In this article, we will discuss the importance of building a strong online presence. One that can act as a mirror to your overall business image. After all, a brand’s image is its most critical element—because it’s the first thing a consumer interacts with. If you’ve just started your business or are relatively new to the professional world, building your online presence may sometimes feel difficult or exhausting. But it’s also incredibly important!
What is online presence?
Online presence refers to the totality of all the identities you’ve created (both personal and business) and the interactions between those identities that you’ve established and participate in online.
7 ways to start building a strong presence right now
1. Create a strategy: What are your goals?
First, it’s essential to understand your business goals, both short-term and long-term. Write them down so you can regularly review them and ensure your efforts serve them. Don’t build an online presence just because someone told you ‘you should.’ Instead, integrate it into the overall business strategy of your company.
2. Build a solid platform
For most small businesses and entrepreneurs, building a strong platform starts with your website. It requires a clear message (what your business is about), easy navigation, a contact page, and a subscription page for your newsletter. Don’t forget to optimize for search engines!
3. Always optimize and improve
Don’t assume what you’ve built is perfect—it never will be. Always look for ways to improve your website and the content you post on it.
4. Deliver consistent value
Whether through your website, an online community, or your social media channels, your goal should always be to provide consistent value. Creating cohesive, valuable content will help you gain credibility and authority in your industry—critical for growing your digital presence and traffic.
5. Be social
One of the greatest advantages of the internet is that it allows you to be everywhere. Being social doesn’t mean you MUST create pages on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Quora, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. It does mean you should set up your business profile on at least two or three platforms and share content regularly.
6. Start building relationships
Something very important when building your online presence is being known. Find a group or community whose members share your interests or operate in the same industry. Then begin forming relationships with them by being active in the group. You should do the same with communities that match your target audience.
7. Be patient
As you may already know, building your online presence takes time and requires patience. But if you manage to create a strong platform, develop valuable and cohesive content, establish your presence on social media, and build online relationships, then you’re on the right path to success.
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