88 Ways to Promote Your Brand on the Web

By Dream Local DigitalPublished On: February 21, 2013

Easy and Practical Tips for Brand Awareness

by Eliece Hammond

No fluff! Here are 88 things you can do right now, with varying levels of complexity, to promote your brand on the web. Get to it!

Create a Facebook page
Create a Twitter account
Create a Google+ Business page
Create a LinkedIn account
Create a Pinterest account
Create a YouTube account
Claim your Foursquare listing
Create a custom app for your company
Create a blog
Write an email newsletter at least twice a month
Write a blog twice a week
Create an Instagram account
Check out MySpace if you’re in the music industry
Check out ThrillOn.org if you’re into outdoor adventuring or physical fitness
Create a Goodreads account if you’re in writing, reading, books, or anything copyediting related
Create a LinkedIn business page – especially if you’re a recruiter
Write reviews on Yahoo
Write reviews on Yelp
Get listed with AngiesList.com
Check your listings on yellowpages.com and whitepages.com
Verify Google Places and Google Local listings
Verify Facebook local listings
Local.com
Bing.com
About.me – create a landing page for each member of your company
Moo.com – get a business card with a QR Code to bring people to your website and social channels
Post at least 2-3 times a week on Facebook
“like” and comment and repost from local businesses on Facebook
“like” and comment and repost from followers on Facebook
Launch a Facebook contest
Do a poll on Facebook
Link your Pinterest account to your Facebook profile with a custom tab
Link your Twitter account to your Facebook profile with a custom tab
Link your Instagram account to your Facebook profile with a custom tab
Upgrade your account to Facebook’s new GraphSearch format
Tweet at least 3-4 times per week
Retweet interesting people and businesses on Twitter
Schedule posts to Twitter on TweetDeck
Get on Klout or Hootsuite and measure your business engagement
Schedule Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and other posts on HootSuite
Create a Google+ Group around your business’ core interests and circle relevant businesses
Find Google+ Communities to circle and interact with
Post interesting local news articles and events on Google+
Verify your business listing on Google Places & Local Listings
Create a FAQ with a blog entry for each question and link each new entry on social media channels
Answer and ask questions on LinkedIn – don’t mention your business, just give great expert advice for free
Post interesting articles and business updates on your Business LinkedIn profile
Find other businesses that are local or in the same industry to connect with on LinkedIn
Endorse your employees’ skills on LinkedIn
Write recommendations for current and past employees on LinkedIn
Ask for recommendations from previous vendors and employees on LinkedIn
Create a shared Pinterest board and invite customers and potential customers
Comment on and repin customer pins that are relevant to your community and business
Search for your products or services on Pinterest and â€˜like’ pins that are relevant
Follow customers and businesses in your community on Pinterest
Search for keywords on Pinterest to inspire new boards and pins
Cherry pick your best pins on Pinterest and post them on Twitter and Facebook
Cherry pick your best images from Instagram and pin them on a special Pinterest board
Find great blog posts and images from industry leaders to pin to Pinterest
Pin images from your company website on Pinterest with interesting descriptions – have them link back to different pages on your site
Comment on interesting publisher and industry leader blogs
Join online forums geared toward your industry on MeetUp and LinkedIn and attend events
Tweet from conferences and MeetUps – tag the attendees or presenters you are networking with and find or create a hashtag for the event
Follow-up with interesting though leaders by inviting them to your company profiles or your newsletter
Create a newsletter template that includes social media badges prominently in every new message
Schedule a public Google Hangout and record it, use it as a forum to garner customer engagement and feedback
Do an online survey of existing customers and offer a random drawing prize
Do a contest on Facebook
Do a Poll on Facebook
Post your Google Hangout video on YouTube
Record a weekly vlog on YouTube – use titles from your blog posts to create an interactive video that highlights your business
Post customer testimonials everywhere
Respond to comments on TripAdvisor, Yelp!, Yahoo, Bing, Google, wherever you can find them. Turn your most vocal critics into Brand Champions by giving them a chance to improve your business as a trusted partner. Usually the people who complain the loudest need your solution the most.
Create an event in your local community, or sponsor an existing one, and post regularly before, during, and after the event to record your business efforts
Donate to at least two charitable organizations each year and highlight your company’s involvement – giving back will benefit everyone.
Put your brand and social media badges on business cards, stationary, pens, t-shirts, wherever you can and send out prize packages to your top 100 most valued customers with special coupons or deals. Make sure you are choosing these people from your email newsletter list, your Facebook followers, Twitter followers, most avid Pinterest followers, and Google+ circled friends to encourage their engagement.
Throw a black tie fundraising event at your business – invite small business owners and promote your favorite non-profit organization – do all of your promotion on the internet: RSVP, PR, event planning, feedback from attendees, and the non-profit that is being promoted. Record interviews of key people and businesses involved for your YouTube channel.
Invite followers to create a commercial for your business, run a contest for the top 3 and post entries to social media channels, asking for viewers to vote.
Create an app for your business – a â€˜points’ tracker, mini game, special effects video editor, photo editor, collection game, check-in counter, something that gives users a special deal at your business if they keep playing.
Make your website mobile and tablet friendly.
Make your email newsletter mobile and tablet friendly.
Offer special deals for Foursquare check-ins and for the â€˜mayor’ on Foursquare
Offer a special deal for the 5^th, 10^th, and 50^th check-in at your business
Create a community promotion for Small Business Saturday online, offer a special deal in conjunction with other local businesses that is exclusive to subscribers to your email newsletter.
Interview your favorite customer, post it on your blog, then push it out to all of your social media channels
Interview a thought leader in your industry and write a white paper about the state of the industry
Profile a major national or international company in your industry
If you aren’t famous by now, reposition your company based on feedback from your customers