September 07, 2011

Branding Your Small Biz. Online with Blogging

Name branding is an important aspect of choosing and keeping your Biz. / company name. It is comes to play when considering how to package your next product, what name to give to it, and how to market it. It can be as simple as choosing between 'star' and 'stellar' when labeling a product. Or it can be as complex as choosing what colours can best convey the worth and mission of your company. If you play your cards right, your company image can stick indelibly to your perspective customers minds, and you can have them coming back for more.


Branding Your Blog

Today, Branding your Small Biz. / Company can be easier if you use a blog (Blog Site). This helps you reach out to customers, at least for up-coming entrepreneurs that can not afford to run a full website for their online biz.

Maintaining a Blog and the use of Blog software helps in the following ways;
* Maintain online diaries,
* Has found use in designing simple web pages,
* Creating online newsletters,
* Keeping prospective customers updated about the activities, products, and services of a business.
* Grants you access to many blog software packages
* Grants your customers the ability to make comments or give instant feedback on a blog page, which can make your blog appear all the more people and customer-friendly.

If you are interested in using blogs to brand your Small Biz. / Company online, then it is important that you first know:

* Your Small Biz. /Company thoroughly.
* Your goals? * Your mission and vision?
* What you are offering;
- products that will last through the long term, or products that will be updated regularly?) Or
- services that can be carried out only online, or that will take place in your brick-and-mortar store?
* Which Blog site to use,
* How much time and money are you willing to invest in updating your blog?

At this point you are ready to brand your Small Biz. / Company online using your Blog-site to fit your Small Biz. / Company's needs.

It is also important to note that creating an image that will be remembered, and that will allow for easy recall is key to successful branding. The first thing that customers will remember, along with your name, is your LOGO. Use your logo colours in your blog site, and design your upper banner line or masthead so that it contains your Small Biz. / Company logo and name and do not forget to use your prospective customers visual memory when designing your blog site and choosing your layout and colours.


Why Your Blog May Go Unnoticed

Going by recent events, the internet has become an environment driven by visual impressions and as such the most beautiful websites gather the most visitors; the most informative websites, even with all their authority and worth, can go unnoticed. Hence, your Small Biz. / Company's blog site will go unnoticed if:

* they are not well-designed or
* not easy to navigate.
* website text not formatted in a customer-friendly manner.
* Non-serif texts are preferred over serif texts.
* Colours not matched against the background. (N.B: dark text over light background, and light text over dark backgroud)
* text size not easy to read.


Interactivity

Give your prospective customers a chance to have their say by installing communication software or programs on your blog, such as; [a guestbook, a testimonial board, a forum, or comments boxes]. This can allow your customers to voice their opinions, and to give you feedback about your products and services, make it interactive. Interactivity, however, also comes with a price and as such you need to have such interactive environments moderated and guarded closely because they can easily be dominated by spammers or flamers, or anyone who wants to destroy your Small Biz. / Company. Farfetched as it may sound; online forums suffer from such people and have to be constantly watched so that other forum or group members are not offended. Do the same to your blog, let your customers have their say, but take out any post that seems to be malicious and not constructive in intention. Although this can appear like censorship, you must remember that, as in the real world, internet communication has its limits. Slander and malice have no place on your site, so state your position clearly and make sure that your prospective customers understand if their comments are not accepted, or if they are banned. You can do this by posting editorial guidelines or a set of terms and conditions on your site, and by asking prospective customers to read them before making comments on your blog.


Blog Content

Lastly, update your blog constantly, and post information that can be important to your prospective customers. If you are in the computer business, give daily tips on how to maintain and protect your computer. If you are in real estate, give daily tips on how to pick the best houses for a person's or family's needs. Always show customers how much you care, and they will remember you for your consideration. Branding is not a new concept, and it requires only a good understanding of people's tastes and your markets whims. That said, engage in branding only after you have studied your market thoroughly, and after you have truly determined and embraced your company's aims and vision. Take advantage of the best of the blogging arena, brand your company online and see your profits soar.


Thanks for your time.

nicheTEAM (NT)