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7 Golden Rules of Online Branding

Online branding in today’s rapidly-growing web space can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to attract customers in a very competitive niche. Establishing your online presence and communicating your core message, logo and other details that represent your company can be easier with the right social media strategy. In order for your online branding strategy to be effective, you need to focus on creating a streamlined and consistent online identity.

Here are seven of the golden rules of online branding:

1. Emphasize what you do, not who you are.

Many companies put a lot of effort into the design of their logo and the color scheme of their website, but overlook the importance of highlighting what exactly it is they do for the customer. While the visible elements of your website and marketing materials are important, it’s equally as important to outline exactly what services and benefits you provide. This needs to be summarized in just one sentence or a few words.

2. Use quality copy.

The words and tone you use in your marketing materials and on the web are representative of the quality of your services and products. Use choice words and be careful about how you interact online in the social sphere. Every form of communication should support your brand.

3. Maintain an email newsletter.

A branded email newsletter can complement other marketing materials and help you connect with your target customers consistently. Set up a branded email newsletter campaign to reinforce your brand and encourage subscribers to come back to your website.

4. Use social media marketing tools effectively.

Twitter and Facebook can help you maintain contact with your current customers and reaching out to new ones. However, these marketing tools aren’t appropriate – or even effective – for all industries. You need to be consistent with your updates, and also provide relevant and useful information for your followers and friends.

5. Become a resource for quality information.

Many of your customers are looking for answers to problems or solutions for something. Become the resource or authority on that subject by providing articles or blog posts that answer many common questions. Publishing articles or blog content regularly can also reinforce your brand and help you provide something of real value to your customers.

6. Make your company more approachable.

From using a real email address for contact information, to providing some fun, “newsy” information about what’s happening at the company behind-the-scenes, make an effort to make your company more approachable and friendly to the public. People like to do business with companies they feel positive about, so do your best to create a more approachable business personality whenever possible.

7. Work on developing a following.

Whether you’re active on Twitter, have set up a business Facebook page, or are engaging in online communities and forums, take steps to actively build up a following and get “fans”. Remember that most people are likely to do business with companies they “know” and feel comfortable with. Work on developing a strong following and promote your brand whenever possible.

Executing an effective online branding strategy can be challenging, but there are several things you can do to attract the right type of customer. Follow these seven golden rules as you put together your online branding campaign.

Effective Ways to Manage a Large Email Subscriber List

Whether you send out branded email newsletters regularly or just a quick note to your email subscriber database regularly, you need to make sure that the recipients really have “opted in” to receiving communications from you. As anti-spam rules and regulations become stricter, it’s in your best interest to make a diligent effort in the area of permission-based marketing – you don’t want to be labeled as a spammer. Creating a system to capture emails for your subscriber database and cleaning it up regularly will help you make the most of your email marketing efforts.

Here are some of the most effective ways to manage a large email subscriber list:

Be Specific About What You Will Deliver

When you are having website visitors sign up to join an email list, make sure you are being specific about what you will actually deliver. Will you be sending them a branded email newsletter each month, random updates and announcements throughout the week, or a coupon or special offer? Be specific so that the recipient can decide if they actually do want to maintain this form of contact with you.

Always Offer the Option to Opt Out

Be respectful to your recipients by offering the option to unsubscribe or opt out when needed. For some people, an email newsletter or frequent updates from you could just be information overload and they don’t want another email cluttering their inbox. For others, the information you provide may not really be valuable to them and they may have changed their mind. Whatever the case may be, always make sure you have an “unsubscribe” option posted at the end of your email.

Focus On Value

If you want to retain your subscribers for the long term, make sure you are providing valuable, useful and timely information. Put together a newsletter that includes tips, helpful articles or even links out to your blog. Avoid sending emails that are only focused on selling something. One of the keys to maintaining a large email subscriber list is to keep the recipient engaged and interested in what you are sending, week after week and month after month. If you notice a sudden drop in subscribers, it may be time to evaluate the value of the content you are providing.

Look at Statistics Regularly

Many email distribution products allow you to see how many emails were actually opened, how many clicks an email received, and other useful data. Review your statistics regularly after each send to see if there are any patterns. How many people are unsubscribing, on average, each month? How many people are even opening the email? Look to your statistics for indications of interest and response rates. This information can be helpful when you need to adjust or modify your emails.

Make sure you don’t get blacklisted as a spammer when managing a large email subscriber list. Take steps to ensure you are cultivating an email list of happy and satisfied subscribers, monitor response regularly, and be respectful to your recipients at all times.

Five Ways to Boost Your Brand

How often do you connect with your existing client base? Many successful business owners find that it’s easier to generate more business and get referrals when they stay in touch with their current clients.
Social media tools including Facebook and Twitter have made it easier than ever to keep your loyal customers informed about the latest news, product launches and other highlights about your business, and a complete branding strategy that includes branded email newsletters can help you stand apart from the competition.
Here are five other ways to boost your brand in a competitive marketplace:

#1: Provide Extra Value for Your Customers

    Delivering free, high quality information about the latest industry news, product information or even a special offer via email provides extra value to your existing customer base. Your customers may have purchased from you once, but you can keep on providing something of value to them to keep your company “at top of mind”. Branded email newsletters help to maintain a positive connection with your existing customer base. You can also provide value by maintaining a blog or posting informational articles on your website.

    #2: Opens Up Opportunities for Referrals

When customers find you to be a trustworthy source of information, products and services in your niche, they may be more likely to refer you to friends and family. Branded email newsletters can be a powerful communication and connection tool for current and future customers. Remember that many customers can forward the email to a friend within a few clicks!

#3: Make Sure All Marketing Efforts Complement Each Other

    If you’re promoting your business on television, through pay-per-click advertising, or even on Twitter and Facebook, an email newsletter can be an attractive “freebie” that complements all of your other marketing campaigns. Branded email newsletters offer multiple benefits (link to Top 10 Benefits of Branded Email Newsletters) for companies across all industries. If you’re setting up an online display ad, make sure the company logo and slogan appear prominently somewhere in the ad.

    #4: Track Response Rates

Track response rates and review activity on your website after each email send within a few clicks. Sending email newsletters and monitoring response rates can help you determine what is working, and what isn’t. It’s one of the few marketing campaigns that can be tracked, monitored and evaluated for success rates so easily. You can also track response rates from pay-per-click ads and review traffic coming in from your blog.

#5: Find Creative Ways to Open Up Communication Between You and Your Customer

    Some customers may respond to a special offer or call you after reading about something new in the newsletter. Others may simply respond to a Facebook status update or a tweet. Make your company appear approachable and accessible so that you can maintain positive relationships with all current and prospective customers.
    From executing a streamlined marketing campaign to sending out branded email newsletters regularly, there are several ways to boost your brand in the competitive marketplace. Use these tips to build a positive brand presence in your industry.

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Top 10 Benefits of Branded Email

How often do you connect with your customers online? Making your company and brand stand apart from the pack is much easier when your online marketing efforts include a custom, branded email newsletter. Your email newsletter can be a powerful marketing tool to keep current customers interested in what you have to offer, and also to cultivate a positive relationship. Remember that not all email newsletters need to be promotional. Many people will choose to subscribe to you because you are delivering high quality information they can use and have interest in.

Here are just ten of the key benefits of branded email newsletters:

1. Promotes your brand. Every time a recipient opens an email with your branded newsletter, they will associate the logo, your company colors and your overall message with your brand. Being consistent with your email distribution can help to promote your brand.

2. Easy form of communication. Today’s on-the-go customer can read your newsletter on their Smartphone, at the office and at home at their leisure. You can communicate with prospective and current customers within a few clicks.

3. Supplements other online marketing efforts. Branded email newsletters serve as a supplement to other online marketing efforts, including your Twitter and Facebook campaigns, your blog, and even your website marketing activities. Make sure the colors, logos, design and even some pictures are the same on each piece so that customers make the connection easily.

4. Completely customized for your business. Instead of sending a standard message via email, an email newsletter can be customized with the colors, design and logos you use on your website and other marketing materials.

5. Efficient and low-cost form of communication. Email newsletters can be an inexpensive alternative to direct mail advertising, including posters, flyers and postcards. If you are on a tight budget and want to be consistent with your marketing, consider executing an email newsletter campaign.

6. Easy to track. One of the biggest benefits of online marketing today is that most of your efforts can be tracked. Branded email newsletters can be used with your favorite email distribution programs so that you can track open rates, click-through rates and analyze metrics with ease.

7. Builds customer loyalty. Sending out email newsletters filled with valuable information can help to build trust with your customers and may also help to boost customer retention and loyalty. Make sure your newsletters contain high quality information and aren’t always pushing a product or service. You can promote your business occasionally, but the goal will be to pique your prospects’ interest.

8. Send out special offers. When you do decide to send out a promotional email, design a special coupon or voucher so that customer can print it out. This is another effective branding and marketing strategy. Customized and exclusive offers can help to drum up business when you need it, and also promote your brand.

9. Pre-release new products and services. Alert your customer base about an upcoming product launch or new services with a customized, branded email newsletter. These announcements keep your customers “in the know” without a pushy ad, sales or marketing campaign.

10. Educates your customers about a new concept. If you are a leader in an emerging industry and have some thoughts about a current trend or topic, send out a brief summary in your email newsletter. This is another way to pique interest in your business and can help to drive traffic back to your website.

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