Building Your Brand Online

Most consumers don’t realize how important branding is because it’s such a big part of our lives. The logos we see, jingles we hear, and sometimes even odors that we smell directly remind us of specific businesses, products and services that we associate with their respective brands. The key to being a successful entrepreneur is standing out and staying on the minds of people within your target audience. By taking the time to build your brand you are essentially taking the time to help customers remember who you are.

You start building your brand with your website. That is the main place people will see your brand identity, which is mainly comprised of your logo, distinct color scheme, and tag line. These images should also be used when constructing your print marketing material like business cards and flyers, but you also have to use them online on your blog, newsletter, and graphic banners. It’s very important that you take the time to incorporate your brand images into everything that you produce and present online.

You also need to make sure your brand is visible across your social networking profiles. Are you consistently using the same profile image on Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Youtube, and other social networking websites? Do you have your own custom backgrounds that mirror the colors and/or layout on your main website? Is your logo or other parts of your brand identity visible on your profile, in your pictures, and throughout your videos? You need to take a look at the marketing material that you present online; make sure they are consistent and clearly connected. Making those connections expands your online presence by giving the appearance that your business brand is big, buzz worthy and goes beyond your website.

Though most entrepreneurs think of developing their logo design and getting business cards as the “fun part of the job”, branding is far more important than people realize. More often than not, consumers choose businesses with brands they trust. Names and faces are easy to forget, but images leave a lasting impression. Think about your business; would you prefer to be easily forgotten or remembered? The choice is clear; make sure that your brand is too.