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E-BRANDING:
WHAT IS IT?
10 years ago, if
you asked someone
what marketing
was they would
answer selling
and advertising.
Marketing guru,
Al Ries, says,
“Today most products
are bought, not
sold. As a profession
and as a function,
selling is slowly
sinking like the
Titanic.”
What does this
mean to your business
– how can you
put this piece
of information
to use on your
website?
E-Branding is the
answer – branding
pre-sells a product
or service and
is simply a more
efficient way
to sell things.
And the ultimate
in brand-centered
buying is happening
on the Internet.
So what is e-branding
and can it help
you to expand?
It’s associating
a word or name
in the mind of
your customers
with what you
do. It conjures
up images and
qualities. E-branding
is more important
than e-commerce,
says Annette Hamilton
of ZD Net. http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_2821.html
You may be after
the e-commerce,
but you wont get
very far unless
you do e-branding
first. Why? Brands
influence buying
behavior.
Why buy Hagen Daz?
Or Mercedes? They
have a certain
image. We associate
certain qualities
with the name.
That’s a successful
brand.
As an entrepreneur
you are a brand.
Your company is
a brand. Your
customers have
an image of you,
whether you think
so or not. Take
control of it
and position your
brand in the minds
of your potential
customers.
And make sure
that they have
you in mind when
they go online
to look for something
in your category.
When they think
of your product
or your service,
your name should
pop right into
their heads.
Think Chevy, Ford,
BMW. Each one
has a distinct
set of images
and qualities
that come right
to mind. You need
to differentiate
yourself this
way.
You can’t please
all the people
all the time,
my mother used
to tell me. How
right she was.
Broadening your
base is not the
answer. Focus,
focus, focus are
the key words.
Many successful
companies got
that way by narrowing
their focus, concentrating
on one area and
making that stick
in the minds of
their customers.
When you know who
you’re trying
to sell your product
or service to,
devise a branding
strategy for that
audience. How
do you find them?
Figure out who
has the greatest
need for your
product or service.
Then decide how
you want to be
perceived by that
group. And repeat
it again and again
and again.
Sally Falkow
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