We all know that your business’s online presence has become increasingly crucial since the mid-90s. Currently, it’s becoming more critical by the day as the pandemic continues to limit the ways in which your customer base can interact with your company. So what does all that mean? That you need a great online footprint -- your impression on the web needs to bring as much to the table as you can squeeze out of it. Doing that can be overwhelming, but here are seven tips to help you get started:
1. Be Factual
The internet is a treasure trove of content you can use to enlarge your online footprint, but not all of that content is created equally. Particularly during a time when large social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are starting to crack down on misinformation, you can’t afford to spread content that’s less than factual, even on accident. Track down sources, know where your information came from, and be sure to credit original content makers.
For more information on fact-checking your content, plus a handy graphic to share around the office, check here.
2. Use Micro-Influencers
We’ve all heard of social media influencers and their gigantic followings. Getting one of them to speak up for your brand or business can get you some real traction within their target demographic, but if you’re a small business you likely don’t have access to these individuals. So instead, check out social media more local to you and seek out a “micro-influencer,” an individual with a following of a few thousand instead of a few million. These influencers are less likely to have brand deals with large corporations, and may even have a larger slice of their audience in close physical proximity to where you do business. Aside from those benefits, they may have a more personal relationship with their audience that better fits your branding.
To learn more about the importance of connection over quantity and working with micro-influencers, read this great article from SocialMediaToday.
3. Optimize for Voice Search
Voice search using Alexa or Siri continues to become more prominent in the consumer landscape, which means so should the optimization of your online presence for voice search. Similar to SEO optimization, this means using the correct keywords, utilizing Google Trends, and making sure your web content is relevant and accurate on a daily basis. Digital marketing guru Marie Ennis-O’Conner breaks down how to do this here.
4. Know the Pandemic Social Media Trends
As we mentioned before, the pandemic is pushing online footprint into more prominence than ever before. However, people’s behavior is not changing just in relation to how much time they’re spending at home and online; the social media platforms they sign up for and use regularly have changed as well. According to a study on the impacts of the pandemic on social media by TrustInsights, sites like Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube have gained and kept significant numbers in audience totals while Facebook has actually lost ground. Further, TustInsights found trends in “gaming, YouTube video, and home-based niches” to be the biggest of the pandemic, with both audience and staying power (p. 2).
To see the data for yourself, including recommendations on how to make use of the data and tool your marketing to respond to these changes, check out TrustInsight’s full report.
5. Learn Your Facebook Audience
Facebook has become a staple for many businesses over the last couple of decades. However, as mentioned in the last tip, Facebook seems to be losing some ground, particularly with the younger generations. While that doesn’t mean everyone should abandon ship, it does mean it’s important for your business to know not only what your target audience is, but where it is, and whether that “where” includes Facebook. To better understand who’s on Facebook, why, and where other people may be going, check out this article from TechCrunch.
6. Check Your Google Business Listing
The first place people go for information is a Google search. First, you’re going to want to make sure your Google Business listing has been optimized so you come up as a top option. When your business comes up, consumers will make a judgment call based on how your listing looks and what information it contains. Is the contact up to date? Are the services you offer clear? Do you have an adequate number of positive reviews? It can all be pretty overwhelming, but this article offers a place to start. If you really want to optimize your Google Business listing and improve your general SEO, reach out to us! Our services will take care of all of this for you.
7. Be Aware of What Experts are Predicting for Social Media
Social media trends are a beast to tackle and understand, particularly when it’s not what your business does to make money. That being the case, make sure to pick the brains of top social media experts to see what they’re predicting for trends.
All of this may seem like a lot, and that’s because it is -- but that doesn’t mean it’s not crucial to growing and succeeding in your business. If you need help with your social media, whether that be starting it, managing it, optimizing it, or even web design and live streams, reach out to us. Creative Endeavors strives to provide detail-oriented solutions for businesses that need to be able to put their focus elsewhere, and that includes polishing and perfecting your online footprint.