OPM / online presence management is an important part of managing any business’s online existence, but there are many in’s and outs of effective online presence management. As one of the leading OPM / online presence management companies, we have a wealth of experience in building, rebuilding, and curating online real estate for businesses all over the globe and today, we’re going to be sharing 7 things that you need to know about OPM.
OPM / Online Presence Management: 7 Things You Need to Know
1. Social Media Channels Are More Important Than You Know
Many people believe that social media channels are just an avenue for communicating with clients and followers, this isn’t true. Your company social media channels have a huge impact on the opinion that others develop about your company. Effective social media management by an online presence manager allows you to ensure that when potential clients and business associates lookup your company via social media, they will want to do business with you.
2. YouTube is the Second Largest Search Engine on the Web
Publishing content to YouTube (the second largest search engine on the web) is a necessary part of getting your business “on the map” for all types of content. Unfortunately, most business owners don’t have the time or the knowledge to edit video content and optimize it for video channels, but an OPM / online presence manager can do the job for you. This makes sure that your content is exposed to one of the largest online audiences and that content is of a quality that represents your company.
3. Your OPM / Online Presence Management Creates a Mental Picture of You, Your Company, and Your Values
Many business owners falsely believe that what is posted online in regards to their business doesn’t matter. They think that negative comments and feedback will vanish over time, that negative press will get buried by other stories, and that online interactivity isn’t a necessary part of running a business. This just isn’t the case. Whatever is posted online about your business – good or bad – and how you respond to it is going to directly shape how others see your business. A failure to respond depicts someone who doesn’t care about their business or their customers. A lot of negative reviews does the same. Conversely, having an OPM / online presence manager respond professionally to these types of reviews shows customers that while you are human, you care enough about your business and your clients to make things right. Which type of company are you going to do business with, the former or the latter?
4. Every Platform Matters
It feels like there are a million and one platforms online where you can establish a presence for your company, every one of these platforms matters. Why? Because they’re all a piece of online real estate that you can utilize to your advantage. Setting up “camp” on each of these platforms gives your business an authority, but it also stops other businesses from riding on your name. Even if you don’t utilize your accounts right away, it’s important to set up accounts for your business on all major publishing platforms online.
5. What You Share Matters
By now, this is something that everyone who uses online services should know, but just in case you don’t…
What you post online about your business, as an owner of your business, and even personally, can influence your business’s online presence. Whether you are sharing something on the first day of your small family-owned company’s opening or whether you’re sharing it after twenty years in business, EVERYTHING you share reflects upon your business. What does this mean? It means that you should always control who has access to your online presence, that the person or persons who do have access to your business’s online presence are aware of how to professionally conduct themselves, and that you need someone to regularly monitor and maintain your online presence. This is where an experienced OPM comes in.
6. OPM / Online Presence Management is About More Than Just Your Website and Social Media Channels
OPM isn’t just about having a nicely designed and navigatable website and being active on social media. In fact, there is much more to online presence management that most business owners aren’t aware of simply because OPM is not their job, it is not what they have been trained to do. The job of an online presence manager involves a variety of tasks which include, but aren’t limited to:
- Search engine optimization of your website and online content
- Analysis and monitoring of your competitors
- Targeted local search engine optimization
- Creation of unique online content to establish your authority and keep your online presence active
- Setup and management of your pay per click campaigns (like AdWords)
- Management of your online reviews
- Creation, expansion, and monitoring of social media profiles
- Management of your company website
- Citation marketing
- Keyword and keyphrase research
All of these elements take time as well as specialty tools that most business owners simply don’t have the time to master, but an experienced OPM has the knowledge and the tools to get the job done well and get you proven results.
7. You Don’t Win With Blackhat Techniques
“Blackhat” techniques are techniques that skirt around rules and use unethical means to improve your business’s online ranking. The problem with these types of techniques, however, is that they are always tagged by search engines eventually and lead to the “blackballing” of your website. It’s much much harder to re-establish your online reputation after being blacklisted than it is to do things the right way the first time around. Instead of buying reviews, cutting corners, and putting the future of your online presence at risk, invest in a reputable OPM / online presence manager and do the job right the first time around.
Need Help With Your OPM Online?
If you don’t have time to learn how to manage your business’s OPM online, we’re here to help. Give us a call today at 727-475-6460 for a free consultation to see how we can help your business’s online presence grow beyond your expectations.
