Are you contemplating or in the process of starting a new business? Do you plan to use the internet to market and advertise your new company? If so, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration and steps you must take to ensure you give your business the best opportunity to get professionally branded and found online.
Hopefully you have not yet settle on a business name and if you have, I hope that you've taking under consideration what I'm about to tell you.
If you are counting on getting a significant amount of your business and/or publicity from the internet, then you might strongly consider picking a business name that contains a keyword or two that people will use in the search engine to find a business like yours.
For example, you might consider Kim's Customized Graphic Designs, if you are a graphical designer instead of a name like LaDesigns Unique.
If you're fortunate, you might then be able to get a website name or URL using your business name (kimsgraphicdesign.
com or kimscustomizedgraphicdesign.
com).
This approach will strengthen your online brand and presences as well as assist with helping your potential customers find your company online.
The next thing you want to do is to design or have designed a logo for your business.
It is important that your logo looks professional, if you want your business to be taking seriously.
If you are a small business with a limited budget and cannot afford to purchase graphic design software like Photoshop, and you cannot afford to pay to have your logo professionally done initially, you may try your hand at designing your own logo using Microsoft Paint, Powerpoint and/or some of the free applications available on the internet.
Now that you have a logo it's time to write-up a description for your company.
This description is similar to a 30 second elevator pitch or commercial, except it will be reduced to about 15 seconds and it will be written.
It will describe to your potential customers what service or product your company provides and it will of course include keywords that people will use when trying to find a business like yours online.
The one keyword you want to be sure and include in your description is the one that you've successfully included in your business name and URL.
Next we are going to subscribe to some social media platforms to let the world know that your business is online, open and ready to satisfy them.
Sign-up for Twitter and YouTube using your business name as your account name.
You may have to shorten or abbreviate your business name due to space limitations allowed for account names.
Sign-up for a personal account on Facebook and then create a Fan Page using your business name.
Facebook's "Terms of Use "prohibit using a non-personal name for a personal individual account.
Enter the required information to complete the profile section and use the write-up you did to complete the description section.
If you are the founder or principal person for your company, include a picture of you and a picture of your logo on your social media sites.
One way you can do this is by creating a customized background for your sites with a picture of your logo and then upload a profile picture of yourself.
It's social media, so people want to see and interact with other people and not logos and facades.
Your business is now equipped with branded tools that you will use to advertise and promote your product / service, provide relevant information and content and to interact with those who are interested in your industry.
Find, follow, friend and subscribe to liked minded people to promote your company and your brand!