branding – Keep Up With The Web

Do You Want to Consolidate Multiple Websites?

Do you have multiple blogs and struggle to maintain them? Have you ever thought about rebranding and combining your websites under one brand? How would you begin? Could it have a negative impact on your SEO efforts?

These are interesting questions and consolidating multiple websites into one is not a strategy that should be taken lightly. It is also a journey that I just went on with Doreen Pendgracs (a published author, travel blogger, speaker and freelance writer).

Over the years, Doreen found herself with four separate websites. Not only was it time consuming to create content for each site, she also found herself torn between which site the content belonged on. Was it about chocolate, travel, writing, lifestyle or one of her books? Sometimes, the answer was yes to all.

So, how and why did Doreen and I decide that the best strategy would be to consolidate her sites? Come along with us as I show you how we made the decision. Hopefully, you’ll gain some insight by taking a look behind the scenes.

Continue reading “Do You Want to Consolidate Multiple Websites?”

Is Your Email Address Part of Your Brand?

When you send emails for your business, do you use an email address that includes your domain name? If not, you’re missing a branding opportunity.

Have you ever received an email from a business and noticed that it came from a personal email account? You know the ones that I’m talking about. Maybe it’s your local handyman or your nail salon. You’re expecting to see their business name but if they’re using a Gmail or an AOL account, what are they branding? Themselves? Google? AOL? Recently, I received an email from a new restaurant. I had subscribed to a newsletter that they had posted on their website – which means they have a website. So why was their email from an AOL account?

Continue reading “Is Your Email Address Part of Your Brand?”

Do You Have to Be Starbucks to Need a Logo?

As a small business owner, and user of social media, you’ve come across articles where a major corporation is unveiling their new logo to the world. They do it in hopes to gather interest and excitement. One great example of a successful launch was last year’s Starbucks rebranding. I wouldn’t even really call it a rebranding as much as a facelift.

Continue reading “Do You Have to Be Starbucks to Need a Logo?”

Is Your Twitter User ID Part of Your Brand?

I don’t know if this branding strategy makes sense to anyone but me but when I first reserved my Twitter name, I puzzled over how I could tie it into my brand. After all, 15 characters isn’t much. If my domain name (keepupwiththeweb) had been 1 less character, I could have chosen that as my Twitter name. Of course that wasn’t the case. So I reserved KEEPUPWEB as my Twitter name and decided to make the best of it. Continue reading “Is Your Twitter User ID Part of Your Brand?”

Create an Online Presence – Be Seen Out There

Paul Colligan (someone you may want to follow if you’re serious about getting your blog/website found online) talks about the ISYOT (“I’ve Seen You Out There”) effect. The ISYOT effect is a lot like the marketing term top-of-mind-awareness but it applies to being seen online – to the point that you’re being recognized on the Internet. Somewhat the same way you would be recognized if you were networking face to face in the brick-and-mortar world. So how do you do that? How do you build confidence, trust and name/face-recognition online? Paul recommends being seen everywhere using social networking sites, podcasting and media channels like YouTube. Participating on Facebook and LinkedIn, Tweeting, posting videos on YouTube…. all things that we know we need to be doing but if you’re a one-person-shop (or even 1 and ½ or 2)…. How do you get started? How do you make the ISYOT effect work for you? Continue reading “Create an Online Presence – Be Seen Out There”