Getting Caught in the Web – The Start-up Business & the Internet Part 2

Getting linked on other websites to move your Google/Search Engine ranking is really simple. This is probably the best tool for all start-up businesses today, because it costs you nothing except a little time. I know it is hard to believe that you can gain exposure at no dollar cost to you! This is the beauty of staring a business today; years ago you had to have the brick & mortar to begin and a good sized chunk of money in the bank.  

So let’s explore the options to getting your website linked on other sites. The most obvious connections need to happen in the Social Media arena (we will explore Social Media Marketing in a future article) like FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIN are the 3 main places. If you have videos then exposure on YouTube is a great resource for exposure on the internet. These have been previously used for primarily personal use, today they are the hottest marketing tools for businesses.  Even big companies like Starbucks, Pringles, Pizza Hut and more are using FaceBook for exposure. The key is how to use them for business; here are a couple of tips to follow to keep it professional:
 

Photo, be sure it is of YOU and it is not suggestive; no suits a suit makes you unapproachable
Keep photos off your profiles that reflect partying (you and your friends at a bar drinking is not a good photo choice)
Be sure to post appropriately on your listing; offer tips, advice or quotes
Do FaceBook suggested friend connections
Be sure your website is on your profile as a link (a link looks like http://www.YourBusinessName.net) this way when they click on it they will be taken to your website while leaving your profile page in a different window
You can get a “vanity” URL on FaceBook now, FaceBook used to give you a link like FaceBook.com/11766d9487h865847m0000 which makes it hard to remember, now you can do one like FaceBook.com/YourName which is much better for you from a marketing viewpoint. Always try for your name, firstlast with no punctuation first.
As a business you can also create a Fan Page which gives you more exposure 

The biggest word of advice on this type of marketing, limit the amount of time you spend, set a timer for say 30 minutes. It is really easy to get caught up in this type of networking.