What You Need to Build an Online Presence
As professionals, we know we need to be online in some capacity, but what does that actually mean? Is a website enough? Do we need to devote hours a day? Is there a sweet spot somewhere in the middle? While the amount of time and effort you invest in your online presence is up to you and the goals you have for your business, it can be an incredibly valuable tool, even with a modest amount of work. So, what makes up your online presence? Let’s dive in:
Platforms
First, you want to consider any places that someone may encounter your brand online. This includes your website, Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, and any other social-media pages. It also includes your Google business listing and sites that feature reviews about you. Anywhere you and your brand appear online contributes to your overall online presence. While every professional needs to find the strategy that works for them, at minimum, a website and a Facebook page can create a solid foundation.
Content
What will your audience find when they visit these platforms? It’s not enough to just create a basic website and add your logo to your Facebook page and call it a day. Loan officers need to create and add content to these sites to build them out and make them engaging. If someone visited one of these pages, what would they learn about you? Is there enough material available to keep them perusing the site? Does the content you share reflect who you are as a professional?
Reviews
Another interesting element of an online presence is reviews. Now, unlike Facebook and your website, these aren’t really under your control. People can share their experiences on other sites without your even knowing. This is why it’s never a bad idea to ask our satisfied clients to leave a review. That way, we can at least direct positive reviews in the right direction. Of course, client experience is what it’s all about. So as long as you’re providing great service, it shouldn’t be too difficult to earn their positive feedback.
Activity
Some professionals view their online presence as something to establish and check off the list, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work this way. To maintain and expand our presence it needs regular attention. We need to be posting, sharing, and keeping things fresh and up to date consistently. Our online presence needs to clearly reflect that there’s a real human behind the online image.
Are there other components of an online presence you find important? How much time do you devote to building and maintaining your own? What challenges do you face? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!