Having a strong online professional reputation today is more important than ever. Your credibility as a leader is at stake when people cannot find you online.

Further, if you are found online and what is found is outdated, incomplete, negative, or inconsistent, then you as the leader are at risk of being viewed as a poor leader. This is like having bad press, and no leader or company can afford bad press in a world driven by consumer perception and opinion.

The first step in developing your brand is, obviously, to understand what a brand is. After you have a clear idea of what you want your brand to be, the next step would be to develop a message that is relevant to your brand. You have to make your brand and your message go together so that they are synonymous in the minds of customers. After this comes the time to develop a marketing plan that will make your brand a household name and generate sales enough to not only break-even but make a rocking profit!

What is a brand?

A brand is the one thing that differentiates your product or service from the others in the market. It is the symbol or representation of your business. This makes it easier to market your product. It is the voice and face of your company.

Building a website is the first and most effective strategy for any online entrepreneur. After all, all your business online will have the website as its central point. So it is important to create a website that will engage your audience, keep them coming for more, make them refer your business to others, and convert visitors to buyers. Whether you sell products or services, your website is the platform where people get to know them in detail. How you present your website can make all the difference between whether they decide to buy or not buy.

What makes a website effective?

The days of outbound marketing are almost numbered. Gone are the days when marketers buy ads and email lists to contact people. Today the focus is on creating high quality content that is specifically designed to attract prospects and existing customers. So much so that customers are always expected to come back for more.

The mantra of the right content being in the right place at the right time is the premise on which inbound marketing works. As a result more visitors are converted into customers and existing customers establish a long -lasting relationship with the company.

Given the fact that social media platforms are already being largely used by the public for everyday interaction and communication, marketers and advertisers literally thrive on engaging with target audiences through Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Is it surprising then that social media is almost an integral part of inbound marketing?