How To Keep An Authentic Online Business Presence

Friday, August 20, 2010 @ 06:08 PM
posted by Blair Stover

Maintaining an online presence is essential for nearly any business, regardless of industry or size. Because so many of your customers and potential clients are surfing the web daily to keep up with the latest trends, as well as find information and products, you need to make sure that you are there to capture their attention. However, there is a fine line between creating a viable social media strategy and simply being online for the sake of being there. You want to make sure you let your customers know that you are an expert resource for their questions and concerns and not just spamming them in order to push products and services.

First, you should make sure that throughout your social media accounts, your brand and image are consistent. Although you may have to alter things a bit based on the particular platform you are designing your account for, you will still want to keep consistency in mind. Always make sure that you have a picture for your account and a bio that is concise and thorough.

After that, make sure you stay current. Do not consistently spam friends and followers with the latest on deals for your services and products. Instead, engage and be human. Steer clear of one-way conversations and instead engage in a two-way communication by listening to what people are posting and tweeting about. Establish your company as an industry expert this way to those who are interested.

Keep in mind that individuals online are almost always looking for information. Most consumers now research a product online before purchasing. The same is true of services. This is why your profiles shouldn’t be thought of as platforms from which you sell but rather platforms from which you engage with those online.

Make sure you are listening to conversations and using tools that will help manage all of your accounts. There are several free tools available online that can help you listen to conversations, search for keywords related to your industry and answer questions regarding products and services that you sell. For instance, try using HootSuite or another social media dashboard to search and follow conversations.

Blair Stover is an entrepreneur and tax attorney with numerous years of experience advising major corporations. He shares his expertise on business management, accounting, real estate investing and blogs about social media and how businesses can use it to promote their businesses.