August 2020 – ilio Consulting

Cloud Computing versus Cloud Storage

Cloud computing provides various IT services in the form of application to the end-user via the internet. Cloud technology is defined as a set of networks, hardware, services, interface and storage that are combined to deliver all aspects of cloud services. Some of the cloud services include infrastructure, delivery of software and virtual storage. Below we will look at the difference between cloud computing and cloud storage.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing entails the sharing of software with different computers over the network. That means the software does not necessarily need to be stored on the local machine. A good example is when a computer user wants to write a report but he has not installed Microsoft Word. The user can purchase Microsoft Word service through cloud computing from another computer on the network.

Cloud computing is comprised of four characteristics that include elasticity and being able to scale up and down, application programming interfaces, automatic de-provisioning and self-service provisioning, and finally the ability to offer metering and billing of service usage.

Cloud computing services have become popular because they are convenient and affordable. With cloud computing, you will be able to keep your contacts, email and calendar. This will also allow you to view your content, edit and share with other devices that you’re using.

Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 are both cloud computing services that allows the user to view, edit, create and collaborate any office style documents including spreadsheets, presentations and word processor docs.

Cloud Storage

It’s hard to predict when and where the disaster will strike, but you can now store your data in the cloud through a storage management service. This data storage service will ensure that your files are safely stored and they can be retrieved anytime.

Cloud storage can provide unlimited storage at a flat rate fee. This means that the user can store a large number of files since the service will not cap his limit. Cloud storage provides some useful features that make it possible to share and upload files in an easy and convenient way. The service will provide offline syncing, folder sharing and file versioning.

With online storage, you will have an opportunity to store digital files and access your data from various devices such as mobile devices and multiple computers. Cloud storage is a powerful service but simple enough for most customer to use. This online storage is supplemented with support and help options. Direct customer support is offered via email, live chat and telephone.

Cloud computing technology can be used in different forms that include private clouds, public clouds and hybrid clouds. This technology can change the way businesses apply technology to serve clients, suppliers and partners. Cloud technology can eliminate many constraints that are common with a traditional computing environment, such as space, power, time and cost.

Six Basic Steps for Successful Brand Building

The Importance of Branding

Branding – a brand does more than just identify your company and products. It establish the values of your company and communicates your unique selling points. While large companies sometimes spend millions on branding, many small business panic at the very thought of branding because they simply do not have the budget.

This article is written to help you get started in building a successful brand without the large budget.

We often receive questions related to the most important things to consider when building a brand, and though it sounds like a simple question it could lead to complex answers. However, there are some basic steps important to consider.

1. Know Your Target Audience and Market

Knowing your target audience and market as early as possible in the process is very important when building a brand. You need to have a clear idea of who will buy your products and who will use your services. You need to know their age group, economic status, social background, likes and dislikes. There are many ways you can get to know your target audience. Perhaps you can carry out a survey or use google analytics and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Or better still if you have the budget, hire experts on data analytics to do the research for you. You need to know who you talk, it is crucial when building your brand and corporate identity.

2. Set a Brand Mission Statement

When you know your target audience and where to market your business, your next step should be to decide on your brand mission statement. A brand mission statement simply reflects what the company stands for, what you provide and what makes you unique. It communicates how you want your customers to perceive your company, your core values, vision and objectives. Everything about your business, from your logo to your personality, should be reflected in your brand mission statement. For instance, Nike’s mission statement “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world” is reflected in almost all their activities. To build a successful brand, you need to do the same for your company.

3. Create a Great Logo & Tagline

Your business logo plays an important role in your corporate identity and is key to establish brand recognition. It is an important piece of the puzzle when building trust and striving for customer loyalty. Your tagline is equally important and a good tagline should be short and precise so that it is easy to remember. We could elaborate on the importance of this topic for hours but will leave it at this for now. Since we are planning to publish a full article covering only this topic, to ensure you are fully equipped with necessary knowledge when designing your brand logo.

4. Research Other Brands Within Your Niche

Study your competitors, you need to know your rival’s strengths, weakness, threats, and opportunities. You need to know what makes your target customers use their products and services. However, don’t imitate them if you want your brand to be successful. Instead, make sure your products and services speaks the words on their own by being far better, more efficient, and more affordable than those of your competitors.

5. Promote Your Brand

There are many ways you can market your brand. You can promote it on traditional media like TV and radio stations if you have the budget. You can also organize seminars, conferences, or meetings where you can educate people about the benefits of your brand. Another option is to market your product online. In fact, regardless of what other means of marketing you use, online marketing is essential to successfully build your brand. With internet marketing, you can advertise your brand on social networking sites, blogs, and websites. Always make sure you point out the main qualities and benefits of your brand to your audience without compromising or exaggerating your brand values.

6. Stay True To Your Brand

You need to stay true to your brand no matter the circumstances. A recipe for failure is to promise your customers Product A and deliver Product B. You also need to be your brand’s biggest advocate and ensure that everyone working in your organization believes in and reflects the core values of your brand, always.

That’s it!

As mentioned in the early introduction of the article, these are the very basic steps. We guarantee that all successful brands once took these steps to ensure their success. Take your time and make sure you get your branding strategy right. Successful brand building does not happen overnight. Stay true to your brand and be persistent, ultimately it will give the results you are looking for.

If you need help building a successful branding strategy and take the next steps, our branding experts are here to help and we’d love to hear from you!

Social Media Marketing Techniques

Social media is a popular daily activity among many people and topping the time spent on email and Google. According to a report by Fast Company, 90 percent of marketers use social media to promote their businesses through social media marketing. There are countless marketing techniques to promote your brand online, but not all of them will be effective. Here are four social media strategies to help you take control of your social channels and contribute to your brand’s business objectives.

Research your competition

Study your competition to keep pace with their activity — learn what is working for them and see if you can adopt it for your own success. Analyze your main competitor’s social networks to get a feel of their content strategy (humorous, promotional, informational or something else?), the number of fans or followers and posting frequency. Use the information to get a rough estimate of their engagement rate in comparison to yours.

Run contests and surveys

Your portfolio will gain more visibility by engaging your audience through user-generated content promotions like video or photo competitions. Harness the power of sharing by running a contest that involves a voting component, encouraging participants to share on their timelines to gain votes. The monetary value of the prize will likely pale in comparison to the visibility and reputation your brand will gain.

Asking your followers their opinions by conducting online polls or surveys is a great way of connecting and getting views from your target audience. Surveys also assure customers that you value their opinions (assuming you act on their responses) and can give you an unbiased point of view of your brand.

Post quality content

Social media is meaningless without great content and without social media, there’s no audience to read your content. Involving the right stakeholders, departments and networks will help you build great content for your social channels. Examples of good content include:

Videos: how-to videos answer customer’s questions before they ask. Behind the scenes clips give your audience an idea of your company culture and brand personality.
Guides: develop content that addresses your customers’ needs and adds value.
Infographics: insightful, engaging and resourceful content is more widely shared.

Many studies suggest the specific times you should post on social media. However, your audience is unique and you must figure out the best time and sequence for your situation. Posting frequency affects engagement for your content (more likes or unlikes). Most social media platforms offer analytics, such as Facebook Insights, to help you work out when your audience is online and whether they are engaging with your content.

Offline strategy

Offline campaigning through radio, television and print media is the first marketing option for many companies. A study published in the International Journal of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Research found offline marketing could benefit businesses investing in social media marketing. You can merge offline and online strategies by including links to your social profiles in your print and television advertisements. Using this strategy helps people remember your brand and drives them online, increasing brand interaction.

Among the many social media tactics you can implement, these can help you achieve good returns on your time and financial investment. However, your strategy must not be cast in stone: if you discover some tactics are not working as well as you thought, make changes and introduce new ideas to your overall strategy.

Branding and Social Media Marketing

By following these simple and straightforward techniques you are well on your way to successfully market your brand online. If you need help building a successful branding strategy and take the next step, our branding experts at ililo Consulting are here to help and we’d love to hear from you!