When was the last time you bought a can of cola online? A television? Signed up for legal representation? While internet marketing is a great way to drive traffic to your website to generate sales or leads, there are still many people who either won’t or can’t purchase online. However, many of these people will do research online before going a bricks and mortar store to make their purchase or before picking up the phone to make an appointment. That is one reason why more and more businesses are actively using the internet to get their brand in front of a growing number of targeted eyeballs.

Branding helps because:

• It is your identity
• It communicates your message to others
• It builds reputation and trust
• It separates you from your competitors

Your online brand should be aimed at your target audience and be consistent with your offline brand profile.

Keep in mind that your brand is more than just your website. Consider all the other online avenues that your company and others use to publish information about your brand. Information within your control such as press releases, company blogs, articles, etc., can all find their way into search engine results. Information out of your control such as product reviews and customer opinions can also find their way into the results. Because there are external factors involved, many organizations are now monitoring what people are saying online about their brands.

A growing group of brand advocates – individuals who are inspired spokespersons on behalf of a brand, are rapidly gaining the attention and consideration of many businesses. Businesses are learning to nurture these advocates by feeding them the latest news, providing advance knowledge of updates, and most of all, listening to their opinions and ideas regarding products, services, advertising, and other aspects of the company-client relationship. These brand advocates can make or break the success of online brands.

The development of advocacy creates increased opportunities for the branding message to be passed on virally or by word-of-mouth. Web 2.0 or social networking sites play a pivotal role in the rapid spread of consumer related information about brands. These types of sites were developed so that individuals could communicate with others who shared similar tastes or outlooks.

Branding can no longer be thought of as something that can immediately be transferred from offline to online. Online branding in the Web 2.0 age requires a change of focus away from the company’s branding message towards the message formulated by the consumers of the brand. The strongest online brands are built on a foundation of brand advocacy coupled with a solid, consistent branding message from the parent company.