Marketing is about face-time – and in our increasingly fast-paced world, it’s getting harder and harder to be seen and remembered by customers and clients. Being available online is essential, especially in places where new people see you every day. Here are 13 ways to get your name and brand out there. Just remember that, though they might seem basic, these ideas can always be built upon.
Get off your website
Having a website is not enough to have a web presence now. Instead, you need create relevant profiles on at least a few social media sites, and start interacting with the users there. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, make sure that people can submit reviews on sites, and find information about your businesses through third-party services like Google Places.
Talk to people
Interaction is the name of the game. You need to be able to address people’s desires or frustrations about your business or your field. Search engines are your friend, especially on services like Twitter.
Above all, have conversations, not sales pitches. Don’t try to sell – just talk to people. If they are curious enough, they can click through your profile and learn more about you.
Leverage your personal brand – or stay out of the way
Either way, you need to stay aware of what you are doing with your personal brand. If you want to leverage your personal brand, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and become a resource to others.
On the other hand, it can be distracting to create a personal brand – so put your priorities where you want them, and, if you create an awesome business, your personal reputation will follow.
Talk about yourself
People go to your website to find out about you. Especially your About page. Don’t settle for a paragraph of ambiguous words about your goals or mission. Make it real by putting the personal touch on everything you do, and including plenty of mentions of how others describe you.
Consistency
You need people to be able to recognize your brand no matter where they are online. Logos and colors help, and so do faces and catch-phrases. But you also need to make sure you are reaching out to your target audience wherever you are. Make sure to spread consistent messages, and not try to rebrand yourself every few months.
Stick your neck out
The best time to be establishing your brand is as soon as possible – you shouldn’t be waiting for a particular event, like the end of the economic crisis. Even if your future customers are not in a position to be hiring you now, if you aren’t visible right away, you won’t be remembered when they are ready to pay for your services.
Pay for space
PPC is not an SEO strategy – but it is an online awareness strategy. Advertising, especially well-targeted advertising, still serves its purpose, and internet ads are much easier to track than television or print advertising. Experiment with different ad copy, the size and placement of banner ads, and send each ad to a specific landing page. If you aren’t keeping track of your results, you won’t be able to improve them.
Send some emails
An email campaign is a great way to keep reminding former customers who you are and what you do. Prospective customers might also use your emails to judge whether they want to do business with you in the future or not. Whether you see it as a newsletter or a useful lesson of the month, make sure there is something your reader can find helpful.
Give stuff away
Free things and sales, are music to many peoples’ ears. If you are marketing physical products, have an exceptional guarantee to back your products. When selling information products like ebooks and courses, try letting people have the first chapter or lesson for free.
Know what your customers want
Once people make it to your site, you need to be able to close the sale. The best way to do that is to figure out if your product is something that the other person needs. If it isn’t, then let them go or find a different way to help them. But if it is something they want or need, then they will be grateful that you helped them realize it.
Talk about others
There’s no better way to get someone’s attention online than to flatter them, especially if you send a noticeable amount of web traffic in their direction. Establish yourself as a fan, and becoming a contact or a friend is just a short step away. And don’t forget about flattering the little guy – profiling an employee or customer of the month is just as important. Though they will likely become loyal to your business in return, you should be giving without hoping to get anything in return.
Get bookmarked and shared
Social sharing sites allow people to share and talk about what is relevant to them. Find the people who are active within your niche, and start to spark conversations and build relationships. And create high-quality resources that people will want to link to and tell their friends about.
Ask people to talk about you
Encourage feedback, positive or negative, from your customers. Remind them that you will be reading all reviews or survey answers. Treat all of your customers with equal respect, even when you disagree with their opinion. Even by embedding social sharing buttons on your blog posts, you are encouraging your readers to reach out on your behalf.