There are some important changes in the way consumers choose to work with businesses. Some of these changes are driven by market information, while other changes are driven by technology, company messaging, and even how companies are rated and reviewed online.
As a small business without the ability to hire an in-house communication, marketing, reputation and brand management team, outsourcing online presence management can be a cost-effective way to complete this essential part of attracting and retaining your target market.
The Big Picture
It is common for people to assume that online presence management is really reputation management. Reputation management involves tracking and responding to feedback to acknowledge both positive and negative. While the reputation of the brand is essential for any business, but it is only part of the package.
Top companies offering online presence management services may offer different services in various categories. Most offer a focus on social media management, which includes both a monitoring and a content generation function for the business. As social media marketing or SSM is an increasingly important factor when used with PPC and email marketing campaigns, this can be a time-consuming task for a small business owner.
SEO or search engine optimization also falls under online presence, and this is often linked to website blogs. In these types of services, the management company provides fresh, current, and relevant content and links this to best practice SEO strategies to keep the website relevant in the search engine rankings. The blogging and the SEO strategy is, in turn, linked with social media management for a comprehensive, across all platforms approach to marketing and branding.
While online presence may not seem like a priority for a small business, it is absolutely essential. Keep in mind, 87% of consumers now research big purchases online and compare both prices as well as the seller’s reputation.