Learning how to create your online brand and social media branding takes a great deal of thought. Are you prepared to recreate yourself or do you simply want put it all together to build a really effective online brand image?
Once you reach adulthood, you have figured out who you are with regards to character, values, personality and morals, but have you ever given very much thought to your personal brand as it relates with the corporate world? How about how you are perceived on the internet? What’s your online company brand saying about you? Consistency is certainly important here. I will go into some detail about applying the consistency and the way in which to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Create Consistency When You Construct Your Online Brand: Social Branding.
The last thing that you want to do that would be entirely counter to creating your online brand would be to continue replacing your online brand. Having a tag line, mission and goal is rather essential. Be certain to communicate this text in all of your communications. For example, you should have the same verbiage about yourself in Facebook as you do in your blog site. And don’t modify either without changing the other. It is definitely not smart to constantly modify your brand on a continual basis. You can tweak your brand in an attempt to improve it over a period of several years but preserve it the same. Now I've observed very effective re-launches do very well, but typically after the brand acquired an online presence and following to start out with. This can be a marketing and advertising approach that may develop your customer base significantly, but it is a technique that must be carried out correctly, but that is certainly getting off the topic and I will save that for another post.
Here are a few tips to follow on how to create your online brand or social branding:
Username – Establish your on-line brand using your username profiles. I propose that you choose to use the same username with all of your on-line profiles as much as you possibly can. For instance, I'm known online as Sharon Prosperity in over 100 internet sites. Consider all of the social media networks, article listing sites, weblog networks, Facebook, twitter, and Skype. There are many more, but you get the idea. This is also referred to as social media branding.
E-mail Signatures – You may very easily establish your online brand simply with a good catchy Electronic mail signature that tells the world what you are all about.
Pictures - I believe people are surprised by this one. It is possible to develop your online brand with photographs. If you have a corporate logo you should certainly use that, but don’t discount the strength of your very own persona. If you have been following me then you certainly know that I use the same image in as many places (Web 2.0, other blogs, Facebook, Twitter, forums, etc.) as I can. This goes a long way to create trust and consistency within the eyes of your viewers. Your social media branding is personalized with pictures of you within your networking sites.
Design – This can be what your colors, fonts and theme look like. Once more, keeping your fonts and colors as consistent as possible is how you will be identified online.
Real - This is something that I've caught a few people on. Although it’s obvious that a person would act in a different way (e.g. not as professional in a personal relationship) it’s unfortunate that many people think that they have to be phony. Their on-line brand is that of another person who is rather different from their true self. It’s a matter of being authentic that will in the long run convert leads into sales. You have been perceived as someone who is adding value rather than somebody who has their very own interests at heart.
Many people have a knack for this creative image creation and some don’t. So, in the event you find yourself feeling discouraged with being the non-creative type then understand that you'll find resources readily available which help with developing your on-line brand. If it’s all about moving up the corporate ladder, getting out of college and trying to get that first job or starting your own traditional or home business, realizing resources like this exist is really a life saver!
Now that you've an idea of the way you want to establish your image, the last tip is really rather simple, but does certainly take a little time on your part, but will pay off as you construct your online brand.
Grow your online brand and social branding with networking…networking…networking.
You want to get the word out about who you are and everything you offer with your on-line brand. I am reminded of one of my first traditional companies. I didn’t want to start advertising in the newspapers or yellow pages until I obtained the corporate logo, business cards, or tag line ready to rock and roll. It seems un-businesslike to hit the net with the idea you're in business without having everything ready, but people do it every day. So many people have the wrong idea about an internet business. A web-based business is an actual business and it has to be treated as such. Once you eventually have your image or online brand put together, get out and market and form relationships with other people. Let your online brand speak for you and watch your small business grow.
To your success,
Sharon Koenig
The Prosperous Lady
Get some help establishing your on-line brand by paying a visit to The Prosperity People Blog for much more on-line business marketing suggestions and tactics from an industry expert, Sharon Koenig (a.k.a. Sharon Prosperity, The Prosperous Lady) to expand your business.
For the last two decades Sharon has taken five companies from $0 to earning 6-figures! Her background in business and marketing has helped make many people prosper and realize their dreams in the brick-and-mortar world. The internet is nothing new to her. Sharon has successfully built two internet business using skills including making the actual web sites, search engine optimization as well as using the hot trends of advertising on Facebook and Twitter.