brand. In this case, you need them to buy into you and your story.

As stated earlier, taking the time out to understand yourself and what you stand for will all help when attempting to carve out your own niche and USP. Perfect this, and you’ll be well on your way to authentically stand out from the crowd.

In today’s fast-paced and demanding society, it has never been more important for entrepreneurs to completely immerse themselves in the needs of their target audience to completely own their niche. Personal brands that stand for something relevant and build positive perceptions tend to have a higher success rate, and by taking the time to think about these questions, you are already one step closer to making your personal brand work wonders for you.

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FROM THE LAB TO THE KITCHEN

SAMINA COURTIN MON DESSERT FOUNDER, SAMINA COURTIN EXPLAINS WHY SCIENCE AND ART MAY NOT BE AS UNRELATED AS YOU THINK! AUTHOR: LUCY GORDON LG: Hi Samina, thank you for joining Brandmag today. How would you introduce your company, Mon Dessert?

SC: Mon Dessert launched in 2015, we have a strong focus on luxury, our primary products are our dessert kits. We help people fall in love with French pâtisserie, and create desserts that they may believe are too tricky to make at home.

LG: Can you tell us establishing Mon Dessert?

about

your

life

before

SC: Throughout school, I always appreciated science, understanding how things work. I am fascinated by space, the universe and how atoms function.

Truly inspiring teachers throughout my education sparked my interest in Chemistry. These teachers inspired me, propelling me to study Chemistry at Reading University. I have always valued both science and art, after graduation I began a career in online advertising and digital media. I then left the world of business to start a family after marrying a Frenchman, the love affair catapulted my interest in French patisserie, and Mon Dessert was born.

LG: Wow, what a transition! What is the link between your scientific education and your current business?

SC: Subconsciously, I think my interest in chemistry inevitably led to my love of baking. I value the measurement aspect of baking; the kitchen is like the lab, without the fumes and the white coat. The importance of being meticulous is essential. You enter a lab to conduct an experiment; you have precise ingredients, a method and equipmentbaking is the same. At Mon Dessert, I have worked with a few interns and I ask them ‘Do you remember your science lessons?’ Baking is a chemical reaction. It is changing something from one form to another. You are creating a different molecule or compounds, and bringing individual elements together, just like Chemistry. Science is mixing colours, and baking macarons is similar to mixing

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solutions; without the maths afterwards. Instead, you get to eat! In other forms of cooking, there is room for artistic flair. During my internship at Raymond Blanc’s restaurant, the pâtisserie section was utterly different to the rest of the kitchen. The central kitchen was boisterous; you had your Gordon Ramsey types, whereas in pâtisserie everyone has their head down. It’s an entirely different vibe.

LG: You’ve had a fascinating transition into the world of French pâtisserie, what advice would you give to someone wishing to begin a new career?

SC: You need passion; you need to love what you do.

Take it with a pinch of sugar, not salt. If you love it, you need to find your niche.

LG: What has been a highlight of your career since the Mon Dessert launch?

SC: We have had tremendous success with retail stockists, Mon Dessert is in Harrods, Fortnum and Masons, Fenwick and other great luxury stores.

On a personal level, our digital footprint is a huge success, we have a really engaged social media following who love what we do and have really bought into our business culture, and the brand is well recognised.

LG: Mon Dessert has seen huge success, what does the future hold for the company?

SC: An expansion of our dessert kits is in the pipeline within the next twelve months. We are also planning an extension of our gift range, with a broader selection of custom baking options.

You can find out more about Samina and purchase from Mon Dessert at www.mondessert.co.uk, and find her macaron kits in luxury stockists such as Harrods, Fortnum & Masons and more.

Follow Mon Dessert at @MonDessert on Twitter and Instagram and Like them on Facebook.

BRANDMAG

BRANDLECTIVE 2018 DIGITAL TRENDS Now that 2018 is in full force, we thought it would be good to take bets on some of the emerging digital trends this year could potentially offer. From augmented reality through to total social media domination, we have put together some of our digital predictions for 2018. Which one do you think is more likely?

Social media marketing will continue to evolve All social media platforms are now looking to grow monetarily, and the way to do it is by having businesses foot the bill. Social media built the platforms that attracted the audience, and in order to advertise to that audience, companies will need to pay. Additionally, if 2017 was the year of live streaming, 2018 is going to be the year it situates itself as a must-have in your content arsenal. Other advancements include Facebook’s launch of the new “Explore Feed”, so perhaps 2018 is also the year company updates don’t appear in the News Feed at all... my prediction being that social media will continue to create opportunities we haven’t even thought of yet.

- Stacey

Augmented Reality will become a key marketing tool Smartphones and mobile devices will continue to implement more powerful technology, and 2018 will be the year AR takes centre stage. I predict brands will open their eyes to the unlimited opportunities for growth while merging reality and the digital realm. Pokémon Go gave us a glimpse of what is possible back in 2016, and I believe this year we will start seeing brands make full use of AR within their marketing strategies

- Will Voice search capabilities will increase Usage of voice search grew by 22% in 2017 according to eMarketer, and it’s catching up to other dominant search interfaces. I believe the key reasons for this is that technology is improving and becoming faster, humans are getting lazier, and (bonus) we can use it while driving. The average person can say about 150 words per minute while typing on mobile maxes out at around 40 per minute. ComScore claims that 50% of searches will be done by voice by 2020, and it’s already creating ripples in SEO and content marketing strategies. No longer will you need to rely on using keywords inside content - instead natural language and intended meaning the behind searcher’s query will take precedent. Watch this space!

- Alex 21

BRANDMAG

Visual content will reign supreme In 2017, 87% of online marketers used video content, and I can see that rising in 2018. People are visual and respond to video content. Video content is becoming the most popular and influential form of digital content for businesses today, and when done right, the impact on business can be tremendous. With the average attention span falling to just eight seconds, marketers have a short window to capture the attention of consumers, so utilizing video content to boost SEO, increase engagement and drive website traffic rates will be prominent this year.

- Briony Influencers will lose their prominence We’re placing our bets on brands changing their strategy in 2018 - moving away from paying highcost, middle-tier influencers who are no longer driving decent returns. Although these types of influencers still do their job at developing awareness, they simply don’t pull in the results that most brands expect with this type of expense. Brands will now pursue alternative marketing strategies by moving to organic grassroots promotion instead.

Social media will be the universal platform for marketing My digital prediction for 2018 will see more heavy reliance on social media as a marketing platform.

As the oldest individuals in the Generation Z age bracket reach 22 years old this year, we can expect to see more substantial development in their second language, social media. I’ll expect to see more growth in live video streaming, individual stories and direct messaging to consumers. I believe that brands will need to move with the younger generations to keep up with demand and ensure they are meeting expectations in a world where instant reviews are available, and unmodified to all who wish to see them. As Generation Z has grown and developed with social media, I am sure it is set to expand rapidly as this age group begin to enter the job market.

- Zoe

- Lucy

Brands will learn how to tap into their online communities I believe 2018 will be the year that brands fully utilise their online communities. Despite having the technology at their fingertips, many brands are still failing to invest in regular communications with customers through social channels, and missing out on sales in the process. Drawing customers in with engaging conversation across social platforms will be a significant player in boosting customer satisfaction and retention in 2018 and will be central to kicking off new customer relationships in a positive and humanistic manner.

- Zenya

Video marketing will generate high returns for brands Facebook recently revealed that 1.65 billion active users are watching about 8 billion videos each day on the social networking site. With visualisation growing in importance and as mobile users tend to spend more time than ever with their smartphones, I predict that high-quality video content is going to become even more popular in 2018. Video marketing generates a more profound attachment due to the use of visually-rich and interactive elements that depict a story. Plus, consumer reactions in the form of likes and shares will expose the video content to a wider audience.

2018 will be the year for virtual reality

- Vicky

I believe that Virtual Reality will take off as one of the emerging methods of providing digital content. Over the past year, we have watched some big brands use this new method to get their followers engaged. Take Jaguar, for example, they released one of their new concept cars completely in VR, allowing those who downloaded the video file to walk around and experience the car more realistically. Further to this, social media leaders Facebook released a demo of their Virtual Reality beta in April last year and are looking to push VR as a method of online engagement. The technology is fresh and set to build excitement, so I am sure this is the year it will take off.

- George 22

BRANDMAG

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