Top Rated Local has had the opportunity to interview some truly spectacular business owners this year. Our award winners are scattered across more than 50 industries and are as varied as they are numerous. However, each and every one of them has managed to make their brand stand out online and get noticed, and that’s something that’s invaluable this day and age.
A successful brand is one that stands out.
There’s a lot of competition out there, and that’s true if you own a restaurant, a jewelry store or a house cleaning company. People want to hire the best, but no matter the quality of your work, if you’re not in the running, they’ll never pick you. That’s why it’s of absolute importance that you build a brand that gets noticed and stands out.
If you haven’t already, check out part one of this blog series to learn about the first five things you can do to set your brand apart online. Keep reading to learn about five more.
Five More Things You Can do to Make Your Brand Stand Out Online
#6. Become a subject matter expert.
If you’re in the service industry, there’s a good chance you’ve rolled your eyes a time or two after a disastrous attempt to repair something by a DIY enthusiast. You can find a Youtube tutorial for just about anything these days, and as an expert in your field, there’s no one better to provide accurate information than you. This doesn’t mean that you have to give away secrets that would make your service obsolete. There is plenty of tips and advice you could share without giving away too much, and it will help you become a trusted subject matter expert.
Part of Google’s algorithm for ranking websites has to do with the authority of the content on the site. For example, Google will rank an interior designer’s article much higher if it was about the importance of finding the right color scheme than if it was about how to land an ollie on a skateboard. When you become a valuable resource, it helps people find you online more easily!
Another major benefit of becoming a subject matter expert is that other businesses will start to turn to write guest posts, which can lead to valuable links back to your website. You don’t have to limit your expertise to blog posts, either. Have a question/answer session with your customers on Facebook, or share tips and tricks on Twitter.
#7. Tell your story.
From the time we’re young, people love stories. We consume stories in the form of books, television shows, movies, video games and more, and one of the most impactful things you can do to humanize your brand and make it stand out is to tell your story in a way that people can connect with.
What if your story isn’t particularly inspirational? Not every business was founded by someone who beat all of the odds, and not every story pulls at the heartstrings. But your story doesn’t necessarily have to be the story of how your business was founded. You could share a story of how you helped a customer in an impactful way, or the story of why you do what you do in the first place.
#8. Build a brand that promotes others.
Networking is a great way to make partnerships that lead to increased support and more business, but too many business owners make the mistake of believing that networking is only something that happens face to face. While person-to-person networking is powerful and can’t be underestimated, another great way to connect with other businesses and important contacts is to promote them online.
Why is it smart to be a promoter? Every business says that they’re the best, and while it’s good to be confident in your service, taking the time to promote another business will show that you’re humble, too. In addition to promoting other businesses that are doing outstanding things, you could also promote your own employees online, as well as people who stand out in your community! This is a great way to demonstrate that you’re involved, and helps you win goodwill with everyone you promote.
Best of all, the more you promote others, the more likely they’ll promote you, too! Believe us when we say that it gets far more attention when someone else says that you’re the best than it gets when you say it.
#9. Stand up to stand out.
As we discussed when we talked about telling a story, it’s important to tap into people’s emotions when building your brand. Whether you make them laugh or cry, bringing that emotion out in people is the easiest and fastest way for them to remember your name and your brand. And what’s the best way to connect with people on an emotional level? By taking a stand for things they care about.
Standing up for something is a powerful way to make your brand stand out. That’s not to suggest that you need to stand up for anything controversial or draw lines in the sand. There are plenty of things that you could stand up for that won’t lead to the Twitter mob tearing down your doors. For instance, you could simply stand up for your community by making it a point to give back.
#10. Find a style, and stick with it.
When you’re establishing your brand, it’s vitally important that you’re always consistent with everything from the tone of your articles to the colors you utilize in your designs. Consistency is so important because repetition builds trust. People won’t trust your brand the first time they come into contact with it, and the more consistent you are, the more familiar with your brand they’ll be. And creating a style guide for your brand will help you to keep it consistent. Your style guide should include colors, graphics, fonts, imagery and more, and it will help you establish boundaries for your brand.
Until you find your voice and nail down exactly what you want your brand to be, developing that consistency can be tough, and it’s OK to experience some. But as soon as you establish your goals and figure out what you want your brand to say, stick with it and be consistent.
You don’t have to make your brand stand out on your own!
There’s a lot that goes into building and maintaining an online brand, especially one that stands out and gets noticed. And if you’re like many business owners, you probably don’t have a lot of free time at your disposal to work on your online brand, nor do you have the resources to hire a full-time employee to do it for you. However, you don’t have to do it alone. There are plenty of experts out there, and best of all, Marketing 360® is here to help.
Learn more about reputation management from Marketing 360 online today, as well as the many other services that can help you get noticed, get more traffic and increase your bottom line — all without having to sacrifice more of your time or hire a full-time employee to manage your reputation for you.
