We often talk about ways to publish yourself as a brand. You are the brand and once you have published your blogpost, your duty doesn’t end here. In fact, it has just started from where you need to mark your presence. The online community is very dynamic. As soon as you are recognised, people forget you with double the speed. Unless you keep promoting yourself as one of our commandments perfectly says ‘Thou shalt promote thyself’, nobody will remember you. So what is the best way to promote yourself?
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is one platform with numerous sub platforms for every business or brand that helps you to promote yourself. You need to experiment with each of the options and check which one gives maximum returns to your brand.
- Quora and LinkedIn are the most influential social media platforms these days. Answer the queries on Quora and let people recognise you as a thought leader. What people want today is direct connect with the person behind a particular brand. Search your brand-related questions on these platforms, give them solutions and re-direct them to your website. Google loves Quora and LinkedIn and in turn, will love your website too.
- Upload a YouTube video promoting your brand. Like commercials on television, YouTube videos are the new way to leave an impression on the visitors and mark your personal space in their minds. Make a small video around 2 mins and talk the best of your brand in it.
- Then there are the traditional methods of sharing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
YOUR SITE NEEDS EQUAL ATTENTION
While you are talking of ways to promote yourself, have you checked your website? If your site is running in a good condition, then only you can make online impression. Check out if you site qualifies these points:
- Optimize your website for SEO search: SEO is a big term for many but in simple terms, use those words in your heading and sub-heading that are most searched online. It is easy to find. Just type in the Google search bar the topic you want to write. Now before pressing enter, you will find all relatable options, choose the best among them and tweak as per your content. There are many small things to keep in mind and your site becomes SEO friendly.
- Make your site easily accessible to all devices. Now the audience is not limited to desktops or laptops. They are browsing online content through iPads, mobile, smart TV and many more. Check your web design and the theme, if they are fast loading and showing your content properly on all mediums.
- Give an interesting takeaway in the end. Everybody likes some gifts or freebies that attract them to come back to you. Arrange for pop up windows in the end with some free ebook related to your brand or something that shows your expertise.
MAINTAINING AN ONLINE REPUTATION
Your website is checked and your social platform is selected but what is that one thing that will mark your online reputation? Your content and the consistency with which you post your good content. You remember the ones who you see constantly else you forget and follow somebody else. The same thing is true for you also. If you work on your content and give your audience exactly what they are looking for, your brand will survive. Once it survives, you need to work much harder to maintain this reputation with constantly posting helpful content. Then only you will be able to successfully promote your brand.
So what’s your best way to promote yourself?