As an entrepreneur or small business owner, having a solid, strategically sound online presence is a must. Although traditional marketing brings its own set of values to the table, making your brand known in the digital world is where everyone’s focus seems to lie — and for good reason. According to a new study of over 10,000 people in five countries, the average daily time a person spends consuming content is now six hours and 59 minutes, which includes phone, TV, and other forms of digital media.
As you look to create social content, stay committed to the concept of quality over quantity. This will give people a reason to engage with your brand and to position themselves as a leader in your industry. With our focused online presence, theBLOQparq (tBp) has created an accessible hub of information and resources with entrepreneurs, both current and aspiring, in mind. Our goal is two-fold: to be relevant and reassuring. Your dreams are within reach and we are here to help you grab ahold of them.
As you work to garner the attention your business deserves, here are some ways you can buff up your brand’s online presence.
1. Start with your website
A website is a fundamental element to giving your brand an online presence. But the bare minimum isn’t enough. Beyond looking good, your website needs to be functional. Starting with your company’s contact information, which should appear on every page of your site. The site must be easy to navigate and specific products, services, and pricing should be searchable. Speaking of searchable…if you want your site to appear at the top of people’s search lists, you’ll need to incorporate SEO best practices.
Source: KPMG
Once you’ve checked the boxes on all these website to-dos, you’ll want to add some personality to the mix. Make sure the tone of voice and imagery used represents your brand in an accurate, memorable, and engaging way. You want consumers who visit your site to feel like they are getting to know a friend. And don’t forget to sprinkle in positive reviews as you look to showcase all your business has to offer.
2. Time to get social
With a strong and consistent online presence via social media, you can widen your audience while reinforcing the connection with your target demographic. It is recommended to post three to four times weekly to engage without boring or overwhelming your followers. The idea is to build intrigue and ideally, to be shareworthy. People trust their friends and family when it comes to their purchasing decisions so the goal is to let social media be another form of positive word of mouth for your brand.
Nothing is worse than finding a company that seems to have everything you need service-wise and then visiting an outdated Facebook or Instagram profile. Trust can be lost instantly, as many may see this as a warning of a lack of commitment to your brand and business offerings. When done right (and kept up to date with smart content), social media can significantly build your credibility and reputation.
3. Blog like a boss
Writing blogs on a regular basis might seem like an overwhelming commitment to make, but as a small business owner, it’s worth it. According to a study, businesses that blog get 55 percent more website visitors than businesses that don’t. Having a blog is a way to increase your brand’s credibility, another means of boosting your SEO, and an additional reason for people to frequent your site more often. Being that most of the information on your business website will remain the same, a blog offers the opportunity to add new content that will help your company’s Google rankings. It is also a chance for you to showcase more of your brand’s personality and mission, inviting people to form a connection beyond the products and services offered.
If you want to engage your audience, you need to be smart about where you spend your time and money developing your brand’s online presence. It will likely involve research and strategic planning, but it will pay off. It’s critical to go above and beyond by communicating and creating genuine relationships within the places your audiences spend the majority of their time online.
Every brand should build an online strategy that is best tailored to their needs and customized to their desired reach for optimal growth. And while you are busy building an online home for your brand, tBp is busy building micro-retail, office spaces, and residential units, where you can reap the benefits of your online branding in the form of real-world success. dream big and build your vision from the ground up.