Your,Online,Brand,YOU,Article, marketing Your Online Brand Is YOU

Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie

*Article Use Guidelines*This copyrighted article is free for you to use as content inopt-in publications, or on your Web site. When you use it in opt-in publications, or on a Web site, please include the resourcebox. However, please do not charge for it. Please DO NOT include it inCD compilations, paid-subscription sites or in publications forwhich you charge. **Summary: You're a small business, or a microbiz. Do you need a brand? Yes you do, and it's easy to create, because your brand is YOU.Category: Small Business, MarketingWords: 800Your Online Brand Is YOUCopyright © 2003 by Angela Booth You've decided to make the leap. You're going to start sellingyour products and services online. You're excited. Wow! Millionsof people will be able to buy from you. Let's see --- what will you need to do first? Yep. You'll need tocreate your own Web site.Two or three months later, your Web site is complete. You'rethrilled. It's exactly what you wanted, your own storefrontonline. You get to work and do everything you're advised to do:you send out news releases and submit your site to all the searchengines. You promote your URL on everything from your businessstationery to the side of your car.Six months after that, you're starting to see a trickle oftraffic, but it's hardly the flood you imagined it would be, andyou lose heart and interest. The Internet, you decide, is a sham,a haven for sp*mmers and assorted lunatics. You vow that you’restaying with the safe and comfy offline world, and you vow neverto be taken in again.What did you do wrong?Oddly enough, you did nothing wrong. You did everything right ---BUT what about branding?In the real world you create your brand without too much effort.People judge you by your physical presence: by your office, yourclothes, your stationery, your advertising and your voice on thephone. In the virtual world, you lose all those valuable cueswhich tell people how to pigeonhole you. You must replace themwith something.Offline, your brand is you. It's you online, too. However, ittakes more effort to create. You need to create an online personaand a Unique Selling Point. A tagline, or motto, is also helpful.Important: There is no way you can do this stuff wrong. You justneed to do it. If your goals change at some time in the future,not a problem -- just change your online persona, your USP andyour tagline. Then hey presto chango, a whole new you/ brand. Also important: don't be afraid to be bold. Share your passion.If you're enthusiastic about what you do, others will be too. Youmust be enthusiastic to create a memorable brand.=>Your online persona In the online world, you can be whatever you aspire to be, bycreating an online persona. Take a look at these three sites:1. Judy Cullins's online persona is "The Book Coach".http://www.bookcoaching.com 2. Tara Calishain's online persona is that of an online researchexpert, with "ResearchBuzz".http://www.researchbuzz.com/3. Jane Teresa Anderson's online persona is that of a dreamexpert with "Jane's Dream Network".http://www.dream.net.auJudy, Tara and Jane have all created an online persona which iseasy to remember. You can do the same.Start by thinking about what you're passionate about, and whatyou hope to achieve. => Your USP (Unique Selling Point)Your USP (although you probably won't spell it out for peopledirectly on your site or anywhere else) needs to be evident ineverything on your site during the first year or so. It's yourmission statement if you like, or your compass.Your USP tells people what to expect from you. This, combinedwith your online persona, is your brand. Your USP must relatedirectly to your audience. Write down this question: "In one sentence of 25 words or less,what matters most to me?" Answer the question. Your answer won't appear on your site, it's strictly for you.Another way of putting it would be: "Where's my passion here?"Your answer is your USP. You don’t need to share your answer.However, keep it in mind. Look on the answer as your road map forthe site. If everything you write/ create for the site harks backto those 25 words, there's no way you can go wrong in creating acoherent online persona. And your own brand. => Your taglineFrom your 25 words, create a tagline/ slogan. You don't need touse the exact words, just the general idea behind them. Forexample:My tagline for Creative Small Biz is: Turn your talent into a flourishing business. For Digital-e it's: Info To Go.Your tagline keeps you focused, it's a reminder to yourself.There you have it. It’s easy to create your own online brand. Howmuch does it cost? Not a cent, just some thinking time. It'svalue to you however, is immense. With your own brand, you willstand out online. (And you'll have a lot of fun, too.)***Resource box: if using, please include*** Digital-e: For writers and creatives.Ebooks, free ezines, Creatives Club.Love to write?Turn your talent into a business!http://www.digital-e.biz/