How Local SEO & Social Media Work Together To Build Your Brand
For many small to medium sized businesses, online marketing can feel like an uphill battle when it comes to competing with major corporations who have an established, household brand name. However, your business can be just as successful as the big brands with a little effort and a strategic online marketing plan geared towards your local market. How can you achieve this? By having your social media and local SEO work together to build your brand.
First, what is a brand? In it’s simplest form, branding equals recognition. It is when your name is associated with the service or product you provide. So then, how can you build brand in your market so that potential customers think of you when they are looking for what you have to offer? That’s easy! Build a following.
To build a following, you can leverage your community on Social Media. We suggest that you choose two or three social networking sites like Google+, Facebook, or Twitter and become active. Invite people to follow you from your website and your email contact list. As time goes on you can interact with your followers and they will begin to think of your company when they are looking for products you carry, or services you provide. But there is a missing link here. How do you get them to your website in the first place?
That’s where Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes into play. Go back for a moment and think about just what branding is. It is getting your name out there, name recognition. Local SEO is vital in building your brand, plain and simple. When someone in your market area begins searching online for something you can provide, you want your company’s name to be among the first few search results on the first page of the search engine. How do you make that happen? You’ve got it, SEO. Whether the content is on your site or linking back to your site, keywords should be very precise to target a specific local audience.
Now, you have people visiting your site because you brought them there with local SEO. Invite them to follow you on Social Media. In fact, you can even use your social media site to invite them to your business website! Twitter and Facebook have a wonderful way to attract people through the use of hashtags, so take advantage of that. But all the while, keep your local audience in mind. Build a following on social media but get them there with local SEO. Both work together to help you build brand.
Is your company ready to start marketing online? Whether you’re just needing some advice or a complete branding overhaul, let our team create your marketing masterpiece. Visit our Capabilities page to see how Propel Business Solutions can enhance your brand drive new growth in 2015.
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