The Tribune

What will you write for the next chapter of your business life? Will it be how you took your small business online? If you do decide to take this step, make sure it enhances your company from the bottom line to its overall reputation.

Operating a brand via social media takes a lot of time and dedication. Your goal is to reach people while simultaneously putting a good face on your brand. Once you have your product or service, and have laid down a good marketing plan, you are ready for small business web design.

Although the Internet changes rapidly, and one online year equals about five in the real world, the principles involved in developing a successful online business have not changed at all. Most entrepreneurs starting out make the mistake of looking for a product first, and a market second. But hereis how you can humanise your branding efforts online.

Prompt Response

Folks want to engage with you, and you have to engage with them. When you respond to people directly, you are treating them with respect and showing that your brand has a persona.Gary Vaynerchuk once said: “Answer every single e-mail and every single comment on your blog for the rest of your life.” This might not always be a reality, but do your best.

Be Visual

Equally important: Behind-the-scenes glimpses of office life might seem boring, but ensure there is a window into the world of your business for outsiders. Also take advantage of photos that explain your brand.

Demonstrate Transparency

Figure out what it is that your company’s brand represents, and what it takes to influence your audience. Transparency allows people to actually know about your business brand.

Blog

A business-based blog, encompassing a personal side and updates, allows a peek through the curtain and expresses a very personal side. Do not forget that a website is the ‘number one feature’ for your online storefront, so make it customer-friendly. Only use graphics, audio or video if they enhance your message.

Participate in the Experience

Your willingness to network in a social atmosphere is good and enables others to find you.

Facebook & LinkedIn offer different groups, events and other social features that allow the human element of your business to be spotlighted.

Solid Identity

When you think about a personal, humanised brand, you should be thinking about the business coming across as if an actual person is operating it.

Move past the service

Your main goal as a service provider is to move forward. However, do not allow this to be your primary focus. Once people are actually in the funnel, focus on advertising and sinking the hook. For branding purposes, it is really about appealing to a niche, followed by selling a service.

Using names

If you are using Facebook ads, consider using Facebook ad management tools, such as Qwaya, to help with optimising your images for those ads.

Effort

If you intend to post lots of content, make sure that you are actually putting in the effort to release quality content. Content that looks like it was spewed out of an automation machine is material that is likely to be ignored, or looked at unfavourably, by potential customers.

Finally, have you decided yet what you would write for the next chapter that leads up to upgrading your service? Whatever you decide, ensure that you take the first step to confirm it is a great chapter in your New Year’s resolution. Your company’s loyalty and reputation is what will appeal to customers, and keep them around longer than you expected. Until we meet again, fill your life with memories as opposed to regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• NB: The columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST: Deidre Marie Bastian is a professionally trained graphic designer/marketing co-ordinator with qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova South Eastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.