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Online Brand Identity in SEO Strategy

by Amy Phillips

Good brand management is supported by a strong and strategic brand identity. For a brand to stand out in its field, a brand’s online identity is becoming increasingly important. One of the most essential support systems for strong online brand identity is good search engine optimization (SEO).

To examine a brand online, the obvious first place to start is the brand’s Web site. An optimized site, with page titles, clean URLs, good content, headers, descriptions, alt tags and navigation will help with SEO. A very comprehensive checklist can be found here. But is that enough?

For high search engine ranking, the answer is no.

Paid advertising with media such as Pay-Per-Click through services such as Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter, is helpful but can be expensive. Organic SEO costs nothing but the time to build and maintain it. Some knowledge of the ever-changing search engine criteria for ranking algorithms helps.

But are an optimized site and paid advertising enough?

Many organic (as opposed to paid) SEO strategies today call for only 25% of effort given to “on-page” (the website) as opposed to 75% for “off-page” efforts (in-bound links and social media).

Social Media, according to Wikipedia, is composed of three things:

• Concept (art, information, or meme).

• Media (physical, electronic, or verbal).

• Social interface (intimate direct, community engagement, social viral, electronic broadcast or syndication, or other physical media such as print).

If social media is to be used to help SEO, all “concepts” must be strategic and brand-reinforcing. Anything else could actually be damaging. So, a brand’s social media presence with outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube among others, needs to be carefully crafted, controlled and monitored. Never underestimate the power of perception.®

The social interface component of social media presents the most challenges. What does it entail? Meeting people and talking. Asking questions and answering them. Engaging to add value. So how does a “brand” do this successfully?

The first place to start is to create a voice. A company needs to decide whether to set up separate Twitter accounts or one company account. How do you determine the right voice? For the pros and cons of all to consider, check out “The Right Voice for Your Brand is…”

Once your company’s voice is established, make sure that it is consistent from brand image to brand experience. Make sure that expectations are aligned. Create a strategy. Have a plan. Make goals and create timelines. Involve your advertising agency. Outside consultants can give valuable advice from a “fresh” perspective. Consider an integrated advertising campaign. You can’t pay for the publicity of something that goes viral. The more publicity your brand receives, the higher its search engine ranking is, organically.

The Infinite Power of One—A Non-traditional Fundraising Campaign for the Cancer Research Alliance

cancer-research-alliance-ipo-logoChallenge:

What happens when there is no product to sell, and all you can promise a customer is a warm, fuzzy feeling? This is just one of the hurdles we had to overcome for the Cancer Research Alliance. Home to nine Nobel Prize winners, CRA member centers have a long history of groundbreaking achievements in cancer research. There was, however, virtually no awareness of CRA or what it stands for among a target audience that includes pretty much everyone.

Strategy:

Convince potential donors that they can have the satisfaction of pushing cancer research ahead by donating $1 and passing the message along to others who will do the same.

Promise:

PeakBiety developed a cause marketing campaign around the theme, “The infinite power of one.” Email marketing, Web banner ads, radio spots and a Web-aired video explain that, if everyone gave just one dollar and passed the message on to their friends, the face of cancer would be forever changed.

One of the animated online banners from the campaign

One of the animated online banners from the campaign

Results:

The campaign is still running, so no final numbers are yet available.

To see more of the work from the campaign, including radio spots and e-blasts, click here.

NDS Systems Connects with PeakBiety

TAMPA, FL – NDS Solutions, developer of ERP (enterprise resource planning) software solutions for small and mid-sized manufacturers and distributors, is partnering with PeakBiety branding + advertising to assist with their branding and communications needs.

Founded in 1985, NDS Solutions specializes in the development of company-wide software systems to manage and coordinate all the resources, information and functions of its clients. The firm provides fully integrated, all-in-one software solutions built on powerful technology that delivers high capability, flexibility, reliability and scalability at an affordable cost for an excellent return-on-investment. By linking all company operations through one ERP system from NDS, businesses can reduce operating costs, streamline processes, improve inventory planning and management, and upgrade customer service.

PeakBiety will be helping NDS define brand positioning for its ERP software, assessing all company communications and providing vital customer satisfaction research. In addition, the agency is charged with enhancing the company’s graphic identity, as well as web and media presence.

“We are excited about this opportunity to assist NDS in creating greater awareness of their advanced ERP solutions,” noted Glen Peak, President of PeakBiety.

PeakBiety branding + advertising® serves local, regional and national clients in a variety of business sectors. The agency focuses on adding value for its clients by improving customer perceptions. This commitment is summed up in the agency’s promise, “the power of perception®.”

PeakBiety is one of the few agencies in Tampa Bay to meet the strict requirements for membership in the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As). For more information, call Glen Peak at PeakBiety branding + advertising, 813-227-8006, extension 114, e-mail gpeak@peakbiety.com or visit peakbiety.com.

PeakBiety puts drama into Persystent Software sell.

TAMPA, FL—It’s the ultimate nightmare: in a matter of seconds a virus wrecks havoc on your computer’s operating system and applications, destroying your work and devastating your business. But what if you could simply reboot and have your PC fix itself in 30 seconds or less? It may sound like a fairytale, but it’s a reality – with Persystent Software, a unique product that keeps PCs always available and functional, on or off network.

The challenge facing PeakBiety, the branding agency for Persystent Software, was how to grab the attention of IT directors and communicate the dramatic power of Persystent. “This is the fastest automated PC recovery product out there,” said Glen Peak, President of PeakBiety. “We wanted to tell the product’s story quickly and clearly … differentiating ourselves from other technology company marketing.”

The agency’s solution is a colorful “graphic novel” presentation based on experiences of real Persystent customers. The approach quickly illustrates the product’s powerful benefit to both the end users and IT directors. “Using bold visuals and minimal copy, we tell the whole story with drama and impact,” noted Peak. Pretesting was conducted to ensure that the approach was on the mark and would engage the target audience.

To see one of the Persystent Software graphic novels, please click here.

PeakBiety branding + advertising® serves local, regional and national clients in a variety of business sectors. The agency focuses on adding value for its clients by improving customer perceptions. This commitment is summed up in the agency’s promise, “the power of perception®.”

PeakBiety is one of the few agencies in Tampa Bay to meet the strict requirements for membership in the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As). For more information, call Glen Peak at PeakBiety branding + advertising, 813-227-8006, extension 114, e-mail gpeak@peakbiety.com or visit peakbiety.com.

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PeakBiety helps speed the Cancer Research Alliance toward cures.

TAMPA, FL—It’s one thing to sell a product to someone.  But what happens when there is no product, and all you can promise in return for a customer’s money is a warm, fuzzy feeling?  This is just one of the hurdles PeakBiety branding + advertising® had to overcome to help the Cancer Research Alliance raise funds to help accelerate the end of cancer.

The Cancer Research Alliance is a 12-member organization of some of the nation’s top cancer research centers.  Home to nine Nobel Prize winners, CRA member centers have a long history of groundbreaking achievements in cancer research.

On a shoestring budget and with the very big mission of curing cancer, PeakBiety worked with CRA to develop a cause marketing campaign around the theme, “The infinite power of one.”  Email marketing, Web banner ads, radio spots and a Web-aired video explain that, if everyone gave just one dollar and passed the message on to their friends, the face of cancer could be forever changed.

Viewers and listeners were then directed to www.celebrations.com, a party-planning Web site partnering with the CRA to collect the donations.  In addition to giving $1.00, donors were invited to add their photos to a “CURE” mosaic on the site to “change the face of cancer.”  The email and banner ads show the faces of contributors and the radio and video spots string together voices in an invitation to join forces for the cause.

According to Maureen Carlson of the CRA, “The team at PeakBiety far surpassed our expectations in fashioning a message that resonated with the audience.  Although the final numbers are not yet in, we have received nothing but positive feedback on the campaign from both donors and our members.”

PeakBiety branding + advertising® services local, regional and national clients in a variety of business sectors. The agency focuses on adding value for its clients by improving customer perceptions. This commitment is summed up in the agency’s promise, “the power of perception®.”

PeakBiety is also one of the few agencies in Tampa Bay to meet the strict requirements for membership in the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAAs). For more information, call Glen Peak at PeakBiety branding + advertising, 813-227-8006, extension 114, e-mail gpeak@peakbiety.com or visit peakbiety.com.

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