I just listened to a 
teleclass with social media expert, Amber Mac where she shared a few tips to help your business become more visible online. In order to achieve ultimate success, you need both an online and offline presence. In my article last week, I offered some tips and solutions on the value of an offline presence. Today, I’m sharing some key online presence tips.
Effective marketing is a lot like cooking—you need more than one ingredient to make the perfect dish. Your ideal client is looking at both online and offline marketing to find your service. You want to make sure that no matter what method is used, they will find you as the expert or “go to gal” in your industry. If you have a consistent marketing message, online marketing is a wonderful tool to reach more people and get them connected to you and your business.
There are many choices available when making the decision to create your online business presence. Here are a few basic online “ingredients” you’ll need to get yourself up to speed:
1. Web Site – In today’s world, your web site is similar to the business card years ago—(If you’re in business then you must have a business card) same idea with the web site. It establishes you as a “real” business. Here’s the good news: It doesn’t need be anything costly or fancy. A basic WordPress web site describing who you are, what services you offer, and how to contact you is important and the investment is around $500. As soon as possible, you’ll want to add rave reviews from happy clients, as well as a system for capturing people’s information when they visit your site so you can continue to stay in touch with them.
2. Social Media – Using sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, just to mention a few, are great ways to get your message out about your business to your ideal client. The best part? It’s free. Any time you have the chance to market to large numbers of your ideal client for free—do it.
3. Blog – Blogging is a great way to attract your ideal client by writing or posting interesting articles and tips on something that’s in your area of expertise. People who identify with your message will be attracted to your blog and sign up to receive your posts.
4. Article Submissions – Submitting your articles to article web sites like www.ezinearticles.com is another useful tool to get you known as an expert in your field. Feeling like you aren’t a writer and not sure what to contribute? I certainly felt this way early on in my business. However, I’ve learned how to take the important work I do with women entrepreneurs and document that into useful information that I know other women would be interested in. Sit down and think about what you do most effectively with your clients. Make notes about what you do for your client that is useful and write about how you do that.
5. Ezine – This is something that I use that you can relate to right this minute. You are reading my online newsletter (referred to as an “ezine”) that I send out every week to Smart Women all over the world. This is an excellent tool for staying in touch and continuing to “showcase” how you help people with your service. One tip: Don’t overthink this. Often times, my clients will hold off on doing this because they aren’t sure how to get started. A simple email with a quick tip sent on a regular basis is all that you need in the beginning. When I started using online resources 5 years ago, I sent out a pdf document using my AOL personal account every 6 weeks. The results were wonderful and they can be for you as well.
In my work with women entrepreneurs, I support them in choosing the right “ingredients” for their business both online and offline to make a winning recipe for entrepreneurial success. Take some time this summer to choose which ingredients will take your business into the spotlight as the “main” course.
Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
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© 2010 Joy Chudacoff
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at http://www.profitswithpassion.com.
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