Building a successful online brand in 2023 requires a combination of strategies and consistent effort. To establish a strong online presence and attract your target audience, it is essential to focus on branding, brand identity, brand strategy, and brand management. By implementing the following key strategies, you can effectively build a successful online brand.

Key Takeaways:

• Develop a cohesive brand identity that reflects your brand’s personality and values.
• Create valuable and engaging content across different platforms.
• Be active on social media to connect with and engage your target audience.
• Build a professional website that provides a seamless user experience.
• Establish yourself as an industry expert and engage with your audience regularly.

Develop A Strong, Cohesive Brand Identity

Developing a strong, cohesive brand identity is essential for building a successful online brand. Your brand identity encompasses various elements such as your brand name, logo, and visual aesthetic, which collectively represent your brand’s personality and values.

A well-crafted brand name is the foundation of your brand identity. It should be unique, memorable, and reflective of your brand’s essence. Take Apple, for instance, known for its innovative and premium products. The simple yet powerful brand name perfectly aligns with their mission and resonates with their target audience.

Logo design is another crucial aspect of brand identity. Your logo should visually communicate your brand’s values and differentiate it from competitors. Consider Nike’s iconic swoosh logo, which symbolizes movement, power, and excellence. It’s instantly recognizable and creates a strong brand association.

Your visual aesthetic plays a significant role in brand identity as well. This includes consistent use of colors, typography, and imagery across all brand assets. A cohesive visual aesthetic creates brand recognition and helps establish a strong brand presence online.

Brand Identity Attributes

To ensure a cohesive brand identity, it’s important to consider key attributes such as consistency, clarity, relevance, differentiation, authenticity, adaptability, and cohesiveness.

Create Valuable and Engaging Content

In today’s digital landscape, creating valuable and engaging content is essential for building a successful online brand. Content creation involves crafting blog posts, videos, graphics, photos, and other forms of media that resonate with your target audience. By developing high-quality content, you can attract and engage potential customers, establish your brand as a trusted authority, and ultimately drive conversions.

When it comes to content creation, it’s important to focus on providing value to your audience. This means understanding their needs, pain points, and interests, and tailoring your content to address them. By offering valuable insights, tips, and solutions, you can position your brand as a helpful resource and build trust with your audience.

In addition to providing value, your content also needs to be engaging. Captivating visuals, compelling storytelling, and interactive elements can all help to capture and hold your audience’s attention. Incorporating videos, for example, can be particularly effective in grabbing attention and conveying information in an easily digestible format. Video content has become increasingly popular and can be shared across various social media platforms, boosting brand awareness and reach.

Remember that consistency is key when it comes to content creation. Regularly publishing fresh, relevant, and valuable content helps to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. By staying consistent and continually refining your content strategy based on audience feedback and insights, you can ensure that your brand remains relevant and resonates with your target market.

Be Active on Social Media

Building a successful online brand in 2023 requires more than just a great website and valuable content. It’s important to be active on social media platforms to connect with your target audience and establish a strong online presence. Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn offer unique opportunities to engage with your audience and promote your brand.

Instagram is a visual platform that allows you to showcase your brand’s personality and connect with your audience through images and videos. It’s a great platform for building a community and fostering meaningful connections with your followers. With its growing popularity, TikTok offers organic reach and search features that can help increase brand visibility and reach a larger audience. YouTube, on the other hand, serves as a search engine for video content, making it an ideal platform for sharing valuable videos and tutorials related to your brand. Facebook is a widely-used platform that allows you to stay connected with existing contacts and reach new audiences through targeted advertising. Lastly, LinkedIn provides opportunities for professional networking and establishing yourself as an industry expert.

Being active on social media involves regularly posting engaging content, interacting with your audience, and responding to their comments and messages. It’s important to create a content calendar and schedule your posts in advance to ensure consistency. Consistent and genuine engagement with your audience helps build trust and loyalty, ultimately strengthening your brand’s presence online.

Create a Social Media Strategy

To make the most out of your social media presence, it’s important to develop a social media strategy that aligns with your brand’s goals and target audience. Set clear objectives, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, or generating leads. Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience and their preferences on each platform. Tailor your content to suit each platform’s unique features and user expectations.

Monitor your social media analytics to assess the performance of your posts and make data-driven decisions. Track key metrics such as engagement rates, reach, and conversions to optimize your strategy. Experiment with different types of content, such as videos, images, and interactive posts, to keep your audience engaged and interested.

Remember, being active on social media is not just about promoting your brand but also about creating meaningful connections with your audience. Engage with your followers, respond to their comments and messages, and show genuine interest in their opinions. By utilizing social media effectively, you can build a strong online brand presence and connect with your target audience on a deeper level.

Build a Professional Website

When it comes to building a successful online brand, having a professional website is essential. Your website serves as the virtual storefront for your brand, and it’s often the first impression that potential customers have of your business. A well-designed website not only enhances your brand’s credibility but also provides a positive user experience for visitors. By investing in a professional website, you can showcase your brand’s unique identity and attract and retain customers.

Design Matters

The design of your website plays a crucial role in creating a positive user experience. It’s important to choose a design that aligns with your brand’s identity and values. A clean and modern design with easy navigation ensures that visitors can find the information they’re looking for quickly. Additionally, a visually appealing website can captivate your audience, make a lasting impression, and encourage them to explore more of what your brand has to offer.

User Experience is Key

Creating a seamless user experience is vital for turning visitors into customers. Your website should be intuitive, with clear navigation menus and well-structured content. Pages should load quickly, and the layout should be responsive and optimized for mobile devices. By prioritizing user experience, you can create a positive impression of your brand and keep visitors engaged.

Establish Credibility

A professional website helps establish your brand’s credibility. It provides a platform for you to showcase your expertise, share testimonials from satisfied customers, and display any relevant certifications or awards. Including an “About Us” page or a section that highlights your team members can also humanize your brand and build trust with your audience. Remember, a credible website is more likely to attract customers and differentiate your brand from competitors.

A professional website is an integral part of building a successful online brand. By focusing on design, user experience, and credibility, you can create a website that not only reflects your brand but also engages and converts visitors into loyal customers.

Conclusion

Building a successful online brand in 2023 requires a combination of strategies and consistent effort. By applying effective branding techniques, you can establish a strong online presence, attract your target audience, and elevate your brand’s reputation in the digital landscape.

Developing a cohesive brand identity is key to gaining recognition and standing out in a crowded market. By creating a unique brand name, logo, and visual aesthetic that reflects your brand’s personality and values, you can build a memorable and authentic brand.

Creating valuable and engaging content is crucial for establishing your brand as an authority in your industry. Whether it’s through blog posts, videos, or graphics, consistently providing valuable content will help you build brand awareness, engage your audience, and boost your brand’s online visibility.

Being active on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn is essential for building brand awareness and connecting with your target audience. By leveraging the unique features of each platform, you can reach a wider audience, foster meaningful relationships, and generate interest in your brand.

Building a professional website is a fundamental aspect of digital branding. A well-designed website not only showcases your products or services but also enhances your brand’s credibility and user experience. By creating a modern, user-friendly website, you can establish trust with your audience and leave a lasting impression.

In conclusion, by implementing effective branding strategies, creating valuable content, engaging with your audience on social media, and building a professional website, you can successfully build and manage your online brand. Consistency and authenticity are key in establishing brand awareness and driving brand growth in the digital age. Reach out to us for a FREE consultation and we’ll help to realise your digital ambitions today in Kapiti.

Marketing has always been about connecting with your target audience in the right place and at the right time.

Today, that means you need to meet your target audience where they are spending most of their time. The place is on the internet.

Did you know that in 2022, there were more than 4.95 Billion global internet users? This was up from 400 million users in 2021. That is a huge number of people, a huge number of people that could be your customers too – but only if they know about you.

Want to learn more about digital marketing and learn why it’s important? Keep reading.

Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your company’s online marketing efforts.

Digital marketing is how your target audience will find you online, engage with your Brand, fall in love with what you offer, build trust and ultimately… buy from you.

Let’s dive in to:

1. What is Digital Marketing?

2. What are the benefits of Internet Marketing?

3. Digital Marketing Strategy vs Digital Marketing Plan

4. How do I write a Digital Marketing Strategy?

5. How do I write a Digital Marketing Plan?

Read on to learn more about Digital Marketing, what it is and how you can create a digital marketing strategy for your business to reach more customers than you ever thought possible.

1. What is Digital Marketing?

In this digital era, anyone can use technology to promote their business. Create innovative designs and share it on the internet.

Digital marketing is otherwise known as Online Marketing or Internet Marketing. It embraces many traditional marketing techniques but includes some important ‘upgrades’ so they apply effectively in the digital space.

Digital marketing is defined as the use of digital channels or technologies to sell, or promote, a product or service.

So, what does digital marketing consist of? We call them the 9 pillars of digital marketing and they are:

• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing (SMM)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Influencer marketing
• Mobile marketing
• Marketing analytics
• Affiliate marketing

All 9 pillars fall under the umbrella term ‘Digital Marketing’ and come in no particular order – all 9 are equally important these days.

But for a real-life example of these pillars in action… if you are being encouraged to buy something when you’re browsing online, that is the 9 pillars of digital marketing at work.

2. What are the benefits of Internet Marketing?

The number of potential customers or, prospects, you can find online is much larger than you’ll ever be able to attract locally.

We are talking a global audience of 4.95 billion people here, a number that is growing considerably each year. Imagine the possibilities if you opened the doors of your business to that many people.

It could be life changing for you and your family.

By incorporating only 50% of the digital marketing pillars into your digital marketing plan, you will be able to reach a global audience in a way that’s cost-effective, scalable and measurable.

Some of the key benefits of digital marketing include:

• The ability to interact with your prospects and learn exactly what they are looking for (in otherwords, get to know your customers better!).
• The ability to reach out to anyone, anywhere, as there are no geographical boundaries in the digital space.
• Target the right audience at the right time – personalisation is simpler with digital marketing.
• Communicate with your prospects at every stage of the buying process.
• Save money by reaching more customers for less.
• Get to know your audience and drive engagement to create brand loyalty.
• Gain inspiration from the power of customer loyalty schemes.
• Track and monitor responses to your marketing efforts easily and quickly.

3. Digital Marketing Strategy vs Digital Marketing Plan

Even though marketing professionals often use these two terms interchangeably – Digital Marketing Plans and Digital Marketing Strategies differ from one another.

But do keep in mind that to find success in business online, both are necessary.

The most notable differences between the two are that a digital marketing strategy is something you establish first. Followed by your digital marketing plan which outlines how you’ll accomplish all the goals you’ve defined in the digital marketing strategy.

Here are some other differences between a digital marketing plan and a digital marketing strategy:

• Definition: The digital marketing strategy is the reason you have digital marketing efforts. This might be because the business needs to earn more to support its growth, or the business requires more brand recognition to secure long-term customers. In contrast, a digital marketing plan is the method by which you’ll deliver your strategy.
• Purpose: The purpose of a digital marketing strategy is to align your digital marketing goals with the overarching goals of the business. While the purpose of a digital marketing plan is to develop the specific steps you’ll need take to realise your marketing goals.
• Focus: Another difference between a digital marketing plan and a digital marketing strategy is in what each focuses on. Your digital marketing strategy will include your goals, campaign objectives, target audience, methods of communication and competitor analysis. Comparatively, your digital marketing plan should focus on the implementation method and more tactical steps you plan on taking to achieve the goals you’ve included in the strategy.

Now that we’ve covered the differences between the two, hopefully you’re now clued up on why they’re both important. So next, we’re going to delve into how to write your own digital marketing strategy!

4. How do I write a Digital Marketing Strategy?

A strategy gives you direction, this is true in all aspects of running your business. A digital marketing strategy is no different and why it’s often described as a roadmap to grow your business online.

From our experience, many companies without a digital marketing strategy lack clear strategic goals. They often come hand-in-hand and it draws into question whether there is a deeper strategic issue within the business. If you are struggling to find the time, or just don’t know where to start – this guide from HELM can really help put you back on track.

A clearly defined digital marketing strategy provides you with clarity. Without one, it makes it very difficult to allocate resources to specific digital marketing channels and even more difficult to measure whether you’re hitting your targets. Here are three questions to illustrate this point…

• How much profit did we make?
• How well did our customers respond?
• What could we have done better?

Three very easy questions to ask that are, often, very difficult to answer – unless you have written a digital marketing strategy.

So, how do I write a digital marketing strategy?

You can start by writing down answers to these questions:

• What am I trying to achieve? (state all your goals)
• Who is my target audience? (age, demographic, location etc)
• What is the ideal customer persona (e.g a young male professional with an affinity for green living?)
• Which digital channels are most suitable? (e.g Instagram, Facebook, Google Ads based on market research)
• What is my maximum budget? (include a small contingency)
• How many staff do I need to assign?
• What is the market demand for this product/service?
• How do I measure and report on the campaign?

Once you have answered all these questions, you will be 90% of the way to have written your digital marketing strategy. Build upon it further by adding questions specific to your niche and goals. Before you know it, you’ll have a digital marketing strategy that you feel confident will drive your business forward. 

Now, let’s focus on the execution of your strategy and that is the digital marketing plan!

5. How do I write a Digital Marketing Plan?

Firstly, let’s do a quick recap – what is a digital marketing plan? We can then provide you with a template showing you how to create your own.

Remember that digital marketing is achieved through digital marketing channels, embracing the 9 pillars, as outlined above. Therefore a digital marketing plan involves a deliberate decision-making process regarding your digital marketing strategy and decides upon the most appropriate digital channels that will help you fulfill it.

In short, a digital marketing plan is defined as a step-by-step, actionable process that focuses upon delivering the digital marketing strategy. 

Now that you fully understand what a digital marketing plan is, here is a real-life example of one based on a Gantt chart.

What’s really useful about this example is that it is an interactive Gantt based template, most are offline PDF’s which don’t provide you with a great deal of value-add. But with this interactive gantt, you can clearly see step-by-step, how to build your own digital marketing plan with some realistic time frames included for each task too. Super helpful!

Now that you’re fully prepared, it’s time to write your digital marketing plan!

Your next steps.

At VIEWFULE, we appreciate that it takes time to develop an effective digital marketing strategy and, in-turn, write an effective digital marketing plan. But if you invest the time to do so, the rewards can be huge and life changing that much is clear… engaging with a market of 4.95 Billion global internet users is no joke. Riches are to be made if you get it right and many companies do each and every day.

Should you need any guidance on writing either one or perhaps just an honest chat on digital marketing for your business. Reach our for your FREE consultation and we’ll talk through digital marketing, from effective digital channels to strategy and plans so you keep ahead of your competitors and gain market share!

VIEWFULE is Your Responsible & Trusted Web Services Company.

We are the Web Services Company that chose the responsible approach to business by putting Accountability, Community and Sustainability at the centre of our day to day operations. Asserting our Corporate Social Responsibilities, we proudly donate a percentage of our profits to organisations that champion sustainability and improve peoples lives around the world. We promote these 5 industry-leading commitments so you know you’re partnering with the right company:

You Own What We Create 100%.
Guaranteeing Ownership was one of our founding principles. You own 100% of your Website and any copy we write for you.

1 Tree Planted For Every New Client.
We partner with One Tree Planted, a non-profit dedicated to global reforestation. They help plant native trees within New Zealand.

We Are A Carbon-Negative Company.
Being Carbon-Neutral is simply not enough. We offset 50% more Carbon than we generate and aim for 300% within 5 years.

Percentage Of All Profits Donated.
We currently donate 2% of all our profits to causes the Sustainability Trust recommend. Improving homes and peoples lives every day.

‘Let’s Make It Right’ Policy.
This incorporates our Money-back Guarantee and Refund Policy. Please read our Terms and Conditions for more information.

We would love to help showcase your Brand online by championing your Website and we’ll get it found in major Search Engines too with our affordable search engine optimisation services. So reach out for your FREE consultation and experience the VIEWFULE difference today!

Social media offers individuals and business owners alike a great deal of ability to get the word out. This could be for new services and products or about an event or promotion. Most people use social media of some kind – and what’s more, they keep it close to them with their mobile devices at the ready.

People share everything on social media, from their baby’s first steps to more mundane things like what they’re eating for dinner that night.

Being online and using social media to promote your business offers many benefits.

1. Brand Recognition

If your aim is for people to recognise your brand, it’s important to develop a branded appearance that you use across all social media networks. Use the same logos (albeit in in different sizes), introductions and slogans so you stay true to your brand at all times.

2. ‘Drip fed’ Marketing Converts.

When you provide information over a long period of time, your audience becomes accustomed to your message. Over time they develop trust, and after being exposed to your brand for several weeks to months they are much more likely to place an order.

3. Improves Authority.

When you post a lot of original, interesting and helpful information, people start viewing you as an authority on those topics. You essentially become a ‘Subject Matter Expert’ or SME. Once you’re viewed as an SME you are considered the most trust worthy in your field. This absolutely converts to sales. Ask yourself, do YOU trust someone who is an expert in their field?

4. Increases Brand Loyalty.

The more people who are exposed to your brand, the more loyal they will become toward what you offer. Your offerings should represent what your brand represents and you’ll find that people become more loyal to you as you stick to what you know and believe in.

5. Increases Traffic to Your Website.

Using social media to share and promote your blog posts and new offerings will increase the traffic to your website considerably. One of the best ways to rank higher on search results is to be active on social networks.

6. It’s inexpensive.

Of all the many forms of marketing, it’s very affordable. Take television for example with its eye watering average 30 second ad cost of $150,000. Social media starting at less than $2 looks like a bargain. It can also be fun. Guard yourself from getting side-tracked, but always be interactive and engaging with your followers. Remember, time is money. Automate what is not direct communication so that you can get more done in less time.

7. Allows for Useful Consumer Engagement.

Social networks can let you engage with users in a very beneficial way. You can have deep conversations about many topics. Just remember to keep it professional and handle controversy carefully. Learn to brush off your emotions when you encounter negativity of either your brand or offerings and instead use the opportunity to look exceptionally kind, patient and professional. Remember, we are judged when we are at our worst not our best.

8. Works with Mobile Devices.

Better than most websites and email, social media works effortlessly on mobile devices. Social media and mobile really go hand-in-hand. People take their devices on dates, and to bed – you’ve never been closer to your audience than now.

Although everything about Facebook isn’t perfect, it’s still the biggest social network and they want you to succeed using their advertising platform. This just makes sense. If you achieve your business goals while spending money on Facebook advertising, you’re likely to use that marketing practice again in the future.

At VIEWFULE, we actively encourage the use of marketing on social media. Simply put, it works as our clients see results from it and so can you too. Irrespective of your industry, we would love to work with you and for you to boost your social media presence. So, remember to reach out for your FREE initial consultation today.