Since the news of COVID-19, marketers and advertising professionals knew this would change the landscape of our industry forever.

Brick & mortar stores are now scrambling to hire web developers to help to establish an online store. Those already with an e-commerce platform are digging deeper into UX design. Small to mid-size businesses now have an opportunity to play with the ‘big guys.’

Digital marketing is more than having a digital presence. After all, 547200 new websites are created every day.

One of the first things I do upon getting a new client request is to do a Google search of the client. I take inventory of their website, social media presence, whether or not they’re on industry platforms/websites, and what kind of feedback they’re receiving from their customers/users/clients. Here’s what I usually find:

They have a website. But it hasn’t been updated in 3-6 months. Strike #1.
(You get an extra strike if the copyright is out of date at the bottom of the site.)

They have a Facebook. But their posting is random and without strategy. Strike #2.
(Note: You don’t need ALL social media platforms to be successful online. Ask me about this.)

Strike #3: their digital presence is inconsistent and contains mixed messaging. Different colors and/or different versions of the company logo are being used. Out of date PDF downloads. Website and social media is not up-to-date with industry and/or global updates. This communicates the opposite of what, I’m assuming, you’re trying to communicate: that you’re a competent, put-together business/organization that is ready to handle any questions, projects, etc. to come your way. Ouch, right? It sucks, but it’s true.

One thing you can do today is auditing your digital presence. Take a moment and comb through those posts. Browse through your company’s social media. Is the voice consistent? Is the branding cohesive? If you were a potential customer/client/vendor, would you partner with this business, based on the information in front of you? Do you trust what this business/organization has to say?

If the answer is ‘yes,’ awesome! Keep crushing it!

If the answer is ‘no,’ let’s talk. There’s a lot we can do without an overhaul. Spoiler alert: you probably do NOT need a rebrand. You just need a strategy and someone to keep the ball rolling.