When you think of branding, the first thing that must come
to mind is a farmer taking a hot iron and burning a distinctive
mark onto the side of a cow. Farmers do this so that their
cows will not be confused with another farmer's cows.
But branding has evolved over the years and has now
become a common term used in marketing. Branding is
essentially burning your company or web site name or
slogan into the minds of potential customers.
Many offline companies have been quite successful in doing
this. Kleenex is a brand name for tissue as is Band-Aid for
adhesive bandages. These companies have incorporated
into the customer's mind to perceive these items by their
brand name. Branding is important on the Internet,
especially with all the cut-throat competition.
In the real world, it may be just a matter of convenience
why some people shop at a closer discount store than going
that extra mile to the next discount store. But on the
Internet, any web site is just a click away. You need to
differentiate yourself from the rest. Branding can create this
difference.
One of the most important decisions when it comes to
branding is deciding the domain name that you want to use.
You want to pick a name that is short and snappy that will
"stick" into the minds of visitors and potential customers.
I remember about a year ago, a few Internet marketers were
making a huge hoopla about the domain names that allowed
you to have 67 characters. This fad has died down because
people are not going to remember long names such as:
www.marketing-reports-that-will-make-you-money-fast.com
People find it easy to retain short URL's such as yahoo.com,
snap.com or eBay.com. You should pick a name that is short
and yet at the same time will give a potential visitor an idea
as to what you are all about.
For example, if you pick a name such as www.autolube.com,
people will automatically associate your name with automobiles
and oil.
Branding can be also used in slogans. I bet you can pick out
these companies real quick:
1. "Quality is Job 1."
2. "Finger-lickin' good."
3. "The milk chocolate melts in your mouth - not in your hand."
4. "Have it your way."
5. "It keeps going, and going, and going..."
If you guessed Ford, KFC, M & M's, Burger King, and Energizer,
then you probably understand the importance of branding.
If you decide to use a slogan for your web site, researchers
have suggested that rhymes are easy to remember. For example:
"We are number one, because we like to have fun..."
Okay, that was kind of cheesy. But you get the point. ;)
Another method of branding is with your online classified ads.
If you use consistent headlines and words in your ads, then
customers will be able to identify the ad to your web site or
company very quickly when they see it again.
Statistics indicate that customers need to see an online
advertisement at least seven times before they will buy. If
you are constantly changing your ads for no valid reason,
you may be losing your identity with potential customers.
One of the best books written on online branding is
"Revenge of Brand X", written by Rob Frankel.
Rob really goes in depth about branding and his book covers
a lot of detail. You can purchase a copy by going to:
http://www.freecoolcash.com/cgi-bin/lnkinlte.cgi?l=brandx
The Internet has created a level playing field for all
competitors. Competitors need to differentiate themselves
to win the customer. A good brand name translates into a
bigger market share on the Internet. A bigger market share
means larger sales and bigger profits.
Now forget about cows when it comes to branding and get
moooooooooooooooving... I know, I know, that was even
more cheesy.
Copyright © 2001 Gauher Chaudhry, All Rights Reserved.
-------------------------------------
About the Author...
Gauher Chaudhry is editor of Cool Cash Ezine. You can
subscribe by sending an email to subscribe@freecoolcash.com
with "sub-art" in the subject. Join Gauher's two-tier affiliate
program by promoting his latest book "EZ Money With
Ezines." Gauher teaches individuals how to make thousands
of dollars in the ezine publishing business!
http://www.ezmoneywithezines.com
