Brand Strategy: Develop an Online Persona

Recent studies by Google revealed that 97 percent of consumers use the Web to search for local and online businesses. If that's the way your potential customers are operating, then an online presence is important, especially if you want to reinforce your brand and let the world know that you have a great product to offer.

Your personal brand is how you project yourself to the world at large and how you market yourself to others. Building online brand equity and being recognized by search engines is the only way to survive in this digital era. A good, interactive website, social media engagement, your professional online profile are all factors that add up to help you build your personal brand.

Be yourself and be unique

Personal branding goes way beyond being noticed by customers; it's about what you have to offer, what you represent and stand for, and the image that you create in the eyes of the customers, the value that you deliver just by being yourself. By being honest and transparent, you lay the foundation for a long-lasting relationship with your target audience and that in turn helps develop your personal brand.

Reach out to more people

Thanks to social media and your personal website, you have a great opportunity to extend your reach and market your personal brand. In fact you have total control over the way people see you and how you build your image. Blogs on your website not only demonstrate your knowledge and expertise but also allow readers to interact with you on a more personal level. You build credibility and trust and that ups the ante on your online reputation and serves as the foundation for long-lasting relationships. By optimizing for mobile websites and applications, your personal brand is boosted.

The power of social media is immense and as it allows direct engagement with potential and existing customers, it's a great medium to develop your personal brand. The more people connect with you and the more you listen and act, the stronger does your personal brand become.

A word of caution though—you need to use social media with care and ensure that your online reputation is always intact. Building a reputation takes time and living up to it always will give an added impetus to your personal brand.

Content is important

Everyone know the worth of good content on a website. In fact, it's the reason why customers linger on and the more time they spend, the better it is for your personal brand. Ensuring good content is a large part of personal branding.

Communication is the key

Making a successful pitch to build your personal brand depends on how well you communicate and engage with your targeted audience. You need to remember that the ultimate goal is to get your message across with impact, so do what it takes to accomplish that.

Last but not least, although you've invested time to build your brand, you need to know whether your strategies are working or not—so monitor your progress and make the necessary adjustments to see that all is well with your personal brand.

What you are and how you behave is going to determine your online persona—so always show your best!