Own Your Online Presence!
We highly recommend you claim and create these pages.
Having an online presence is highly important, but with all the outlets that are available, how do you know where to begin? To help you boost your online presence, we’ve compiled a checklist to jumpstart your digital marketing plan today. You’ll be asked to fill out profiles for the following pages, so we recommend preparing a company bio in advance and having a logo and / or photo(s) handy. We highly recommend claiming and creating pages for these networks / outlets:
Social Media Pages to Set Up
Facebook for Business Page
First, you will need to have or set up a personal page. Click on the above link, or while on your personal page, click the top right hand arrow and select “Create A Page” from the menu. Facebook will provide a variety of page categories – select the one that best suits your business and follow instructions to set up. You will become the administrator of that page and you will be able to delegate other members of your company to also act as administrators.
Google + Business Page
To begin, you will need to have or create an accessible Gmail account. It is advised to create an account for your business rather than your personal email so that other delegated administrators can access / update the page. Select “Pages” in the left hand menu of your profile page to create your Google + Business page. Select the category that best suits your business and fill out the requested information. You should also create and verify a Google Places listing (this step is detailed below).
LinkedIn Personal + Company Page
It is important to maintain both a personal and company page on LinkedIn. To create a LinkedIn Company Page, you will first need to have or set up a LinkedIn personal account. On the home page of your personal account, go to “Interests” and select “Companies.” Click the button under “Create A Company Page,” and fill out the requested info. You will need to verify that you are the official company representative to get started.
Twitter Business Page
Setting up a Twitter profile is simple: just go to the page and fill out the short contact form to get started. Twitter will then take you through a series of steps to set up your profile and build your following list.
Business Listing Pages To Claim
Google Places
Google Places serves to place you on a map – it uses GPS tracking and Google Maps to pinpoint your business’s location so you can claim / create a listing that customers can find. To set up Google Places listing, visit the link and follow the instructions. Before officially launching the listing you will be need to verify your address through a PIN number that Google will mail to you. This is done to ensure that fake business listings aren’t being created. Your Google Places listing will also be synced in with your Google + Business Page.
Yelp!
Setting up a Yelp business page is easy, but it is important to make sure that you are setting up a business page rather than a personal page. Visit the provided link above and follow the steps to set up your Yelp business account.
Foursquare
Go to the site and follow the steps to set up an account. If you don’t claim a Foursquare page, it’s possible for your listing to be set up by someone else with information that isn’t entirely accurate, so it’s important to claim your page even if you don’t plan to use it.
NOLA Business Resources to Utilize
If you live in the New Orleans region you should set up and claim your listing on the following sites. If you are not local, find other local listing catalogues in your area that you should be affiliated with.
Stay Local
Go to the page and click ‘Join Now’ to register. Next, select your level of membership: The Start-Up (Free), The Entrepreneur ($5 / month), or The Placemaker ($10 / month). If you choose The Entrepreneur or The Placemaker you may also opt in for different subscription options.
New Orleans City Business
City Business is a great outlet to take advantage of. You can actually use it as a free PR resource. For example, if your business has a new hire or promotion you can submit an announcement through City Business.
Earn Some Brownie Points
It’s never a bad idea to expand your digital exposure outlets. Depending on your type of business, you should consider utilizing other platforms to help boost your traffic. While there are many other outlets available, with more developing daily, the following are resources that we think are worth exploring.
Instagram is a great way to show your company’s personality and connect with consumers on a more intimate level. It’s mostly used as a mobile app. It can be operated via computer, but it is easiest to set up and manage via a smart phone or tablet.
Pinterest is great for expanding the reach of products, services, insights, etc., offered through your website. It’s especially helpful for businesses associated with retail, anything visual such as creative/design services, or lifestyle services such as a health blog.
YouTube
If you have video content, YouTube is a fantastic resource to share content. It’s the second highest search engine after Google and it allows you to essentially broadcast free advertisements.
Angie’s List
If your business is service oriented, Angie’s List is a great resource to utilize. It serves as an online directory of service providers for a particular area and it allows users to book appointments directly.
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