The good news is you have finished establishing your business’s online home base: your website. Its your office or storefront in the digital world.

Your Customers and the Curious can visit your site to find the answers to their questions… just like they might call your office phone number.

What hours are you open? Where are you located?

But what about the people who don’t already know about you? How do you get new people to visit your site?

That’s where your supporting players come in.

Other online activity such as email newsletters and social media posts are those supporting players. Newsletters are like employees handing out flyers to browsers visiting your store – connecting with people who have already expressed interest in your product or service. Social media is like a team member handing out flyers on the street corner to random people walking by. Together, they can attract new people who need the products or services you are offering.

We like to use this image of a target to describe a healthy online presence:

Your website is the bullseye of your online presence target

You already have the bullseye taken care of – the professional website.

Your website is the destination you are directing traffic toward.

That leaves the cross-hairs. Each one represents one way you could communicate with customers and potential customers.

You already have the bullseye taken care of – the professional website.

Your website is the destination you are directing traffic toward.

That leaves the cross-hairs. Each one represents one way you could communicate with customers and potential customers.

But beware!

Newsletters and social media for business can be done well (or done NOT well!)

Here are some best practices for getting all your online activity to coordinate, benefit your business and not drain you.

Avoid taking on more than you can manage well.

These supporting players can be a bottomless pit of possibilities. Choose only one or two places to be active at first.

We strongly recommend newsletters as a top priority for communicating with your established customer base. Then choose a social media platform for getting your content in front of new people. Research where your target audience hangs out online, and begin a profile there. Read how to find your target audience/ideal customer online.

Repeat your key phrases tastefully through out the copy.

These are the words and phrases you established in your marketing strategy and with which your web designer tagged each page of your site. Ideally, you want these to be words your potential clients might type into a search engine.

Use those words and phrases naturally in the flow of your emails or social posts. Packing them all in awkwardly will not help with search engines and may even work against you, flagging as ‘stuffing’ to the search engine and flagging to humans as not genuine.

PS Also use the same descriptions and handles across platforms. It will be easier for both customers and robots to recognize you.

Include links to each online space from each online space.

For instance, have links to your social media and to sign up for your newsletter on your website. Share your website link in your newsletter and social posts. Include links to your website and social profiles in the email newsletter.

Have each online place directing traffic to your other online spaces.

Avoid the pitfall of including every detail in either a newsletter or social post.

These supporting players are only meant as attention grabbers. Think “whack-a-mole game”. Pop up, generate interest quickly, move on. Too much text can overwhelm readers and you will lose their attention. When someone wants to know more, they can click through to your website where you have all their questions answered in detail.

If email newsletters and social media accounts (even just 1!) are too much for you to juggle along with running your business, rest assured that you can have us take care of that for you. We listen to your goals and obstacles, Collaborate with you on a plan, and Execute the plan with your team – or concierge style – to whatever extent serves you most.

Bottom line: Use email newsletters and social media posts to drive traffic to your website thus strengthening your healthy online presence and leveraging the amazing products/services you offer!

And remember – call us, if you need help! Contact us here

PS. Have you claimed your google and bing listings yet?