With society’s usage and understanding of online resources and platforms evolving all the time, it should come as no surprise that a strong online presence is an essential factor within a business’s marketing strategy.
Strong online visibility can effectively boost a business’ influence within any given industry, but to reach this point, a business will need a clear idea of how such online visibility is achievable through appropriate implementation and approach.
Several steps are outlined below regarding how your business can improve its online visibility for maximum impact and an overall positive outcome.
1- Define Your Target Audience
For any business, defining a target audience offers an immediate advantage in improving online visibility. In terms of business strategy, it will be impossible to cater to everyone. Instead, it is far more effective to gain an understanding of the niche market your business falls within and create content specifically for your audience. If you try to appeal to too many groups of people, you lessen your impact and become watered down.
Potential clients and customers may be unsure of what your business is providing if you try to cater to multiple audiences, so consider targeted marketing early on. Create a buyer persona so that you know the customers who you should be targeting. With the help of a buyer persona, you can find out the average age, location, education, salary and hobbies of your customers.
You can refine your digital advertising campaign to target effectively through strategies such as behavioral targeting and demographic targeting. For more of an idea of how target marketing can help you reach your ideal audience, Digital Mark Group, a Portland digital marketing agency, can help with all of the above.
2- Post Regularly
Regular posting is one of the more obvious pointers to improving online visibility. The idea that regular posting increases online visibility is a simple one, yet for many businesses, it is still a point of weakness within a marketing strategy. Here are some tips on how and when to post:
- Aim for one post a day on Facebook / LinkedIn, and 5-10 posts a day on Twitter
- Keep the content entertaining, informative and relevant
- Include images and videos within your posts
- Capitalize on calendar events and relevant news stories that could link to your business
- Schedule posts for the weekend so that you remain active outside of work hours
3- Interact with Customers
Another sure-fire way that a business can improve online visibility is through establishing a clear channel of communication with both existing and potential customers. By presenting your business as accessible to your target audience, you will immediately form a stronger connection with your clients.
Offer opportunities for customers to leave online reviews and comments and consider installing a chatbot service so customers can get assistance as needed. Feel reluctant about using AI? A study found that 63 percent of people would consider interacting with a chatbot. What’s more, it is expected that by 2020 more than 80 percent of businesses are expected to have a chatbot, with the market expected to reach a value of more than $1 billion by 2025.
Your customers are what keeps your business ticking over, so be sure to cater to their needs. If a customer has a query and Tweets your business it, then provide an informed and helpful answer. Not only are you increasing your chance of a sale with that one customer, but you are also improving your chances of creating a customer-focused brand image.
Why is Customer Interaction Essential?
- It opens the dialogue with current and potentials through a personalized experience.
- Customers will feel valued and will be more likely to return as a loyal customer as a result of their experience.
- Customer interaction will immediately make your business seem more ‘human,’ which has significant appeal and can set your business apart from its competitors.
Improving your business’s online visibility will not happen overnight, but rather through implementing several strategies that can collectively result in a boost in business, customer loyalty, and potential profit if executed well. Defining a target audience, regular posting and customer interaction are key areas to consider, and the sooner these factors are included in your business strategy, the better.