How to Improve Your Brand’s Online Presence

The majority of customers in the 21st Century will have their first impression of your business on the internet, making it essential that your brand’s image online is at the top of its game to establish your reputation and authority in your industry. In this blog, learn how to improve your online presence and grow your business.

What is Your Brand’s Online Presence?

By any other name, would your brand smell as sweet? Well, there’s a lot more to online branding than your name, logo, and color scheme.

Ultimately, a brand is born out of what you do and why you do it—but it’s defined by how it makes people feel. It’s the experience people have, the feeling they get, when they interact with your business. It’s easy to identify a strong brand: everyone who interacts with that brand, from the employees to the customers to stakeholders, all share a similar experience.

That’s why consistency is key when it comes to branding and online presence. All your consumer-facing materials and communications need to have the same feel to them.

When there’s familiarity, your business becomes recognizable, memorable and liked. Which is super important these days because there’s a lot of noise on the internet, and if you’re going to cut through it, you need to understand what makes your brand stand out.

If You Want to Enhance Your Online Presence, Brand Thyself

There’s an art to branding. Ultimately, it’s about knowing your company’s story—your unique mission.

As a passionate entrepreneur, you may already know what lies at the heart of your brand.

If you don’t know, you want to get it nailed down as soon as possible. After all, if you don’t take the time to craft an identity for your business, your customers will ascribe one to you, and it might not be what you want. Knowing your company’s story—why it exists and for whom—is the central touchstone that shapes every interaction.

Take Starbucks, for example. The brand’s promise is to be the “third place.”

The place between work and home. It’s a hub, a place for gathering and connectivity. That idea of being the third place shapes every layer of the company. A few examples include:

• Cozy ambiance and decor

• Ample seating for groups

• Free WiFi (although this is no longer a novelty)

• Friendly, diverse, slightly offbeat staff.

• Warm, playful language in email and social

• Freedom to use space and amenities regardless of whether or not you make a purchase

Starbucks feels welcoming in every interaction, and not just in-person. Even their online presence exudes warmth and welcome. The company has a distinct personality, if you will. Almost like an old friend inviting you into their cozy home for a cup of joe.

When most people think of branding, they think of name and logo. But if you want to create a meaningful online presence, branding must start with your company’s story. For example, AirBnB’s brand promise is to make people around the world feel like they can “belong anywhere.”

That idea is present in their logo, which brings together a person, a destination marker, and a heart:

The story comes first. The logos and colors come later. What branding boils down to is knowing thyself. Know what you offer and to whom. What makes your business amazing? Having a crystalline identity behind your business ensures two things:

1. A thoughtful identity gives you a competitive edge. If you’ve tapped into the heart of your company, you’ve tapped into what makes it unique. Playing to that strength is a surefire way to cut through the digital noise.
   
   
2. All consumer-facing materials and communications are consistent. Consistency is key when it comes to creating a positive, cohesive online presence.
   
   

So You Want to Enhance Your Online Presence?

Among the endless sea of monochrome adverts, strong branding can set your company apart like a blazing neon banner. Of course, knowing what you stand for is only part of the battle.

Once you know that, it’s time to enter the foray and make your brand known! Did you know you can conquer new online territory at the touch of a button? Learn about the tool that will help you automatically increase your web presence.