As per adaptive marketing, 97% of people go online to look for a business. This means having a strong online presence means you automatically attract a huge portion of your market. It makes it easy for the customers too. They can find your brand easily. It gives them the chance to check out your reputation before making a purchase. All of this ultimately influences your business to grow bigger and better.
In this blog, we talk about the 8 proven steps to building an online presence.
- Master SEO
SEO is one of the most powerful steps in building an online presence. But with search algorithms constantly getting updated, you need to stay updated too. Without SEO, you do not stand to cut through the online presence of well-established brands.
SEO mainly has two categories: off-site SEO and on-site SEO.
On-site SEO practices focus on creating high-quality content and keyword research. The latter helps you know what exactly your audience is searching for. You will then need to develop educational content that aligns with their search intent.
Off-site SEO deals with the technical aspects of your website. To promote your brand website online, you need to take care of a few website parameters. Brand websites need to have fast loading times and simple, clean URLs. To rank higher, you will also need to earn backlinks to build credibility. Tools like SEO and website audit platforms help optimize both on-page and off-page strategies.
Additionally, set up a Google My Business account and use Google’s keyword planner to improve your visibility on Google searches.
- Create Value
Before making a sale, you need to create value for your audience. Being customer-focused is key. Start identifying your customers’ pain points. What challenges do they face? What are they trying to achieve? Use this to brainstorm content ideas that address their questions and solve their problems. This is the foundation of a good brand content strategy.
Another way to provide value is by sharing helpful advice. You can do this through guest posts and answering comments on social media.
- Be Active Online
To build a strong online presence, consistency is everything. Stay active by regularly posting content on your website and social media accounts.
Interact with your audience via comments and answering questions. Join relevant conversations and conferences in your industry. If there is a trending topic in your field, make sure your thoughts are heard to stay relevant and connected with your audience.
- Build a Website
Having a website is non-negotiable. That is the first and best step to promote your brand. While social media is important, your website is often the first stop for people looking to learn more about your business.
Your website is the perfect place to show your brand’s personality. Use your unique branding. Use your unique colors and fonts throughout to keep it consistent. Show them who you are and how you can solve their problems.
There are a ton of website-building platforms. Content Management Systems (CMS) like HubSpot, Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace are some of them.
- Analyze Your Results
Building your social media presence also takes time. Track your progress to see what’s working and if you are on the right track.
Identify the right metrics to measure your efforts. For SEO, monitor your rankings on search engines. For social media, track engagement rates like comments, shares, and likes. If you are growing an email list, you should track subscriber counts and email open rates.
Some results, like brand awareness, may be harder to measure. But that doesn’t mean your efforts are not worthwhile. Be patient, as brand-building strategies are long-term investments. Consistent efforts pay off over time.
These are part of digital marketing training that all professionals need to know. If you are thinking of an in-house digital marketing team, that is the best decision any brand can make. But to ensure your team gets the best training, you need a program that covers everything. EducationNest offers the best corporate digital marketing training in India for companies who are launching their own brands.
- Produce Content
Creating content is a foolproof way to increase your brand visibility online. The more content you produce, the more opportunities you have to appear on search engines, social media, etc.
Find where your customers are hanging out. Are they on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, or marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon? Tailor your content to those platforms.
- Personify Your Brand
Brands with a distinct personality are the ones to be remembered by all. Think of Red Bull and GoPro. One example is The Skimm, a daily newsletter that created a fictional persona, “The Skimm Girl,” to represent their brand. They knew everything about her – her job, age, sense of humor, and lifestyle. This helped them appeal to their target demographic.
Why personify your brand? You create an identity that feels relatable and authentic. This encourages users to engage with you, whether through social media, comments, or signing up for your newsletter.
- Research Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a brand marketing strategy that imitates word of mouth. If you can find good influencers in your niche, your store will be a star in no time.
For selling beauty products, you need beauty influencers on YouTube and Instagram. Many consumers trust influencers for honest reviews and recommendations. In fact, this acts like word of mouth, something that hugely influences purchase decisions.
Read More
Steps to Get Started with Python for Web Development
The Best Platforms Businesses Can Use For Social Media Marketing
AI Prompt Engineering Basics: Learn How to Ask the Right Questions
Conclusion
Whatever business you run, there will always be one thing in common. All brands need a good online presence. A strong online presence lets people know you exist. And it is not just about e-commerce. While the pandemic has certainly boosted online shopping, it has also improved support for local businesses. The above are some of the best strategies for brand building that you can start with when you are launching. With time, you can refine your methods as you figure out which one works better.
EducationNest will be the best choice if you are training your in-house digital marketing team. Being India’s top corporate training provider, they offer the best expert-designed courses in topics like cybersecurity, digital marketing, soft skills, machine learning, and more.
