Marketing experts may know about creating the best message offline but that doesn’t always translate into an effective message online. Offline and online marketing work differently.
Online an effective message is one that people can relate to, can engage with and identify with in their online communities. Your current branding can be adapted to suit online marketing simply by the way you present it.
The most important online branding element
The most important thing when branding yourself online is consistency. Consistency being defined as, ‘the achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time’. So your message, image and way of presenting yourself or your business should be the same throughout all social media platforms and through all your conversations.
It’s one thing to have your website and banner ads looking the same but what about your social media marketing efforts? As social media becomes a core part of any business’ marketing plan, your brand and message should follow through and be familiar. From your website through to all your social networking accounts.
Here’s some examples of branding for a client:
Here you can see the same style, theme and colors that are blending through their website and social media presence.
Building trust and establishing authority
There should be consistency in how your brand looks, and the message it conveys. By doing this you’re building trust and establishing your authority in social media communities. If people remember your logo and branding, they’ll remember your company and product. When you’re able to deliver what you promise, they’ll also recommend you to a friend.
So let’s look at what elements of your marketing can be branded:
- your website
- your logo
- your avatar or photo
- your message or USP
- banner ads
- text ads
- your profiles
Now you might be thinking, ‘Do I really need to do all that? I’m just working solo and don’t have a big business. Why should I worry about branding?’
Branding online is about getting your message across and making sure people remember you. Keeping message consistent between your social networks and keeping your logo and avatar the same, people will know who you are and what you do.
Its great to have a new look every now and then, just keep it consistent through all your online activities. Update everything at the same time. Plus, tell people about it, give it some buzz by telling everyone and most importantly, get their feedback. Your audience is the best resource for finding out what works. Time spent on getting this right is like money in the bank.
Branding is about creating a clear image and consistent message that people will easily remember. Have fun with it!
