Step One – Secure Your Brand

• Register Domain Name and web hosting.  These days a static website is a constant “point of reference”. Personal recommendation is http://classic-domains.com as there is 24 hour support and a friendly voice on the other side to help ~ whenever you need it…
  • Ensure your website information is current and updated frequently with enough information that folks don’t feel like they are constantly seeing the same information everytime they visit your site.
  • If you are not web-saavy, chose a pre-designed template site such as WebSite Tonite or a Quick Shopping Cart site or if you want more interaction check out a Smart Space.
  • Get your personalized Email set up to send and receive messages (comes free with your domain name purchase from Classic-Domains!)
• Spend a couple of bucks and get a logo designed by a professional or an actual graphic design student if you want to use your buddy’s kid…just make sure they will provide you with a simple clean easy to recognize and reprint design.   It is alright to tell them what you are looking for such as symbols, colors, feeling, etc.  Here are a few suggestions:
  • http://99designs.com/ You prepay whatever you are willing to put out…artists compete for your award.  You pick the design you like out of who has participated in your “design contest”…win/win.  You can also put in bids for custom website design…just be careful as you may get the design, but not necessarily the hosting (what to do with it after you’ve bought it)
  • http://www.logomyway.com/
  • http://www.designcontest.net/

Step Two – Secure Your Online Presence

• Register on the following Social Media Sites – I suggest getting a seperate Email account from Gmail or Hotmail for signing up for all the Social Media online stuff.  That will keep all those entries seperate from your business email.  Get one first then sign up for:
  • Twitter – Register – remember your Twitter Name will not have any spaces in it…
  • Facebook – Get a Business Facebook page, you cannot get a customized “name” until you have at least 25 ‘friends’ so get it together and get your buddies to ‘like’ you so you can get your name http://facebook.com/classicdomains
  • HootSuite - HootSuite allows you to update multiple networks in one step…You can also have ‘team members’ which you can assign to help you keep your networks (facebook, twitter, etc.) updated.  Also, you can pre-schedule updates, so you don’t have to be on hand when you want an update to go out.
• Use “Widgets” from the Social Media sites your sign up for by inserting the code they give you into your web page…what will that do for you?  Well…you can have your “Twitter” updates right on the front page of your web…it will look like you are constantly updating your web, and really all you are doing is pre-scheduling updates through your “HootSuite” account…pretty neat and simple – huh?  You will find links to “Widgets” easily usually through the “help” sections…just type in Widgets.

OK, so I lied…only TWO steps to a Simple Web-based Communicaton Plan…if you have done all the above, you will be poised for building your ‘Social Networks’ for your business, your non-profit agency or even yourself.  After that is is up to your to engage your followers, keep your website updated…

Resources this week: (for great links and tips follow me on Twitter @kathymorse

• Infographic: Don’t waste your time “The Social Landscape” http://ow.ly/2gx50
• The Power of Choice – My Rules for Social Media http://ow.ly/2gwf7
• 4 Essential Tools to Get Publicity http://ow.ly/2gwQ0

25 Business Women to Follow on Twitter http://ow.ly/2gwNc