The digital age has brought a lot of changes to the way people communicate both professionally and in social situations. In earlier times, many people built their reputation through regular interactions with colleagues or associates in a variety of forums. However, this has drastically changed with majority of interactions taking place online resulting in the need to maintain a reputable identity online. The need to brand one’s identity on different online platforms is important for individuals as well as companies that want to have a positive image at all times.
Initially, online brand promotion was restricted to websites but with the emergence of social networks there has been need to expand marketing or branding messages to accommodate them. In the same way, when creating a brand identity online there is need to use a variety of social tools, websites and mobile applications to come up with a great brand. Nevertheless, portraying brands online in a bid to build an identity on all these platforms can be quite a challenge, thus making it important to find a way to do so in a continuous manner. Here is a basic guideline on making your online identity a successful brand.
- Be Consistent
Maintaining an online identity is important regardless of the number of communication channels being used in branding. When the message provided is consistent it allows people interested in your identity to automatically associate with your brand. In most cases, offering such information allows you to shape the thoughts of your online followers and soon they will always seek to know about your identity through the communication channels you have provided. In addition, the more people identify with your brand they are able to offer feedback immediately and in a candid manner.
- Humanize the Brand
One of the best ways to brand your online identity and give it a personal feel is through the use of social media. Using social networks can be done as that of the brand so that users do not see it as an individual’s page. However, in some cases you need to personalize the brand especially when giving feedback to fans, followers or customers. Most people making inquiries or giving feedback on the social networking platforms appreciate being responded to by another human being on the other side.
- Work with Brand Guardians
Brand guardians are basically the people that ensure that the brand remains consistent as well as strong on all online channels. If your brand is still young, the team guarding it can be of a few people but can become bigger as it grows so as to handle every aspect effectively and not lose customers. Even with professionals handling the identity of the brand it is still important to develop a brand strategy that covers all the online channels and meets the needs of your customers.
Overall, building a great online brand identity takes time but when it is done right the rewards are enormous and worth all the investment put in by an individual or team.
