Online Branding – Stand Out in Your Market

Chances are, you’ve already heard about the importance of online branding And how important it is in building a trusted and unique brand.

Words like “brand awareness” and “brand recognition” are often tossed around.

And are synonymous with achieving success and gaining a strong foothold in your market.

You already know you need to establish a brand that is all your own. Yet few people tell you exactly how to get started.

Defining Your Online Branding Message

Your brand message explains to potential customers what you have to offer. And how committed you are to providing quality and value.

It’s your job to lay the groundwork as to what you want people to know about your business. And then work towards supporting that identity.

Through demonstrating knowledge, skills and capabilities to deliver what was promised.

You want to become the go-to person in your niche market.

The obvious choice when customers are considering who to turn to when making their purchasing decisions.

When you work towards building an unwavering presence in your market. Starting with a strong foundation of trust.

You’ll immediately eliminate the barriers standing in the way of you connecting with your target audience.

It starts with what is called a U.S.P.

What U.S.P Really Means

Let me get right down to it.

USP stands for unique selling proposition (or unique selling point). And it is critical that you establish what yours will be right from the start.

Contrary to popular belief, a USP has nothing to do with logos, slogans or graphic design.

USP is far more important than that when it comes to building your customer base. And breaking through the barriers of resistance that most businesses experience when they first appear in their market.

A USP is what truly tells potential customers how you are different from the competition.

It helps to align your goals with your customer’s. Your USP tells them that you can be trusted, that you have their best interests at heart, and that you fulfill all promises.

And most importantly, a USP ensures you aren’t a faceless brand.

This would include key factors that differentiate a product or service from its competition. Such as the lowest price. An extended, no-risk guarantee.

A unique or exclusive product. Or offer not found anywhere else, or the first-ever product of its kind.

Your USP should also demonstrate your dedication to satisfying customers.

And provide reassurance that you stand by your products. And that there is no risk to your customer when doing business with you.

Your USP is the driving force behind clearly illustrating value.

And giving potential customers a reason to purchase from you rather than the competition.

That’s its one and only job.

Creating A Powerful Brand

Before you begin laying the groundwork for your online branding message. You’ll want to make sure you thoroughly understand your market. This includes knowing who your potential customers are, and who the competition is.

Here are a few ways to do this:

Research social media accounts from within your target audience. Pay close attention to what they tweet. How they respond to posts. What they like and are most receptive to.

You’ll want to do the same for your competitor’s.

Focus on what kinds of content is being posted that boosts engagement. As well as how they’ve positioned themselves in the market.

Google your niche and analyze the top search results. Spend time on their websites. Read their sales copy and if possible, purchase a few of their products. So you can evaluate the type of content being offered.

Spend time within Facebook and subreddits where people in your niche congregate to discuss common topics. Look for commonly asked questions. And always keep a look out for ongoing discussions. As it signifies a growing demand for help in specific segments of your market.

As you research, take as many notes as possible!

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to figure out your positioning statement.

This is simply a few lines that describe your brand and solidifies your place in your market.

This isn’t necessarily something you include on your website or on business cards. It’s simply an expression of how your products and services fill a specific need in your market.

It gives people a compelling reason to buy from you.

The easiest way to come up with a solid positioning statement or USP is to think of your brand as a customer.

-What would she/he be most interested in?

-Which words would matter most?

-What offers or promises are expected?

-The questions they have?

Thinking about your brand from a customer’s perspective will help you choose a voice for your business.

That speaks to your audience. And ultimately sets the tone for everything from marketing campaigns, social media updates to the content on your website.

The 4 Essential Ingredients of Successful Online Branding

Online Branding Component #1

A Focused Mission Statement

The strength of your brand begins with a very specific and purposeful mission statement. This is the promise you make to your market. And it defines who you are and what you have to offer.

The easiest way to create a powerful mission statement, is to think of your business from your customers’ perspective.

Think about what motivates them to purchase products. And how your business could persuade them. So they feel that you’re a credible and valuable partner in helping them achieve their goals.

A mission statement sets the tone for your entire brand story. It helps connect your products and services with your target audience. By explaining exactly why they should purchase from you, instead of your competitor.

If you struggle to create a mission statement for your brand. Take a step back and look at your business through the eyes of your average customer.

Begin by outlining what you bring to the table. And what you have to offer that sets you apart.

This doesn’t mean you should include products or services in your mission statement; you definitely shouldn’t. It simply means that you should be able to describe everything that encompasses your business.

Online Branding Component #2

A Well-Designed Website

Creating your own website puts you in full control of your online branding and it’s a vital component in your long-term success.

That doesn’t mean your website needs to be elaborate.

It just needs to be functional and serve as a home base for your brand. You can work on growing it as you continue to build your business.

Online Branding Component #3

A Mailing List

It’s important to begin growing your mailing list immediately. Do not put this off!

This is where your website comes into play.

You should include a landing page with an opt-in form that connects visitors with your mailing list.

So that you can begin to grow your tribe. That way you’re able to easily reach out to your customer base and build valuable relationships with your audience.

Growing a list of subscribers who are actively interested in your niche is the easiest way to catapult your business to the next level.

There is also no other marketing strategy that comes close to the effectiveness of a targeted mailing list, nor one as affordable.

Online Branding Component #4

Choose a Differentiator

The single most important thing that will set your brand apart from any other. Is by having a very clear differentiator as part of your identity.

Here’s a simple example of how a differentiator can be responsible for a brand’s success. Even in competitive markets where there are few ways to stand out.

I know of a lady who writes romance. She publishes her stories on Amazon in what is a rather crowded market.

There are thousands of romance books published every week. Yet she manages to generate over $15,000 a month in book sales.

The interesting thing is that her writing is no better than the majority of other books being published.

She’s also focused on mainstream romance niches rather than sub-genres.

So how does she manage to stand out and attract thousands of readers every month who have so many options to choose from?

Her brand is based around having the hottest book covers on the market.

Despite her books being in an overly competitive market. Her covers speak to potential readers and persuade them to one-click.

That’s what her entire brand is based on. Having higher quality covers than the competition

Your brand needs a differentiator.

Whether it’s in the style of your website.

The voice used throughout your content.

Or the quality of your graphics.

Step-by-Step Online Branding Checklist

Setting the Tone

-Color Scheme:

What do you envision as the look and feel of your brand? Which colors do you feel stand out? What kind of graphics do you plan to feature?

-Graphics:

Depending on the type of business you are planning to launch. You’ll want to consider hiring a professional graphic designer. To create digital product images, banners, a logo and other graphic elements that anchor your brand. You can hire people from places like Fiverr.com. Or you can look for graphic designers from freelance markets like UpWork.com.

-Domain & Website:

Register a domain that defines your brand in some way.

Social Accounts

You’ll want to quickly snag any social media accounts that you plan to use. So that you can stake a claim to your brand’s username. This could be your website domain or perhaps a keyword-based name that attracts attention.

Track Your Customers & Traffic

Integrate a site analytics tool into your website. So that you can keep a steady pulse on where your traffic is coming from.

This will help you later develop marketing campaigns that are geared towards your prime sources of traffic.

Applying Differentiators

Next, you’ll want to look for ways you can stand apart other than the visual look and feel of your brand’s image.

Conclusion

Creating a unique brand that stands out in your market and communicates to customers that you have something valuable to offer.

Isn’t as difficult as you may have first thought when thinking about online branding.

The key is to focus on defining how your brand is different than others and why customers should choose you over the competition.

To Your Success,

Joshua