If you really want your business to succeed online, it’s important to build up your brand.

What does this mean?

Your online brand is who you are. Your presence, your reputation … what others associate with you and your business. How you present your brand online, and demonstrate your authority, will help determine how online users view your business. So you can see how important it is to build your online brand. Here are some key things you can do.

Have a logo.

Having a brand logo screams importance and authority. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money to create it. But you do want to have some sort of image that represents your business. Something that can be used on your website, but also on your emails, social media profiles, invoices, etc.

Flesh out your “About” page.

This page is perfect for telling your audience about you and your business. Unlike your profile description on social sites, your own site’s About page will give you much more room to elaborate. You want to talk about your business, but you really want to focus on your customers. Focus on what your business has to offer, and the benefits that can convince your audience to stick around.

Have a distinct voice.

Think about your audience and how you want to relate to them. Will your brand talk with a professional tone or will it be more conversational? No matter what voice you choose, it should be consistent throughout all your online interactions; your blog, social postings, email newsletters, etc.

Utilize the media.

Getting your business mentioned in the media is a great way to cement yourself as an authority and really build your brand. Check out HARO (Help a Reporter Out), which connects reporters to sources who are looking to share their expertise. Or Media Kitty, which helps to connect journalists and sources.

Answer questions online.

Another way to build your online brand and show off your industry authority is to answer questions online. Sites like LinkedIn and Quora are great places to answer questions, offer advice and cement your brand as an industry expert.

Guest post.

Like answering questions, guest posting can also help spread the word about your business and help you build your online brand. Look for authority blogs in your industry and pitch them ideas for posts. If accepted, write your post and include a bio, link to your site and your logo. For a more thorough look at why you should guest post and how to do it, check out this post.

Creating a well-rounded brand online is a great way to show customers your authority and importance. These ideas can really help your business build your online brand.