How To Brand Yourself Online PLR Ebook

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GETTING STARTED

Online, you can be whatever you want!

So, first things first. Who are you? How can you be your own brand if you don’t know who you are? Know thyself said the ancient philosopher. Aheem….well….sleeping through humanities class was still a good idea, because it doesn’t really matter who you are in real life. Online, you can be whatever you want. Just pick something you like. Something you’re good at, want to be good at, want to do, or just really like to talk about. If it’s your business, then that’s easy. Be Richard the CPA, or Jake the Lawnguy. If you’re a mid-level manager, be Susan CEO. It’s ok to think up. Talk in the direction you want to go. If you’re a Mom, that doesn’t mean you have to be just a Mom online. You could be an artist, author, commentator, cartoonist, whatever. (Of course blogging about being a Mom is just fine too, if that’s what you enjoy.) But whatever you choose to be, it does need to be something you’re proud of. Again, think of it like a really noticeable tattoo. You better like it and be comfortable with it, because that’s what everybody is gonna see and associate with you.

Getting a domain name is a good place to start. Although Facebook and YouTube and Tumblr and Pinterest have their own merit and spaces, the big deal is a website listed in the search engines. It’s says I’m here, I’m for real. Here’s some examples. If you’re name is Rikki Mouskawics, then you’ve been blessed with a rare uniqueness. Your own name itself is valuable, because Google doesn’t know of anyone else online claiming that nameness.

So, at this point it’s easy. Go get a dotcom, Facebook account, YouTube channel, etc in your name. And we’ll go into this in detail below.

If, however, your name is John Smith, welcome to the club. Pretty sure JohnSmith.com is taken.

Google has over 400 hundred million unique references for John Smith, including wrestlers, mormons, and murderers 🙂 How are you going to stand out. Could you use your initials? Or, use your middle name too? For example, JAllenSmith.com. Or a moniker added on like JohnSmithHipster.com or JohnSmithMacDaddy.com or JohnSmith007.com or JohnTheLawnDude.com or JohnTheTaxGuy.com. Remember, make sure it’s something you like, but also easy for others to remember and spell. JohnS34345 is not good for anything, including an email address. Drop it.

This is a good time to brainstorm. Write down ideas on paper. Even ask a friend for an initial reaction. Don’t worry about buying dotcom domains if you’re not serious. But, if you do find the right dotcom, then don’t wait, grab it. Because good domain names disappear quickly. There’s lots of registrars online, but I usually use 1and1.com, GoDaddy.com, HostGator.com. They always have sales too, so google “domain names” and you’ll probably see the latest offers.

Fast way to check available names: www.InstantDomainSearch.com

I like to start with searching for a dotcom (.com) first, because it’s still the first suffix most people think of when they think of a website.

I also like to google what other dotcoms are in that space already. Meaning, the first page of Google is extremely valuable real estate. If there’s already similar names or businesses listed there, then it’s crowded, and you might need to keep thinking of ideas for unique names. Obviously, there’s a lot more to discuss regarding Search Engine Optimization or Search Engine Marketing, but for now, the simplest answer is try to pick a dotcom name that is your name, a variation of your name, your exact business name, or a description of your business or interest.

IS IT WORTH BUYING?

For example, even if you are an estate planning attorney and your business name is John Doe at Law; it’s still a good idea to have an online name such as ChicagoEstatePlanning.com. You might also have JohnDoeLaw.com too. It’s ok to have more than one website, just as long as you tie the brand together. Or, you might want two different websites to appeal to different market segments. Retail stores do this all the time with outlets. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Nike and Nike Outlet. You may also do this different locations. Pizza Shop Westville and Pizza Shop Eastville.

A domain is like raw land. The value is location, and how it’s developed.

Domain names are like raw land. The value is in its location, and how its developed. If your city is growing North, and there’s an intersection just north of the city, it’s reasonable to bet the land around that intersection is going to become more valuable. If you bought it, you could profit later on by selling it at a higher price, or developing a business there which produced annual revenues. Unfortunately this is old news, and many cyber squatters have already bought up lots of good domain names. But, with a little imagination, you can still get a great name.

Now that ICANN (international internet regulatory body) is making more TLDs (Top Level Domains) available, like .me, .name, .us, .co, etc., there’s even more options to be creative. For example, JohnSmith.me or JAllenSmith.name. Just google for a domain registrar which provides the option to purchase different suffixes/extensions. For example, NameCheap may have .me but not .name available. So check 1and1 and GoDaddy too. Also, there may be a lot of new extensions coming in the future, so keep watch, because it is often fast-action-takers who are rewarded. Plus, sometimes domains do not get renewed, or they are put up for sale on sites like Flippa or Sedo. Money talks right. So there are always options, for the right price.

JUST FEEL THE MUSIC

I doubt many would have thought the domain TomShoes was that significant. But, it’s actually a great name. It’s easy to remember. There’s not a lot of other shoe stores out there with similar names. And Tom had a great story, told it well, and so people remember what TomShoes is about. So if you want to find it on Google, it’s pretty easy to remember what to type in. That’s what you need to think about with selecting your brand name. What would people type in Google to find me?

For example, if you have a side business selling herbal tea, and your legal business name is Jane Doe Enterprises LLC, you probably don’t want your online brand to be Jane Doe Enterprises. (Unless you’re planning to be the next Martha Stewart.)

Branding is your first impression. Marketing is your relationship. Without a good first impression, you probably won’t get a chance to start a relationship.

Generally, you would want something like OrganicHerbalTea or NaturalHerbalTea or JanesHerbalTea. You could even get specific like KombuchaTea or NaturalKombucha. But something like JanesHerbs might be too broad. Tea is an herb, true, but you’re not selling herbs. You’re selling tea. So distinguish your tea. WickedTea might work. It’s intriguing. Or put a spin on a common phrase or pop culture reference. For example, ShadesOfTea, or SenoraTea. You could even choose a name which suggests the solution to a problem, say MenopauseTea. It’s a real niche. But that’s very specific. And this is still ok, if you want to have several niche websites which all direct searchers back to your main site. But this is more SEM strategy and probably not the most effective presently. So, again, don’t go crazy buying a bunch of domain names at first. It’s best to find one good name which distinguishes you, and has good raw potential to be developed.

Google ranks websites based upon their perceived value to the searcher. If you develop your site by offering good information which people are looking for, then Google wants to rank your site higher, making it easier for people to find. So, even though the name is important, it’s what you do with it that matters most. TomsShoes is a fine name, but who cares. What’s better about Toms shoes verses JennysShoes? The point is branding is very important, but it’s not everything. Marketing your brand comes next, and is just as important, perhaps more important. But Branding and Marketing work together. Branding is your first impression. Marketing is your relationship. Without a good first impression, you probably won’t get a chance to start a relationship. So, it’s worth the effort and time to carefully select a brand name that is unique, descriptive, easy to remember, and search engine friendly.

Don’t lose common sense just because it’s the Internet.

Creating an appealing looking brand is not genetic. You’re gene pool doesn’t matter. Hooray! Anyone can create a stunning brand online. However, good taste does matter. And, unfortunately, not everyone has good taste. So, if you suck at matching ties and socks, please get some help creating your brand. It’s part science and part art. Understanding human behavior, especially emotional and psychological triggers helps. But don’t overthink it. If you’re selling cars, then yes, your brand better create an allure. But if you’re selling bricks and molded concrete, then just naming it sexybricks.com is not really going to provide the magic chemistry. So, branding online has many of the same fundamentals has branding offline. It’s got to work in real life.

Don’t lose common sense just because it’s the internet. What do you know about great brands from your everyday life. What magazine ads do you like? What billboards catch your eye? Why do some family dentistry ads appeal more than others? Think about your audience. It’s not your opinion that’s most important. You’re favorite color might be olive green. Fine. But why is the top selling car colors white, black, and red? Be willing to understand the sentiments of your target market. Who is your ideal customer? What kind of branding does your competition do? Could you emulate parts of it? Have you ever noticed that many national brands are similar, except one is the blue team and one is the red team and one is the green team? Microsoft spent over a year and millions of dollars to come up with the word ‘bing.’ They needed people all over the world to like it. Understand your audience, buyers, followers, etc. Keep it simple. The less clutter the better. Use universally appealing colors, words, sounds, etc. If you’re not sure, ask. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So be confident enough to ask for help.

FUDGERY NOT FORGERY

At this point you should have a name picked out for yourself, or at least a few good name ideas. Unfortunately, the domain name you really want may not be available. So have a few backup names. Because it’s not as simple as just purchasing a domain name from GoDaddy. We also have to see what’s available on Google+, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. It’s important to have as many as possible of the big social media sites under your brand. So, for example, if someone searches for your brand directly within Facebook or YouTube they will find your branded Facebook page or YouTube Channel.
It would be ideal for your brand name to be the exact match, letter for letter, of your website domain name, Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel etc. But, before you spasm, just breath. You’re allowed a little leeway here. Most people can figure out if they’re at the right YouTube channel if you’ve branded it properly. For example, www.JohnSmith.com and JohnnySmith on YouTube would be ok. The key here is weaving the various social media sites together into one cohesive brand. If there’s already 200 people with the same name on Facebook and YouTube, then you’re gonna have to be creative here. If you still want to use your name, you may be forced to use a moniker or nickname, at least until people associate the name with you. Nobody does this better than the fine folks of Los Angeles. Beyonce, Pink, Madonna, Slash, Eminem, Jack Black, even John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe. How many musicians and actors have stage (fake) names? Answer: 92% That’s right, I just made that up. But we all know it. They do it because it works. It’s just part of branding.

The Internet never forgets!

So a moniker or stage name is perfectly fine. Maybe even mandatory. But make sure it’s uniquely yours. If you make enough noise too close to someone else’s turf, you invite trouble. Sorry to spoil the party, but if a neighbor calls the cops, you better drop that joint fast. Keeping it legal can be a real downer. But anything valuable is worth protecting. An established brand is a warm shelter for people. It’s their provision, it’s important and personal. So be yourself, be creative, and borrow ideas from others, but don’t steal their stuff or peace, or infringe upon their establishment. Yes, the defining line between idea imitation and copyright violation can be mirky. One’s legal, one’s not. If you think that changing your name to JamesBond is a cool idea, then you better have a judge sign the order. Using JohnSmith007 for your Facebook profile and YouTube channel is probably fine for messing around with a hobby biz, or entertaining friends and family. But if your intention is to build up a real online brand on that name, your success could be your downfall. Using the moniker to get attention could eventually get the attention of the real license holder for 007. Ala cease and desist. So unless your stated business is Weird Al style lampooning, come up with something unique. And, don’t be afraid to seek legal advice. If it’s important to you, then start right. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Did I already say that? It’s worth repeating, because the internet never forgets.

Other Details

- 2 Ebooks (PDF, DOC), 48 Pages
- 8 Graphics (PSD)
- 12 Ecovers (PNG)
- Year Released/Circulated: 2016
- File Size: 168,898 KB

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[YES] Can be edited
[YES] Can put your name as the author
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[YES] Can be used as web or e-zine content
[YES] Can be added into membership sites
[YES] Can be sold in any format
[YES] Can be packaged/bundled
[YES] Can be offered as a bonus
[YES] Can be given away
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[YES] Can offer Resell Rights
[YES] Can offer Master Resell Rights
[YES] Can be published offline
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