I read an interesting blog post today that drew a distinction between building a brand vs. building a reputation online. In simple terms, your brand is what you do, and your reputation is how people think (and talk) about what you do. As an analogy, think of search engine results pages. Your brand is your website, and your reputation is the culmination of all social media site links reflecting sentiments about your services.
However, there is another distinction. The act of building your brand involves how you are marketing yourself (social media involvement, blogging, essentially marketing yourself online). But, building your reputation involves evoking a feeling in your customers, which they associate with your brand.
For example, when I think of Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo, I feel “trust” that this product is safe for my toddler. As a result, when I purchase a Johnson and Johnson product, it evokes a safe and trustworthy feeling that I then associate with the brand. Not only has the company built their brand by advertising child safe products, but they have built their reputation by following through on their promise.
“If your brand is the theory that you know what the hell you’re talking about, your reputation is the proof that you do.” (Are You Building Brand Instead of Reputation?).
In online marketing, you can’t merely build your brand and expect your reputation to follow suit. You have to “do” something to create that reputation. Following through on your company’s mission or promises is a great start to aligning your brand with your reputation and your reputation with your brand.
Here is the blog post that got me thinking about the subject of brand vs. reputation: http://outspokenmedia.com/branding/brand-vs-reputation/.
For more information on how WBC can help build your brand and reputation online, contact us!
