You don’t need a large corporate-style marketing department with a social media strategist, SEO manager or content strategist to have a significant online presence. Small businesses everywhere are using the tools they have at their disposal to create a presence similar to the work even an ad or marketing agency could do.
Create Engaging Updates
If you are using Facebook, don’t just post any update or picture. Make sure the updates you are posting are relevant and engage your audience. Don’t be like your annoying uncle who posts about how many eggs he had for breakfast followed by a picture of the new pan he’s using to cook them.
DriveTime is an example of a company using Facebook to create engaging content that generates likes and discussion. The company will periodically post photos of cars and ask followers to identify the car, brining in a bevy comments. The company also uses humor to engage followers, like posting a picture of a guy wearing socks with sandals and asking if they knew anyone guilty of the famous fashion faux pa.
Throw a Contest
Another way to develop brand recognition is to have a contest. Use this to generate activity on your page or collect user data. Make it so that in order to be eligible you have to like your page or follow you on Twitter, which will assist in gaining more followers.
You can have a Gated contest, which will only allow participants to enter if they provide you with some information. If you want to add to your mailing list, collect emails from contests or make the form more detailed by adding questions about sex, age, interests and location to help you understand your audience. Understanding your audience will allow you to make a concentrated effort and eventually create a larger online presence.
Become an Expert in Your Space
Another way to build a reputable online presence is by demonstrating your knowledge in your field. No matter what industry you are in, proving you are knowledgeable in your field will give you and your business a substantial amount of buzz. You can prove your expertise in a variety of ways.
Blogging
Create blog pieces that are so good that you make readers think they can do these things themselves. Show you can be a solution to customer problems and they will begin to come to you when issues arise. Reach out to other websites and see if you can provide your expertise on their blogs. Create a digital paper trail of knowledge that leads customers to you.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Quora
Often overlooked by marketers is the Q and A website Quora. The website attracts the brightest minds in various industries to answer difficult questions. If played right you can prove you are an expert in your field and help build brand recognition for your business. Quora is a great way to connect with other thought leaders in your industry that will eventually strengthen your brand presence while making important connections along the way
