In the news over the last few days you would have no doubt heard lots and lots of speculation about what we can expect this year in terms of economic outlook. To be quite honest I suspect more of the same, there is no magic wand in sight. So what can you do in 2012 to ensure your business grows and uses online marketing effectively?

No matter how bad things get there will be businesses that flourish, for every loser there is always a winner. When we run online advertising campaigns for clients we are essentially being measured against how much traffic we drive, engagement levels and sales volumes. For a business to create sustained growth in a downturn price becomes an even more dominant competitive factor. But for a business to create sustained growth during this period it has to retain a number of other ingredients. Product, place and promotion are the obvious choices, but identity is also very important and an often forgotten piece of the pie.

How many websites and shops have you visited or bought from that you have almost immediately forgot about the next day? To gain an advantage today you have to do more to be remembered. A clear identity will instantly tell customers what you are about and what you stand for. A great identity will instantly tell customers you provide what they need. In essence it will help them relate to you on a more personal level.

Online advertising is unique because you can easily test how people react to certain things. We can record where people look and click on a screen, how long they stay somewhere, where they have been and where they actually go. This provides a lot of useful information. So if you need to test a certain design or message you can make changes on the fly.

Whether you are spending money on search engine optimisation, PPC or Social Media Marketing creating a strong identity can pay off for years to come and promote customer loyalty. To come up with an identity you have to have strong brand values, messaging and position your service or product very concisely. Don’t be afraid to stand out as long as it’s for the right reasons and give your business a personality. They can hear the same old corporate dribble anywhere if you want people to relate to your brand you have to be prepared to take chances.

All of the most successful consumer brands in the world have created an identity and brand which is in some way unique and easily identifiable. Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Gap and Apple are all brands which have not been afraid to take chances and be identifiable to a specific target market and take chances with their messaging.

So some questions you should be asking yourself in 2012 should be, how can I be different, how can I gain a competitive edge by creating a specific identity?