Turning up a new social media profile or directory listing takes all of 30 minutes. Alright, maybe an hour, if you want to do things right.
You’ll need to make ongoing investments of time and resources (human, for sure, and perhaps financial) to expand and maintain these properties. But the listing process itself is a relative snap.
Even if they’re not explicitly labeled as such, all five of these web properties double as directories for prominent people and companies. And all five have impressive Domain Authority, meaning they’re apt to rank well in organic search results. That’s music to the ears of any publicity-minded person or entity. They are social media goldmines.
So, what are you waiting for? Block out an afternoon next week and get going.
LinkedIn needs no introduction. With low barriers to entry and high Domain Authority, it’s a no-brainer for visibility-seeking people and companies, too. Use your LinkedIn profile to connect with potential business partners and bulk customers, but don’t be afraid to have some fun with your profile either. Nike’s LinkedIn page notes that the Portland-based athletic giant is named for the Greek goddess of victory — one of the only mentions of this fun little fact anywhere in Nike’s vast marketing aperture.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a fantastic place to see and be seen. If you or your company have any claim to the site’s ever-expanding definition of “notability,” you have a claim to a Wiki of your own. Your Wikipedia page doesn’t have to be flashy. This Wikipedia page for filmmaker David Mimran’s father simply outlines Mimran Senior’s family life and notable business achievements, for instance. Your personal or company page can do the same.
Crunchbase
Crunchbase has an undeniable tech focus, but it’s not by any means off-limits to those who couldn’t tell Ruby on Rails from Python if their lives depended on it. The great thing about Crunchbase is the richness of its interface. Crunchbase profiles accommodate a lot of data about their subjects; Elon Musk’s Crunchbase entry is a cornucopia of jobs, deals, board seats, exits, and other notable achievements stretching back to the serial entrepreneur’s PayPal days.
Ideamensch
Like to gab? Ideamensch is your jam. Its wheelhouse is “[c]rowdsourced interviews with entrepreneurs, makers and doers,” which means its ideal for any entrepreneur, investor, or creative with stories to share. Even better: its notability standards aren’t quite as strict as Wikipedia’s, which is great news for aspiring interviewees.
Yelp
Yelp isn’t just for the amazing Laotian place down the street any longer. Today, it shares rare air with the Facebooks and LinkedIns of the world as a clearinghouse for small businesses just waiting to be discovered. Fortune favors those who cultivate a favorable Yelp rating and review portfolio.
How Big Is Your Digital Footprint?
There’s no easy way to say it: if your digital footprint includes only your top domain website and these five web properties, it’s not doing the trick. Your company needs to be listed on every relevant directory and social media property possible. So do you, yourself, as one of the handfuls of people who makes the magic happen.
Remember, getting started is half the battle. A more attractive, lucrative web presence is well within your reach.
