Building Your Online Presence

Having a solid business plan is important, there’s no question about that. But if that plan doesn’t include a digital marketing strategy, you’re already behind the eight ball. There are simple tactics that you can use to elevate your brand on a massive scale and support your operational, personal, and strategic development.

Here are a few ways to grow your network, build your influence, and gain an edge over the competition:

Promoting Your Brand

A good social media strategy is sort of like building your dream house: it requires a solid foundation before you can establish your online brand as well as your authority. When you want to communicate to the world who you are and what you have to offer, social media is a simple and cost-effective way to create a brand identity that resonates with your target audience.

If you’re not incorporating social media into your digital marketing strategy then you’re missing out on a fast, efficient, and inexpensive way to market yourself and your business . And you better believe your competition is using these platforms to snatch up customers and sales that should be yours! So, what are you waiting for?

Start by ensuring that your content is relevant and useful. Share links to articles, blogs, how-to videos, etc., so that people online begin to see you as a thought leader in your industry.

Oh and FYI, it’s cool to brag a little. Show off your accomplishments by sharing behind-the-scenes exclusives with your followers.

Is your company hosting a happy hour event or workshop for your employees, packaging donations for a local charity, or conducting major renovations to your building? All of this is content that feels genuine to your audience. It humanizes your brand and helps build trust with your followers. Don’t forget to use appropriate hashtags to help people outside of your immediate networks find your posts.

You should also set up a website or LinkedIn profile so that your audience can learn more about you as a professional.

Get Educated

If you haven’t already enrolled in YouTube University, you don’t know what you’re missing. The platform is free to use and allows anyone to access hours of content on virtually any subject. You can learn on your own time how to build a website, run ads on social media, or how to become a professional vlogger! YouTube is one of the best avenues for personal and professional development, and oh yeah, did we mention FREE?!

Not only is this platform great for educating yourself, it’s also great for building a following. You can start your own channel and share your personal journey with your audience. The key is to ensure that you’re posting engaging, helpful content and that you’re releasing videos consistently (this can be once a week or once month, as long as your audience knows when to expect more content from you).

The best way to build loyalty and trust with your followers is to be authentic. People respond to honest, relatable content and if done well, they will keep coming back for more.

Brands may also begin requesting that you test their out their products and share your experience with your audience. Not only does this give you access to amazing free products, but if you choose to partner with these brands, you can earn money every time your audience buys products using the affiliate link on your page. An affiliate link is a specific URL that contains the affiliate's ID or username. Advertisers use affiliate links to record traffic to their websites. As a partner, an affiliate advertiser will reward you for promoting their products on your page!

The sky is the limit when you can successfully use YouTube to your advantage. Just don’t forget to remind your audience to hit the subscribe and notification buttons on your channel to stay up-to-date with your posts.

Stay Informed

If a topic is trending, then you probably found out about it on Twitter. This platform is one of the best ways to stay up-to-date on breaking news. Twitter feeds update automatically every few seconds, which means you can see the latest news stories from around the world as they happen in real time.

Twitter’s 150 character messages make it easy for users to digest content. This allows you to view a ton of stories at one time, with one quick swipe of your finger. There are also amazing blogs and newsletters you can sign up for if you have an interest in more specific content. Many times you can get access to free templates, webinars, and other resources just for being a loyal subscriber.

Stay Connected

Social media is a great way to connect with people that can help you take your band to the next level. Whether that’s through Instagram, LinkedIn, or some other platform, you can engage with a network of individuals who can become your mentors, your clients, or even your next business partners!

If you’re an entrepreneur, then you already know that business is about building relationships. Schedule to attend conferences and networking events at least once a month so that you can begin to create connections that may be pivotal for you in the future. Sometimes it’s not necessarily about what you know or who you know, it’s about who remembers you!

Stay Motivated

Getting yourself motivated is usually the easy part, but staying motivated is a lot more difficult. Just think about how many times you made a New Year’s resolution and didn’t follow through. No judgment, trust me , it’s happened to all of us. But you’ll be glad to know that there are things you can do to get inspired again.

Start by writing out a list of short-term and long-term goals. Sounds simple, I know, but it’s a great way to not only stay motivated, but to also hold yourself accountable. When you have a list of goals written out, it makes it easier for you to track your progress and make adjustments where necessary. Motivation is a journey, and it takes constant work to maintain focus and stay on the right path.

Hey, and if you don’t stick to your timeline exactly, don’t be too hard on yourself. Life happens to all of us. As long as you’re moving forward, you’re already on the road to success!

Express Yourself

Have something insightful to say? Don’t be afraid to share it! Make sure your voice is heard in spaces where people are looking to learn from each other. There is a time to listen and a time to join the conversation. And who knows? You might be introduced to some new ideas that help you change the world!

Interact with New Communities

When you’re building your brand, it’s important that you move with intention. Use your platforms to create, inform, and add value to the communities you interact with.

You have a responsibility to leave your mark on the world. Connect and engage with with others outside of your immediate networks to gain fresh perspective and learn how you can improve.

This is the time think about what it is you want to accomplish with your brand and then set the stage to engage in meaningful interactions. Think carefully about how you want others to perceive you and ensure that your communications align with your identity. It’s equally important that you create a safe space for multiple voices to speak through. This can be achieved by establishing community guidelines for how people engage on your platform.

Add Value, Not Clutter

If you’re only using your social media channels to sell products or services to your audience, you’re making a mistake that could end up costing you big! People want to feel that they are engaging with your brand in a way that feels authentic. Otherwise, all of your messages become white noise and you risk alienating the audience you worked so hard to build. 

The key here is to always think about how your brand can create added value for consumers. Your content should make people feel like they can trust you to provide accurate, relevant, quality information that helps them improve their lives.

Social media isn’t the place to make the hard sell to your customers. Instead, help them understand the value they will receive from interacting and engaging with your brand. For example, you can do this by creating how-to videos or downloadable white papers that show your brand as a thought leader within your industry.

Don’t Run from the Negative Comments 

On social media everyone has the right to form an opinion about your brand, and not all of them will be positive. Negative reviews can be a big blow to your ego, but as difficult as it may be, don’t take it personal. It’s natural to want to protect your brand’s reputation by hiding or deleting negative comments on your page. Don’t do it! Instead, use this as an opportunity to show off those customer service skills!

When companies hide or delete negative commentary, it gives off the impression that they have something to hide. How you respond to feedback on your platform can greatly impact how your audience views your brand. Always remain professional and courteous. Most importantly, make sure that your responses are timely. This shows that your brand is engaged, plus, you don’t want to leave negative comments lingering for others to form opinions about.

If any false statements have been made about you or your business, this is the time to clear up any misinformation. Just be sure sure to handle these situations with care.

Keep a Close Eye on Your Competition

A part of building your network for leadership includes knowing what’s going on outside of your business. Conducting a competitive analysis should be a part of your strategic planning process so that you know where your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth lie.

Social media is a great tool for checking up on your competitors because they are on the same platforms you’re already using. These platforms usually contain free built-in data analytics tools help you better understand your target audience and monitor what your competitors are doing. This information will allow you to tailor your content for your market and improve brand reach and visibility.

Ask People What They Think

You can interact with your audience on a much deeper level by asking them to share their thoughts on your brand and products. Polls and surveys, for example, are easy to set up and only take a few minutes for participants to complete. It’s also a creative and fun way to get people engaged.

For example, a fashion brand could ask their audience to pick their favorite design from a group of sketches. A restaurant could allow their loyal followers to pick the next barbecue item for the menu. A bar could ask people to vote on a new recipe for a specialty drink. These are all simple ways to build loyalty and help people become more invested in your brand.