Brands are not tangible. According to Mahesh Murthy in this WSJ article, they exist in “the hearts and minds of people.” The brand is how your relevant audience perceives you. Taking these to be truths, then the internet is the most important place to grow and establish your brand. It’s cheaper than a TV ad, and if done right, can be superior to anything TV can do for you.
Social media sites allow you to generate conversation free of charge. People greatly anticipate the iPad without having ever seen a commercial. Red Bull came onto the scene challenging big shots like Coke and Pepsi with little advertising. Mahesh offers his axiom: your marketing IQ is inversely proportional to your marketing budget.
Think about this: are you remark worthy? If someone brings up your brand, is it Tweetable? If not, get thinking, and craft a simple hook that makes you stand out.
Make your language on the web accessible to everyone. Remove jargon so customers will come back to you and understand what you’re offering. Also, send out statistics, take surveys, let your customers get involved.
The most significant thing about building your brand online is it allows you to intervene personally to complaints. Through Twitter and Facebook, your customers know you’re there to help. This is how good brands are built and sustain growth.
Who cares if you don’t have money for the big ad firms. You can still come out on top. After all, journalists take more stories from social media sites than from publicists.
