“For us, freeze branding is first and foremost a marketing tool we hope will aid us capturing more value…”
Wait, what the heck is “freeze branding?” I’ve been in the marketing world for awhile so figured I missed the memo on this cutting edge tactic. I finished reading…
“— we want people to see our red or black-hided cattle and know that because of that brand, there is value under that hide….” says John Kleiboeker, a southwest Missouri commercial cattleman who recently implemented a freeze-branding program in his herd.”
…and I realized I was reading an online publication for Beef Magazine. Wait, your branding might not include a hot (or cold?) iron, but this cattleman has his head on straight when it comes to propelling his company (and literal) brand forward. Let’s chat about what that has to do with you.
1. Take Pictures
One of the easiest, cheapest, and most impactful marketing pieces are the pictures you take of your projects both before and after completion. Diligence in building your herd of photographs provides you ample material for future marketing and portfolio pieces.
Already taking pictures?
I’m so proud of you! You’ve taken the extra and necessary step of photographing your jobs as you go, now here are a couple of pro tips. Use CompanyCam to automatically organize those photos by date and location/job. After you’ve mastered that, take advantage of CompanyCam’s before and after cam to share those transformations with your social media followers.
There’s a step I’d bet a hog-tied calf you are missing…
2. Brand Your Product
Put your logo on your pictures. Pepsi puts their name on those beautiful dark bottles so you don’t accidentally ingest Coca Cola – sick. Those fantastic chocolate sandwich cookies say “OREO” on them because the ones that only say “chocolate sandwich cookies” are just not the same. You may not have a product like Pepsi– they have a soda bottle to put their name on– but you do have photos of the jobs you complete. You can put your logo on your pictures to let everyone know “there’s value under the hide.” Your name means something – dependability, integrity, craftsmanship, quality. You can post pictures until the cows come home, but disconnected from your name, the image loses value.
CompanyCam’s before and after cam makes it easy to brand those photos – no wranglers necessary.
3. Share Those Transformations
Show everyone what you are capable of. Use your website, print material, social media, and your high school reunion to shout it from the rooftops. Repeatedly placing your branded photo in front of your prospects contributes to creating that coveted brand recognition. Consistently remind your viewer of your head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest capabilities by showing them, first hand, how far you brought that project.
Whoa, Bessy. Armed with your smartphone and CompanyCam, you’re going to compile some stunning promotional pieces. It takes diligence and the mindfulness to make these steps part of your regular work routine but the payoff can be sweet and (most importantly) profitable. Capture your stellar work, share it with the world, and don’t forget to take credit. You got this.
