It takes a bit of front, doesn’t it? Transforming your small, modest business into an exciting enterprise which uses new technology, digital communications and blogging as promotion tools.
Think it’s only for young guns? Not so. All it requires is a willingness to embrace the latest ways of doing business, and a capacity to learn some new tricks.
So where should you start, if you’re keen to get yourself out there to raise the profile of your business?
Join your local Chamber of Commerce or BNI
The established business network in your area is a great place to kick things off. Practice interacting with your peers, and share as much information as you can. Boost your local profile, and use it as a launching pad for greater opportunities.
Get a LinkedIn account and start connecting
LinkedIn isn’t as scary as it seems, you know. Once you get your profile up and running, you’ll find there are plenty of business people knocking on your virtual door.
Make some connections with LinkedIn members you already know. Then start branching out by connecting with people of a like business mind in the wider LinkedIn community. You’ll be amazed how quickly your online network grows.
Get your website in order
It’s essential to have a bright, intuitive and engaging website if you want to promote your services in the contemporary business world. Make sure it’s full of current and inviting content, and simple to navigate. If people enjoy visiting, they’ll repeat the experience and tell their friends.
Get thee a blog
Yes, you can do it too. Or you can get someone else to do it for you, which is where great content agencies come in. All the best websites have great blogs, and there are several ways of doing it if you’re not too comfortable using words.
Try PowerPoint and SlideShare to create compelling stories using bold images and minimal language. Or experiment with video blogging as an alternative to the written word. You might discover a flair for public speaking from a private place!
If you do find that blogging suits you, branch out with guest blogs on other websites or opinion pieces on business issues of the day. This is one of the quickest and most effective ways to raise your personal and your business profile.
Discover the joys of remarketing
Fancy the idea of your business logo and message popping up on every site that your web visitors go on to frequent? Welcome to the world of remarketing.
When people leave your website without buying anything, they’re no longer lost to you. Remarketing will help you reconnect with them by showing them your ads as they browse other sites, use mobile apps or search on Google.
It makes your small business truly visible, and gives the impression of a large business with wide reach and coverage.
Go virtual
It’s high time you switched to the cloud, isn’t it? Get your office virtual, your devices mobile and your telecommunications smart.
Cloud-based technology hides the fact that you might be operating your business out a shoebox. Think big and look big with a digital phone number you can slip over the top of your landline and coax customers into thinking you’re a major concern.
Check out how to get a 1300 number, or a 1800 number using a phone word. Try your business name, or a word that connects with your industry. It’s a cheap and convenient way for customers to contact you, and a memorable number can help raise your business profile.
All you need to start are some good strategies, and the willingness and confidence to take your business to the next level.