Here at propertyadguru.com, we see plenty of examples of online branding in any given week. Some agents have their online branding down to a fine art, while others are still getting the hang of things.

If you’re looking for some ideas on how to refine your approach, here are our Top 10 Tips for Online Branding:

1. Consistency is key. We can’t emphasise this point enough. For people to come to recognise your online brand, you need to make sure everything - from the font you use on your website to the background colour on your email newsletters - stays consistent.

2. Consult with others. You might think your logo, tagline, or colour scheme is perfect. But are you the only one? Take every opportunity to consult with people outside your office to see where you might be slipping up, and tweak things accordingly.

3. Accessibility matters. This point builds off the idea of consulting with others. Set up a feedback process so your customers have some way of telling you when something goes awry - an email that only 10 percent of your subscribers can open, for example, or a new website addition that’s crashing half your readers’ browsers.

4. Keep it clean. The results of this study show that cluttered banners perform worse on branding impact measures than less cluttered banners. We think this goes for all aspects of your online presence. Less is always more when it comes to online presentation.

5. Keep it simple. Along with good, clean design, clarity of message is also crucial in online brand building. You should be able to sum up your aim in one short sentence, or even a few words. Find that message, and keep repeating it until its synonymous with your brand.

6. Relaunch with care. The feedback you receive might convince you to start your whole online brand strategy again from scratch. If you do, make it obvious to website visitors and anyone else who might come into contact with your online business that this is a new version, not someone else operating under the same name.

7. Track your mentions. A listening post tool like Google Alerts can be invaluable in finding out when and where your brand is mentioned. Plug in your business name, then sit back and wait for the regular emails showing you exactly who’s talking you up online.

8. Thank them. This is the social side of online brand building. Whenever you do find an example of someone discussing your brand online, jump on and thank them - publicly if possible. This proves there’s a real, engaged person behind the brand name.

9. Drown out the negativity. There will be times when your brand shows up somewhere in a negative light. If it’s not an issue you can address personally, spend your energy promoting your business in a positive light. Don’t let other people’s definition of your brand be the most visible one.

10. Know when to stop. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as online over-exposure. If people are coming into contact with your brand too often, they will start to tune you out. Don’t be afraid to let things settle for a while, and see what effect your efforts have had, before launching your next campaign.

Online branding is a delicate business, requiring a mix of advertising savvy and relationship management prowess. We hope our tips take you a few steps closer to establishing a brand you can boast about.

[Image: activerain.com]