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Your Online Presence Is Your Brand (And Why You Should Care)

Curate what people find about you online by taking charge of your virtual presence

By Syed BalkhiPublished about a year ago 5 min read
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Your Online Presence Is Your Brand (And Why You Should Care)
Photo by Nathana Rebouças on Unsplash

In today's day and age, your online presence is your brand.

Whether you're a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or even just a job seeker, it's important to have an online presence.

With so much of our lives taking place online, about half of the world, i.e. 4.76 billion people residing on social media, going online is the need of the hour.

The days of featuring on billboards and in top-notch magazines are fading rapidly. Now it's all about spreading the word online through websites, Ads, and social media. But to have that kind of online presence first you'll need to understand a little about what is a brand, its online presence, etc. So let's begin.

Can You Be a Brand?

Think of the word 'apple'.

Most like you thought of the fruit but of the company too.

It's a safe assumption that many of us think of Apple, the company almost right away.

And this experience is the impact of a brand in action. It's the face of your business, product, or services that you provide to your customers. And it's also your face as a professional or individual.

A brand sets you apart from the rest and this makes working on your branding critical - It's the identity card of your business.

Now the digital presence of your business means having social media accounts, websites, blogs, etc. Anything concerning your business that is available online can be considered a part of your brand's online presence.

Why should you care about your online presence?

We've been saying that your online presence is your brand. Why so?

Well, that's because your online presence showcases your business's values and beliefs to the world.

Whether it's through your website, blog, or social media channels, you show what your business is all about through online presence. Basically, you're creating your business's identity in the world, and we already know the identity of a business is a brand.

Therefore, your online presence is an extension of your brand. So if online presence is considered as your brand then you'll have to take extra care of it. Why?

Because your online presence is the first impression that customers, investors, and even job seekers will get of your business. And you say yourself how many times have you judged a business by its website design, content, or google reviews?

Most of the time, we are influenced by social media influencers, google reviews, informative blogs, etc. Having a strong online presence brings many benefits. Here're just some of them :

  • Makes your business look more credible
  • Establishes brand and creates brand awareness
  • Helps you connect with potential customers
  • Lets you showcase your products and services better
  • After learning all these don't you think keeping your online presence updated and in good shape is very important?

It can be the difference between gaining a customer or losing one. It can also be the difference between finding clients easily or struggling. And getting sought after for jobs rather than needing to reach out to hundreds of companies for the chance of an interview.

Ways To Boost & Take Care Of Your Online Presence

Having a stand-out online presence isn't easy.

It requires constant effort and dedication. Here are some tips to make it better.

1. Be Active On Different Social Media Platforms

You might have heard this tip before in social media marketing.

We've already mentioned before that about 4.76 billion people use social media. And by social media, I mean all the popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

For example, Facebook alone has 2.96 billion monthly active users. So you try to be on Facebook and as many platforms as possible. But again don't overdo it, focus on a couple of key platforms that your target audience uses.

You can even use tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, etc to help you manage all the platforms at once

2. Make Your Content SEO Optimized

Content is king, but it only matters if it's SEO optimized.

No matter how well your content is it won't be of any use if people can't find it. And SEO-optimized content is more likely to be found by google, thereby helping people discover your business.

Making your content SEO-friendly helps you reach higher in the search engine result pages (SERPs). And the better the SEO optimization, the higher you'll rank.

How do you do this? For starters, keep it simple. It's really about using the terms that your target audience will use to find what they need online.

For example, if you're a young professional who is a graphic design expert, make sure that you mention this clearly on all your social profiles. Repeat the term as many times as is contextually relevant. And avoid being vague and using unrelated terms like 'graphics builder'.

Think about what a hiring person would type in when they look for you and do your best to match their expectations.

3. Provide Informative Content

Don't feature irrelevant and useless content.

People are always looking for something informative, entertaining, or helpful. So make sure to provide content that customers can actually relate to and find useful.

For example, if you own a gym, then post blogs about - ways to maintain a low-carb diet, fitness regime for strengthening arms, etc. People looking for fitness regimes will come across your post and possibly visit your gym.

This is how content works.

Benefits Of Having A Strong Brand

A strong online presence means a strong brand.

And having a strong brand brings many benefits to your business. Here are just some of the advantages:

1. People will recognize you easily. Like they recognize Apple from the image of an apple with a bite in it.

2. You'll gain loyal customers. People or clients will be more inclined to purchase from your business as they trust it.

3. You'll get more business opportunities. People will look up to your business and even non-customers might want to collaborate with you.

4. Getting investments will be easier. Investors always look for businesses with a good reputation and strong brand.

In A Nutshell

Having an online presence is no longer an option, it's a necessity.

Your brand will be judged based on how well you manage your digital presence. So, take care of it and make sure you are always present in the digital space.

Treat every post you make as a deliberate piece that draws a picture of you online.

Keep assessing and enhancing your online presence so that your brand thrives and grows.

It's not an easy task but it will be worth the effort in the end. So press ahead and strengthen your online presence to strengthen your business brand.

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About the Creator

Syed Balkhi

Syed Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. You can learn more about Syed and his portfolio of companies by following him on his social media networks.

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  • KEVIN FRENCHabout a year ago

    Excellent article! In this day and age, having a digital footprint is essential. Whether it's connecting with friends or searching for employment, making purchases, or pursuing romantic interests, your online presence is critical. I mainly focus on "leveraging social media to grow a prosperous online business" in my writing. Please take a look at my article and offer constructive feedback.

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