The web, as we know, is a great place to market your business — but only if people can find you. Success in online marketing is contingent upon people being able to locate your web presence. One of the best ways to connect with current and potential customers via the web is to leave your footprint around the Internet and create a trail that leads back to your business.
Leaving your business footprint across the web has a number of benefits, including driving traffic back to your site, building brand awareness, establishing trust and boosting your search engine rankings. There are an almost infinite number of places around the web where you can leave your footprint, but here are four rules for getting the most out of your efforts and attracting notice.
1. Be Everywhere
Social media is a big place. That can be both a boon and a burden for small businesses. On the one hand, it means there is a virtually unlimited number of ways to leave your business footprint around the Internet, but on the other hand, it also can make doing so a very time consuming and overwhelming process. Still, it’s a good idea to be everywhere on the web that your customers are. Your customers will be having a conversation online — even about your business — whether or not you participate. If you’re concerned with creating a healthy, positive brand image, it’s better to participate in those conversations than to stay on the sidelines.
At the very least, it is important for almost every business trying to build their brand online to have a presence on the major social networks. Crissy Gershey, director of sales and marketing for Parties That Cook, maintains active...
