In the golden days of mass marketing, it was fairly easy to create a brand image.  You just had to hire the right agency and spend a lot of mony.  It is not that easy any more. The internet and social networking now make your brand a subject for open discussion.  Greg Stielstra points out that you can no longer control your brand through advertising alone.  Your customers have many venues and opportunities to talk about you on the web.  The best practice is to provide the absolute highest quality customer experience and to prompt your customers to say good things about you. 

A little customer training can go a long way. Happy customers will become loyal evangelists who are like unpaid marketers- spreading the message about your products and services.  All you have to do is to ask them to join your fan club on Facebook, blog about you and post positive reviews on ratings websites. Consider sending a follow-up email to each of your happy clients with a little nudge on how to share the love with others. ImmerseMail is an excellent tool for connecting with your customers and building your brand through viral messageing that has the potential for exponential growth.