Online branding is the key to any process of building authority for your initiative or product. Now that everyone uses the Internet for pretty much everything, getting exposure on all levels of online marketing is just about the most important thing you can do for your brand.
Taking full advantage of branding opportunities that will help you gain authority. Once your branding reaches a high enough level of notoriety, each online presence that you present will increase in authority. It goes beyond doing well on Google searches and creating a social media account.
Here are some ways to increase the quality of your online branding:
Start a Blog!
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This is you.[/caption]
Start a blog that contains quality content. It’s not all about looking pretty and presentable. Of course, presentation matters, but quality will also speak for itself. Become an actual authority in your field and take your audience on a journey.
This will also help you do well on Google, which loves creative content on websites that are consistently updated with new material. Using Wordpress as your CMS helps too, as it covers up to 90% of SEO according to Google.
People aren’t just into sales pitches and product descriptions. This is especially true for social media, a place where interesting and fresh takes usually get the most viral attention. People want to read a fresh point of view or an intriguing piece of opinion. This is what a blog should provide.
You’re likely to get more shares, retweets, or views for your content if you post a blog that provides real insight into an event or trend in your industry. Compliment the words by using photos, gifs, and videos to drive your point home.
Be creative about who your target audience is. The more creativity, the more things to blog about. This definitely generates more chances for you to acquire authority. The more people that know about how much insight you have, the more authoritative you’ll become. This is key to branding.
Engage with Your Subscribers, Fans, and Customers
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The right kind of engaging.[/caption]
Make sure to respond to the comments that you get on your blog posts. There are plenty of Internet trolls who’ll comment for no good reason, but there’re also lots of posts that deserve attention.
This also goes for your social media presence as well. As soon as people find your profile and try to engage with it, you should engage back. Do a search on Twitter and other platforms for your brand’s name. Keep track of these mentions and get a good idea of what people are saying.
This may mean adding some extra manpower on your social media team. Or getting a social media management tool. Either way, keeping up with your social media presence is a branding necessity.
This is where you can monitor industry conversations, while also keeping an eye on what the customers are.
Create a Consistent Online Branding Image
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Okay, maybe not horrifying...[/caption]
There’s nothing worse than a profile that confuses people. The powerful brands are ones that keep a certain consistency. You recognize the logo of Nike or McDonald's right away. When you visit these companies’ websites, it doesn’t take long to realize that you’re on the right page.
This sounds like an obvious piece of common sense, but it’s surprising just how many profiles and pages don’t really match the imagery of the brand itself. It has a lot to do with optics. Keep a consistent visual presence throughout all your online platforms. Don’t deviate, or you’ll end up confusing people.
You don’t want someone clicking on your website’s URL on your Facebook page and not knowing if they’ve landed on the right spot. That kind of confusion will turn people away.
Make sure to use the same visual themes across all your online properties. You want your Facebook page to have the same kind of branding imagery that’s on your website and Youtube channel.
Building your online presence and optimizing your online branding will increase your authority and online results. It’s not impossible to take full control of your online reputation, regardless of what people say.
