Top Eight Digital Strategy To-Do’s for New Businesses
Remember the days where you had to savagely rank your top eight besties on MySpace in order of how much you liked them and display it for the world to see? That’s pretty much what I’ve done with my top to-do’s for claiming a digital presence for a brand new business.
1) Call Me _____.
Check the availability of your domain and IG handle before settling on your business’ name
Okay, okay, Kim Possible lyrics aside, falling completely in love with a name for your new business and then learning that there are no available domains or handles that make sense is the worst. Digital names are a huge part of how new customers will find you so it is important to have a clear, concise and searchable domain and handle.
Do a quick search for others with similar names & assess the landscape
Similarly, so a search for similar names as yours. For example a search Pollinate marketing could look like:
- Pollinate Market
- Pollinate Social Media
- Pollinate.com
- @pollinate
- #pollinate
- #pollinatemarketing
- Pollinate Marketing location tags
If there were a ton of businesses in similar industries with similar names, I likely would have chosen something that would help me stand out. Alternatively if there had been some sketchies under the pollinate moniker I also would have changed to avoid being confused with them.
2) What’s Mine is Mine – Claim your domain, Instagram, Twitter & FB Pages
The second you’re set on a name it’s time to go around and hoard all of the possible handles, pages and domains. Claim all the pages and all the similar domains, handles, etc. so you can have control over your brand’s digital presence.
Pro tip: @businessname.com over @gmail.com
3) Claim your Google MyBusiness Pages
No cutesy, approachable headline – just freaking do this one.
*Steps up on soap box* For the love of actual God, claim your Google Business page as soon as you have a phone number tied to your business. Don’t just claim it, fill it out, update it EVERY SINGLE TIME you change your hours, offerings, service details, etc.
In my opinion having confusing or inconsistent hours on your Google Business Page is the single best way to make customers hate you and write bad reviews.
…I’m sorry for yelling.
4) It’s a Vibe
Start initiating buzz and build a vibe online about 3 months before you open
Great, Bonnie but what does building a vibe mean and WTH does it have to do with driving sales? Here’s the thing. The internet is full of so many people and products and businesses trying to get users to choose them, give their attention to them, and buy from them. It’s daunting and users are savvy enough to know that a business is online to sell something.
Developing a vibe allows users to identify with your brand’s values, ultimately attaching their identity to you & the use of your product. Think Iphone users, Nike wearers & Megan The Stallion listeners. Each of these groups of people have made their daily choices around what these brands say about them and how they make them feel. That sense of identity will allow you to stand out and attract your ideal customer naturally.
5) On the Grid
Populate your pages with 6-9 images before you get followers
It is important to have some pathway to discovery before you begin to attract eyeballs. The first thing I do before trying to attract followers is create the vibe I mentioned above within my social media pages, this includes brand voice, image tones & storytelling aspects.
First and foremost, I choose a photo editing style to match my brand’s identity. For some, this can be moody or edgy or bright and airy – just as long as it lines up with your voice, you’re ready to rock!
As I add photos to the grid, I try to be sure that each one has a direct call to action, or information about how and when they can interact with the new business. I usually do this about 3 months before an opening or launch. Specific topics include opening dates, previews of offerings, things that determine my brand tone and lifestyle images that show my clients’ ideal customer engaging & experiencing the way I hope they do once the business is open.
6) Pics or it didn’t happen
If you’re not photographically inclined, hire someone to come in and get lifestyle shots for you to share.
Get great photos right of the bat. For most people, this will be their very first interaction with your brand and your product which is the main reason that excellent photos of your actual space and product are extremely important as early as possible.
Due to the realities and intricacies of starting a business I do understand that sometimes stock photography is necessary, but original brand imagery is extremely important so I would make this a priority as soon as possible. Even when selecting stock photography, make sure that your imagery follows the guidelines above.
7) Follow me into a dark alley, or you know, just to my website
Have a place besides social media where people can get a bird’s eye view of your concept. Above, I mentioned that we want to create a pathway of discovery for our audience. This is the next step for doing so. A lot of people might fall off at social media, or at your home page and that’s okay but you also want to have a way to capture and identify people as they get more and more invested in your new business.
Social media is a great way to speak to your users, but it shouldn’t be the only way you’re doing so. Create a splash page that gives more information and context and include an email or text message signup so you can inform users who want to learn ALL THE THINGS about your business. You also want to build your owned audience and reward your highest intent customers with special offers or sneak peeks.
I love treating my owned audiences (website, emails, text message subscribers, client database) as VIP members of the squad, offering them freebies, access to special events & even exclusive products or offerings. This often works to grow these audiences as these VIP subscribers are also some of my best advocates, telling their friends about all the great surprise and delight offerings my clients are giving them.
8) Keep it real
This applies in 11278 ways
Keep your brand’s voice authentic and true to your business and even your own values. Potential guests want to feel connected to you & your business, if you’re not staying true to your overall goals, your audience will see it in your messaging & marketing.
Keep your colors, voice and messaging consistent across all of your platforms. It might feel like you’re saying the same thing and using the same fonts everywhere, but remember it takes the average user an average of 5 touches with your brand to even remember the name of it. Consistency helps guests hear and recognize your brand in a way that allows them to connect and remember your brand & offerings
Commit to doing what feels realistic – At any given point there are approximately 1 million things you should or could be doing for your new business. We all know that marketing can easily be pushed to the bottom of the list as a “non-urgent” task. But you will see that lack of urgency reflected in your sales on an ongoing basis and starting behind can be an up hill battle. Choose the tasks that feel fun & effective and eliminate the rest. With that being said, having a well rounded marketing strategy is extremely important for your bottom line so if you can’t get it done outsource your marketing so you can work on the things you wanted to do when you were dreaming of this business.
