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Loebig Ink is a small business consulting firm
fueled by coffee, creativity and music to provide
SEO, web design and social media solutions.

Personal Branding SEO

How to Increase Your Visibility on the Internet

If you own a business or are an entrepreneur, you know how important it is to be visible online. But are you making the most of your efforts? It is easy to allow some simple actions to get past you that can really help your personal brand. Let’s take a look at some ways you can avoid leaving opportunity on the table.

Key Points to Maximizing Your Personal Branding Power

  • Create your own personal brand website.
  • Fill out your social media profiles completely and consistently.
  • Get listed in the niche directories that cover your field.
  • Boost your visibility with listings in local directories and review sites.
  • Join business networks like BNI and chambers of commerce.
  • Begin blogging on your own site or as a guest contributor.
  • Create fresh content with online engagement.

 

Mavericks on the Move Live Talk Show, Baltimore, MD – 2018

Waller Executive Institute for Personal Branding Workshop, Washington, DC – 2017

 Your Website

Creating your own website might seem like a no-brainer for someone who wants to get seen on the internet. However, it could be a daunting prospect for someone who is not tech savvy or is just getting started. Thankfully, there are ways to start out with an easy-to-manage, low cost website. Wix is a great example of a platform that makes your website easy to build. A basic Wix site is free. You will pay a small fee when you connect to your domain name. The option of choosing more bells and whistles is always there when you wish to expand the site.

About.me is a useful, free one-page website that you can make your own. It is an excellent way to get your name and information out to people who want to find you. About.me brings together the professional and the personal. Think of it as your postcard to the world on the web.

Social Media

One of the most, if not the most important thing to remember about social media for personal branding SEO is to fill out your profile completely and consistently. Decide on a primary location, phone number, and how you will present your address. On each social media site, link to as many other social media sites of yours that you are able. Here are a few that are particularly useful for personal branding:

LinkedIn has one of the highest visibilities for a personal name search. It not only gives you the chance to connect with others who are also on the business platform, but may be one of the first links to come up when someone Googles you.

Twitter is also very highly ranked in Google. When completing your profile, add hashtags that someone looking for you would be likely to use in their search. Make sure to include the specific location of your business, even though you may be, or aspire to be national or international. Make sure to provide the link to your website, and when you have a message you want to highlight, pin the tweet to the top of your page to give it more views.

Meetup.com is another very good, but often missed chance to get the word out about who you are and what you do. Post a nice photo of yourself. Meetup allows you to link to three other social media platforms, so make sure you do.

Have you explored NextDoor.com? This is a site with a very local focus. You will need to be invited onto the site, and then you will be able to join a group that includes your immediate neighborhood. NextDoor is good for helping neighbors find a lost dog, report on a crime concern, or get the word out on the weekend yard sales, but it can also do more. Simply knowing those who live nearby is good for word-of-mouth business. You can also have a business page on NextDoor, which makes it easy for others to refer you when asked for a recommendation.

Niche Directories

Find out which directories cover your field and get listed. Because they are well established, in some cases your profile in an industry-specific directory such as Wedding Wire, Avvo, or Houzz may come up in a search above your own website. One good way to discover niche directories is to think of the keywords you would most like to rank for. When you Google those terms, take note of which free directories come up first. You will want to sign up for those. There is something to be said for “Barnacle SEO,” i.e. attaching yourself to something bigger than you are. Take advantage of that ready-made internet trust!

Local Directories

It is also incredibly helpful to boost your visibility with review sites and other local directories. Get listed on sites like Yelp, Google My Business, Angie’s List, and Bing. If your business already appears in a directory, claim the listing and fill out the profile completely. Some shy away from review sites for fear of bad reviews. It is by far better to be a presence and to respond quickly and publicly to any negative feedback rather than to hide your head in the sand. Take the reins and create a positive image.

Bonus tip: In local directories, your business name should be just that – your business name only. Adding extra SEO keywords will earn you a demerit from Google. Save your search terms for the description.

Business Networks

Join one or more of your local or regional chambers of commerce. A single backlink to your website from a chamber of commerce is great for SEO. It may seem expensive, but chambers of commerce are high traffic, high trust websites and your own online trust score will benefit. Even if you have to pay a little extra to include your logo with your listing, go for it. The extra visibility is worth it.

Apply to join a BNI near you. When you fill out your Business Network International profile, include details such as your top product and your ideal referral. Be sure to take advantage of the many connections and benefits available to you as a member of a BNI chapter.

Remember that aside from its social aspect, MeetUp.com is also a great place for business networking. See which meetups relate to your specialty and get involved. If you don’t find any that quite work for you, start your own. If you build it, they will come.

Blogging

Google has over 200 ranking factors to determine what content and web pages rise to the top of user search results. These ranking signals fall into three main categories; website technical factors, fresh quality content and high authority backlinks. From a personal branding SEO perspective, blog writing addresses the quality content piece of that puzzle and can propel ones personal brand to new heights.

A personal blog is what we normally think of when creating content from an SEO perspective, but guest blogging is an even lower hanging piece of fruit. Search for blogs that mirror your personal passions and business interests and discover if the blog owner offers opportunities for guest blog writing. To maximize the impact of guest blogging from a personal branding SEO perspective focus on these elements when researching opportunities:

  1. Ensure the blog has an author attribution profile where users can find out more about the author through “active links” to your personal branding website and/or social media profiles.
  2. Evaluate the “authority score” of the blogs and choose the ones with the highest authority score. The higher the authority score of the website, the more visibility your post will have on the Internet.
  3. Choose a blog that is directly related to the topic you are writing about. It is better to write a blog about social media on SocialMediaExaminer.com than it is to write that same article on PsychCentral.com.

Online Engagement

Google loves fresh content. Repurpose your work: If you make a video, use some of that same material to write an article. If you have a speaking engagement, upload your PowerPoint presentation to SlideShare. Creating a good blog and posting consistently is an excellent way to show up in Google’s ranks. Guest blogging also boosts your profile and can help you reach new audiences. When you don’t have time to tackle original material, make time to follow and comment on others’ related work. Be sure you are logged in via your Gravatar, Twitter, Facebook, or provide your web link so the connection is made. Here are some great ways to increase your online engagement which will exponentially increase your visibility:

  1. Follow EVERYONE you know on Linkedin and take 5min each day to like, comment and/or share content from your connections.
  2. Change your Facebook personal profile header photo once a month. Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes profile photo and banner image changes so that more of your followers will see it! [Keep your profile pic consistent across your online profiles however so that people start noticing your smiling face everywhere] 🙂
  3. Comment on your favorite, most read blogs, podcasts and news stories. The author will appreciate it and your comments can actually drive viewers to your own online profiles.

Get to Work!

Once you get through the task of choosing your focus and the image you want to show the world, many of the steps you need to take toward personal branding SEO begin to reveal themselves. It is almost impossible to overemphasize how important it is to find or create relevant profiles and fill them out consistently and completely. So many people neglect to do so, that simply by including all your information, a photo, and a logo wherever possible, you are already ahead of the pack. Get to work and make it easy for customers, collaborators, and fans to find you!

 

Facebook for Small Business: Still a wise marketing investment?

Sometimes, Social Media iconswhen something has been around for a long time people tend to take it for granted. It may even be considered “old” and not “trendy” after a short period of time.

Facebook is one of those items that has been around for more than eleven years. It can certainly be considered “old” in the still growing world of social media and not “trendy” by most in the industry.

However, don’t let its age and familiarity fool you. It is still an internet marketing powerhouse and should be considered in any marketing plans for your small business. In fact, Facebook is still so popular with the public, it had a record one billion plus people online during one hour just this past August. One billion is impressive by any measure.

Facebook should remain an integral part of your small business marketing plan for the following reasons:

  • Mobile phone users love it: 80% of Facebook users access their page through their cell phones and visit at least 14 times a day! Your business page or advertising will be seen by a large number of visitors. It is a very busy place. Your product will not only be seen by present and potential customers using their phones, they can also call you immediately to find out more.
  • Facebook advertising is inexpensive: This channel is still known as being the best way to reach the largest audience for the smallest marketing dollar. The ROI is outstanding even though Facebook has changed its algorithms making it more difficult for a larger audience to see your free postings. In return, though, it is a great source of leads and still outperforms most other advertising venues. You even save money as you don’t have to buy a spot on a mailing list. Facebook has done massive data mining and is working with data leaders like Axciom and Datalogix to access information on customer habits, shopper loyalty and credit card accounts. All this mining and research helps your company reach the right customer efficiently and cheaply.
  • Facebook ads send traffic to your small business website: Your main reason for all your ads should be people going from the ad to your website. While your business page is important in your engagement and marketing efforts, your website is the most important focus. Your advertising campaign should have them click on the ad and go directly to the landing page in which you are featuring the product. From there, you can “convert” them and sell the product.
  • Your small business Facebook page is still free and still crucial:  Facebook still has free business accounts and their importance in engagement, branding and sales cannot be understated. Small businesses should post on them five times a week using the “80/20 Rule”: 80% quality content (sharing posts from other sources) and 20% marketing (sales and promotions).  Even though fewer people see your business page, you may still get hundreds even thousands of people reading your posts, commenting on it, sharing it or even messaging you for more information.

There are even more reasons for keeping Facebook on your business marketing radar screen and we will discuss them in a future blog. The answer to the question of whether Facebook is a wise decision for your advertising dollar is still a resounding “Yes!” Facebook remains the most popular social media channel in the world and there is no decline whatsoever. It should be on every business marketing plan for many, many years to come.

How Does Social Media Affect Youth?

By Nia Crawford, McKinley Technology H.S. and Loebig Ink Summer Intern

social-media-and-youthIn 2015, it is now easier to access the internet than ever before. This easily leads to the misuse of the technology that we are provided with but not everybody misusing it. Studies show that the age group of 12-21 access social media more than any other. Being that I fall into this age group I know that social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat is used to keep up with the latest trends, our favorite artists and an easy way to stay up to date with what our peers are doing.

But, how has this turned into more? We have became so immune to being able to contact someone with just the tap of a screen, that we can have an entire conversation with someone in the same room as us without saying one word. We’d rather Snapchat a picture to one of our friends than to actually go see them. We have officially been labeled as the “Dumbest generation” by author Mark Bauerlein, due to our heavy use of technology. I am very aware that my generation doesn’t use technology for much more than social media, which in many ways is the same as misusing technology. Although social life is a very powerful temptation, the only way it impacts us is socially unless we allow it to do otherwise. Teenagers are simply impacted by what they allow to influence their life.

  1. The social websites become their first priority, rather than the things that should come first such as school, family and sports.
  2. People portray themselves as someone they’re not.
  3. Young people can begin to cyberbully another peer; this can lead to many things such as depression and suicidal thoughts.
  4. Some youth are easily influenced so they may feel the need to change their physical appearance by comparing themselves to the next person they see in the media.
  5. Social media is a very powerful temptation, so it can also become addicting and begin to start sidetracking the youth.

There are also a lot of benefits that come from social media and the internet for teenagers. For a lot of people in my age group social media is an outlet for thoughts that they are able to share with their peers. Websites where you can interact with others your age means a lot to teenagers because it is a form of self expression. As we begin to get older it is very important to know who you are and what you want to do with your life, through social media you can easily find this out. So before we get into our serious years we might as well practice how to express ourselves in a respectful way. Also social media is an easy way to connect with people all throughout the area that you live in. In my age group a lot of very close friendships have been formed through social media and have helped to benefit each other in multiple ways. The reason social media makes it so easy to create bonds is your allowed to express your likes and dislikes, which people can easily relate to. As many ways as people believe that social media is bad, it can also provide a lot of good, you just have to use it for the right things.

Five ways I have seen technology have a positive influence on youth:

  1. Keeps connections between friends when they’re not always able to see each other when they want to.
  2. Social media also keeps you up to date with things that are going on around the world rather than just in your area.
  3. It gives youth a place to express themselves in a way that a public place wouldn’t allow us to.
  4. It helps to develop social skills, a lot of friendships can stem from a social website.
  5. It’s a fun way to interact with your peers, other than seeing them in person.

In conclusion, social media can have both a beneficial and negative impact on the youth of my generation. It can help youth prosper in so many different ways. As well as hold them down in various ways. The impact that social media has on us is up for us to decide!

Social Media 2014 | Total Active Users

Social media use continues to rise in popularity and growth in 2014 and Facebook remains the king with 1.28+ Billions users. However, YouTube is a close second and may even surpass Facebook in 2014. Google Plus is a distant third with 540 million users, but many will be surprised that it has surpassed Twitter by a wide margin.

These statistics are interesting, but the key question for a small business is; “which social media networks are the best to use for my business?” The simple answer is the one that you invest the most time, attention and resources. Each network has its pros and cons. Take time to find out from your own customers which social media platforms they use and connect with them!

Kudos to Mike Alton from the Social Media Hat for sharing this great social media infographic.

Social Media Active Users

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