I love the concept of branding, always have. As a kid, I was attracted to Smarties (both for the candies and the wrapping), the Shell logo (yellow was my favorite color) and 7 UP (love the red dot). I love colors, designs and clear, simple logos. Now that I own my own company, branding has provided me with yet another fun way to express myself. As you will notice in this post, and on my blog and website, my new favorite color is orange and thus all my More In Media ‘stuff’ is branded accordingly. 
In a recent post on my More In Media Facebook page, I asked my audience to show off their branding by leaving me links to both their Facebook Pages and their website, as well as a 10 word description of their brand.
What this post really was about? It was a little experiment to find out how well people know themselves and their business, how well they can get their point across with both words and graphics. Before you look at the SlideShare presentation, keep in mind that More In Media’s audience consists mostly of social media trainees & small business owners who are looking for tips, information and industry updates and ultimately might need consulting and/or training to improve their current social media status. Mix in a few colleagues (social media professionals), some local networkers and a few technology brands and you’ve got More In Media’s fan base covered.
Branding: What Signals Are You Sending Out Into Cyberspace? from Dorien Morin-van Dam
*** There were a few people who ‘struck out’ on this post. They left a description of their business in a comment, but were unable to hyperlink to their website and Facebook pages. I call those ‘true social media beginners’. Those who made it to the list are well on their way to social media success!
I think everyone is doing a Fantastic Job in branding their business online and I had a blast putting this presentation together. If you can identify with any of the three groups (or are listed in one of the groups) and want to improve your online branding and get to the next level, here are some tips to do that. (There’s ALWAYS room for improvement!)
To move from ‘Base Hit’ to ‘Bases Loaded’ invest in a logo and several branded images. Whether you pay a graphic designer or DIY will depend on your current skill set and cash flow. But it’s worth it to pick a logo and business colors and carry them through from your website to your social media platforms.
To move from ‘Bases Loaded’ to ‘Home Run’ design complimentary banners and stick with the same logo, colors and font to become ‘unique and recognizable’ at the same time.
To move from ‘Home Run’ to ‘The World Series’ upload custom branded tabs on your Facebook Page, switch out your banner(s) with the seasons and/or holidays, match your social media voice to your ‘style’ and update your About page to reflect who you are and what you do. Your posts should reflect your brand, too. (Like I said, their’s always room for improvement.)
I’ve promised to link to all these lovely businesses, so here is the list of More In Media fans who helped me write this post! Thank you to all.
Easy Refill
Grand Strand Condos
The Elegant Bead
Hasten Home
The Parris Company
Marketing Witchcraft
Made by Meg
Maralana Go Do Be
Stoney Creek Social Media
Banner Biz
Appska
Beadz by Roz
Myrtle Beach Restaurant News
Oroklini Social Media
Children’s Museum of South Carolina
Two10Solutions
Coaching BY THE Numbers
Social Catapult
I have ONE question for you: ‘How are you branding?’
Dorien
#3 Home Run