Many business owners, whether they are online marketers or brick and mortar businesses, often discount the value of investing in their online digital branding strategies. Neglecting to invest in your brand is a big mistake. Here are the reasons why…
What is Digital Branding and Why do we Need a Digital Branding Strategies
The internet is evolving fast through the social web and through social media sites. There are hundreds of ways businesses can communicate to consumers or a group of consumers. According to Wikipedia, Digital brand engagement is brand engagement with a key focus on communication via the web. The Cluetrain Manifesto, written by four visionaries in 1999 predicted the Internet would evolve to a point where the consumer holds the "power" and no longer could the corporate world continue to communicate to their markets (the people they wish to interact with) in a push marketing or broadcast manner. The internet has changed so rapidly that consumers can be very selective about which brands they choose to connect with. Consumers are now capable of communicating their thoughts globally and instantly through social networks, forums, blogs, bookmarking sites and videos. Businesses are capable of finding out what consumers are saying about them, their products or services by monitoring the conversations that are taking place off their website. This is extremely valuable information to know for business's digital branding strategies.
The Value of Digital Branding Strategies
Digital branding is about building a relationship with consumers that will keep them coming back again and again. Building your digital brand online boosts awareness of you and your business, as well as building your reputation as someone to be trusted. Business owners need to realize that digital branding should be a top priority in order to grow their business.
5 Key Digital Branding Strategies you Need to Know before you Launch your Branding Efforts
1- Research your Target Audience- Before creating any content for your website, you must have a very clear understanding of who your target audience is. Learn as much as you can about their demographics; such as, gender, age, household income, where they live, are they married or single, etc.
2- Determine what your Target Audience Wants to Hear- After doing all your research on your target audience, give your brand a voice. What is it that your audience wants to hear? This will help in what message and content you want to put out to them. When you create a message or content, write as if you were talking to a close friend or family member, because no one wants to be talked at.
3- Build your Digital Brand Implementing Several Channels- Use display and content networks to build your brand through repetition. For SEO (search engine optimization) purposes, make sure that your brand name and messaging is consistent in both your meta description and in your title tags. Make sure that your content is consistent with your brand voice throughout all the different channels you choose to implement. By creating consistent content throughout the buying cycle, you are helping consumers recognize and remember your brand. This will make you the clear choice when customers are ready to make a purchase.
4- Plan Your Social Media Strategies- Know what kind of interaction you want your audience to have with your business. Your research at the beginning will help to answer the question as to how best to communicate with your audience. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn? Most likely it is all 3! Start by listening and seeing who is talking about your brand and if no one is then start the conversation. Remember, you want interaction, you don't want to force your message down anyone's throat. If you treat social media as a conversation, your brand will be on the right path to grow in popularity and reputation in no time.
5- Building Your Reputation- Building your reputation online takes time. It is important to have a clearly defined strategy for communicating with your audience and then identify the tactics you'll use in the process. For example, if you have offline partnerships, leverage them in order to grow your reputation online. This will also help in getting backlinks to your site, which will in turn help you move up the ladder in organic searches. The more widespread your brand becomes in the mind of your professional peers, the stronger your reputation will grow online.
The digital branding industry has evolved to the point where every business needs to be online and should be accessible anywhere and on any device. Learning digital branding strategies has never been more important for any business that is looking to grow.
Origin via fruitfulstrategy.com