It’s no secret that the online image of a company has become a vital component in a client’s decision-making process. According to Roy Barford, Media Developer and Cape Town Manager of Flow Communications, the majority of consumer research today takes place online. “Many consumers form impressions about companies purely based on their online presence, which is why it is important to get this right,” he says.

Matthew Macris, Digital Account Director of Epic Communications’ digital division, Epic Digital, agrees. He adds that up to 80 percent of potential clients research companies and their service offerings or products before deciding to dobusiness with them. “Having an online presence gives you 24-hour exposure to potential and existing clients and lends to your company’s credibility,” he says.

According to Barford, companies with smart online strategies can attract potential customers who are casually browsing the web to a page where they can make a purchase within one or two clicks, simply by using enticing content. “Flow Communications has a number of clients who offer online sales and we’re delighted with the number of visitors who click through to sales pages via an interesting blog, rather than through advertising,” he says.

Websites today have become more than a few static pages featuring a description of the company and contact details. They are now a platform for customers to engage with your company. Macris explains: “Online engagement with visitors and potential clients gives them something tangible and a chance to interact with you. It gives you the chance to capture their attention and affords you the opportunity to begin a conversation and start building a relationship.” He believes that online engagement gives companies a chance to field questions, enquiries and objections before visitors move on and the opportunity is lost.

Barford says organisations should first define who they are and what they do before listing their objectives and targets, and then look at ways of achieving these through online means. He believes that while budget will generally play a large part in the definition of an online branding strategy, it should never be a hindrance. “It’s free to set up and use social media platforms, and money spent on a good website is money well invested.”

Developing an Online Strategy

Barford offers some questions companies need to ask themselves when developing an online branding strategy:

– What is the company’s name and what does it do?

– What are the company’s objectives and values?

– What is the company’s corporate identity? (For example, colours, logos, slogans and images.)

– What is the budget for online marketing and how could this best be spent, bearing in mind the company’s targets and objectives? He adds that it is important that the decisions taken in relation to the questions above are consistently applied to all online platforms.

According to Macris, it is essential to ensure your online branding and communications strategy is in line with your company’s key messaging and that synergy exists between content and messaging on all platforms. He adds that companies should provide engaging and value-add content as well as strategic ‘calls to action’.

Furthermore, Macris says that certain key elements are crucial to providing a firm foundation from which to develop an online branding and communications strategy. In-depth competitor and client analysis and keyword and phrase tracking via online and Twitter are excellent platforms for interaction, not just for answering questions that customers have but also for asking questions that you’d like people within your target market to answer. “Use social reputation management tools (ORM) provide specific data that allows for informed strategy development, he says.

Get Social

In addition to providing useful information by means of static content and blogs, Barford says it is important for companies to invite feedback through their website and to be active on social media platforms. Says Macris: “The various social media platforms have changed the way brands communicate with consumers from a monologue to a dialogue. Social media gives consumers power and a voice.”

According to Barford, Facebook media to invite feedback wherever possible, and engage with people who respond,” he says. A good example of this is the ‘I ♥ Cape Town’ Facebook page managed by Flow Communications on behalf of Cape Town Tourism. Barford says the page is used to source travel advice. “For example, every Thursday we post a question on the page, such as ‘where is the best sundowner spot in Cape Town?’ and we compile the best answers into a blog post on Friday mornings. We generally get several hundred answers, which means there is a high level of engagement taking place, and we also get authentic travel tips :

Five tips on how best to ignite your social media presence

– Engage with the customer Nothing is more important to a customer than knowing that a brand is listening. Make a point of saying thank you for any positive feedback, and offer solutions to problems which may be encountered.

– Know who you’re talking to It’s vital to ask questions to ascertain what the consumer is interested in, how they think, where they live and what it is that they do.

– Be real Today, people can distinguish the genuine from the fake. A social media strategy directed at the everyday person can drastically increase a brand’s fan base.

– Be innovative People are becoming very skilled in examining a brand and its competitors. For a brand to get their product in the shopping basket, social media campaigns need to be interesting or nobody is going to stay tuned in.

– Incorporate visual marketing Unilever launched a highly effective Magnum Treasure Hunt campaign, which took a woman through a journey across the Internet to collect chocolate bonbons as quickly as she could. According to a Microsoft Advertising case study, the campaign generated 324 million impressions, 85 million unique users and 2 million clicks.

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