5 Simple Steps to Build an Online Presence For Entrepreneurs Through COVID
Written by: Domenica Escatel, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Having a service-based business that relied on in-person events to generate revenue put my business in a bit of a predicament when COVID-19 arrived, but what happened next, I would have never imagined.
I started to focus on building an online presence. I met entrepreneurs worldwide by following these simple 5 things I did to boost my company's visibility online.
"Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen." -- Brene Brown
Step 1: Get clear on your mission statement.
One of the first things I learned in my entrepreneur journey is to get clear on my mission statement. This will help you know your why. As in the, why are you doing what you're doing? You can't tell the story behind your mission statement unless you are clear on the "WHY" behind your company or brand. Your customer needs to fall in love with supporting you. Your customer needs a reason to shop with you vs. a franchise. What keeps you motivated to keep doing this one thing when there is no evidence that you will achieve your goal? I didn't know how I was going to pivot during COVID and I just stood firm on the belief of my mission statement. Make sure your mission statement is clear and simple. You should be able to pull a heartstring when you state your mission statement.
Step 2: Make sure your business is represented in every social media outlet.
Make sure your social media profiles are aligned with your mission statement. Do your social media profiles tell your brand or companies story? I made sure that my profiles used the same colors and fonts were all consistent. I started to add more photographs that told my company story. There is a rule of thumb for every three business-related posts; you should have 4 additional posts that reflect life outside of your company. For example, freedom and flexibility is part of my mission statement. I make sure that my photography reflects my life as an entrepreneur that shows freedom and flexibility. My life outside of the 8-5 clock.
Step 3: ASK
This, by far, is the most important step out of all of them. Ask. I started to engage in social media profiles of accounts that I wanted to network with. For example, on Instagram, I would leave a direct message with a compliment about what I liked about their post or page. I always leave a voice message and sometimes I went the extra mile and left a video message. Daily, we are bombarded with tons of emails and many external factors. You want to be able to stand out from all other things to the person who you want to connect with. The power of "Connection" is so much stronger than just wanting to network. I posted a series of social media posts that stated, "Let's connect!" Followed by the subheading, "do you want to collaborate? Send me a direct message." That one post allowed me to have meetings with entrepreneurs in Spain, Mexico, Canada, London, and all across the United States.
Step 4: Call to action.
It is important that you follow through with the call to action. If you have someone that you connected with that agrees to do a webinar for you, go the extra mile and send them a google calendar invite with the zoom information that your guest will need to know to facilitate the webinar. Make social media assets for your guest. Make a promotional video for them. Get creative. There are so many tutorials on YouTube that you can look up that will teach you how to create fun social media announcements for your guests.
Step 5: There is a Fortune in the follow-up.
Lastly, from your call action posts, anyone who expressed they want to work with you and didn't book with you. Follow up with them. Meet them over zoom, and get that date booked. Create an opportunity for you to exchange services. This newfound relationship has to be ongoing. Cultivate a space where you continue to grow the connection from a place of authenticity and just watch magic happen.
I created a virtual space to run my business by following the steps above. If I wasn't interacting with someone on their social media account, I was meeting someone over zoom for a virtual coffee meeting. There are so many free digital tools and resources that if you are not techie you can easily take a tutorial. Following the steps above will help you build your online presence.
Domenica Escatel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Domenica Escatel is an online branding strategist, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs around the world show up powerfully online. Domenica shows entrepreneurs how to craft their business stories with practical steps that can be easily implemented. Domenica will show you how easy it is to leverage any social media platform to make you and your business stand out. Domenica has a master’s degree in leadership and her photography has been featured in various media outlets. Domenica has earned numerous awards in the United States for her work and has been invited to speak at various conferences. Domenica has also used the power of building an online presence to build a movement on social media that is built on educating, empowering, and equipping the next generation of leaders.
