Over the last 16 months, we have been forced to adjust to a different way of living and thinking. The coronavirus infection numbers have gone down steadily in the U.S., thanks in part to the vaccine and continued mitigation efforts. Prior to the pandemic, small and/or medium businesses made up almost half of the economy according to US economists. Now with many brick-and-mortar businesses closed indefinitely many are learning to pivot to an online presence only. Here are some quick and easy tips to help us pivot to an online society.
Decide what you are selling or marketing online. Hopefully, you already put aside a budget and secured a domain name along with a website or at least a have social media business page up and running to promote your services or items. Are you a talk show host or doing a podcast? Will you be shipping items to your listeners or viewers? Will there be a subscription attached to potential memberships to increase revenue? Are you a retail store or a clothing entrepreneur looking for new clients? These are questions, once answered can lead you on the path of building your online presence. Factoring in the cost of shipping items or maintaining an updated website with inventory notifications, etc. are important components of having a great launch and maintaining an online life.
Market your business in Google Search and Google Maps —Post your website URL and photos of your products on your Business Profile, and your business will appear in Google’s search results. Update your information regularly and you will see that your business will begin to increase engagements and interactions.
Partner with influencers to promote your brand. Research!! Find bloggers and influencers in your field with a broad database that can help you reach your potential customers. You may be a regional celebrity or household name but connecting with a blogger in your field on the opposite side of the country could take your regional name to a national one in minutes. However, please do not connect with anyone simply because they have a following. Check their followers and their content as well. You want to ensure you are always having reputable companies partner with you so your brand stays quality-driven.
Transitioning into an online-only business is challenging and can be quite intense but staying laser-focused on your goal is essential to its success. Even if COVID-19 had never shown up, we would still be living in an evolving digital world. You can do virtually everything online from banking to buying a vehicle, groceries, and more. Gone are the days when we just paid a bill online. Online is the new and permanent way of creating a digital imprint and possibly a global brand.
So let us pivot together—one step at a time. Make sure you have your domain name secured. Be confident in knowing what you are selling online people actually want whether it is a service or product. Connect with reputable influencers and constantly research what is the latest trend or technology buzz. You will be just fine as long as you keep your eye on the ball!
Connect with me on social media! Facebook: Sherri Y. Johnson or Supreme Gospel Ent. | Instagram: @sherrisupremegospel | Tik Tok: @sherrisupremegospel
Pivoting in an Ever-changing Digital World
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