Valitics Blog

I am not sure the grammar is correct, but I love the concept that you can "extenuate your brand" (for a definition of extenuating).  I am not a branding expert -- talk to the guys at Tricycle for help with developing your "1000 Year Brand."  However, I can warn you about three online activities that can really hurt (extenuate, spread thin, etc) your brand.  Your brand is not just your letterhead -- it is how you are perceived internally as well as externally.

Brand Schizophrenia

This happens when you have worked very hard to create experiences for your market, your customers, and even your employees -- AND THEN -- you participate in an activity that is totally counter to your entrenched values.  Now, this can be good when you are breaking the mold of inefficienies or a negative brand -- in those circumstances a shallow attempt will perpetuate brand schizophrenia; a successful attempt will result in "re-branding."  If your product is cutting edge and reliable, but your website is out-dated and broken you are confusing your audience.

Keep in mind your brand is not always exactly what you ARE, but may be what you want to BECOME.  So, to properly combat being a victim of brand schizophrenia you have to know where you are going, and base your actions on that vision.  On the web, that means getting an appropriate design and putting it on a system that will grow with your company.  Your website, like all of your communications, must perpetuate your brand; anything else is brand schizophrenia.  A design consistent with your image does not have to be expensive or complex -- unless, of course, that is your brand.

Keep Your Voice

Your customers, your employees, your suppliers, and all of your other stakeholders love you because you are you; otherwise they would do business with someone besides you.  It is a bad move to leave your voice at the proverbial online door.  Here's what I mean -- if you are structured and professional in your business interactions a free flow conversational blog may not be your ticket.  Similarly, if you are the cheapest (in marketing we say "least expensive") provider of your service it may be an uphill battle to convince your online audience that you are the highest quality (people generally assume a there is a direct correlation between price and quality). 

If inexpesive is your brand, perpetuate it with discount coupons, big sales, and all of the other things you do in the offline realm.  Keep your voice.

Gut Check Measurement

Usually I like to get really specific when it comes to measurement; it makes me giddy.  But, in this case, you don't need a complicated data collection or extensive reporting system.  In small businesses particularly, your brand is an extension of you, so if you feel like what you are doing is contrived -- it probably is.  Don't confuse growing pains with contrived efforts.  You should be a little uncomfortable with trying new things (blogging, tweeting, or even simply writing web content), but you should believe in the end product.

Once you are comfortable with your online activities you can really start dialing your message by listening to your customers and giving them more of what they want.  If you measure your activities properly you will start to discover cause-and-effect relationships. 

Bonus Tip -- Be Focused

Don't try to do too much.  This applies to your business as well as your web presence.  It will be a challenge to be actively involved in every social media, so don't.  Pick the areas that match your brand best and be the best.  Over extension creates extenuation.