Many organizations voice their concerns, and needs loud and proud, diseases like breast cancer are openly addressed and awareness is wide-spread. While we applaud our female counter parts and rock pink all month long in October, I cant help but join my MO-Bro’s in thinking…why are men’s issues left out of the discussion?  1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime…However most of these forms of cancer can be cured if caught early. With this many men being affected its our job to jumpstart this conversation.

If you’ve never heard of MOVEMBER let us give you the ‘spark-notes’ version…Throughout the month of November men will grow & groom some seriously good looking moustaches! While sprouting these superb stashes these fine gentlemen will seek sponsorship, all-the-while their moustache is an eye catcher and a conversation starter to help raise awaeness for prostate and testicular cancer.

Here at Protégé we are so excited to join in the Movember Madness that we decided to host a contest!

• Watch our super awesome video on our facebook fan page.
• Send us a photo of your MOustache….Send one each week if ya want. (one submission per week max)    whitney@protegebranding.com
• Once the Photo is uploaded to our facebook fan page share with your friends and ask them to ‘like’ your photo.
• The MO-BRO with the most likes  on their photo(s) on November 30th will be our winner!

The winner receives a lunch date with Chris Gruler and $100 will be donated to the charity of your choice in your name.

Our goal is to embrace our rugged side and in turn open the door to start talking about prostate cancer and other men’s issues. ( and oh ya raise some funds too!)

Now go out,  and grow that stash!

For more info checkout movember.com

Although its easy to see the downside of being oversaturated with information about your friends, from a photo of them eating breakfast to a notification that they are checked in & buying clothes at H&M, I feel like highlighting one positive attribute of this influx of social sharing.

The idea of sharing ideas, and information with your social circle, or complete strangers is actually quite generous if you think of it! (There is a certain level of need for affirmation related to all social media posts but never mind that)

I will be the first to admit “ I learned it on pinterest” when receiving a compliment on my stylish sock bun or my homemade patriotic cakepops! So much knowledge can be transmitted through the internet. (Think of Wikipedia for example!!)

One overwhelming ‘trend’ I just can’t help but attribute to a surge in social media outreach, is philanthropic involvement. Not only have I noticed individuals teaming up with good causes but businesses have taken their role to be socially responsible to a whole new level.The internet is such a valuable tool not only for sharing events, inviting one another, raising awareness, and collecting donations but for sending this message of paying it forward into cyberspace and start a #trend of giving back!  Here at Protégé we make a conscious effort to give back to causes we are passionate about along with encouraging our clients to do the same.

Along with teaming up with our clients during local fundraisers we ask that a percentage of any revenue generated through websites we build for Athletes and Local business gets donated to a charity of their choice. We believe the key to a solid business is a strong community and paying it forward is a simple way to grow locally while doing some good!

-Cheers and Happy Friday!!

<3 W.I.T

First off: Our super-cool Player Profile Website Giveaway (Which ends in 3 days! So enter to win and tell a friend!) Here’s how (Enter to win!)

We also strive to help businesses and athletes brand themselves! One of the ways we help accomplish a cohesive, recognizable, and consistent brand image is through social media outreach. For me being a marketing gal I love seeing a brand grow organically via social media! (which is why I have to give Protégé a shout out for all the fun projects we have been working on!) 

Did you know? Protégé designs, and builds custom facebook fan pages, twitter skins, mailchimp templates and much more. Along with our clients receiving fully branded, uber-creative social media platforms we also manage facebook advertisements.

If you haven’t noticed facebook is an epidemic that has successfully integrated itself into just about everyone’s lives. Any business who wants to grow and hasn’t been under a rock for the past couple years, knows facebook is the way-to-go. For those who aren’t tech savvy, or simply don’t understand the world of online advertising we are there to ease their trouble and make facebook ads a simple and quite fun (if you’re nerdy like us) process.

I could go on and on but I will leave you with this…Social media is not rocket science, and neither is managing it. However in a world of rapidly changing technology and a “keeping-up-with-the-jones’” mentality, sometimes allowing a team like Protégé handle the tough-stuff, frees you up to explore and experience the lighter side of social media from a business standpoint. Email me at whitney@protegebranding.com if you are interested in customizing your social media and gaining more fans! Thats all for now folks!

PS: A big shout out to our buddy Aaron Simpson for his win last night in San Jose!

-W.I.T

Big News! In honor of our Player Profile Websites getting a makeover we are hosting a contest to give away 10 free sites. One of Protege’s goals is to help student athletes brand themselves by leveraging online resources. You have heard us say it time and time again, however the importance of owning your own domain name cannot be emphasized enough!

If you are an athlete your name is your brand. Its important to realize the moment you start getting looked at for recruitment as a student athlete you are at risk for cyber-squatters taking advantage of you. Cyber-Squatters take advantages of brands by purchasing domain names that could be of potential value ( lets say if your athletic ability lands you some fame and success) and then essentially holding them hostage eliminating you from establishing your brand online. Many professional athletes do not even own their own domain name because someone purchased it before they did. That being said, it is essential that you purchase your domain name ASAP.

Now onto the fun stuff!! Starting today June 5th 2012 and running through July 15th 2012 we will be hosting a contest to give away 10 free player profile websites! Winners will be announced by midnight on July 16th.

Here is how you qualify:
1) Watch our super awesome video featuring Chuck Norris and the Beibs

2) Share the video with your friends on facebook

3) Tell us why YOU or a FRIEND of yours (feel free to nominate people) should receive a customized Player Profile Website. Submissions will be accepted in the form of: Facebook comments, Video Submissions, and Emails. Make sure to be creative!

Email submissions: Chris@protegebranding.com

The (not so) small print:

1) If selected as a winner you must purchase your own domain name (approx. $9.00). We will build you a custom Player Profile Website directed to that domain name.

2) Selection of winners is completely up to the discretion of Protege Branding.com, our winners will be selected based on their submissions explaining why they deserve a player profile website, 10 winners will be chosen.

3) Multiple submissions from one person will not be considered.
Best of luck! and Happy posting!!

Its pretty apparent that social media is the “it” thing of our time, this rapidly growing phenomenon has become a must-have for marketing. Although I’m sure we can all agree that companies & brands can use social media to their advantage there is a grey area of why and how?

Disclaimer: Social Media is not rocket science, nor do we believe we know it all…this is just a tid-bit of knowledge to kick start building your online presence! Happy Reading, Tweeting and Reposting!

Why is Social Media so Important?

Aside from the face that Facebook has 845 million active monthly users and Twitter has 100 million active users (which is only ½ of the registered accounts) it is highly accessible and scalable. Social media has a profound effect on the way information is diffused and has become the way people discover, socialize, and share with one another.

Having a website is no longer enough in this day-in-age, because consumers want to engage, whether its with their friends or the brands that sell their favorite product having the ability to be a part of the dialogue is the incentive.

Social media is about relationships, from friends, to companies to causes humans enjoy having the ability to build upon those relationships though sharing. For a business having an accurate referral from a fan can not only gain you more followers but also increase credibility.

But How?

Like I said navigating the world of social media is not rocket science but it is crucial for businesses to have a strategy when taking on the beast of online marketing, especially when it involves direct contact with end-consumers.

I could go on for days about this topic but to spare you some precious moments I will sum this up in a few Do’s and Don’ts to lay the groundwork.

Do Not

- Jump in without a plan: Would you do this with any other aspect of your business? Probably not, just because social media is “free” does not mean trail and error is the best method for approaching this technological giant!

-  Invest all of your energy into one social media platform: When Facebook emerged no one knew how incredibly successful it would become, however in a quickly changing market of social media outlets it is wise to spread your efforts among a variety of platforms.

- Spam your followers: Users are on social media to engage with their friends, share common interests etc. they are often receptive to interaction with brands they are fond of in a personal way, impersonal accounts that just spam followers with information they didn’t solicit is a quick way to get blocked.

- Over Control the Message: A company’s fan page or account is a sounding board to initiate conversation between the consumer and your company voice.  Word of mouth can be a money maker or a deal breaker for a companies reputation, the reason site like Yelp have been so successful is it is authentic in nature by leaving the good, bad and ugly comments about a company to show that the consumers opinion matters. That being said when engaging with fans it is vital you remain genuine and real, deleting negative feedback is a common mistake and one that will degenerate your level of credibility.

Do’s

-Get to know your Audience: Once you establish who you are targeting, do your research, find out what they like, when they interact, how the like to receive information. Knowing your audience is key!

-Realize Gaining Followers is not instantaneous: There is no magic wand when it comes to gaining fans on social media platforms, the best way to grow your following (and keep them) is to do it organically.

-Participate: Engage your fans and in turn interact with them, posting videos, pictures and questions is a great way allow fans to feel a connection with your brand. As much as your enjoy their feedback they enjoy yours, respond to as much as possible, let your fans know all feedback is appreciated.

-Cross Promote: Take advantage of your entire presence online, ad links to your twitter on your facebook and vice-versa. Add icons to link to your social media outlets on your website and email signature.

These are just a few of the many ways you can build a reputable presence online for your brand, I feel very passionately about this and cannot wait to share more with you…Stay Tuned!

-WIT

http://gruler.tv/2010/05/facebook-ads-best-kept-secret/

-CG

There is no better way for an athlete to begin to build their brand than to own their domain and begin to create a web presence.  Chances are your name may or may not be readily available- you may have to search, barter, even sell your soul to get your name in domain form. Protégé Branding has worked with many athletes to acquire their domain name. We’ve got the drive and connections to make it happen, we can help you too.

Once you own your name, it’s time to get started building your brand.  Creating a professional, clean looking logo says a lot about you.  It’s an important and very personal decision. When we create logos for our clients, we go the extra mile to insure that they are happy with the end result.  In the end it’s always worth it.

Coaches, sponsors, fans…at some point they are going to search for you. What will they find?  Do you have a website?  Any idiot knows that you’ve gotta have one, but the problem those same idiots have filled up the internet with cheesy, ineffective websites.  For most of our athletes we highly recommend custom WordPress websites. They provide you with an easy platform that you can keep updated and make simple changes without having to call a tech geek.

MMA fighter Jamie Varner is a great example of what we’re talking about. He was smart enough to bring Protégé in to help build his brand. First we acquired his domain name, created a clean, tough guy logo and customized a WordPress website at JamieVarner.com. Once we got the site up, we incorporated the social networking aspects, bringing in a twitter feed, Facebook, etc. so that once fans, sponsors…whoever, stopped by to visit they can connect with Jamie even further.  Now Jamie dominates in the ring, and on the web.

Not feeling up to tackle the project of building your web presence alone? Scared of wasting tons of money and not getting the results you want? Protégé is here to make it happen, and make it easy.

1. Self Promotion- This is an important one. Athletes have to effectively promote themselves without coming off conceited and self absorbed. Believe or not, a lot of College coaches are searching high school athletes name through google to get a better idea of who they are as a person. What gets indexed in these search engines? Facebook and Player Profile Pages do.

2. Networking- Such a generic term but for an athlete to network with other coaches, friends and businesses can lead to a lot of doors opening rather than staying closed.

3. Information- The Player Profile Websites have all the necessary information to send off to college coaches but athletes should list some of their attributes as well. You never know who is searching you.

4. Branding- Such a loose term but a very important one. Parents and Coaches tend to think this is pointless with amateur athletes, I completely disagree. Online branding is being done daily while they are on Facebook without them even knowing. It’s even more important if they have a website or Player Profile Website. Information can be generated at a click of a button and you want to have control of that!

5. Communication- Coaches are now using Facebook and other outlets to keep in touch with their team. The same should be done by the players in regards to the Colleges they are trying to attend. Communicating on a consistent basis allows you to be placed in front of Coaches on a daily basis.

I know that I just briefly touched on these avenues but there is a lot more detail to be learned from these platforms and how to effectively use these to your advantage to gain a scholarship. If you have any questions or would like to jump on a call to discuss in further detail, please email me @ Chris@ProtegeBranding.com. Thanks!