{"id":9477,"date":"2020-11-02T07:05:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T05:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=9477"},"modified":"2022-09-05T19:24:44","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T17:24:44","slug":"why-your-online-branding-is-key-to-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/why-your-online-branding-is-key-to-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Online Branding Is Key To Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_403697608-e1604059848120.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing -branding\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_403697608-e1604059848120.png 680w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/shutterstock_403697608-e1604059848120-600x321.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>Rewind twenty years and, if you asked anyone what branding was, they\u2019d point to the nearest shop\u2019s over-door signage \u2013 usually featuring the business\u2019s logo and slogan. Today, with modern technologies driving the evolution of marketing and advertising, branding has come to encompass multiple elements existing in both the real and <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-is-gen-z-transforming-digital-marketing-learn-more-in-this-article\/\">digital<\/a> worlds. So, what is the modern definition of branding, what exactly is online branding, and why is it so important for business success in the 2020s? This article investigates:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Branding Defined<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We can define a brand as how members of the general public perceive the company to which the brand belongs. Branding, then, is a collective name given to all of the elements that make up a company\u2019s brand. Things like the logo, stylistic elements associated with the logo, the slogan, the colours associated with the company, the tone of voice used in company communication, the appearance and behaviour of staff and owners, etc. Every time a company interacts with a person other than those who work for the company, their brand is being developed. When people look to social media to share their thoughts on a company, their brand is being developed.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Online Branding<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Online branding is precisely as defined above, but instead of customers and <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-digital-marketers-use-data-to-segment-target-customers\/\">target audiences<\/a> interacting with your company in the real world \u2013 online branding is built through brand\/consumer interactions over the internet. Online branding elements include the business website, company social media accounts, direct marketing like email, content marketing, forums, etc. However, online branding and real-world branding are not to be developed in their own silos. Branding should be consistent across channels, creating a seamless brand experience for existing and potential customers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Vimeo video player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/267571590?autoplay=0&loop=0&autopause=0&color=00adef&portrait=0&byline=1&title=1&controls=1&muted=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2><strong>Why It\u2019s Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Did you know that 81% of all people search the internet for the products or services they\u2019re interested in? In fact, search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others are often the first places people turn to find information about companies they\u2019ve encountered, products they\u2019ve seen reviews of, etc. In the past, a company that didn\u2019t have a physical store struggled to move their products. Today, companies that only have physical stores are struggling to more their products. Individuals are now shopping online more than ever before, and this is only going to increase since COVID-19. What this boils down to is that, for a business to thrive in the \u201cnext normal\u201d, having an online brand certainly has become a must-have.<\/p>\n<p>As anyone in the marketing and advertising industry will tell you, a business without a brand might as well be invisible. For this reason, building a robust brand that modern consumers can relate to is important to the highest degree.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Learn the basics of building strong brands, capturing the attention of target audiences, and successfully marketing products and services, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/marketing-fundamentals-course\/\">\u00a0Marketing Fundamentals course<\/a> from the Digital School of Marketing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/digital-marketing-course\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-759 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DSM_Footer04-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing Digital Marketing course registration\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. 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