How To Effectively Develop Your Online Brand
The Five Words That Will Save Your Business
I recently had a call with a prospective client regarding a SEO consulting project. He wanted his wines to be number one on Google, but when I asked “for which search phrase,” his only response was “Cabernet Sauvignon.” “Cabernet Sauvignon” is not a brand. The call ended quickly as the caller had no concept of what his brand really was. Looking at many of our client’s web sites I realized he was not alone. So, what is a brand? And in today’s online world, how can a brand be extended online?
Brand –An indelible image that is left in the minds and hearts of the consumer.
We see successful brands everywhere. Harley-Davidson tattoos are a testimony to the heights a brand can reach - people voluntarily etching a company’s logo on their body - it doesn’t get any stronger than this. In its purest sense, a brand extends or identifies a consumer’s personality. If done right, a strong brand will create great business success. But keep in mind branding is truly an art, not a science.
Borrowing from Brand guru Rob Frankel:
- Brands are not about you. Brands are about them.
- If the branding is wrong, so is everything else.
- Advertising grabs their minds. Branding gets their hearts.
- Build from your strengths.
- If you can’t articulate it, neither can anyone else.
- The stronger your brand, the less susceptible you are to pricing issues and competition.
- Advertising is not branding, branding is branding. Advertising raises the awareness of the brand you create.
On the web, if you don’t get them on the first page, you won’t get them at all. I like to state, “web sites are marketing tools, not software programs.” Web sites are extensions of your brand and thus have a story to tell. That story is not dependent on crazy technology or overhyped copy. It’s not about colors, fonts, moving graphics or catchy slogans. Brand is an identity, and the more you develop a niche, the better you will do.
Wine has fabulous brand opportunities for both producers and retailers. Great wine marketing captures the personality of the product. Every winemaker, every vineyard, every specialty merchant has a story. The land, the fruit, the production process, the family history all present opportunities to convey a brand. What is your brand? Is it the right brand?
If you didn’t answer this immediately, you’ve got some work ahead of you and you are going to need more support than this article is going to give you. Here are two thoughts to get you started:
1) Look for a mission statement; perhaps you will have to go back to the original business plan that was used to start the business.2) Food and wine pairings are overworked, so ask your key personality (winemaker, investor, proprietor) what music goes with their wine?
Now, back to the dilemma of the online translation of brands. Try to describe your brand into a single sentence. Now, put this into 70 characters, or less. Now, put it into 5 words. Welcome to Google. Google offers a one sentence description of your business in its search results, 70 characters in its AdWords description, and most users will never search on more than 5 words. Go to your favorite search engine and try to find your own web site with these 5 words.
If putting those five words or less in the search box got you to your site, you’re well on your way. Your site should have graphics, text and video to reflect this brand description, and if so, you have done what very few have been able to do. If not, take this 5 word challenge as marching orders to rework your web site and your marketing message.
Brand is perception. Much goes into building this perception and much has been done to maintain this perception. A successful brand evokes trust and needs to be conveyed as strongly online as offline. Sticking to the core values of your firm will make your brands prosper and build long lasting value for your company. In today’s web driven market, you need to assume that 100% of your clients will see your web site. They will either discover you online or validate you online. If they do so through your web site, they are much more likely to understand your brand and the more likely you are to succeed.
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Mark Shay, Founder and CEO - ClassicWines.com
Mark Shay is Founder and CEO of ClassicWines.com, an Internet home for people passionate about wine. Described as a serial entrepreneur with a passion for Internet-centered businesses, Shay has developed StudyAbroad.com, GradSchools.com and BoxBundles.com. He now brings his marketing and business development talents to the wine industry through ClassicWines.com and several joint-ventures and consulting projects.
Other Network Sites: Wine Ratings, Wine Prices & Reviews | Online Wine Videos | Wine Marketing & Wine Advertising
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October 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Like a good glass of wine, brand is the heart and soul of a good marketing meal; a mouth-watering combination of design, strategy, marketing, advertising and PR. Every wine lover knows: the right pairings can take the wine, and your sensory experience, to a whole new level. The wrong pairing, however, can kill the buzz.
So it is with building your brand. Brand identity is crucial – who are you? And more importantly, who is your target audience? Answering these two questions is essential to a successful strategy. But a third, and often overlooked component, is “why?” Why do consumers buy my wine? Why do they visit my vineyard or tasting room? Why do they identify with my brand?
Knowing your consumer – and what motivates them – is the key to a successful brand.
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Carine Jelinek
branding specialist
white tangerine | a creative studio