It used to be that all companies needed to stay technologically relevant and to have a website. This is clearly no longer the case. As technology shifts and business is increasingly conducted online, businesses need to adapt to stay competitive. I have compiled a list of things that businesses must do and applicants they must use in order to stay technologically relevant
Blog
Every business needs to maintain a blog. It is a way for you to share your expertise and build a brand for yourself in your niche. A blog allows you to interact with other members of your industry and allows them to interact with you. It has great SEO value and is the most effective way to build your brand image online.
Facebook/Social Networks
Businesses need to be present on social networks. The two I strongly recommend are LinkedIn and Facebook. A LinkedIn profile is great for conducting business activity from finding potential employees to exploring partnerships with related firms. Facebook is a great platform for you to connect with others in your industry and market your products and services. The two free ways to market on Facebook are through creating groups and pages. This allows you to build a following of people interested in what you have to offer.
I recommend creating a page because it acts like a profile and your updates will appear in all of your fan’s news feeds.
Twitter has become immensely popular in recent months growing from the tech industry into mainstream culture. A presence on Twitter is another must to remain relevant in the industry. Twitter is a great way to market your products and services and interact with existing customers, partners, or industry experts.
Social Media Websites
Social media websites are a great way to see what people are talking about and a platform to promote any free content you may be producing (ie. your blog). You can join the major social media websites such as Digg and StumbleUpon, but I strongly recommend finding niche social networks in your industry to drive targeted traffic. Social media websites are a great way to launch a viral marketing campaign.
Skype/IM
Increasingly, businesses are providing customer support and sales calls via instant messenger or Skype. Hence, this is one trend you don’t want to get behind, especially because it is so simple to implement. I recommend having accounts on AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Chat, Gmail Chat, and Skype.
Branding Tip
In order to get the most branding value out of these accounts on other websites, stay consistent. Use the same name and images on every account you make so people who see your profile on two or more different web sites will make the connection and associate your online brand image with your company.
This post was written by Aditya Mahesh, founder of AM Beat, a complete resource for entrepreneurs complete with advice articles, start-up profiles, interviews, news analysis, and more. You can also write a guest article and share your experience. Image by David Erickson (under CC license)