The reality is that both approaches are necessary to grow your business and taking your business online can be a great place to start. Sure, you may already have a website and you may have updated your listing on Google, but there are so many things you can do to improve your online presence and build rapport with your customers before they even walk through the door.
With so many options, it can be hard to know where to begin. Start by exploring these five categories, and you’ll be well on your way to building a strong digital presence for your business.
Getting set up on social media
When selecting a username for your account, try to use your business name. If it is already taken by another user, try to pick something as close to your business name as possible to ensure that it will be easily identifiable by your customers.
You may also want to post business-related content from your personal account. As the business owner, you have plenty of value to add as a specialist in your area. Before you get started, be sure to establish the type of content that you will post from each account so that your followers know what to expect from each channel.
For example, you may create an account for small business on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. On those channels, you may post details about opening hours, unique features of your business or links to any media mentions you’ve had lately.
In contrast, you may want to use your personal accounts on those platforms to post articles about your personal experience as the business owner. What have you learned in the process of growing your business? Is there anything you’d like to share with other business owners going through the same thing? Do you have any industry-specific expertise that you could share, in order to position yourself as a thought-leader?
When deciding what content to publish on these platforms, think about what each platform is designed to do. Facebook is designed to help users share content with their network, and their algorithm gives preference to content that sits natively within it. Their goal is to keep people on the platform for as long as possible, so try to upload videos and images to Facebook, rather than linking to Youtube.
Instagram is for all your visual updates. Perhaps you want to post an image of a meal you serve at your cafe, a happy customer or a staff member on-the-job, or even an update about a product or service you’re introducing.
Building an email database
Email is still one of the most effective (and cheapest) channels available to small businesses, but it can take time to build up a database. There are also a number of privacy considerations you’ll need to take into account because you’ll be collecting your customers’ personal contact details. However, if you collect and use the data carefully and respectfully - and refrain from ‘spamming’ your customers - your email database will quickly become a great tool for nurturing a loyal base of customers. Check out the Australian Privacy Principles for more information.
Create digital content
You’ve probably heard about content marketing, but what’s it all about?
Start to think about yourself as an expert in your space. By writing blog posts and articles about a subject you specialise in, you’re positioning yourself as an expert who can deliver a lot of value to customers. Customers are doing more research online than ever before, so carving out a niche for yourself online is really important.
Plan out the first five articles you’ll write, or videos you want to record. You could start by doing a series with each of the articles further developing a single theme. Alternatively, you could do five unique articles on different aspects of your industry. When you’re deciding, think about what your customers would want to read because there’s no point writing or recording material that your audience won’t engage with. If possible, ask your customers what they want and incorporate their feedback into your plan.
Don’t spend too long planning - you’ll be able to look at the results and optimise your content once it’s live. The main thing you’ll want to avoid is posting anything that negatively impacts the reputation of your business or misrepresents the products or services you provide. If you’re looking good on that front, don’t be afraid to post your content and keep moving. The sooner you get started the better, and you’ll improve your content with practice.
Nathalie is the Communications Manager at Valiant Finance. She has a double degree in Journalism and Law, and a background in the fintech space, hailing from Asia's largest fintech hub, Stone & Chalk.
Related Posts
Finances hit hard by Covid? Click to learn more about hitting pause on your mortgage repayments, and other ways to relieve financial pressure.
Who saw 2020 turning out like this? No one. But that can only damper our spirits for so long.
COVID forcing you to rethink your business model? Here are five practical steps you can take to cope with new challenges and changing needs.
While no one planned for COVID-19, there’s a plan in place to keep SMEs afloat. Here's what you need to know.
A minor setback can be challenging, but there's no reason to let it derail your business goals. Here are a couple of coping strategies to keep you moving.
Put your best foot forward by preparing strong answers to these 4 questions.
A little preparation goes a long way. Get ahead on the finance front with our quick tips to help you with the 3 key areas of your loan application.
Cut through the confusion. There's so much talk around credit scores and what they mean; it can be hard to seperate fact from fiction.
The time arrives in most small businesses when you’re required to borrow money. So, how do you get 'business finance ready'?
We sat down with Neil Slonim, The Bank Doctor, to find out what he thinks about Australia's fast-growing online SME lending market.
Finding the right business loan doesn’t have to be difficult. See how we helped Mark’s Wholesale Steel Business find the right business loan for them.
How do you attract new customers to your business? Where do loyal customers come from? It all starts with your SMB online strategy.
The path from personal trainer to business owner can be both challenging and rewarding. Check out our top tips for making the transition.
Want to reach your customers online? Are you ready to digitise your small business? First up: get smart about social.
Don't let angry customers stay angry. Protect your business' reputation with these simple tips and tricks for delivering exemplary customer service.
Every business is unique. Every business loan is different. What features are most important to you? Consider these 4 things before applying for finance.
Have you explored your trade finance options? Premiering your business on the world stage may be within reach.
Your guide to smart inventory management for every season.
Get more customers and keep them. Here's the low-down on setting up your very own customer loyalty program.
You've explored your business finance options. What do you do next? How can you be sure you're comparing loans effectively and getting the best deal?
Want to expand your team but don't know where to start? Here's our guide to hiring great employees, featuring tips from industry leaders.
A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is fundamental for any business looking to grow. Learn how to develop your USP and stand out from the crowd.
Are you invoicing your B2B customers with longer payment terms? Is it hurting your cash flow? Debtor finance could be a lifesaver between payments.
With so many business finance options to choose from, how do you know whether working capital is right for your business? Start by reading this.
Are you ready to refinance? Reviewing your business loan every 2 - 3 years can save your SME a lot of money. Here's what you need to know.
2018 is your year. Here are 7 quick tips and tricks to get back in the driver's seat when it comes to battling business debt.
Improve your chances of locking down the perfect business loan. Here are 19 business funding mistakes to avoid when you're applying for commercial finance.
Setting up a business is hard enough, without getting stung with unexpected costs. Here are the things you should be thinking about before you dive in.
Getting the best rate is all about asking the right questions. Have you done your research? Here's where to start and why.
"Ok, I'm eligible for the R&D tax incentive. But how do I actually claim it?" Here's what you need to know.
You could be missing out on a tax offset of 45 cents in every dollar. Check your eligibility for the R&D tax incentive today.
Need to raise cash for your business? We explore the use of debt versus equity, and how to decide which one is best for your business.
Reward points can add value to your business, but it's not one-size-fits all. Here's what you need to know.
Here's the million dollar question: will you start up a company or will you establish yourself as a sole trader? Get the full story.
Valiant Finance is a small business dedicated to supercharging the growth of other small businesses through access to funding. Here's what we've learned.