Growing your online presence during the pandemic: A beginner’s guide
With the coronavirus pandemic causing many companies to close their offices and retail bases, remote working and digital sales are booming.
As a result, businesses from across the corporate market need to focus on expanding their online presence and boosting their search engine rankings to get themselves noticed during this pandemic.
For business leaders who aren’t in the SEO or digital marketing sectors, here’s a practical guide to maximising your online presence to keep your company thriving during this pandemic.
Upgrade your website
Your business’s website is its digital storefront, whether you’re actually selling on it or not. You might be selling, providing information or just updating your customers; whatever you use your business website for, it is the online space that represents your brand.
As such, you need to make sure that it truly represents your company and shows it in the best possible light. If your website is old and outdated, or no longer functioning correctly, then work with experts such as Boss Cat Web Design who are committed to rejuvenating websites and making them stand out – just take a look at some of their case studies for inspiration. A team like this can turn your ideas into reality and give you a website that entices new and existing customers.
Start a business blog
If your business doesn’t already have a blog, then now is the ideal time to start one, particularly if you’ve had a downturn in orders thanks to the pandemic. After all, you and your team will have spare time, so you can use it productively to learn how to start and manage an engaging blog.
The first step is to start creating insightful, interesting blog posts and updates with your followers. Your blog is a great tool to not only inform readers but also generate leads and introduce them into a sales funnel. For example, you can ask blog readers to subscribe to receive your posts directly into their inbox, and then use their information to send them articles that funnel them through to becoming a paying customer.
Populate your social media accounts
A website isn’t the only way that brands communicate with customers and generate leads; social media platforms are also a great way to engage with customers and update them on the changes that your company is undergoing to keep staff and clients safe.
Most companies already have accounts on the major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so all you need to do is keep them populated. Share blog posts and any other content, but also posts specifically designed to encourage discussion and generate interest. Whether they are polls, giveaways or just comments on the current situation, you need to engage with your followers to show them that there are people behind your organisation and that they care about their supporters.
Find new platforms to engage with customers on
Popular social media platforms are vital for your business, but that doesn’t mean that you should discount smaller, flourishing platforms. From TikTok to Lasso, there is a wide range of new and innovative platforms that are utilising new technologies, like video, to entice users.
When searching for a new social media platform for your business, you need to make sure that it is suitable for your organisation and that your target market uses it. For example, if you serve older customers primarily, then a platform that targets young users won’t be suitable for you. Do your research to see if there are any new platforms that will benefit your business.
Manage your online reputation and reviews
There are hundreds of platforms on the internet designed to allow customers, or in some cases, employees, to post reviews and provide feedback to businesses. These sites are a useful way for companies to find out what their customers expect from them and adapt accordingly.
However, in some cases, they can also allow malicious individuals to spread misinformation that damages your brand’s reputation. As such, it is vital that you manage the reviews your company receives online and respond to any, be they positive or negative. If you are struggling to find the time to do this, then consider outsourcing the service to an experienced reputation management agency, which can help you to manage the reviews your company receives and deal with any unwanted negative attention.
Stay up to date with the latest developments
The digital market and SEO sector are both constantly evolving, so it’s crucial that you stay up to date with the latest developments. Find a marketing blog or podcast that captures your imagination so that you can stay ahead of the newest changes happening in the online market and adapt accordingly.
By focusing on enhancing your online presence and growing it during this pandemic, you’ll be able to make a meaningful difference to your business over the coming months and years, no matter what happens in the future.
