Many people feel strange about an online presence because they don’t like the idea of sharing too much about themselves. I understand the concern, but I think understanding why an online presence is important helps to alleviate this pressure.
The reality of the situation is, whatever job you have, there are MANY people with the same job. However, there’s only one person like you. If you’re incorporating who you are as a person into your strategy, you are offering yet another reason to be hired. Many out there will resonate with you before they resonate with your business.
Here are 6 more reasons an online presence is crucial for small business.
- Everything is online, or on its way. People looking to hire someone either want referrals from trusted friends and family, or when that’s not possible, they look them up online. For me and my entire generation, we research everyone 100% of the time, whether we have referrals or not.
- Credibility. For businesses offering services, this is particularly important. Blogging regularly, for example, gives you an opportunity to share your expertise and knowledge, positioning yourself as a leader in your field and someone prospective clients are more likely to trust.
- It allows for effective brand building. Brand building is essentially trust, as mentioned above. If you build said brand online, however, customers have access to your brand, making it possible for them to “check you out.” They are looking for customer reviews, publications written about you or by you, the quality of your posts, your consistency, etc. If they find all, you have a reputable brand, making a sale more likely.
- You have a greater audience. The internet encompasses a much larger area than the few miles local to your business’ office. Your presence can be forwarded to circles far outside your own. For example: If you write a blog that is very useful and it’s forwarded again and again, suddenly you’re a name people are familiar with, and if they’re looking for an agent, they’re thinking of you. This opens up a much wider customer base than relying on face to face interactions or word of mouth.
- Easier selling and marketing. It’s a well known marketing fact that consumers like to buy but hate to be sold. A well written blog, post, or copy allows buyers to make informed decisions without feeling like you’re a car salesman. As a result, you are marketing without appearing like you’re marketing.
- It’s accessible. The internet can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it possible for people to look you up at any time. This saves you time on face to face meetings, but also can serve as an advantage if you have a thorough presence vs. the other agents your prospective clients are looking up.
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