In a world full of social media platforms, search engines, and online marketing agencies, it’s no wonder why people are looking to establish a presence online. After all, 96% of adults in the U.S. use the internet, according to the American Institute of Stress. But if you’re looking to grow your business and take it to the next level, establishing an online presence is a key component.

Why Establishing An Online Presence Is Important

Though many businesses operate in the digital sphere, a sizable portion still rely on older methods of advertisement, like radio or TV spots. But these methods aren’t effective anymore, as people are getting tired of hearing the same advertisements over and over again. Establishing an online presence allows you to reach potential customers where they are, whether that’s in the form of a blog, a podcast, or a YouTube channel.

As a business owner or marketer, you also have the opportunity to connect with other businesses and entrepreneurs through online forums like LinkedIn and Quora. Not only can you find helpful information and advice, but you can also establish relationships that might prove useful in the future.

Types Of Content You’ll Need To Publish

To attract visitors to your site, you’ll want to create relevant content. While it’s preferable to create content that’s truly beneficial to your target audience, finding the right niche and creating content for that niche helps you build credibility and trust with your audience. For example, if you are a skincare company, you might decide to create content specifically for women and to focus on products that will improve their skincare or makeup.

Since your content will be aimed at providing value to your target audience, make sure that you include relevant and useful information. But, you also want to make sure that you don’t overload your blog or social media with too much content. If you publish three blog posts a week, but only have 20 minutes to devote to each post, you’re going to appear unproductive. And, if you’re consistently appearing unproductive, you might lose credibility with your audience.

How To Establish An Online Presence

If you want to create an online presence, there are several (mostly free) ways to do it. You could start a blog and put out content regularly. You can also take advantage of the fact that Google has made it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website for free. With just a little bit of design expertise, you can have a nicely laid out and branded site in no time.

If you’re looking to create a brand identity for your business, you can use a free webshop builder, like WordPress, to launch a professional-looking website in no time. And if you already have a visually appealing website, you can use HubSpot to build a professional-looking blog around it.

Once you have a nice, clean and professional looking website, take a little bit of time to put out some content. It doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as you follow the basic guidelines for content marketing set out by Google, you’ll be able to establish yourself as a thought leader in your marketplace. And from there, you can grow your audience, gain credibility, and build a following.

Social Media To Build Your Audience

One of the simplest and most effective ways to get started is by using social media to promote your blog or website. The great thing about social media is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. You can simply use the free services provided by platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to build an audience.

You can use these services to grow your business, gain credibility, and ultimately find success in your endeavor. And, the best part is these services are already available to anyone with a webcam, smartphone, or personal computer.

Blogs And Podcasts For Local Businesses

If you’re looking to attract customers from the area you serve, establish a blog or podcast around a local topic. Though many local businesses already have websites, they might not have a blog or podcast on their site yet. Establishing one can be a great way to attract potential customers to your site.

Even if you’re a small business with just a couple of employees, establishing a blog or podcast can be difficult. You need to consider what software you’ll need, how often you should post, and most importantly, the topic you should cover. While you don’t need to have all three to succeed, having at least one of them will make a significant difference.

YouTube Channel For Marketers And Business Owners

One of the biggest platforms around today is YouTube. With over 3 billion monthly active users and over 500 hours of content uploaded every day, it’s no wonder why.

In fact, research shows that 94% of users watch videos to learn something new about the topic, product, or service being advertised. And, if you’re a marketer or small business owner looking to gain credibility, grow your audience, and eventually, become profitable, the YouTube channel is a great place to start.

With YouTube, you can create free videos and place them behind a paywall, where only viewers who pay will be able to access them. Though the platform is free, you’ll need to register as a business to gain credibility. And once you do, you can use Google Adsense to monetize your channel.

While there are many advantages to YouTube, one of the biggest is that it’s extremely easy to use and can be accessed from any device.

Takeaways

So, what can you take away from this information? First, establish a blog or website around relevant topics. Second, use social media to gain credibility and eventually, attract a following. Finally, if you want to appear more professional, consider looking into having a YouTube channel where you can post videos explaining key concepts in your niche or in business in general.