In many ways, the increasing digital nature of our world has been ablessing to marketers. Concepts like SEO-focused blogging and socialmedia marketing have allowed companies to raise awareness andultimately increase their profits for little cost. At the same time, thedemocratic and consumer-focused nature of this digital world has alsothreatened one thing: brand identity.

It Used to Be Simple

Think about it. Before the internet became a popular place to shareopinions and news, your brand identity was in your hands. Marketerscould control the messages sent out about their company, ensuring thatthe perception of their brand remained positive and on-point.

A Plethora of Voices

But that's no longer the case. Today, anyone can go on Twitter orFacebook and criticize your products and brand, or write a blogpost about it that ends up much higher in Google's search resultsthat you'd like. The problem is multiplied in the service industry,where reviews sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and Angies List -designed to improve customer experience - can seriously threatenyour brand's credibility and identity.

When you enter the app store on your mobile device, the problemgets magnified. Millions of apps compete for your attention,making it difficult for your branded app to stand out andcontribute to your brand identity.

What Can You Do?

Of course, these developments can also have a positive impact on yourbrand. Successful companies leverage positive reviews and Tweets intoword-of-mouth advertising, which remains the single most effectivetype of advertising today. They develop and market their mobile appsspecifically to contribute to a positive and distinct brand identity.

Still, those negative reviews and comments can be both frustrating andharmful. And with millions of apps competing for attention, it's difficultto stand out. Fortunately, there are several solutions. Monitoringmentions is a great first step:

Find them. How do you know what's being said if you don't look for it?Using Social Media Monitoring Services along with regular Googlesearches on your company help you determine just what consumers aresaying about your brand.

Respond diligently. Once you've found complaints, don't just dismissthem - no matter how unreasonable they seem to you. Remember,these are being read by consumers who are not aware of your company,and may be much more likely to believe the message. Instead, respondto the feedback openly and promise to improve.

Improve. Don't just make empty promises, though. A lot of times, evenoffensive comments contain grains of truth that are worth following upon. Insults against your customer service department are out of line, butmay have happened because of an actual issue in that department. Tryto take feedback as an opportunity to improve your brand - yourcustomers (and bottom line) will thank you for it.As for standing out on the app store, it's important to name your appspecifically after your company. You can talk about its features in thedescription, which will help you be found even by those who don't yetknow your brand, but the name is the single most important part toestablish brand identity.

Next, be sure that your app adds to your website rather thandistract from it. Unique features that users wouldn't get on yourwebsite allow you to link to it frequently, letting your audienceknow about the many benefits they can get from downloadingyour app.

Lastly, reviews are crucial in the app market as well. The better-reviewed your app, the more likely it is to show up high in searchresults on Android or iOS. If you're confident in the abilities of yourapp, don't be afraid to ask your customers directly for results!

As the democratization of marketing continues to increase in thedigital world, maintaining a firm grip on your brand identitybecomes ever-more important. Contact Colure Media today formore tips and tricks on how you can keep your brand identity atthe level it needs to be!

http://colure.co/