When running your own business from home, whether you’re are a stay at home mom or simply run a business which is easier to operate from home, it has become increasingly helpful to establish a firm internet presence through the plethora of social networking sites.
Websites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as helping individuals get in touch or stay in touch with friends, have helped businesses attract more online traffic thereby increasing revenues.
And what’s amazing about social networking is that it can all be done from home; you don’t need to be in an office or visit business networking events to do it, unlike real-world networking.
Here are five ways in which social media can help your business raise its profile and ultimately attract more custom.
Blogs are effectively an online journal where you write about the industry you operate in, optimising entries for key phrases that your potential customers tend to type into Google
Blogs
Blogs are a means of increasing your website hits by attracting an audience interested in the subject you’re writing about and acting as a conduit by directing traffic to your main website. It’s effectively an online journal where you write about the industry you operate in, optimising entries for key phrases that your potential customers tend to type into Google.
When you’re an expert on your business and industry (which you no doubt should be if you’re bright enough to be working from home!), it should be easy to write about these subjects from anywhere.
Blogs were the first true social networking sites and businesses around the world use them.
Most news sites even now contain a blog section, wherein political pundits voice their opinions or journalists report about global issues in a more informal forum. Many lawyers offer advice on cases or up-to-date information about statutes.
Domain name
Establishing a suitable domain name for your website isn’t easy, but it’s important as the words you use are important in attracting users to the site. You need to find a host site (preferably one which will let you have a dotcom name) and a way to further market yourself from your domain name.
Building a website does not take a lot of effort if you’re familiar with HTML formats and other web developer software, which also makes it easy to implement from home. There are many dimensions to constructing a site, so it’s helpful to examine other company websites first so that you incorporate all essential elements, such as the ‘about us’ section or a way in which other sites can link back to yours – remember, the more links you gain, the more hits your site will get.
Comments
The best way to attract more attention to your site is to leave thought-provoking comments on another related blog or forum. This way, many people will be able to see that you have a valid and informed insight into the subject in hand and might be encouraged to visit your site.
This is one of the easiest ways to increase visitor numbers to your site without using links, so you should routinely check out other related sites, blogs and forums and contribute where you think you have something useful to add.
The internet phenomenon that is Twitter is a bandwagon you should willingly jump on. The limit of 140 words for each posting is a telling sign of the speed in with modern society moves; being concise is more important than ever.
The ability to link to your Twitter account and post on other accounts is an excellent way to promote your business and meet others in your field.
Get on all other social media forums
The number of social media platforms grows every year, and a forum now exists for nearly every type of person and interest. It’s important to promote your business through these types of websites to get your name out there.
By allowing customers to keep up with you on Facebook or Twitter, you allow them to gain an insight into your life, thereby increasing the amount of trust they place in you. By linking your own blog to some of these sites, you will increase your followers as well as your web connections.
