Branding and Search: Getting Found vs. Getting Chosen with Ronell Smith

“I always say it's not that a brand can't be successful. It's that they have already self-selected unsuccessful." As a Moz Associate, Ronell Smith helps brand builders at organizations big and small overcome obstacles in digital marketing today. He's also an advocate for being a generalist when it comes to marketing skills. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Ronell Smith

Moz Associate Ronell Smith, a business strategist with more than decade of experience helping businesses online and offline, assists companies looking to create a user experience their customers will recognize, appreciate, and reward them for with their business. His passion is for removing the obstacles keeping individuals and businesses from reaching their full potential, in large part by helping them think strategically about how search, social, and content work together successfully.

Episode Highlights

"Search isn't about getting found. It's about getting chosen." This is a big distinction. How does one bridge this critical gap? Through branding at "every touchpoint. They should see #1 and think, 'By God, no one could ever do this better than these guys.'"

Sounds simple, right? "To use the old quote, 'If it was easy than everybody'd be doing it.'" Truer words were never spoken.

So what is the single biggest obstacle marketers today face? “It's about having the right butts in the right seats. Too often, we focus on product and process. We have to remember that it should go people, process, product."

In praise of the marketing generalist. Ronell reminded us that we often focus on being a specialist — "an inch wide and a mile deep" — on a particular subject. "You have to have enough skills to know what's what and to know what you can and should do and what you should hire out. In truth it takes a little bit of everything."

What brand has made Ronell smile recently? "Does it have to be a search marketing brand?" Of course not! Ronell shared a Twitter ad from Wendy's that made him smile.

To learn more, you can follow Ronell on Twitter.

As We Wrap …

Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community … Recently Mitch Matthews had me on his Dream, Think, Do podcast, which he shared out again this past week. Thanks Mitch!

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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