So you have a brand and you love it. People are starting to notice your small business among the hundreds of other small businesses and it makes you proud. Still, there is more to branding then just letting it do its own thing – you need to manage it daily to keep it structured, true, and tended. If you don’t actively form and shape your brand, people will often start to forget the details and start believing your brand represents whatever they want it to represent. Here are a few other reasons why you need to manage your brand closely.
Your Brand Will Be Managed – Whether You Manage It or Not
People will judge your brand and others will manage it if you don’t. Neither of these are good if potential clients aren’t getting the impression you want them to get. If your brand isn’t being directly controlled by your company, people are free to talk behind your company’s back and tell each other what they think of your company. Over 90% of reviews written on the Internet are negative – people who have bad experiences speak up more often than those who don’t. These kinds of unmanaged reviews will only be harder to get the message your brand holds for you across to others. It doesn’t matter if your brand is personal, corporate, or represents a specific product; you need to make sure your web presence says mostly good things about it. Take the time to manage your brand every day.
Conversations Will Be Missed
Let’s say you’re a real estate agent, and a good one too. Two people are talking on your Facebook wall about houses and finding homes in the area that you typically do business. Why aren’t you engaged in that conversation? If you’re a pet shop owner that sells organic dog foods, why aren’t you talking to the people that are in your area and speaking about new foods to try because their dogs are allergic? You should be. Part of managing your brand is stretching your Internet presence across many platforms. You should be engaged in conversation about your area of expertise because it will establish your business in a positive light.
