The year is drawing to an end. How can you ensure your business closes 2012 in the black? Manta CEO Pamela Springer offers these 3 tips.
1. Build Your Online Presence. Consumers are searching for products and services on the web, so it’s important to build your online presence so you can easily be found. For instance, 78 percent of small business owners say they gained new customers through online channels this year.
- Easy things to do include: keep your company website up-to-date, stay active on social channels and ensure you have a presence on communities like Manta, Facebook and Twitter.
2. Network in New Ways
- Try something new to see if it makes a difference to your bottom line. 74 percent of small businesses find networking online just as, if not more, valuable then networking in person.
- Participate in online forums like Manta Connect and provide your advice to other small business owners. Those same peers may pass along a new customer to you. In fact, 49 percent of small business owners say the most valuable benefit of networking online is gaining and targeting new customers.
- You can also join Tweet Chats where you can pose questions to the moderator and showcase your expertise in your industry. The more you put yourself out there online, the great your awareness about your company.
3. Maintain Consistent Messaging
- With so many online channels out there, start small with a few to make sure you share consistent messaging about your company, products and services.
- Begin with the basics to create consistent messaging: Ensure your value message is clear and that it describes what your company brings to the table for customers and prospects, and how you are different from your competitors. Live by your company’s core mission and make sure every message you communicate across both digital and traditional channels supports it.
Pamela Springer is CEO of Manta, an online community for small business that draws more than 30 million unique visitors per month and over 3,000 new business owner members every day. Get visible; grow your business for free at www.manta.com.
