We now live, play and do business in a digital world and with that comes the importance of our digital profiles – both personal and professional – for ourselves and our businesses.
While it might appear overwhelming and time consuming, setting up and maintaining your digital profiles doesn’t have to be like that. And it’s not something you can brush under the carpet. If your customers can’t find you, learn about you, or contact you via online channels, you might as well not exist in today’s marketplace. If you can’t be found and your competitors can – well you can figure out the result for yourself.
What makes up your businesses digital profile?
Your digital profile all begins with your hub – your website. Your business website is the platform through which you will build your brand, inform your audience about who you are and what you offer, as well as where you will convert readers into enquiries and sales.
Next we have your social media profiles. Depending on your type of business, the products or services you provide, and the customers you are wanting to connect with, there are numerous options today. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn are the most popular – choose the main two or three that suit your market and set up a profile.
The recommendation is to always create a specific business profile rather than running a business profile through a personal profile. Business profiles on social media platforms are specifically designed to suit businesses, are more professional and work better as an additional SEO technique.
There is also a range of industry specific social media platforms and forums that you can create a business profile on to reach a wider audience and cement your expertise in your field.
Some examples are:
The Loop – perfect for graphic design, advertising agencies and other creative industries
Home Improvement Pages – perfect for trades such as electricians, builders, plumbers
Ebay – perfect for eCommerce and traditional businesses selling products
Once set up, it’s of the utmost importance that your profiles are always up-to-date, SEO optimised and relevant to the specific audience.
Digital profile checklist:
Company name – the legal trading name, consistent across all media channels, including traditional.
Contact details – ensure that any changes in contact details are updated on all profiles. This includes key personnel, address, website URL, email addresses, phone numbers and social media profile links.
Logo – your business logo should be consistent across all platforms.
Images – any images or photographs used on digital profiles should be high resolution, you should own the rights to use the image or not in breach of copyright laws, and relevant. Any team photos or headshots should be professionally taken, where possible, to highlight your business and your team in a professional manner.
And the number one tip regarding digital profiles – a half done or badly maintained profile is worse than not having one at all. Before setting up your profiles ensure that you have all the information and images required, and the time to make adjustments as required. Or you can contact the team at Website Design Centre and discuss your digital profile requirements.
