Creating an Online Brand, the Pitfalls to be Aware of

08 November 2010

Theres more to business than just a brand name, certainly, but how many people would drink Coca Cola if it wasnt Coca Cola? There are many products out there on the market less expensive and that taste relatively the same. However, theres only one Coca Cola a brand name that has been working for decades for their popularity.

Every businessperson wants to emulate that type of effectiveness in terms of their personal business brand. Having name recognition, the perception of fair business and loyalty, the stoic business presence thats something we all aspire to. But there are pitfalls associated with branding that you must be aware of, especially branding in the fickle online world of business.

In the real world, a stable brand can last through some controversy and some bad business moves. As long as the brand is formed, it can be recovered. In the online world, however, even the most solid brands can be instantly brought down if they do bad business or decide to skimp on customers in some form or fashion.

The first pitfall to be aware of in online business branding is the accessibility and lightning-fast word-of-mouth the Internet offers. As youre working to build your brand, youll have to run an above-board business with solid and fair practices. If word gets out that youre not the best business out there, it will spread like a wildfire.

Web marketers use social media online to their advantage, quickly reaching a large audience. Anyone wronged by your business, or perhaps even disliking what you do, has the same access to that same media and can cause your image to go viral in the worst possible way.

Another pitfall of online branding is neglect. Starting a business is very hard work. Theres no quick and easy way to do it. A lot of the time, a businessperson gets caught up in trafficking their business and promoting it to customers and doesnt necessarily take the time to make sure that their brand is coming across how they want it.

Unless you keep a close eye on how youre presenting your brand to the public, you could easily come across as just another Joe Nobody spammer whos looking to make a quick buck by reeling people in. If youre serious about your brand, take special care to make sure this doesnt happen.

Another pitfall is the mismatching that goes on with branding. Everything about your business is its brand the products you offer, the website information, the way you traffic, etc. If you dont live up to your end of the bargain per your mission statement and glowing self reviews of your business, then your brand is going to suffer irreparable damage.

One of the more common pitfalls of branding that some never think about is the do-it-yourself attitude. Sure, maybe you can handle every aspect of the business by yourself but that doesnt automatically mean you should ignore the professionals out there that can help you brand your business.

Youll always run into potential pitfalls when branding yourself. Theres really no way to avoid them. The best way to handle them is to always be vigilant and treat your business like a chess game.