To brand your photo, screen name, or real name online isn’t a bad way to market online. I don’t think it’s the best thing you could be doing and better alternatives do exist in my opinion. Branding is a method that worked great a few years back and a few did really well at the turn of the century back in 2000. Now that 2010 is fast approaching, the rules of marketing have changed a bit. Some of these newer methods are more effective than the traditional branding patterns and I think new online marketers should see these out first.
If you’re going to brand in the old-fashion sense, make sure that it is working for you. Branding isn’t something you can do over night or even in the first year of marketing to an Internet crowd. It takes time and patience to brand yourself online and if this is the one piece of advice you’re actually trying to implement into your marketing practices; then take a few extra notes from me.
If the screen name, your online photo, or your real name isn’t providing some type of results; than go ahead and make a switch. You don’t have to go around deleting accounts and inserting a new screen name. No need to take the birth certificate out and change your legally given name to something else. Make the switch with a catchy phrase, a company name, or some other unique idea that grabs people’s attention. I have found two different things that has worked well for me and perhaps you could follow the same tracks I am leaving in my branding efforts online. Take a look at this picture below:
This is a catchy and unique picture that gets people’s attention online. Finding a unique photo like this on your own is a great way to brand a picture and link a picture like this to your programs online.
A catchy phrase like Google Ranked Us is another thing that has caught on well in my branding attempts. You could develop your own catchy phrase and link to it with various online programs in your blog, message boards, or other social networking websites. Your catchy phrase on FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, or MySpace should do well if you use it multiple times. Don’t forget about the text ads in traffic exchanges and using your catchy phrase to brand in traffic exchanges is effective too.
Branding does work and can work, but know it’s limitations and don’t think it’s the cure all for your online marketing efforts. Throwing your picture on a few splash pages or custom-designed web pages will NOT make you rich or even popular for that matter. There’s a lot more that goes on in branding and learning the few extras can help anyone get a little closer to success online. Just brand smarter and not harder and I think you will do just fine!