Building an Online Brand Strategy
In the endless ocean of online information how do you build a coherent brand strategy?
Visibility to the right people and the right markets is perhaps more critical online than anywhere else. It's the key to building a highly visible strategy for your brand, your company and product line. This is true even if you don't see your site as central in your communications — potential customers will still find it and use it to evaluate your offerings. But where do you start? How do you deliver a focused message through all the types of online media?
The key to gaining visibility with your brand through your website and other online media is leveraging your strategic value — what's unique and valued about your company and products to the customers you want to target.
Search, Publishing and Social Networking:
The Keys to Your Presence
You can really break down the Internet world in three basic categories that create your online presence: search, publishing and social networking. Simplifying the types of content and media in these key areas will give you a better idea of how to manage your content and the way your website connects with customers.
The three basic areas to focus on are:
 Search — how everyone looks for content and services on the web.
Key aspects include optimizing your site for search through using the right key words and monitoring traffic to the site, all through a clear and realistic SEO plan (search engine optimization) that takes time to generate real results. Adwords, paid search positioning in the side bar on a Google results page, can give you more immediate strategic search results position around key topics, content or product areas you may be focusing on. Lastly, paid or free directory listings will lift you upward in the search results. All these search strategies create results pointing back to you. For product-focused companies search is critical to helping customers find you.
 Publishing — Blogs, Articles & Forums
Internal and external blogs, articles and forums are all ways of talking about you and your products. This content, if presented and configured properly, should create more awareness and point search engines back to your site. This builds value and traffic to your website and can position you as an expert in key topics that people search by.
 Social Networking Sites and Listings
Yes, there is a lot of hype about social media that has everyone buzzing and thinking they need a Twitter presence or a Facebook page. But wait, think about this. The value comes if it links your site and commentary back to the communities you most value, building credibility, awareness and thought leadership. Ask this one question - would your most valued customers or clients spend time on Facebook or Twitter looking for you or your expertise? If the answer is no, these are not the places for you. Keep in mind; very few people are interested in constant chatter about what latte you just had. They want to know where the best resources are for specific software solutions or find experts on food and nutrition, for example. The value of Facebook or Twitter varies dramatically from B2B businesses to B2C. Consumer-focused businesses will get much more bang for their tweet or Facebook friends site than consulting or software solution providers. The key is understanding your audience and where they "live" on the Internet.
The Online World —
as in other areas of branding, it is about differentiation
The key to building a strong brand presence online is applying the same consistent approach to your Web presence, focusing your brand on the customers who most value you. A small company strategically launching a new product or service can gain quick recognition when they follow these simple strategies that focus on their brand value:
Clarify your relevant core attributes
What makes you unique?
Define your target market
What customers most value your solutions?
Focus on Your Differentiation
What are the key areas you can promote?
Build Consistency
Use the same language over and over.
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Brand Strategy 
