This means that there are many more companies competing for Internet users' share of clicks. The result of this is that companies need to stand out in the minds of their customers and potential customers so that when they require what the company is offering, this is the first place that they'll think of going.

The way that organisations make themselves stand out from their competition is through careful branding that represents their brand identity and what benefits people will derive from the company.

What goes into branding?

Branding is all about giving a specific product, service, company (or all of these) a unique identity so that it can be easily identified in the marketplace. There are a number of elements that digital marketers can use in order to brand their organisation effectively. These include:
  • Making sure that the brand elements that you use (such as colours, fonts and imagery) are consistent across all of your marketing messaging. For example, if you decide that your corporate colour is going to be blue, make sure that the colour blue you use is the same across all your marketing material. 
  • Keeping to a standard tone throughout your messaging. So if your brand is aimed at teenagers, don't make your text very formal. The same principle applies if your brand is aimed at people who are older.
  • Being true to your brand ideals. Consumers are becoming very savvy and are preferring to go with brands who are true to their ideals and are consistent in their actions. This is especially true of the millennial audience. The quickest way to alienate your audience is to advertise that your company stands for something, but is doing the complete opposite.
In this noisy marketplace, having a distinctive identity is crucial to developing a sustainable and thriving business. Thus, it is essential that companies have distinctive brands in order to make them discernable among the crowd.

For more information, visit on www.digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za or contact info@digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za. You can also follow the Digital School of Marketing on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of the Digital School of Marketing