In Part I of Scaling through Accessibility, we established that the process of building any business looks pretty similar from the big picture view; execute business planning and strategy, define the core of the business, develop the brand image and story, determine and define the scope of products/services, determine and define your target market,  create a logo kit and marketing materials, implement sales logistics, and then start selling. We also determined that the next logical step would be to scale through accessibility by building a website for your business. From here, you can continue to scale your business through accessibility, by creating business pages for your business, on platforms such as Google My Business, LinkedIn, social media platforms, and Glassdoor, to name a few.

Creating a business page for your business is an exciting time in your business journey. You’ve built your brand, and created your website, and now you’re ready to connect with millions of users to introduce them to who you are and what you do. Not only are you expanding your accessibility and market, but you’re also inviting users to join you on your growth path by providing an outlet for them to offer you feedback on their experiences, and thus, an opportunity to grow your business. By investing in your audience and interacting with their experiences, both positive and negative, they will in turn want to invest in you, your brand, and your business.

Regardless of which business page(s) you choose to take advantage of, there are a number of high-level results you can expect across the board. The biggest headline result is…you guessed it…accessibility! The more digital space your business occupies, the greater reach your business will have. Taking advantage of the top digital platforms’ business pages is crucial for any business. By doing so, you will give your business a fighting chance to compete with other businesses in search engine results, business media results, social media results, and employment results. In addition to simply making sure your business is represented across all of these platforms, the other major advantage of these platforms’ pages is the wealth of demographic, product/service, traffic, and conversion analytics that are provided by each respective platform. While the data points provided will vary from platform to platform, the results are priceless for each one. As we mentioned in Understanding Your Data Analytics, understanding and keeping track of your data analytics is absolutely imperative to the success and sustainability of your business. The data provided by these platforms can collectively change and/or validate the direction of your business. 

As we start to dive into each individual platform, the usage and results start to vary a bit more. There are a number of search engine options out there that provide business pages, however, we will be addressing the top contender in the market; Google My Business (GMB). The vast majority of consumers will conduct a Google search when looking for goods or services. Having a GMB page not only ensures that you will show up in the search results, but also displays your Business Profile prominently next to the search results, as well as displays your business in the Google Local Pack (which displays in the map results). Your Business Profile on GMB will display everything a consumer needs to know about your business in one snapshot; hours of operation, business address and  service area, photos and videos, company updates and events, and more. There are also call-to-action (CTA) buttons for your business website and phone number, and directions to your business location. In addition to all of this information, consumers can also view reviews and Q&A’s from your customers. Almost every consumer that is searching a business will be influenced by your customers’ reviews of your business. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how your business is fairing in the eyes of your customers. Overall, having a GMB page is a critical point of accessibility for your business, and is imperative to compete with your market.

Now let’s take a look at our business media platform, LinkedIn (LI). Some people may want to classify LI as a social media or employment platform, however, there are additional aspects to the platform that make it stand out above the social and employment category, and into its own playing field or a business media platform. LI can be utilized in a social application, by interacting and engaging with like-minded professionals and businesses. It can also be utilized in an employment application, in that LI does provide a portal for employers and job seekers to interact with one another through job postings. However, LI business pages offer so much more. Your LI page provides end users with a rich overview of your business by displaying an overview of your business, your industry information, company size and location, your business specialties, relevant links, employees (will only display employees that are active on LI and have added your business page to their employment history), and open job postings. Your LI page also gives your business the opportunity to post custom content, newsletters, events, and announcements, to foster continued engagement with and investment from your consumers. As a whole, LI is an effective platform for broadening your market, and interacting with consumers, professionals, and employees alike. 

Onto our social media platforms! There is a never ending supply of social media platforms out there, and the options are growing by the day. For our purposes, we will highlight the top competitor in this market, Meta, through FaceBook (FB) and Instagram (IG). There are two primary differences between these two platforms: 

1. Demographics; FB users trend 30+ years of age, and IG users trend under 34 years of age.  

2. User Experience; IG is very focused on image and video content, whereas FB is more geared towards community engagement and interaction. 

With FB’s community driven focus, this platform is helpful for creating a community around your business, and encourages feedback through surveys and A/B testing posts. FB is all about connecting your consumers to your business. IG’s focus on images and videos does give it an edge on driving sales conversions. They offer shoppable posts by allowing businesses to add tags to products in their photos with links that include a product description, price and the ability to “shop now,” taking users to an online store, in addition to providing the online store. Additionally, IG has played a major role in the new industry of brand ambassadors and influencers. Businesses can partner with brand ambassadors through sponsored posts and affiliate marketing, which can help generate more sales leads and increase sales.  Alternatively, businesses can partner with influencers (high-level, high-powered social media users with huge followings) to build brand awareness, or promote products (often introducing new offerings into the mainstream). These platforms also share a number of commonalities. Both platforms help businesses leverage the power of mobile users by providing browser and mobile app options. Both platforms provide an option for businesses to list their products/services, allowing their users to shop with the business directly from the platform. Both platforms provide the capability to post original content, images, and videos. Both platforms display certain business information, and clickable links. Regardless of which social media platform(s) you choose to utilize, set yourself up for success with a solid marketing strategy, and be consistent!

Finally, let’s dive into our employment platform, GlassDoor. Employment platforms, such as GlassDoor, really serve two primary functions: 1) Recruitment.  2) Employee Reviews. Your GlassDoor business page will provide your end users with a basic overview of your business details, such as your website, company size, industry, and mission. You can also upload photos to provide users with a better understanding of your company culture. Within your business page, there are also employee reviews displayed. Employees of your company, both past and present, can go onto GlassDoor and review your company on a number of different criteria. These reviews dramatically affect your potential candidates’ decision to apply with your company, and your overall hiring process. For companies that can maintain 4 or more stars, this feature will encourage new applicants. However, for companies that come in with under 4 stars, those reviews will serve as a deterrent to potential candidates. GlassDoor is a wonderful platform for companies that have employees, and companies looking to hire employees, and plays a critical role in the job seekers’ decision to apply with your business. 

Utilizing business pages for your business will not only expand your accessibility and market, but also invite users to join you on your growth path. By investing in your audience by interacting with their experiences, both positive and negative, they will in turn invest in you, your brand, and your business. Your business pages will provide you with the continued growth in accessibility and recognition your business needs to scale to the next level. 

When you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here for you.