For marketers, the mobile world is the key to success. With more than 80% of all searches being conducted on smartphones, marketing through these channels has become extremely popular and effective for connecting with consumers. In addition, mobile use is driving an organic search boom, so businesses must develop a robust strategy for their websites and content to survive the digital age.
According to Forbes Magazine, in 2020, the global consumption of digital content doubled as people were forced to stay at home to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus. But, even without the pandemic, one thing is clear: businesses must have a digital presence.
Not only does a strong online presence increase brand awareness, but it also gets you more potential clients. It’s an incredible tactic that increases your credibility and allows you and your target audience to connect wherever you both are.
Here are some effective ways to build and elevate your digital presence.
1. Get a credible and modern website
Despite the recent shift to digitalization, a recent survey revealed that 28 percent of small businesses still don’t have a website. Some of the common reasons behind this are the lack of resources and skills to build and maintain one. Other organizations also think that a website isn’t necessary for their type of business.
However, failing to get a website is a major oversight in this internet-driven world. You can think of this as the online version of your brick-and-mortar store. Without one, your target audience won’t be able to discover and do business with you. Even if your potential customers find you through social media, ads, or other marketing tactics, they will still visit your website.
They will use it to get essential information about your brand, including its history, location, store hours, products and services, price, contact details, and more. But a simple website complete with those data isn’t enough to give you a captivating digital presence. Because customers have high expectations these days, you must satisfy them with a website that’s credible and well-designed.
2. Produce engaging content and tools
For a strong digital presence that keeps attracting new and old customers, you need to offer them something valuable. Of course, the goal of every business is to be lucrative and make a lot of money. But before you can do this, you must first become customer-centric. A pretty website won’t get you far. That’s why you also need to produce engaging content regularly.
One way to do this is to provide free educational content. You want your audience to learn or feel something when they consume your digital content to the point they are compelled to share it with others. Consider making various types of videos, blog posts, eBooks, or guides.
If you want something interactive, try creating quizzes or other tools. For example, you can develop a calculator that computes the estimated cost of their home project when they hire your services. If you’re running a café, you can create fun quizzes like “drink that best suits you according to your personality.”
3. Optimize your website with SEO
No matter how aesthetically appealing and informative your website is, it won’t matter if none of your target audience sees it. So another way to elevate your digital presence is to master SEO and push your website to Google’s top ranking. Sure, it may take time. But once you become a master at SEO, your brand will show up online when people are searching.
Appearing on the top pages of search results like Google or Bing is critical since most people don’t click further. As a result, websites listed there receive more traffic and clicks, especially the first five results that went up by 67.6 percent.
When your website ranks higher in search engines than your competitors, your brand will look more credible. As a result, it will eventually lead to traffic, engagement, and trust. But aside from better visibility and credibility, SEO also provides a positive user experience that promotes customer loyalty.
4. Take advantage of social media platforms
Building and maintaining a website costs money but creating a social media account for your business is free. With 3.96 billion people worldwide using social media, joining them is a great opportunity to elevate your digital presence. In addition, you can take advantage of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to widen your reach.
But keep in mind that people use social media for different purposes. For example, some of them join for networking, communication, entertainment, and online shopping. So if you have limited resources and human talents, it’s best to only create an account on a few platforms. That way, you can focus better on creating quality content and engaging with your followers.
Before creating an account, you need to research your target audience and their social media preferences. If they use Instagram, this will likely influence how and where you advertise. For example, you might have to invest in photoshoot sessions to deliver quality pictures that are click-worthy.
5. Consider using influencer marketing
Investing in social media influencers is also another great way to increase brand awareness and elevate your digital presence. This marketing tactic will not only help you stay active in your niche but also catch their hearts. Social media influencers have an impressive sway over their followers.
When you successfully engage and build a relationship with the most popular people in your niche, you can tap into their audience and widen your reach. For example, you might want to consider working with beauty gurus on YouTube and Instagram if you sell makeup.
6. Run digital advertisements
If your business has enough resources and budget to spare, consider promoting your brand with paid advertisements. Although this tactic might be a bit expensive for some, it’s one of the fastest ways to elevate your digital presence and show up online.
Since the internet is a big world, your choices for digital advertising options are endless. Some of the options you can try are search ads, social media ads, display ads, retargeting ads, and google local service ads. What’s even better is that you can promote your business or brand in multiple formats, including image, video, and text. But like creating a social media account, you will have to research which type of ads and what platform your target audience prefers.
Takeaway
When it comes to the physical world, you can only exist at one place at a time. But on the internet, you can be anywhere and everywhere your existing and potential customers are. So building and elevating a strong digital presence is something that every business should do. Not only does it get you discovered, but it also builds your credibility and increases your revenue. But to enjoy these benefits, it’s vital to understand and implement these strategies to improve your online presence.
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