In today's digital landscape, merely having an online presence is insufficient. To truly stand out, a brand must take control of its entire digital ecosystem. This involves more than just a website or social media accounts; it requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing positioning, customer experience, brand consistency, and performance. Andreas Egli, CEO and founder of Egli Marketing & Kommunikation, collaborates with Juillet Marketing to demonstrate how businesses can effectively own their digital presence.

1. Start with a Solid Digital Identity

Before establishing an online presence, it's crucial to define what your brand represents, who it's targeting, and how it wants to be perceived.

Positioning

Your positioning determines your place in the market. It answers a simple question: why choose you over another? This should be clear, distinctive, and relevant, setting the tone for your entire communication strategy, both online and offline.​

Target Audience

Before communicating, know your audience. Precisely identify their age, profession, digital behavior, and expectations. A poorly defined target leads to vague content that resonates with no one. The more specific you are, the more impactful your message will be.​

Value Proposition

Your value proposition articulates what you concretely offer. It should be simple, direct, and understandable within seconds. This isn't a slogan or a company vision but a clear proposal that solves a problem or meets a specific need.​

Visual Identity

Your visual identity should make your brand recognizable at a glance. Colors, typography, logos, and composition must be consistent across all platforms. A well-thought-out visual identity enhances memorability, credibility, and the perception of professionalism.​

Brand Voice

Your brand voice reflects your personality: serious, casual, technical, warm? It should remain consistent across all channels. A well-defined voice fosters a stronger relationship with your audience by giving a human touch to your communication.​

Key Takeaway

A solid digital identity lays the foundation for your entire strategy. It ensures your messages are coherent, visuals recognizable, and discourse credible. Without this base, your efforts may lack direction. To exist online, start by clearly defining who you are.​

2. Optimize Your Assets

Your online presence relies on tangible assets: website, social media, content. Each must be well-designed and aligned.

Website

Your website is often the first point of contact. It should be fast, mobile-friendly, and clear. A good site quickly answers visitors' questions, facilitates actions (contact, purchase, subscription), and projects a professional image. It's your showcase and conversion tool.​

Social Media

Your social profiles should be up-to-date, active, and visually aligned with your brand. Bios, cover images, posts: every element matters. It's not about being everywhere but being coherent and relevant where your audience is active. Quality over quantity.

Content

Your content should serve a clear purpose: to inform, help, convince, or inspire. Avoid empty posts; provide value to your audience. Good content is useful, structured, and aligned with your readers' expectations, encouraging them to return.​

Key Takeaway

Your website, social media, and content must work together seamlessly. They should be effective, accessible, and true to your brand. Optimizing these assets isn't a luxury, it's essential for turning visibility into tangible results.​

3. Embrace a Multichannel Approach

Don't rely on a single platform. A robust digital strategy is built on the diversity and complementarity of channels.

Owned Media

Channels you own give you complete control. Your website, blog, newsletters, you define the content, tone, and frequency. These are sustainable levers that enhance your autonomy from third-party platforms and algorithm changes.​

Earned Media

Earned media can't be bought; it's earned. Press mentions, influencer partnerships, spontaneous shares, or customer reviews boost your credibility and trust in your brand. The more useful or inspiring your content, the more likely it is to be shared organically.​

Paid Media

Digital advertising quickly increases your visibility. Sponsored content, acquisition campaigns, retargeting, when well-targeted, they complement your other channels. Paid media doesn't replace the rest; it accelerates it. Without an overarching strategy, it risks wasting budget with minimal results.​

Key Takeaway

A multichannel strategy reduces reliance on a single lever, enhancing your reach, resilience, and efficiency. The goal isn't to be everywhere but to balance channels according to your audience, resources, and objectives, focusing on their complementarity.​

4. Foster Engagement, Not Just Visibility

Audience size matters less than the quality of the relationships you build.

Responsiveness

Don't leave your clients unanswered. An ignored message is a missed opportunity. Responding shows you listen and care about your audience, humanizing your brand, building trust, and encouraging future interactions. It's simple but crucial.​

User-Generated Content

Highlighting content created by your users shows they matter. It's also a powerful form of social proof, people trust other customers. Encouraging and sharing this type of content strengthens community ties and mutual recognition.​

Community Spaces

Creating spaces where your audience can freely interact (private groups, forums, online lounges) fosters a sense of belonging to your brand. These platforms allow users to engage, support each other, and extend the experience. A genuine community brings

5. Rely on Data

Instinct may get you started, but long-term progress depends on facts. Data turns assumptions into informed decisions.

User Behavior

Track what your users actually do. What they click, read, ignore. These insights reveal what works, what blocks, and what’s missing. This is your foundation for adjusting your strategy based on real audience behavior, not assumptions.

Key Metrics

Define clear indicators and track them regularly. Click-through rates, open rates, conversions, session durations; each metric tells a story. Don’t try to measure everything. Focus on KPIs that are directly tied to your goals. Metrics guide your direction.

Iteration

Data only matters if you act on it. Test, adjust, relaunch. Change a title, an image, a channel. Compare the outcomes. Strong digital strategies are never static—they’re built on ongoing experimentation and refinement, not the search for perfection.

Key Takeaway
Data helps you understand, act, and improve. It takes the guesswork out of your strategy. With data, you can target better, refine your content, and increase your impact. Without it, you're navigating blind. Use it to steer your brand toward measurable results.

6. Secure Your Presence

A credible brand is also one that protects its data, image, and tools. Security is a strategic issue, not a technical detail.

Online Reputation

Monitor what people say about you. A bad review left unanswered can hurt more than a technical glitch. Use monitoring tools, respond transparently, stay present. Your reputation is shaped by how you handle both praise and criticism.

Technical Security

Protect your platforms: strong passwords, two-factor authentication, limited access. Set up regular backups. If your systems are hacked or crash, you need to bounce back fast. Securing your tools protects your business and your customer trust.

Data Compliance

Respecting data laws is not optional. Only collect what’s necessary, inform users, and get clear consent. Stay up to date with regulations (GDPR, CCPA). Proper compliance builds trust, prevents fines, and creates a solid framework for managing personal information.

Key Takeaway
Security covers more than just tech: it’s about protecting your brand’s integrity. It includes reputation management, platform safety, and legal compliance. A secure brand inspires confidence and avoids costly mistakes. Digital control also means managing risk seriously and continuously.

Conclusion

To build a strong digital presence, start with a clear identity: know who you are, who you’re talking to, and what you offer. Optimize your website, social media, and content for performance and consistency. Use multiple channels strategically. Focus on engagement, not just visibility. Track your results and adjust with data. And finally, protect your brand, both technically and legally. A well-managed digital presence is aligned, resilient, and built to last.