Features Business Marketing
Five keys to building and maintaining a powerful online presence

Apr. 14, 2014 – In the past, an online presence was a luxury but as society’s
focus and attention has shifted to the digital arena, it has become an
absolute necessity. A carefully crafted website and fully-operational
social media profiles can lay the framework for business success,
whereas disorder and dysfunction can lead to outright failure.

Cautionary tales of businesses that established an Internet-identity but
failed to capitalize on their foray into the online market abound. Your
website and social media outlets should serve as the technological
extension of your face-to-face efforts. If the goods and services you
provide are the award-winning entrée, your digital persona is the host
that greets your patrons, and many a dining experience has been ruined
by a poor first impression.

The continuously evolving nature of the online world may appear daunting
at first glance, but the good news is that today’s technology makes it
easier than ever for a business to create and maintain a stout Internet
presence. While getting up and running seems simple enough, there’s
still a lot of work that goes into creating an appealing and engaging
personal brand online. There are five key components to building and
maintaining a powerful online presence. How are you doing with each of
these?

1. Your website should be branded, interactive and engaging.

It’s not enough for a business website today to simply contain a list of
information, a description of goods and services and contact
information. An effective website must be engaging and compelling, and
maintain the viewer’s attention to the point that they want to pick up
the phone and find out more. That means understanding your target market
enough to “hook” them – and it means creating a site that echoes your
expertise and the brand you are creating.

When designing a top-flight company website, or consulting with a
third-party that will handle the technical design aspects, you should
make sure you’re keenly in-tune with your desired audience and customer
base. Your target market will greatly influence your projected
online-branding, from the site’s individualized layout and colour scheme
to functionality. If there is disparity between your business goals and
objectives and what you’re hoping to promote, it will glaringly reflect
on your website. 

2. Demonstrate value.

“Value” is the magic word. If your website, blogs, articles, and social
media outlets don’t provide tangible value to your audience, they will
be ignored. Use these platforms to share breaking news, analyze recent
developments, and provide informational and practical tips to your
audience. Update on a regular and consistent basis with new and exciting
content that proves beneficial to your online-readership.

3. Leverage email marketing.

Social media is one great way to engage your audience but it only works
when they’re online and using social media themselves. Email marketing,
on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to consistently interact
with your customers and your market as long as they are checking their
email inbox .(And these days, who isn’t?) Remember to focus on providing
value in order to keep your readers engaged. However, if email
marketing is overused it will be treated as spam. Keep your newsletters
and e-updates to a monthly basis to maintain your maximum open-rate and
subscriber base.

4. Want subscribers? Toss in a ‘freebie’.

Your email marketing campaigns are a great way to stay top-of-mind with
your customers and to keep your market aware of what you are offering.
But if you don’t have any email addresses to send to, what does it
matter? One of the most effective ways to build a targeted email list is
by offering free content, such as e-books, special reports, video
seminars, and so forth. Simply require that the user give you their
email address in order to access the content. Promote these freebies on
your website and through social media, and you will see your email list
start to grow steadily.

5. Use pictures and video to tell your story.

You know the saying: a picture is worth 1,000 words. A video is even
more powerful. The simple truth is that pictures and video are far more
engaging than pages and pages of text. So embrace it! Create a video
introducing yourself and welcoming people to your site. Share pictures
and video of your team at work. Post pictures of your latest products.
Take advantage of visual media to keep your audience engaged and
actively involved in your business.

Your online presence is one of the cornerstones of your business and it
should be treated as such. Guarantee that your Internet outlets – from
your website to your social media platforms and email lists – are
vibrant, highly-functional and continually updated with the latest
information that is tailored to your target-audience. These sites do not
exist simply as undeveloped advertising boards: they are an integral
facet in the 21st century marketplace and can be the main determinant in
a successful outcome or a failing organization.

Nick Nanton, Esq. is an Emmy Award winning director and producer,
and CEO of The Dicks + Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency. As America’s #1
business agent and international speaker and consultant, he has refined
the area of personal branding, direct media, marketing and PR for
business growth. His newly released book StorySelling details the
persuasive value of story in business and entrepreneurism, and outlines
the steps necessary to achieve success in marketing through storytelling
and media. For more information, or to have Nick speak at your next
event, please visit www.DNAgency.com, email
info@DNAgency.com or call 888-364-8101.