When it comes to managing and promoting an online brand, virtually everyone wants the same thing: an increase in traffic, an increase in conversions and a steady stream of engaged users. This is the predominant goal for businesses and brands, large and small, and will no doubt be very important to you, too. Unfortunately, following through with many of the most important rules for obtaining this success can be difficult when there is so much to do. In order to provide some simple reminders about what constitutes the foundation of long-term online brand success, we’ve put together a list of several items you don’t want to forget to implement and use.

Implement SEO

Without a proper game plan on how to incorporate SEO in your website, you’ll never gain traction in search engines. While major and well-established brands can often get by with minimal search engine optimization, upstart brands and smaller businesses will undoubtedly need to incorporate SEO into all of their content strategies. SEO is a very broad yet all-encompassing effort, so describing all it entails is impossible in one article. Start small by focusing on keyword optimization and organic link building efforts.

Promote Press Releases and Articles

Marketing your brand by pinging servers with information about current events, promotions and company developments is crucial in helping to build links and inform industry influencers about your brand. There are a variety of press release and article directories out there that are both reputable and effective at getting the message out. While building unique content for on-site use is important, generating buzz through other means is also necessary.

Use Social Media

In this day and age, users expect a brand to be active on at least one social media network. Most choose Facebook, but there are several others to consider, like Twitter and Instagram. Social media gives brands the ability to connect in informal ways with their audiences, grow their presence and provide ways to share their content in a direct fashion with interested parties that search cannot immediately provide.

Vary Your Content

Even if your brand is related to e-commerce or direct sales, people want more from you than just a pitch. Every brand should have a blog that provides users with information about what they do, their products, or related human interest stories that connect users to the brand. While adhering to these categories, also be sure to vary the forms of content you offer – nobody wants to read pure text. By incorporating images, videos, infographics, podcasts and more, you can truly connect with a larger audience.

Email, Email, Email

Building an email list will cost you nothing, but still remains one of the most effective marketing strategies available when done properly. In the age of mass email, you will have to find a way to stand out in people’s inboxes, but you can simplify the process by ensuring that you are pinging servers effectively by always providing value to the recipient at the same time that the email persuades them to engage in a particular behaviour.