Have you been setting the right tone with your online presence? There is no better time than now to review what your profile pages have been telling folks about you…
That's right, I'd like to encourage you to review what you have been saying about yourself, your company, your products… on social media sites and elsewhere online (as well as offline: i.e.print ads, brochures, and business cards).
Here is my February Marketing Tip: Update Your Online Presence (NOW)
- How old is that profile picture? And does it reflect your biz well? (Yes, my sister – in the background – and I are adorable at the local kid's pool, but does this make sense to use for my Business Profile image? OK, that is a little extreme, because I never really used this image, but let me ask you how current is your business head shot?)
- When was the last time you reviewed your bio?
- Are there still sites that have your old logo?
These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself. It's time to get things in order.
If you want to know what other people are saying or thinking about you, remember, you can control some of that by making sure your own message is clear, current and there is continuity across the web.
There are plenty of places where you can't control what is said about you, but there are also lots of places where YOU get to control the message.
Take action and make sure your message meets with your current objectives:
- Think about all the places you have posted profile content and go back to each of them, now
- Make sure your message and imagery are up to date
- Create a spreadsheet: List everywhere you have used your head shot, bio, logo, product shot(s), tagline and other marketing materials
Why create a spreadsheet about your online presence?
- Keep your online presence consistent
- Know where you have changed things, when you last changed them and what changes were made
- It will also help you to delegate this task to someone else (if not now, in the near future)!
Start with the obvious, such as your own website, Facebook (both profile and business pages), LinkedIn, Twitter, Google + and Google Places. And, while you are at it, if you haven't already, set up an account on the current social media must be present on site: Pinterest (if you need an invite, email me for one).
Then, think about places you are listed in: Like industry directories!!!
True Story: One of the reasons I did this for myself was I found an old directory listing that was 5 YEARS out dated. It was so out of date that it didn't reflect my current goals and services at all! I had to change it immediately.
What if you can't remember where you've been?
Don't worry if you can't remember all the directories and social media sites you've signed up for, there are ways to try to find them.
First: Do a Google Search for yourself.
This is a great place to start, because if they are ranking you well with an out dated profile, that is the first place you want to update!
How to Get Them All?
Let's face it, you may not get to everyone of them this week, but you can always add more later. For instance, I just remembered that there is a page on Constant Contact that still has my old logo!
Now I can add it to my list of changes I need to make, and have it noted for the next time I change everything. Actually, this is a good example, too, because in this case, I have to have Constant Contact make this particular change for me. So, that info will go into my notes, as well!
Are there other sites that have put up your logo? Don't forget about them, too.
Oh, and remember to review your offline marketing material, too!
Do you have a suggestion on how to find, organize or update profiles? Come on, I bet you do! Share it with us all, please, by commenting below!
This is a great reminder, and inspiration for those of us still creating profiles to get and stay on top of them. I especially love the Gravatar thing, and I love seeing other people’s Gravatars on their posts, etc.
Thanks for the note Gail. Yes, Gravatar’s are another important element of your online profile. Thanks for mentioning it!