You can’t ignore Social Media. Your customers are using it. Your friends are using it. Your competitors are using it. Your relatives are using it. If you are reading this article, you’re using it. If you don’t realise many of your potential customers are engaged in social media more than television, you’ve missed a trick. Otherwise you are heavily using social media to promote your business. But what makes your customer buy from you over your competitor. Well that’s where branding comes in.

The key to exceptional online store performance is branding.

Take a look at Coca Cola. With more than 123 years behind their belt they are a global brand. King in the crowded arena of soft drinks companies and triumphant in spite of worldwide focus on healthy living. Coke is the world’s largest beverage company. Drunk in every home. Found in the remotest parts of Africa. Coke is a First Class brand. And not only is Coca Cola successfully offline, according to factbrowser.com, Coca Cola has the largest number of Facebook page fans worldwide. Coco Cola stands out from the army of beverage companies not because of the product. Yes coca cola and all their brands of soft drinks do taste good but their success lies in their brand. They do a great job of making a connection for consumers and feel good moments. Using strong recognisable artefacts and symbols consumers draw a synonymous link between having a good time and drinking Coca Cola. This is the defined brand of Coca Cola. This is how they stand out. This is why their fans love them even online.

A recent Time Warner Media Lab report on multiple media screens and advertising revealed consumers with a media device are 52% more likely to be using it whilst watching TV. It was also revealed that consumers emotional connection was increased when engaged in social media sites such as Google+, Facebook and Twitter in comparison to television. The way consumers engage with media during their pastime is changing from to TV to a media device. Consumers are more attached to online entertainment. They are familiar with seeing their favourite brands advertised on line. What’s more, new brands are finding it easier to enter the online arena. So the competition is fierce for ad space. When you realise your consumers are more likely to be seeing ads online you need to give them a strong reason to pick your product out from the competition. The one thing you’ll have to rely on is your brand strength. The key to exceptional online product performance is branding.

Branding is what makes Coca Cola the largest beverage company in the world. And your brand is what will make you significant in your business sector. Take note. The key to increased profit share online is your brand.