The titular character in Shakespeare’s Macbeth had far bigger problems on his mind when he spoke of a story “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” but he may as well have been talking about the state of digital marketing in the second decade of the 21st century. It’s tougher every week for brands to break through all the noise. Many aren’t even sure where to start.
Creating and fleshing out listings on high-authority directories and social media sites won’t singlehandedly solve your visibility woes, but it will lay the groundwork for a concerted marketing and lead generation effort. Begin with these five.
- Wikipedia
We’ll save the easy stuff for later. If your company isn’t very well-known, getting listed on Wikipedia could be a heavy lift.
It all comes down to “notability,” which Wikipedia defines in depth here. Basically, a mom-and-pop local business probably doesn’t qualify as notable, unless its owner is notable or it has some sort of pop culture significance.
On the other hand, companies that employ dozens or hundreds of employees, or offer widely known products and solutions, might qualify as notable. Redwood City based Betterworks is not necessarily a household name, but it nevertheless has a fairly detailed Wikipedia entry to its credit.
You certainly don’t need to be “notable” to build out a LinkedIn company page — though your low profile shouldn’t stop you from making said page as memorable as possible.
If your company has multiple teams, divisions, or verticals, create sub-pages for each. Monsanto, the St. Louis-based ag giant, has a slew of LinkedIn subsidiaries built around specific company functions. Case in point: the Technical Community of Monsanto, which celebrates the firm’s R&D team.
Facebook needs no introduction. Check out the platform’s primer on setting up your own business page, then get to it. Per Facebook, you’ll need:
- A name for your page
- A snappy description of your business
- Profile and cover photos
- A defined action you want page visitors to take
There’s plenty more to learn, but that’s enough to get you started. Simple, no?
Twitter is a great place to forge direct connections with your peers, customers, and industry thought leaders. Used properly, it’s also a fantastic branding tool. Patagonia’s Twitter handle is an impressive amalgam of nature photography, rugged individualism, and political activism — all part and parcel with the company’s public brand.
- Crunchbase
If you’re an early-stage enterprise seeking funding, building out your board, or seeking outside advisors, you need to be on Crunchbase. Since it’s less noisy than Twitter and Facebook, it’s a great place to connect with tech journalists and PR types too.
Where Is Your Company Listed?
These aren’t the only six platforms on which your company can and should get itself listed. Your top listing targets will surely depend on your company’s industry and customer mix, but it’s unlikely that it can skate by with just a handful of directories and social platforms. And, as you grow, external visibility will only become more important. Better get started.