Tools of Online Branding

Tools for online Branding

It was over 12 years ago when the first online banner advert appeared on the internet, and the online advertising industry have be creating new advertising tools ever since. The traditional ‘Promotional Communications Mix’ consists of 5 main elements; advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing. Although online advertising these days still stick to these elements, the evolution of technology has added a refreshing twist to elements such as advertising.

Social Media

“Social media refers to activities, practices, and behaviours among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversional media. Conversional media are Web-based applications that make it possible to create and easily transmit content in the form of words, pictures, videos, and audios”. (Safko and Brake, 2009).

Social media marketing has helped brands develop by creating an outlet for companies to monitor the development of their business and products and services while being able to provide the latest news, advance knowledge and updates to customers.

As the web is evolving with new technologies, companies are gaining opportunities to promote, advertise and communicate their brand messages more effectively through more online tools. Some of the major online tools to emerge from the outburst of social media are discussed below, and include, social networking, blogging, audio and video. These new tools provide modern outlets for companies to reinforce their brand promise to a wider audience.

Social Networking

Social Networking is becoming one of the most popular applications of the web with sites that cater for specific groups of people being prime targets for online advertising. The communities could be related by hobby, interest or geographic region and provide excellent opportunities for companies branding their products to specific target markets (Gay et al 2007).

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