What Is an Online Presence?
An online presence is an identity created and influenced by content created by you and others, showcasing both the personal and professional presence through virtual platforms.
Your virtual presence can affect (and educate) a broad range of people through the channels and content housed online. Through your presence, you have the capability of showcasing your abilities and talents as a thought leader, engage with fans and followers, and influence your output through the perception created online.
There's a lot that goes on when building an online presence, whether it be for yourself, your business, or partnership organizations, such as volunteer or member-driven groups. The key takeaway to understand is building your online presence requires a systematic approach and patience. Becoming 'viral' comes from understanding who you are and the target audiences that will trust and share your sources, and time.
This page will help break down the basics of creating the first steps and systems for an online presence. As a secondary resource, check out Quicksprout's Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand. This resource provides greater depth when thinking about purpose and goes beyond the steps below.
Although I've added this resource to look over, I do not recommend using it to its full potential until you develop a basic system you are comfortable with maintaining. Building an online presence and creating a personal branding takes time, but with the right systems, you'll be able to incorporate virtual broadcasting into your daily routines.
Your virtual presence can affect (and educate) a broad range of people through the channels and content housed online. Through your presence, you have the capability of showcasing your abilities and talents as a thought leader, engage with fans and followers, and influence your output through the perception created online.
There's a lot that goes on when building an online presence, whether it be for yourself, your business, or partnership organizations, such as volunteer or member-driven groups. The key takeaway to understand is building your online presence requires a systematic approach and patience. Becoming 'viral' comes from understanding who you are and the target audiences that will trust and share your sources, and time.
This page will help break down the basics of creating the first steps and systems for an online presence. As a secondary resource, check out Quicksprout's Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand. This resource provides greater depth when thinking about purpose and goes beyond the steps below.
Although I've added this resource to look over, I do not recommend using it to its full potential until you develop a basic system you are comfortable with maintaining. Building an online presence and creating a personal branding takes time, but with the right systems, you'll be able to incorporate virtual broadcasting into your daily routines.
Key Strategies for Creating an Online Presence
1. Define your goals
First, and foremost, know what you are trying to accomplish and why this matters. Your activities should have a purpose, as well as short-term and long-term influence. In Part 1, we discuss questions that will help define your goal and put all of this into perspective. The goal here isn't just to have a one-time video or post but to have a system that you can use to build an online presence where people can find you and see what you do. This page is about teaching you how to take a small or large goal and systematically create steps to build your presence, without feeling overwhelmed with the process.
2. Create a plan.
Many times we create ideas or systems but forget to create a plan. And even as we manage our own time, it's still important to write down our goals, purpose, and ways we are going to achieve these tasks. That's why we talk about building a plan, something simple, but one that directs you with a strategic communications plan, or how you are going to carry out connecting to people online. We'll go through a quick outline in Part 1 so that you can have something to reflect and refine during the process. Know where you are to get to where you are going.
3. Create content that connects.
Before you begin building a website, start with content creation, including your about section, profiles, and the reasons why people are searching for your information. Content writing is by far the most complicated process when creating an online presence. It's time-consuming, and without a plan, it can seem daunting to figure out where to correctly place information and navigate through your site.
First, and foremost, know what you are trying to accomplish and why this matters. Your activities should have a purpose, as well as short-term and long-term influence. In Part 1, we discuss questions that will help define your goal and put all of this into perspective. The goal here isn't just to have a one-time video or post but to have a system that you can use to build an online presence where people can find you and see what you do. This page is about teaching you how to take a small or large goal and systematically create steps to build your presence, without feeling overwhelmed with the process.
2. Create a plan.
Many times we create ideas or systems but forget to create a plan. And even as we manage our own time, it's still important to write down our goals, purpose, and ways we are going to achieve these tasks. That's why we talk about building a plan, something simple, but one that directs you with a strategic communications plan, or how you are going to carry out connecting to people online. We'll go through a quick outline in Part 1 so that you can have something to reflect and refine during the process. Know where you are to get to where you are going.
3. Create content that connects.
Before you begin building a website, start with content creation, including your about section, profiles, and the reasons why people are searching for your information. Content writing is by far the most complicated process when creating an online presence. It's time-consuming, and without a plan, it can seem daunting to figure out where to correctly place information and navigate through your site.
4. Use only the platforms you need.
I've listed platforms below that integrate with your online systems, including a website, social media, and tools to streamline processes. Your site is a hub for static content, a centralized place for you to send people to learn more about you or your organization, and your social media channels move this information. These sites need to be accessible, easy to understand and have a design that works in a mobile environment. Basic websites can be created instantly, especially with all of the designs and themes available to use. It's the content that needs the greatest work. Good content takes thought and intuition and can take five times as long as you think it takes, just to write a simple paragraph or an about section.
5. Develop a schedule.
You'll need two types of schedules. First, one for you to write content, examine data and respond to your social platforms. Second, you'll need a timeline for content that aligns with the information you would like to broadcast in your channels. When planning for content release, it's apparent in this transparent world, when online broadcasters have planned out their content and have given thought to the text they read. Announcing an event is one thing, providing lead up information that educates and creates incentives for people to participate is another. And a schedule is going to help you increase those that engage and participate with you.
6. Learn and observe.
Follow those that have large audiences or quality content; chances are you are going to learn something about content writing, engaging audiences and leading up to events. Also, read books and strategies for online engagement. Lists that tell you "Key Strategies for Creating Online Presence" only go so far. Understand the underlying principles of sociology - why do people interact and engage and how can you build better relationships. This will be useful in growing beyond these lessons and increasing the influential power of your systems. Also, know what key terms mean like optimizing, SEO and responsive websites. Understand how to improve your reach and increase the quality of your content.
I've listed platforms below that integrate with your online systems, including a website, social media, and tools to streamline processes. Your site is a hub for static content, a centralized place for you to send people to learn more about you or your organization, and your social media channels move this information. These sites need to be accessible, easy to understand and have a design that works in a mobile environment. Basic websites can be created instantly, especially with all of the designs and themes available to use. It's the content that needs the greatest work. Good content takes thought and intuition and can take five times as long as you think it takes, just to write a simple paragraph or an about section.
5. Develop a schedule.
You'll need two types of schedules. First, one for you to write content, examine data and respond to your social platforms. Second, you'll need a timeline for content that aligns with the information you would like to broadcast in your channels. When planning for content release, it's apparent in this transparent world, when online broadcasters have planned out their content and have given thought to the text they read. Announcing an event is one thing, providing lead up information that educates and creates incentives for people to participate is another. And a schedule is going to help you increase those that engage and participate with you.
6. Learn and observe.
Follow those that have large audiences or quality content; chances are you are going to learn something about content writing, engaging audiences and leading up to events. Also, read books and strategies for online engagement. Lists that tell you "Key Strategies for Creating Online Presence" only go so far. Understand the underlying principles of sociology - why do people interact and engage and how can you build better relationships. This will be useful in growing beyond these lessons and increasing the influential power of your systems. Also, know what key terms mean like optimizing, SEO and responsive websites. Understand how to improve your reach and increase the quality of your content.
7. Be consistent.
When you have regular posts and share information with some degree of certainty, people will develop a greater sense of trust and look for your information. There needs to be a degree of certainty that things will continually happen, but uncertainty, that the content will not be repetitive, that there will be something fresh with each broadcast.
8. Social media means social support.
People connect looking for social support of some sort, and this means having information that both inspires and connects people to the questions or support they are searching for answers. Follow up with responses and be sure to think about how your content gives an empowering message that gives what people are searching for online. You can showcase yourself or organization but remember, people, come to websites for questions or resources to help them. Mix up your content to help people answer questions, not just about you, but your passions.
9. Utilize affiliates to gain trust.
Beth Kanter says that an organization without culture will be very lonely online, and the same is true in reverse, that if you have sparse information online, the chances are greater that the person or organization hasn't thought about strategy or lacks systems of engagement.
After that, start building friendships, both online and in person. Online channels are a reflection of our personal relationships, and when you can solidify both, you have a greater chance of reaching people online through multiple channels. Only leverage partners when you are secure in leveraging yourself. And note that people are more likely to share something they find relevant, informative and organized.
When you have regular posts and share information with some degree of certainty, people will develop a greater sense of trust and look for your information. There needs to be a degree of certainty that things will continually happen, but uncertainty, that the content will not be repetitive, that there will be something fresh with each broadcast.
8. Social media means social support.
People connect looking for social support of some sort, and this means having information that both inspires and connects people to the questions or support they are searching for answers. Follow up with responses and be sure to think about how your content gives an empowering message that gives what people are searching for online. You can showcase yourself or organization but remember, people, come to websites for questions or resources to help them. Mix up your content to help people answer questions, not just about you, but your passions.
9. Utilize affiliates to gain trust.
Beth Kanter says that an organization without culture will be very lonely online, and the same is true in reverse, that if you have sparse information online, the chances are greater that the person or organization hasn't thought about strategy or lacks systems of engagement.
After that, start building friendships, both online and in person. Online channels are a reflection of our personal relationships, and when you can solidify both, you have a greater chance of reaching people online through multiple channels. Only leverage partners when you are secure in leveraging yourself. And note that people are more likely to share something they find relevant, informative and organized.
10. Create measurements to quantify your goals.
Know some basic ways of collecting data so that you can identify what is or is not working. Data helps adjust content and design or broadcast more or less of one subject. At this point, you should have goals for your presence. With data, you can now figure out how are you going to track and measure the success of your goals.
11. Think of yourself as a brand.
Now that we've come this far, we've been focused on the systems and content to optimize you. At some point, you start to realize you are advertising you as a brand, and that brand is something that takes a system to endorse. This does not mean you should type in your name into Google each day (although that's always fun to see what people associate with you), but instead, think about how branding requires a greater thought into how you show up online and how that mixes with you in person. This is where we start thinking about you as an individual and the perception that people have when they encounter you in-person, and the hours of searching online. Thinking too much into this can make yourself seem generic and cold, so finding the right balance to being a 'brand' and being a 'person' is critical for continuing forward. Don't let this be a big hurdle, instead, keep the foundations of systems we've talked about to help guide you forward.
12. Schedule a regular audit for your platforms and content.
Things change online, people use different platforms for engagement, but don't let that cause you to change everything at the last minute. Schedule either a quarterly or something twice a year when you look at what's going on and make suggestions that might create change or modify content. Your systems will always help you broadcast with the greatest efficiency, but how it's received will always shift. Find time to think about the short-lived resources so that you don't have to migrate and expunge a great amount of work to follow a fad, as opposed to a solid system.
Know some basic ways of collecting data so that you can identify what is or is not working. Data helps adjust content and design or broadcast more or less of one subject. At this point, you should have goals for your presence. With data, you can now figure out how are you going to track and measure the success of your goals.
11. Think of yourself as a brand.
Now that we've come this far, we've been focused on the systems and content to optimize you. At some point, you start to realize you are advertising you as a brand, and that brand is something that takes a system to endorse. This does not mean you should type in your name into Google each day (although that's always fun to see what people associate with you), but instead, think about how branding requires a greater thought into how you show up online and how that mixes with you in person. This is where we start thinking about you as an individual and the perception that people have when they encounter you in-person, and the hours of searching online. Thinking too much into this can make yourself seem generic and cold, so finding the right balance to being a 'brand' and being a 'person' is critical for continuing forward. Don't let this be a big hurdle, instead, keep the foundations of systems we've talked about to help guide you forward.
12. Schedule a regular audit for your platforms and content.
Things change online, people use different platforms for engagement, but don't let that cause you to change everything at the last minute. Schedule either a quarterly or something twice a year when you look at what's going on and make suggestions that might create change or modify content. Your systems will always help you broadcast with the greatest efficiency, but how it's received will always shift. Find time to think about the short-lived resources so that you don't have to migrate and expunge a great amount of work to follow a fad, as opposed to a solid system.
Have patience in this process and think about building a presence as you becoming friends with people at a party. You might not introduce yourself to everyone, and not everyone will have an interest in what you have to say. You may not even speak with each other after the party, but at some point, someone is going to search for you. And with strong online presence, you will be perceived as a thought leader and individual in your area of expertise. And when multiple people begin to see this, they will begin to share and identify you as a trusted source.
Overview of Static and Active Content Marketing
Static content is information that remains in one place and has infrequent updates. A website, blogs, video and info sections on social media are static content. Information on one page does not change often, or minor updates are adjusted. Active content deals with the movement of static content through channels, such as social media and live events. Social media feeds, such as Facebook and Twitter, contain feeds with shifting content that can range from several status or news updates to upcoming events.
Maximum efficiency in content marketing happens when your static and active content works together to broadcast information and bring audiences back to your static information. If you rely heavily on a website without engagement through social channels, then no one will know, share or find value in who you are as a person or organization. If you rely heavily on active content, then you give no place for people to land and explore information about you and your organization. |
Static and Active Content Marketing Tools
Website (Weebly, Sitebuilder)
Social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn) Social media scheduling (Buffer, Hootsuite) Photo editor (Canva) Website links (bit.ly) Content calendar (Evernote, doc) Affiliates (Evernote, doc) Strategic communications plan (Evernote, doc)
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Executing Content Marketing
Step 1: Define Your Purpose
The first phase of creating static and active channels starts with defining your purpose:
Who are you trying to reach; who is your target audience? What are your reasons for reaching people? What are your talents and passions you can showcase? Why would people want to reach you? Who is doing something similar to you? Where have you been showcased online? What content is currently available that you can showcase? Who are your affiliates (partner organizations and people)? What defines you as a person, collaborator and thought leader? Understand your purpose by identifying the who's, what's, why's and how's and use these questions to create a simple strategic plan that includes: Mission (overall purpose) Vision (how you will execute your purpose) Players (affiliates and their relationship and reach) Platforms (how you will execute your presence) Goals (set some goals for the quarter and year) |
Step 2: Create Base Content
Now that you have a sense of why you are showcasing online, we can begin constructing your static content, including your website, media descriptors, and content in the informational sections of your social media.
First, create a checklist of the content you need to produce, including information and media you want people to find, e.g. biography, CV, headshots, awards, and experience. Use the questions in Step 1 to guide your content creation and shape your content to match your content presence. Word of advice about blogs. Before you start thinking about a blog, realize the systems to keep a blog relevant are four times as big as the one that is here. You will need ample time dedicated to writing, scheduling, and planning, and my recommendation is to start by creating and managing your online presence. |
Step 3: Create Content Calendar & Build Channels
Now that you have your website and social media information ready, now it's time to build out your channels and create a content calendar.
Weebly and SiteBuilder are simple resources for a free website. They have plenty of free templates and easy ways to upgrade systems so that you can purchase a domain and easily construct mobile responsive sites. As you build out your channels, start to think about websites and areas in your expertise you look at each day/week. Building out a calendar will include sharing ideas or information from those you trust, admire or use along with your personal interests. The calendar is here to jump start your readers to begin understanding who you read, why they are important, and how you produce information based upon those channels. As an educator in nonprofit administration, I broadcast information on the nonprofit sector that people in my target audience find useful. Things like "How to create a nonprofit board" or "How to bring strategy to member-driven organizations and thought leaders." Unless you are blogging full time, with staff, then you'll find producing original content can be very exhausting. Build your content calendar around regular occasions (holidays and events) throughout the year. Ones that you can generate original content or comment on what's going on in the world. Mix in other activities and affiliate events and create something to share each day. And on the days you don't have something then create a quote and inspire your audience. You can use certain days of the week to share common hashtags or themes and have your readers get in the habit that each, for example, Wednesday, you are going to share a video or a thought leader that inspires you to do the work you do. After setting up each week, you'll notice common themes that quickly form based upon the planning in from the first Part. |
Step 4: Schedule Content
Now that you have your website, social media channels, purpose, and goals, it's time to begin scheduling regular content sharing. Remember that as you build your presence, you might not be sharing much information on your website at first. If you have events that you want people to join, have links that guide to event information and show a compassionate purpose of why they should attend. Broadcasting activities are as propaganda and people are less likely to come if you haven't engaged them in something of mutual interest. First, build up your conversation, then deliver events after you entice people with you and your interests without audience obligations.
Buffer and Hootsuite are great tools to link your social media channels with your daily posts and to schedule ahead of time, so you remember to post every day. For each post be sure to include links to affiliates to show that you are interested in their organization, and include a shorter text for Twitter in comparison to the other channels. Be sure to check your information on all of your channels at least once a month to ensure all static content is relevant. I like to schedule one day a month where I look at content and the calendar and create a plan for a few months ahead. Each Monday night I sit down and write posts 1-2 weeks at a time, and then schedule them into Buffer. At first, you might have people liking or sharing your information. Be sure to follow up with any comments, and like anyone that shares your content on Twitter to show that you are paying attention and listening. At this point in building an online presence with content marketing, it all comes back to you. How much time do you want to invest, and what are you trying to accomplish. If you examined the process of Step 1 and 2 to look at how you can have a genuine connection with a target audience with interest, then you will see a slow growth over time of people paying attention. |
Building Your Online Presence Checklist
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