How to Start Creating Your Online Presence

When you’re a small business owner, investing time and effort in digital marketing can get lost in the weeds, when there are so many other things you have to handle.

But building the right online presence for your business has become more important than ever. These days, a strong digital footprint translates to increased revenue and brand love. Everyone is online—your business should be, too!

If you aren’t out there, you’re just handing over your online customers to your competition. If you’re not present online, it’s almost like you don’t exist. (Out of site, out of mind – pun intended!)

If you’re not sure where to start your digital journey, don’t fret: Globe MyBusiness is here to help.

Step 1: Define and know your target customers

A good marketing strategy always begins with the customer. A target market is the specific group of people you want to reach with your marketing message. They are the people who are most likely to buy your products or services, and they are united by some common characteristics, like demographics and behavior.

Do some basic audience research: look at your current customers, and try to understand what they have in common. You can start by talking to them where they are—and these days, they’re online.

Current estimates count some 2.7 billion smartphone users around the world; a large slice of the pie comes from the Philippines, which has been called the social media capital of the world.

Step 2: Set your goals

But how do you present your company to those billions? Simple: you shape your online presence to fit your goals, your business strategy.

Before you post, think about what goal you have in mind. Do you want to build awareness about your brand, or introduce a new product? Are you looking for new customers? Do you want to improve customer loyalty? Knowing your goals will make it easier to plan out your social media marketing strategy.

Step 3: Do your research

Your competitors’ online presence – particularly their social media accounts – can give you useful insights about what works, and what else you can do. Here are some things you should look at:

• How many followers do they have? How many people like, comment, or share their posts
• Who are they targeting with their content—and who is actually engaging with them?
• What kind of content do they post?
• What kind of interactions do they get? Do people complain about their service, or post good reviews on their page?

Step 4: Choose the channel that works best for you

It’s not always about being active in all the social media channels or having the most followers. Focus instead on the platform that will have the most impact on your target market, and which will be most effective in showcasing your business.

Know your audience—find out where they are most active, and how they engage with content.

• Facebook: With some 75 million Philippine users, Facebook can be your default marketing channel. Setting up a business page is easy, and connects you to a large audience that looks to FB first for information about any business.
• Instagram: A visual storytelling platform that works best for businesses with strong, engaging, visually-appealing content that caters to younger audiences.
• Google: Your website should be optimized to appear in Google search results when customers search for ways to solve a problem (that you can solve) or look for a product (that you can provide).
• E-commerce sites: Professional sites like Lazada and Shopee can handle logistical issues like payment and delivery, and you can tap the existing audience that’s already on their site. Plus, their mobile apps make shopping more convenient!

Step 5: Build your presence

Now it’s time to take care of the basics – setting up your presence. Your social media accounts should always have the following:

• Accurate and updated business information, including name, location, contact information, and a recognizable profile photo.
• Photos and videos to showcase your products and services. Make them look as appealing and inviting as possible!
• A consistent posting schedule so that you can regularly interact with your customers. If possible, assign a single person to maintain your page.

Step 6: Promote, promote, promote!

Harness the power of word of mouth and grow your community organically! Your friends and existing customers are your best brand ambassadors. Invite them to like and share your page, and interact with your audience as much as you can.

When you’re ready to reach more people, that’s when you can invest in paid advertising. Digital marketing is a cost-effective way to promote your products and services to a specific audience. Start by checking which of your posts is getting the most engagements, and then use a small amount to boost it. Pro tip: Globe myBusiness customers can run Facebook ads for their business and charge it to their postpaid bill. Try it out!

Step 7: Invest in learning

Want to keep going? Facebook and Google both offer free courses on a wide range of topics. Learn everything, from the basics such as setting up an ad, to more complicated topics like remarketing. The more you understand the platform, the more effective your marketing strategy can be.

Whether you are a newbie or a digital marketing expert, Globe myBusiness can help you every step of the way. Talk to us to know more.