Building Brand Recognition with Online Marketing Strategies
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Branding and marketing professionals understand the power of image. Think about the Apple logo, the Nike swoosh, and Starbuck’s emblem. These symbols are burned into our minds and they immediately trigger brand recognition as well as the feelings and attitudes we hold individually or collectively toward the companies and products that they represent.
We’re used to seeing logos and image-based branding on business cards, television and print ads, and product packaging. However, there is no medium more powerful for propelling brand recognition than the internet.
In today’s technology-driven world, online marketing strategies are the foremost method for promoting your company’s brand. That means building brand recognition by depicting your logo and maintaining a consistent image along with a clear message.
The core of your image is your company’s logo. The first and most obvious placement for this image is on your website. Next, create an email signature that includes your business’s logo. What comes after that?
As you travel the information superhighway as a representative of your business, whether it’s a one-person entrepreneurship or a vast enterprise, there are countless opportunities for displaying an image – that key symbol that identifies your brand. And the more you display that image, the more familiar and recognizable it will become to your associates, competitors, and customers.
Social Media Outreach
Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace provide ample opportunities for logo display and online marketing strategies. Some social media experts make a living using these platforms to promote businesses on the web. Many small business owners and independent professionals sign up for these social media networks but forget to harness the outreach they provide. Embed your brand into your Twitter background (don’t forget to include your website address). Use your logo as your Facebook picture. List your site on your LinkedIn profile.
Two Ways to Build Your Brand on Blogs
There are two ways to build your brand on blogs. First, launch your own blog and incorporate your company image in posts, images, feed footers, or email subscriptions. Be careful not to overdo it, though. Next, use your image when you visit other blogs. You can do this easily by using Gravatar, which automatically inserts your image beside comments you leave on other blogs.
Promote Yourself in Forums
Forums are an ideal way to connect with others in your industry, including prospective customers. This is a more subtle form of online marketing, but through connections, you can develop a functional network that will lead to more business. Most forums allow users to to create a signature, and many, like blogs, use avatars, images associated with your profile that appear alongside each message you post.
Commit to Online Marketing Strategies
The key to building brand recognition lies in identifying opportunities as they arise and then seizing them. Keep a copy of your logo handy and use it in situations where you are asked to upload and display images online. Always insert your company name, tagline (or slogan), and website address (URL) in signatures and profiles that you use around the internet. That way, you’ll be able to propel your online marketing strategies at a moment’s notice.
Tip: Try creating a folder with all the information (don’t forget your elevator pitch and company bio) and storing it on your desktop for easy access! Be prepared at all times, and keep copies of your logo in traveling media like a memory key or stored in your inbox, so you can access and use it anytime, from anywhere.
Start finding those opportunities now by looking for innovative places on the web where you can display your brand. Go through all your online profiles and cyber haunts and make sure you’re promoting your business appropriately!
How do you incorporate your business brand to expand your online marketing strategies?
About Melissa Donovan