As technology continues to advance, digital presence is necessary and beneficial for all businesses. As a business, your online presence is continuously available for people across the world to access. A digital presence gives customers an easy way to contact you, and the information you provide online alone may answer questions your customers may have about your business or product, saving your company time and money. What you have to offer online may be someone’s first impression of your company. If your company is not online, customers may not even be able to have a first impression of your company because they won’t know that your company is in business.
When strengthening your digital presence, study your audience and the content you want to release, and effectively build up your social networks.
Know Your Target Audience
When building your digital presence, define your online audience and market first. Recognize changing market trends so that you can make early decisions or develop strategies to increase your sales. Look at your competitors and see how they are reaching out to their target markets. Then, adjust your communications efforts based on your findings. Find how potential customers use technology, if at all, and take note of their likes and dislikes. When taking note of this information, understand how your audience might react to certain topics online and the best methods to reach them. Develop a relationship with them by sharing valuable content and quickly responding to messages.
Decide What Content to Share
It is important to determine how you want to represent your company online. What do you want your customers to see when they browse through your website or social media accounts? Put yourself in the place of a potential customer – what would you want to know about your company? Would you want to see team photos? Industry articles? Educational videos?
Decide what will be most applicable and helpful to potential customers.
Maintain Your Website
A potential customer or business partner should be able to find most, if not all, of your company details through an online website, including contact information and what your company does. This website should have a clear format that is easy to follow so that viewers do not have trouble finding what they need. Design is extremely important in your website, so make sure that what you showcase embodies your company’s brand and message. It should also be kept updated; a website that was last updated a year ago can drive away customers and other businesses because they may doubt your company’s ability to respond quickly online, think you are no longer in business or be unable to contact you due to outdated contact information.
There is a high chance that site visitors will skim your website before moving onto another one, so ensure that your site engages these viewers through accessibility and design.
Expand Online
Businesses should have more to offer than just a website. An interested customer or business should be able to search your company name on various social media platforms and find you almost instantly. Especially since there are so many people actively using social media, it can act as a great tool to promote your company. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are all common applications to use for your business, but while starting out, focus your attention on only a select few that would best benefit your brand.
- LinkedIn is best to discover and connect with other businesses. Not only can you form partnerships, but you can gain insight on who your competitors are.
- Instagram is a photo and short video sharing application, which can be used to showcase your company’s available products or deals, your customer’s content, and company news.
- According to Statista, Facebook is the most popular networking site worldwide with the most diverse group of users. It allows you to connect with other companies, directly communicate with customers, and share articles, photos, and videos.
- Twitter is a social networking site best to stay updated with global events and share shorter, more concise company updates.
- Youtube allows you to upload videos, which can consist of product tutorials, testimonials, or company overviews. Videos can also give viewers a better sense of who your company is because it puts a face to your brand.
There are many outlets to help you spread word about your company. Decide which ones will be most beneficial to your brand, and consistently stay active on them.
Any company can strengthen its digital presence by understanding its target audience, building an effective website and branching into different social networks.
