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As a small business owner, you likely have the desire to bring your brand to a wider audience and build a loyal following, and the best place to do that is online. Having an online presence is essential when consumers rely on search engines for finding the products and services they need. Beyond that, there is also the opportunity to build a fanbase for your business.
As you engage more people, you need to turn these initial contacts into long-term advocates. For that, you need a strategy for growing your digital following and engaging more potential customers online. Learn more through these important channels:
Start with social media
What business doesn’t have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Social media has helped bring businesses closer to their audiences. It also aids in raising brand awareness. Without a social media presence, you won’t be able to catch up with competitors that benefit from their online following. If you think your social media profiles are only good for posting announcements, then it’s time to take it up a notch.
Start by brainstorming for content ideas. What topics engage the interests of your audience? What is trending right now and how can you use it for your own promotional efforts? Apart from topics, you will also need to determine the types of content you should be posting. Will you focus on publishing short video tutorials? Will you be posting infographics that talk about a specific issue in your industry?
No matter what content you are planning to focus on, encourage your audience to share them within their own networks. It takes time to build an effective social media strategy. Still, if it means creating content that captures your audience’s interests and turns them into loyal followers, then take as much time as you need!
Run a podcast series
Podcasting has become a popular medium nowadays for a few good reasons. For one, they are a more convenient means to gain knowledge than reading blogs. Businesses also use podcasts as a means of community-building. If you want your brand to gain online traction, you may want to consider starting your own series.
You don’t need much to get started. Unless you want to invest in high-quality recording equipment, you are better off using basic tools to run your podcast. Platforms like PodBean and Buzzsprout provide an easy and straightforward way to record and publish podcast episodes across different streaming services.
The trick here is to share your podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes. These streaming services have the largest share of podcast listeners and provide you with a better way to grow your digital following.
The most important thing here is substance. You want your podcast to offer a fresh perspective on an important issue, inspire your audience, and build a network of advocates. As long as you commit to a consistent podcasting plan and deliver valuable information, you can grow your audience and, ultimately, your online following.
Leverage your web presence
You don’t build a website just to set up an online store; it’s also a powerful tool for building a loyal audience. Creating a well-crafted website that’s visible on the search engine results pages is all it takes. All you need is to rank for keywords that your audience searches for the most.
Appearance is everything, so make sure your website is easy to use for first-time visitors. Don’t forget to use a mobile-optimized theme so your website engages users who are browsing on their phones or tablets.
If you want to use your website for building a loyal following, you need to create landing pages. These allow you to build email lists where you can deliver more personalized messages. You just need to choose the right page builder. Start by comparing platforms like Instapage vs Unbounce and see which ones provide you with ease.
Reach out through newsletters
A newsletter campaign is a great way to engage your existing audience and build relationships with new ones. On top of building brand credibility, sending out newsletters is also a great way to encourage more people to follow you on other channels.
You can use newsletters to drive more followers to your social media pages and podcast series. You can also use this channel to promote your loyalty programs. For instance, you can have existing customers refer your brand to their friends. You just have to give them something in return like a discount or a freebie.
Growing your digital following is an important milestone to reach. Once your small business gains traction through these channels, you can sit back and watch your fanbase snowball!
You may also like: How to get organic & free followers on Instagram?
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