Online Branding
When it comes to online branding, one must make the decision whether to brand the business or brand him/her self. In the online business world, it’s hard to be transparent with site visitors. You don’t have that personal connection as you do with a traditional offline business.
One question that gets asked many times is, “Should I brand myself or my business?” This would depend on what kind of business you have or plan to have. If you’re marketing a specific product or service, you may want to brand that product/service. If you’re an affiliate marketer and promote many different programs, you’ll definitely want to brand yourself.
When it comes to online branding, it’s all about trust. People want to trust you, so you need to give them a reason to trust you or your product/service. Without that trust and personal connection established, your potential clients/customers will go somewhere else where they feel more safe.
I must say, it’s a lot harder to brand yourself online. I’ve made my best effort to make myself known to my site visitors, utilizing a picture of myself and having contact information available. This Work From Home Blog is probably the best way for visitors to see who I really am and learn more about me. That’s important for me, and it helps me build trust in my readers.
While online branding can be difficult, it’s not impossible by any means. Here’s some tips on how you can brand yourself online with social network sites:
- Use a picture whenever possible
- Complete your profile
- Network with others with the same interests
If your branding a specific product/service, you want to make sure you talk about it within your profile. You could even use the product as the picture. Anything to get your product/service or yourself out there and known.
While I was planning this post on branding, I came across a video about Tony Hawk talking about how to brand a business. I thought it was quite interesting, so if you have some time, check it out.
No matter what business you’re in, branding is essential to success. Want more tips on how to brand yourself or your business online? Check out this insightful post on the Even Carmichael Forums about Personal Branding.
Do you have any other online branding tips? Share your thoughts below…
Tags: blog, Branding, business online, business world, Evan Carmichael, marketing, network with others, online branding, online business, personal connection, tony hawk, Work From Home
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Filed under: Branding • Credibility • Work From Home • marketing • online business
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It’s an interesting question, and dependant I would say on what your business is. If for example you’re selling pet supplies, then I’d brand the business. If however you’re selling SEO services I’d brand the individual. It all depends.
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Ste@free Wii, Thanks for your input!
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Branding is very important for your business and I agree that with a blog it is best to brand yourself. People like to deal with people they feel that they know, and branding yourself helps build relationships.
Michelle Jayes / Online Income Opportunities
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Michelle Jayes, Hey Michelle, thanks for stopping by and for your input. Hope to see you around more often.
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Running a blog I would surely brand myself and not the site. I am building a relationships between myself and my readers. If I was running a business like a hosting company then its all about building a brand around the company and not me. I would try to get the company name out there as much as I can.
Deneil Merritt’s last blog post..June 2009 Income Report
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Deneil Merritt, Hey Deneil, thanks for your input, and I totally agree.
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Deneil Merritt
@Alan Mater, You welcome, just speaking my mind. You have some great articles that always seem to get me to post a comment.
Deneil Merritt’s last blog post..June 2009 Income Report
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Deneil Merritt, Glad you find my blog interesting!
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A blog is a good way to develop trust among your readers as you can display your knowledge and personality at the same time. I get tired of reading “how to” manuals that are redundant to others I’ve read. Give me some personality, some insight, something I haven’t seen already, and I’m more likely to follow and show interest. I bet that holds true for others as well. Good topic to explore Alan!
Bob W.
Make extra money online at Our-Success.com
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Bob W., Hey Bob, I totally agree! I’m sick of the same stuff over and over again. I’d rather know more about the individual and know that they’re a real person, not just another “guru” trying to pawn something off, taking my money to never hear from them again.
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It seems like the more social networking sites you or your business is listed on, the easier it is to market yourself to your intended online audience.
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Alan Mater
Twitter: AMater
@Dave@Chicago Strippers, I totally agree. Social network sites have made it a lot easier to help people and businesses increase their brand awareness online.
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