Creating and managing your online presence effectively and efficiently can definitely seem daunting. There are many different platforms from which to choose, many experts educating on how to use them, but only one of you. Don’t feel overwhelmed. We’ve laid out a simple process for initial success into 5 steps:
1. Define your business’s message
This is a huge step, so make sure to get it right. “What sets your business apart” should be the main focus. What is your unique approach? Is there a proprietary process? How long have you been in business? Why not brainstorm ideas on what makes your business special and pick a few to use as the theme of your message.
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2. Time to update your website
Visitors to your website should know what you do within 3 seconds of getting there. How clear is your message? Here are 3 things your updated website homepage should contain:
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- Bid headline
- Lead-in paragraph
- Additional content
3. Generate on-going content
The best way to get your name in front of your audience/demographic every month is to generate ongoing content in the form of a blog. But what should you write about?
- “How – To” posts on your process
- Answer customer questions
- LinkedIn Groups discussions
- Use “Google Blog Search” to see what others are writing about
- Decide on a recurring feature such as “restaurant reviews”.
What frequency you put out content depends first on how much information you want to share, how competitive the space is, and how much time you have to do it! The average local business puts out 1-2 posts per week. (The Huffington Post churns out 1200 articles per day! That’s the high end of the scale).
What makes a good blog post? Check out this article we wrote about 10 items we love about a great blog post.
4. Share your content
You have good content, now what do you do? Wait? Some people will discover your content in search on Google or Bing, and that traffic will increase as you develop more and more great content. There is more that you can do! Share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+. Pay attention to where your customers are on these platforms, and engage them at the most popular one.
You could be capturing emails and building a subscriber list to send new content to. The blog content would be great to send via email to those prospects/customers already interested.
5. Measure results
Is there an increase in sales? Is the phone ringing more than usual? Is there more web traffic? Are there more New Visitors to your site? Are there more Facebook followers coming on board? There are many other ways (more granular) to measure so you can take action and change/build on your strategy.
About the Author
Stephen Galgocy has worked as a search engine marketing (SEM) professional for over 7 years with Fortune 500 companies and local businesses as an independent consultant. His experience includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Multivariate Testing (MVT), Social Media Marketing (SMM), User Experience (UX), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Web Design - HTML, XML, PHP, Javascript, CSS design, and lead generation.
Some of the marketing verticals he has experience with are: healthcare, career search, lawyers and legal professional services; eCommerce; furniture; lighting; photography; wedding planning; music; and web design services.
His education has focused primarily on business. Search Marketing has been his primary career focus, although writing music is and always will be his first love.
Published work includes music, video, and web content.
Search Geek Solutions is a boutique Search Marketing agency in Montclair, NJ focusing on Montclair Web Design, SEO Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, and Mobile Development.
