Where should a business owner begin online and offline to be sure that the company message and image are shared with the right audience?
You Want to Get Googled
The company website is the first place most Googlers look for information. If you don’t have a website, just where do you put information?
The 24-hour news cycle, which encourages people, aka Googlers, to stay online and involved with personal communication devices allllll the time, can be intimidating.
Competing with large businesses seems to be impossible. But every business of every size should at least try to be online in as many locations as possible. Sure the competition is everywhere. So, get in there and get in the game. Put up your social media, blogs, post articles so that you are there battling for attention with information and interesting content.
Googlers are people who Google for information, business and services. There are people online 24-7 looking for businesses and products who have what they’re searching for.
If your business is NOT online or is without a website, there’s a massive waste of opportunity. Prospects are online looking for products and services that your business offers.
If you want to be in it, you have to be on it so that you too may be Googled.
Start Here:
1. Build a website: with a clear message quickly explaining what your product or service means to visitors…why buy from you?
–Use interesting pictures
–Headlines that tell visitors what to do
–Video that sells the product or service
–Regularly updated content that tells a story, explains, sells and establishes the company.
The website is where a message can be shaped, controlled and shared. It’s the control center that can be updated regularly. What you do to it determines your online fate or success. You control your story and how much information is shared. Use it. Write often. Post pictures and share, share, share. Can’t do it yourself? Hire a reputable firm who you know you can hold accountable for activity.
2. Use social media
–There are hundreds of social media accounts. Add one a day
–Use a picture that’s social–logos are fine if they’re simple and clean. A photo is better so that people put a face with a business.
–Use the logo in the graphic design of the social media page
–Post pictures, content and links to the website
Can’t do it yourself? Don’t hire a kid, a youngster, a relative or friend who does not have real marketing experience. If you pay a firm, then inspect the firm and invest carefully.
3. Citations
A citation is a website that as a business allows business owners to post the name, address, website, phone, e-mail, photos, profile photos, logos, and videos online for free. There are thousands of places to be listed for free if you have the energy to complete online forms and confirm phone and e-mail addresses to verify the accounts.
Each account needs a password, user name, e-mail address that you can keep track of to carefully complete using the same information over and again. When it comes to posting blogs and articles, citations are invaluable locations.
It’s not a website, but it’s free and it’s helpful to Google when later you do build a website. You’ve already been vetted online by the citations.
–YP.com, DexKnows, Manta, HotFrog, Yelp*….the list is endless
Yelp is currently under fire as its ratings tactics are being criticized by businesses who claim that Yelp allows questionable reviews to be posted by unidentifiable, random strangers. Reviews have been pulled that were positive, while reviews that are highly critical and negative remain.
Yelp defends its algorithm stating fairness is the basis. It’s a treacherous spot for any company: Do you leave your first mention on Yelp to complete strangers or do you go online and complete a professional profile. Darned if you do, darned if you don’t, so fill it out carefully and consider making basic, modest, middle of the road claims.
4. Directories
–There are directories that list businesses based on category for free. For example: Legal, Medical, Real Estate, Plumbing, Websites, Shoes, Clothing
–Search by category
–Paid directories are an option, but if you want to be billed forever, start paying for directories. Why pay when many are free? When you stop paying, you lose your listing and your place online
5. Blogs
–There are many free blogging platforms starting with Blogger offered by Google
–Post here as you would to your website, but with different content
About Using Copied Photos, Videos and Content
Don’t copy, plagiarize or repurpose content cutting and pasting the same thing everywhere on everything. Google will not like copying copy, pictures or video. The rule of thumb: use it once and be done.
Be original on every platform. Write a new bio, intro, short for every social media account, every directory, every citation.
When you edit video or audio do several versions to post on several places. Original new, better and different writing, pictures and video so that there’s no duplication of resources for your website and other online locations.
Let’s’ Recap:
1. Start a website built from a,
2. marketing plan that includes a,
3 strategy a,
4. budget a,
5. timeline and,
6. tactics that should include
7. search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) campaign,
8. relationship marketing
9. in-person meeting, networking, word of mouth referrals
Where Do You Post First?
1. Website
2. Social media
3. Blog
4. Citations
5. Directories
Cover the Internet
The online audience should be inundated with many messages that are posted by your business, about your business. If the content is original and new it should be shared and posted. When a story is written online and then shared with social media followers, blogs, directories, citations, the links back to the website help to boost traffic.
The only online places that are not beneficial are those that are not related at all to the product or service. For example, an attorney should not blog on a marketing website. A chef shouldn’t blog on a sports team website or blog. The value in blogging on other websites is in its related content. There should be a relationship and a reason for posting what is posted and where it’s posted.
Still confused? Consult with The Marketing Square. We meet all clients in person. We come to you to find out what kind of story you want to share online.
