📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

6 Tips to Building a Stronger Brand Using New Media Branding is all about trust, so make sure you get it right the first time.

By Ann Smarty

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Branding has always been important, but it's never been as essential as it is now. Thanks to the internet, your potential customers are being flooded with dozens -- if not hundreds -- of different buying opportunities every hour.

While quality, cost and execution will all play a role in a customer's decision, trust remains the key way to win the sale. Branding is one of the most important things you can do to win trust, so it's important you do it right.

Here are five simple tips for marketing your brand with new media.

1. Spend moments on execution, but months in prep.

For your company's branding to really work, it will need to be more than just a name. A logo, tag line, tone of approach and color scheme can be important.

Consistency in these choices is just as important as the choices themselves. A decision to change any element of your business brand can undermine a lot of hard work, so be willing to take your time -- months, if needed -- to decide exactly how you want to present your brand.

Actionable tip: Consider creating a comprehensive brand uniformity guide where your branding elements will be standardized. Trapeze has a solid brand identity guide to use as an example and guidelines to creating your own.

2. Monitor your brand-related queries.

Whatever people are searching about your brand on Google indicates what they think about it and, importantly, what problems they have. Moreover, if too many people are searching [your-brand-name scam], this phrase will show up in Google Auto-suggest results as others.

Related: Use Social Media to Make Your Brand Stand Out

Monitoring what people are searching and where your own site ranks for different search phrases is crucial. You can use various keyword research tools in combination with keyword position monitoring software like SEranking.

3. KISS still applies.

The famous battlecry of "keep it simple stupid" is thoroughly embedded in the jargon of every salesman. This lesson doesn't start and end on the sales call, though. Simplicity has been shown to be more effective in branding efforts as well, especially since it makes your company more memorable.

4. Get into social media and interactive content.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Ello . . . I could go on for hours. There are tons of social media sites, and people age 18 to 34 actually spend more time on these sites than they do watching TV.

Obviously, you need to get your company onto these sites; however, your work won't end there. You need to post regularly, add valuable content and use as much interactivity as you can by putting out videos, interactive presentations, manipulable infographics, and so forth. Rich interactive designs have been the hottest trend for a few years now.

For instance, Target successfully reached out to college students with their "Made for U College Styler" and ServiceNow captured the attention of their target audience with an interactive quiz.

Related: New to Digital Marketing? How to Keep 'Face Time' With Customers

Interactivity doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Smartketer claims that something as simple as animating your banners can significantly improve your campaign performance.

5. Be consistent with your branding.

Whatever the details of your company, you need to repeat yourself for your brand to stick. Did you catch that? You need to repeat yourself for your brand to stick.

If you're not consistent from site to site, customers won't recognize your brand, won't build trust, and your efforts will end up fairly impotent. So, keep in mind: You need to repeat yourself for your brand to stick.

Related: 3 Tips for Branding Your Growing Business

Brand consistency requires scalable team collaboration. Make sure you have tools in place for your whole company to be aware of your branding efforts. Here are some collaboration tools to try and use in the office. This site lists several mobile alternatives.

6. When in doubt, hire out.

How much is a good-looking logo worth to your company? What about the creation of the right tag line or company motto?

If you're not sure you can come up with something really solid on your own, then employing a copywriter, graphic designer and brand strategist is a very wise move.

Branding is a constant effort that gets reinforced with every move you make, and doing so carefully is just one more aspect of "smart business."

By being consistent, memorable, and just a little bit omnipresent, you can build a brand that separates you from your many, many competitors.

Ann Smarty

Founder of MyBlogU, Brand Manager at Internet Marketing Ninjas

Ann Smarty is the brand and community manager at InternetMarketingNinjas.com as well as the founder of MyBlogU.com. Smarty has been into internet marketing for seven years, she is the former editor-in-chief of Search Engine Journal and contributor to prominent search and social blogs including Small Biz Trends and Mashable. Smarty is also a frequent speaker at Pubcon and the host of regular Twitter chats #vcbuzz and #myblogu.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

Most People Have No Business Starting a Business. Here's What to Consider Before You Become an Entrepreneur

You need to find the right business opportunity at the right time and take the right steps to beat the odds.

Leadership

AI vs. Humanity — Why Humans Will Always Win in Content Creation

With the proliferation and integration of AI across organizations and business units, PR and marketing professionals may be tempted to lean into this new technology more than recommended.

Growing a Business

Who You Hire Matters — Here's How to Form a Team That's Built to Last

Among the many challenges related to managing a small business, hiring a quality team of employees is one of the most important. Check out this list of tips and best practices to find the best people for your business.

Leadership

This Leadership Technique is the Secret to Optimal Team Performance

Through my experience in business, I've found one particular leadership technique that works better than others.

Management

7 Ways You Can Use AI to 10x Your Leadership Skills

While technology can boost individual efficiency and effectiveness, it's essential to balance their use with human intuition and creativity to avoid losing personal connection and to optimize workplace satisfaction.

Business News

Passengers Are Now Entitled to a Full Cash Refund for Canceled Flights, 'Significant' Delays

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced new rules for commercial passengers on Wednesday.