Starting a Business? Internet and Social Media Must-Haves...

Following are a number of straightforward actions to take for your business or organization, to leverage the Internet, Social Media tools and other online advertising techniques. Please note that these are only very basic actions - there are many, many more - depending on your business and marketing plans. Contact us for more information, a strategic plan to increase your business leveraging online marketing and social media, or for other technical and graphic/web design assistance. This list uses the example of a business located in Loudoun County, VA.

Here's an example of a local nonprofit charity, the paws4people™ foundation's nonprofit online raffles, taking full advantage of online social media and internet marketing techniques, to promote its cause and fundraising methods, including online charity raffles that benefit the entire Loudoun nonprofit charity consortium.

Company Presence

• Establish a website, with a clear "About Us" page, including your local address, directions and service hours. Use new photos or even videos of your new business. Redirect old sites to the new one - be sure to use "301" redirects as necessary.
• Register your business with Google/MSN/Yahoo "Local" services.
• Include Geospatial Metatags on your website, of your storefront or business location.
• Update your YellowPages listings, online and off.
• Update your business name in DMOZ, and Yahoo Directories. Be sure to use the appropriate local business phone numbers.
• Spellcheck - if you're from Loudoun County, don't spell it "Loudon"

Networking and Communications

• Join the local or regional Chamber of Commerce (i.e. the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and/or the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce - use their logos on your website, and update your member information on their websites.
• Join smaller Business Networks or Associations, like the Dulles South Business Alliance or Loudoun Women Business Forum - as applicable - making sure your online information is updated.
• In your online social media pages, or those that include your information (i.e. on your blog, your wiki, your LinkedIn or Facebook pages, or your Yelp business page), include your new Loudoun address and contact information. Include "badges" from these social media sites on your own site.
• Update your email footers to include your new location in Loudoun - and send a new broadcast out to your mailing list about it.
• Establish a new email account(s), specifically for your Loudoun business - and Twitter!
• Update your online business networks - for example at MerchantCircle - invite your new business neighbors!

Marketing & Advertising

• List your business on local directories, such as Dulles South Online, Visit Loudoun and/or LoudounPedia (as applicable).
• Make sure your business is listed in localized "review" sites, like Yelp - encourage reviews among your customers and partners! (Check out the reviews, too - keep up with your online reputation.)
• Send a press release to the Loudoun Papers or Craigslist, for example the Loudoun Times, with an update on your location and services (make sure it's online as well as printed) - or take out a paid advertisement/classified, as your marketing budget allows. Perhaps construct a "Social Media Press Release" (contact KME Internet Marketing about this).
• Take out an ad in a local magazine, like "Modern Moms of Loudoun County" - the ad should appear on their great website as well.
• Notify local realtors of your new business, for possible referrals - like Ingrid Myers, Realtor - business partner links and news very often are included on local real estate/broker websites or blogs.
• Upload photos and/or videos of your new Loudoun business location, along with updated information about your business, to relevant social media sites like "Flickr" - using "Loudoun" in the keywords and tags.
• Get a "Made in Loudoun" tag!
• "Capture the Market" in the search engines with respect to your Loudoun business - for example "Loudoun Internet Marketing" - (this will likely require local, professional Loudoun Internet Marketing/SEO/Social Media services).

These are the minimum things necessary to solidly establish your business on the Internet as a respected Loudoun business entity. Contact KME Internet Marketing for assistance with these activities, and many more!

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