Now almost anyone can create their own store on the Internet – the entry threshold is getting lower, and the competition is naturally growing. It is enough to create an account on a social network or a small website, invest in advertising and start taking orders.
Due to the abundance of offers, trust in new brands decreases: as long as there are too few reviews about them and they are not “heard”, potential customers will not want to risk their funds. At first, it will be difficult to “break through” tens of thousands of entrepreneurs offering goods and services in related areas.
The customer s trust must be earned – this is precisely where the creation of a recognizable brand and “separation” from competitors will help. And it s not at all as difficult as you think.
What is internet branding?
In order for a service or product to be selected and recommended to others, a brand is created. It is he who evokes strong associations with the manufacturer or brand.
Promotion of the company on the Internet allows to simplify the communication between the consumer and the seller. In short, e-branding solves several problems at once. It:
- getting almost instant feedback from clients;
- fast distribution of content to the target audience;
- the ability to analyze the preferences and interests of buyers;
- using an individual approach to the audience;
- increased coverage.
The effectiveness of internet branding is higher than that of the “classic” methods of product promotion. With the help of it, you can not only establish sales in your niche, but also find business partners, justify your pricing policy, confirm the quality of goods and form consumer loyalty. At the same time, the initial costs will remain minimal.
What is the brand built from?
Brand structure necessarily includes a number of elements that increase awareness.
When contacting you, a client should think “I think I have already heard about this company, my friends (colleagues, acquaintances …) use their products” or “I have seen a lot of advertisements and positive reviews for their products on the Internet.”
Therefore, I recommend using the presentation of product information that will cause persistent associative links. This can be helped by:
- corporate identity (fonts, logo, colors and other design elements used both on the product itself and in advertising or on the website);
- brand name;
- unusual product design, its specific qualities (aroma, taste, materials used);
- thoughtful corporate culture and communication (events for employees and clients);
- creative way of product promotion, advertising presentation and materials.
Increased online awareness is the key to achieving brand status. In the current environment, just creating a small online store to get a constant stream of customers is not enough: even the most original feed will be useless if you are not engaged in attracting new customers.
What to think about first?
The specifics and features of Internet branding require a careful approach to each of the stages of forming the company s image:
- Consider a business idea. It should be interesting to the target audience, be based on personal experience, be unique and have great potential. In the process of brainstorming, you can use a variety of tools: from analyzing audience preferences to studying competitors products.
- Develop your brand name. The success of the store always depends on the naming – the name should have a specific message, be easy to remember and perceived, and also be unique. Remember to use the same name on social media accounts, on your website, and in marketing materials. There are many naming options: use abbreviations (OBI), pseudo-names (Taxovichkof) or descriptive names.
- Create a concept. It will have to be followed throughout the life of your brand, so take your time. The commercial, moral and ethical principles and philosophy of the company will help to form an acute problem that is solved with the help of your product or service.
- Think about your corporate identity. The most important part of it is visual communication – this is the applied graphics, colors, fonts, logo, corporate identity. Product packaging and website design should correspond to the idea and naming of the company. Do not forget about the observance of corporate ethics: think over the script of communication with clients in advance, the style of blogging.
- Form a development strategy. For the next year, you should already have a clear action plan: from creating a business plan and choosing advertising tools to working out brand communities and a website. Think about what loyalty program you can offer to your clients, in which media to post materials about your project.
The last and most important step will be the launch of your project. The strategy can be adjusted “along the way” – after analyzing the activity, loyalty, audience engagement and other important statistical indicators. Finish preparing your website and social media profiles to get started with ad buying and reputation building.
The most important rule is to always keep in touch with your target audience. Negativity should be quickly worked out, all comments and reviews should be monitored.
Perhaps after a while you will need a complete rebranding – this fate does not bypass even recognizable companies.
Four steps to a failed project
When creating your brand, it is important to avoid common mistakes that negatively affect your reputation as an entrepreneur. For example:
- The desire to please everyone. The narrower the niche, the easier it is to work – segment your audience.
- Weak positioning. A logo and name that is not associated with a product cannot become the personification of its qualities.
- Wrong goal setting. Any branding should have a specific goal – to achieve loyalty, recognition, and increase sales. If you pay little attention to planning and miscalculate the budget, you can “sit in a puddle” and lose money invested in the project.
- Refusal from analytics tools. Without collecting enough information about the target audience before starting work, you risk creating an unclaimed product.
Increasing company awareness is a time-consuming and multi-stage task, for the implementation of which it is not enough to draw a logo and come up with a slogan. First of all, the creators of the brand must show the target audience that they are interested in communication and offer a high-quality, useful product.
Don t go after pathos – create a unique style that will appeal to your customers.