Welcome to another edition of the rural business blog with me, Catherine Jarvis Clothier. This month we’ll be delving into What Your Online Presence Says About Your Business and how it impacts your success.
We all have an online presence
We all have an online presence of some kind – this can either attract or repel customers. When dealing with online presence for rural businesses, it’s crucial to show our work in its very best light.
Here are some of the most common business profiles I see in my work as a consultant and Online Presence Specialist.
The Wallflower of Business Street
The wallflower is usually a self-confessed introvert at heart. Their business is the centre of their world but dipping a toe in the social media water can sometimes be too much for them.
It’s easy to recognise a business wallflower by their once-weekly posts, humble self-descriptions and keenness to promote charitable events and external local events.
Oftentimes they will have 3 or more artsy social media platforms, but rely mostly on Instagram or Facebook, where they feel comfortable. Wallflowers tend to be very creative and artistic brains. If you feel this way I implore you to be brave and get out there a bit more. Fellow introverts will be delighted to know you’re online. That means more of the right people on your radar.
The Confused Poster
The confused poster is regularly a keen sharer of everything that excites them. The problem with that is, there is no continuity for content. One day it might be WWE wrestling, another it might be a product in their shop.
The confused poster puts in a lot of effort, but doesn’t always understand why they’re posting. They hedge their bets. This can pay off for some social media platforms, but not always. Paying customers find comfort in a consistent newsfeed and post-style. Aim to keep posts interesting, educational, entertaining and relevant. If it doesn’t fit into any of these categories, chuck it in the cyber bin.
Top tip – look for similar businesses to your own with good social media engagement. See how their align their interests or values with their work. And most importantly, cut out irrelevant posts. Enjoy them them for your personal profile instead.
The Tumble-Weeds of Twitter
The tumble weed is a personal favourite of mine, recognised solely from abandoned Twitter account with less than 10 tweets. The Tumble Weed persona means well but dislikes the faff and pressure of posting online.
An empty online presence can s more than we would like it to. It proves to your audience that you’re not emotionally invested or worth following. A detrimental effect on perception and first impressions. A bustling social media platform or website says “I really care!” and helps potential buyers jump on board with the same enthusiasm.
Best advice? Sign up to 1 platform that feels comfortable and stick with it. Consistent posting is the key to an interesting profile.
The Good-Review-Giver
A good-review-giver treats others how they’d like to be treated. Namely, they post 100s of positive reviews, and share the heck out of their friend’s business posts.
They care about everyone succeeding together via teamwork. That sort of kindness really is magic.
However, it can mean the good-review-giver’s own enterprise gets left on the shelf.
80% of your business posts should be about your business. To a “giver” this might feel selfish but if course it isn’t. Self-promotion is how businesses keep revenue churning. Save the last 20% of your post content to satisfy the itch of giving and sharing. It all makes a difference.