Many of us rely on using the internet to help us in our work, with day-to-day tasks and to keep in touch with others. It gives us a chance to share important moments in life, thoughts, pictures and life events with friends and family from the comfort of our own homes. It can be a life line to the world, especially now outside time is limited. There are however, negatives to the online world like trolls and cyber bullies, with no escape, these can be destructive and even life threatening. For a business; bad posts, negative reviews and bad customer experience can be truly devastating.
Being online is so important for the small business, particularly today. There are many advantages to getting your business on social media, including that it can help you improve your customer service, allow you to communicate with customers and prospects on a new level, aid your engagement with your audience and reach new audiences, help you build authority, and drive traffic to your website.
This is why your online presence should make a positive difference and matter! I chose the above quote by Robert Ingersoll, as a message to us all that if we are kind to others then we too will get positive karma! This is important in business too as positive messages, responses and customer experiences will lift your customers and ultimately lift your business to success.
Below are some tips on increasing and improving your online business presence:
Research your Target Audience
Knowing your audience is critical when it comes to online success because the interests and needs of your client base will determine the type of content you should be sharing and the way you engage your followers. Research your preferred customers; who they are and what topics they are interested in, which platforms they use for social media and when they are most active, and finally, why your services will benefit them.
Maintain a constant voice
Social media is ideal for brand building and recognition, so it’s important that every post you make is in line with your brand and image. This could be simply including your logo, a consistent colour scheme or an advert campaign that has a consistent layout. The content you share should always be high quality and relevant, and you should prioritise video, images, and other types of visual content as often as possible because these get more views. I can help with a marketing campaign with the creation of static or animated adverts that keep inline to your brand.
Optimise your website
Having a website is vital for a small business however it has to be a good customer experience. Your site needs to be optimised by making sure that it’s mobile friendly, loads quickly, includes a click-to-call-button, has updated information (work samples, resume, headshots) and is easy on the eyes. There are several places that you can self-build a website (Wix or Wordpress). These are great if you want to save money but if you do not have the time or skills it is usually better to let an expert do the work for you. I have great deals on website designs and can offer a fully managed site if you prefer to spend the time on your own business and what you do best.
Stay Active
It takes time and patience to cultivate a reliable presence so you need to stay active online. Once you have posted you need to connect and engage with your audience and that’s the only way you can foster the relationships you want to build and gain the trust. In terms of posting frequency, the right number really depends on the platform you're using. For FaceBook and Instagram don’t post more than once a day, and limit posts to five times a week. Twitter, on the other hand, changes so quickly that the more you post, the better.