How do you do Online Branding?

bookworm-seo · 01-14-2007, 03:14 PM

What do you guys think is the core of online branding? Does it even differ from offline branding?
Say you've got yourself a logo and a non-template site. Now what? Where do you start, and where do you focus your energy?

EBORG9 · 01-14-2007, 05:47 PM

That is such a little question, with a HUGE answer.

The first thing about branding is consistency. Your logo, name and slogan (if you have one) need to be synonomous with each other forever.
Without a Multi million dollar ad campaign, it takes time.

Make it your signature, your theme song, your way of life. Never be seen without it.
If it is catchy, and the product behind it is respected, eventually you will be known for it and it will be known for you.

Lokk how long it took Mc Donalds to get to the point of just using the big yello M.

Hostnetric · 01-14-2007, 05:51 PM

This depends on your budget. Branding depends on getting your name out there and letting people see it alot. Writing articles on relevant sites that are informative, professional and let people understand you are an expert by reading what you have written. Also just getting your name on relevant sites where the visitors would be interested in your products and will see your name there consistently and not just once and then gone a month later. Online advertising is similar in many respects to offline advertising. People have to know and/or perceive that your company is stable and going to be around. The more your brand is in front of their face the better your chances at building your brand to an acceptable level. In addition of course is providing excellent customer service day in and day out. No you will not please everyone because quite simply some people are just never satisfied. This of couse like offline advertising will create a word of mouth movement and this will help your branding efforts even more then advertising will in the long run. Hope this helps you.

**John Scott** · 01-14-2007, 05:58 PM

Related post on sensory branding, which I think is important to branding in general.

And an opinion on Google's branding strategy.

And the effect of brand on your business model.

TheBrain · 01-15-2007, 03:56 AM

As a matter of fact online branding is not so different from offline branding. Writing articles is not branding, but PR, publicizing. The articles should be branded to help gain public awareness (that author box is the very place where the "brand" can take its "obvious" form). Online or offline a brand is a promise of quality and to "brand" means to make that promisse: visually.

NothingButNet · 01-15-2007, 07:24 AM

TO put it succinctly, its probably just about consistency. You just have to put your brand on everything. Great info in this thread.

Hostnetric · 01-15-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBrain

As a matter of fact online branding is not so different from offline branding. Writing articles is not branding, but PR, publicizing. The articles should be branded to help gain public awareness (that author box is the very place where the "brand" can take its "obvious" form). Online or offline a brand is a promise of quality and to "brand" means to make that promisse: visually.

Articles themselves are not where you are making the branding of your online presence I agree. It is the resource box that this is done in. However, without the article you have no resource box so in essense they are one in the same. The more people view your resource box and quality written articles the more they perceive you as someone who is an expert and thus there is a level of trust in you and your company name. It all is one in the same.

ziggywop · 01-15-2007, 02:51 PM

I would say that you shouldnt necesarily separate branding between online and offline advertising. From my marketing experience with a bricks and mortar college, in order to build your brand effectively you need a good mix of online and offline advertising that focuses on your brand.

WillB · 01-15-2007, 03:49 PM

As a marketer, your name is often your biggest weapon when getting
JVs and partnerships. I brand my name by using in forums and in my
domain name. I hope to get to the stage where my logo is recognisable
too, as a source of quality information and products.

Wow I sound like an infomercial

Seriously though, make sure that everything you do is done with honesty,
dignity and proper business ethics and branding will be much easier.

bookworm-seo · 01-15-2007, 08:01 PM

So if I hear you properly it's just about repetition?

Hostnetric · 01-16-2007, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookworm-seo

So if I hear you properly it's just about repetition?

Yes and make sure you are being completely honest, professional and helpful. Your reputation at the beginning is your brand. As you get going this is going to be very important. It is very important even later, but more so now.

NothingButNet · 01-16-2007, 07:13 AM

It seems to me that branding is a natural side-effect of most normal advertising methods. I mean, the thing you are marketing is your brand, right?

Redfly · 01-16-2007, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NothingButNet

It seems to me that branding is a natural side-effect of most normal advertising methods. I mean, the thing you are marketing is your brand, right?

Yes and no. You want your brand to be associated or thought of when someone thinks of a service. You are marketing your services AND your brand with the eventual hope of only having to market your brand. (Or vice versa if that makes sense)

http://www.stuntdubl.com/ has some excellent advice on online branding (When his hacked blog comes back online).

We also use Adwords (Content network) for branding locally.

Hostnetric · 01-16-2007, 03:32 PM

It is a very find line Nothing. At the beginning you are focused on getting seen, being viewed as knowledgeable, good customer service and above most anything else trying to get traffic to your site. It is hard sometimes, because many people tend to forget that they all go hand in hand.

bookworm-seo · 01-16-2007, 09:02 PM

I was reading a piece about how online marketing is every aspect of the user interaction with your site. IMHO, that makes more sense by taking a wider view of things and realizing that your brand is more than just a logo and it also has characteristics. For example, most people see Apple as a cool, innovative company with good-looking and simple to use products. You visit their site and it reinforces that impression with a sleek design and reasonable ease of use.

What do you guys think of that wider view? Any suggestions on branding from that perspective?

Hahh · 01-17-2007, 01:43 AM

Quote:

For example, most people see Apple as a cool, innovative company with good-looking and simple to use products. You visit their site and it reinforces that impression with a sleek design and reasonable ease of use.

The site should be professional and reflect your ideas about your business, the mos difficult thing here is to take a niche, to outline the difference between your product and others, especially if the market is oversaturated, like seo or hosting.
John, thanks for the links, the first one isn't working.

TheBrain · 01-17-2007, 04:22 AM

Yes, I agree with most of the points here, especially with Redflystudios. Btw, Redfly, I read your blog regularly, as well as another little blog, newer than yours with some good advice for online PR and SEO. I'll ask the author to publish an article on online branding and I'll give you the link, as soon as she does it.

marthrock · 01-17-2007, 11:38 AM

I think that branding is a never ending and ongoing process that touches on every aspect of what you do as a marketer or business owner. It's not only off-line but online and as well its face to face every day. During work hours and not. But possibly the key word that I would take away from all of these entries would be "consistency" throughout all of your activities.