October, 2010
This is the month to Enhance your Online Presence!

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn may be all the rage in online marketing right now, but they aren’t the only places you should be building your online presence. In fact, we have a hunch that many of you haven’t taken care of the very basics of your online identity quite yet.

Here are 5 ways to enhance your online presence TODAY.

Issue a press release:
Doing something big or newsworthy? Write a simple press release and submit it to your local news outlets. You can also submit PRs for free online at PRLeap.com, PR.com, clickpress.com, newswiretoday.com, prlog.org and gnosisarts.com. Even if your story never makes it into a major publication, search engines will display your newsworthy items and give your business a credibility boost.

Make the most of Google Places:
Almost every business shows up on Google Maps and in other Google searches, but you’ll notice that some listings are better and more robust than others. When people search for (or stumble upon) your business, make sure correct and compelling info is right there at their fingertips. Simply go to Google.com/places and follow the simple instructions to verify and upload your key info such as photos, descriptions and links.

Yahoo! Local:
Yahoo! Local is an online directory of businesses organized by category and geographic location. You can get a basic listing for free. Similar to Google Places, you definitely want to make sure your business is not only listed, but also listed exactly how you want it! (Tip: When you visit the site, scroll all the way to the bottom, click “Add a Business” and follow the instructions.)

YellowPages.com:
While phone books aren’t as essential as they once were, the Yellow Pages are still available online. To add or update your business listing, go to listings.yellowpages.com. The instructions are pretty easy. (Note: Yellow Pages is a division of AT&T, so don’t be confused by the AT&T logo.)

Get published.
Share your expertise to the world by writing articles, white papers and ebooks and distributing them for free online. There are numerous sites out there to easily upload your work, including EZineArticles and ISnare. If you Google “free article publishing” you’ll find tons of resources and outlets for publishing your work and getting your name and expertise out there.
WomenCertified.com Susan Hair 561-309-7078