5 Ways to Build Your Online Brand

My partner Patsi and I are good examples of what can happen when you develop a good brand and use it well. After we started to use "The Blog Squad™" our business grew by leaps and bounds.

Creating a great brand name isn't always easy, but it is essential if you want to stand out in your field. You're not the only one in your niche doing business, after all.

For us it came about when we started brain storming with every one who knew us. Finally, some friends of mine came up with "The Blog Squad" over dinner.

Once you create your brand, then the work begins. You need to put your brand name everywhere. No, we didn't run out and get tattoos! But we did start using the brand name strategically.

1. In our signatures when we leave comments on blogs: It's not polite to self-promote when you leave a comment on another blog, but what's to stop you from signing your name with your brand in it, as in, Denise, aka The Blog Squad?

2. In our email signatures: This may seem obvious, but many people don't brand their emails effectively. And we also use our logo which includes our brand name, along with our blog URLs.

3. In our blog tag lines: Many blogs don't do a good job of identifying the author. This is huge opportunity to spread your name and your brand. Put your name in the tag line.

4. In your blog title: A benefit of using your brand name in the title of your blog is that it gets sent out with your blog feeds. When people get your feed, they see the blog title AND your brand name. (If your name or your brand isn't in the actual title, all they see is your blog name, which may be different from your brand name).

5. Create a separate blog for your "About" or bio page. You can put your brand in the title banner. This is the best opportunity to control your message and clarify your brand. Write this page in the first person so you come across as warm and authentic, yet professional. Include all the places on the Web where you can be found, including social media sites, audio files, video clips, etc.

Think about how many other ways you can get your brand known on the web, and go for it!