How to Conduct a New Year's Audit of Your Online Presence

So many people love the new year because of the fresh start it brings. In fact, most of us start the year with some big goals or intentions in mind. 

Perhaps you have some for your business. One area you might be thinking about is your marketing plan for the year, specifically your online marketing and presence.

As you consider what you’d like to do this year to reach more of the right clients for you, it’s essential to take an audit of your presence first to determine where to go from here.

Start with the whole

First, look at your online presence as a whole. Where do you appear online? How much information can your clients reasonably and easily get from the information available about you and your services? Try to search for yourself using a few different search phrases if you’re not sure.

Something like [your name + your profession] is the most obvious search phrase. But try a few different terms after your name that describe what you do and who you serve. 

This should populate enough search results to give you an idea of where you show up online and how easy it is (or isn’t) to find you. While you’re at it, jot down the search phrases that turned up accurate results. These can come in handy when you’re ready to optimize your online profiles or website.

 Next, make a list of the sites and platforms where you appear online so you have a sense of your online presence as it stands today. Did you find an old profile you’d forgotten about? 

When I did this same exercise a few years ago, I found a very outdated profile on Translators Café from my first year as a freelancer. I had completely forgotten about it! 

For now, don’t be too concerned with the nature or quality of the sites and platforms where clients can find you. You will revisit the list you made later when you start to determine your plan for the year.

Be sure to include these places and any others that might apply: Your website, LinkedIn profile, professional association/organization directory profiles in our industry and in industries you serve, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other sites where clients can find you (Google My Business, Yelp, Nextdoor, etc.). 

Once you have a list of the places and ways clients can easily come across your name and services, set the list aside for a moment. You now have a good idea of what’s available at your clients’ fingertips. Ask yourself these questions:

• How did you feel about what you found?

• Did you find any outdated or inaccurate information?

• Were you able to find yourself easily, or did you have to scroll through a few pages of search results?

• Were there any places where you appear online where you’d rather not appear anymore?

• Are there places you know you have an online presence but which did not appear in the search results? 

Save your notes after you complete this exercise, as they will help you prioritize what parts of your online presence need work and what you want to keep, improve, or remove.

Dive a little deeper

Now it's time to look at the list of specific platforms and places you appear online. Before you begin the audit of these tools or profiles, jot down some notes about:

• How your clients currently find you online (web search, professional association directories, etc.) and where they might be looking, even if you don’t have a presence there yet

• How you feel these tools and platforms are working for you/could potentially work for you

• How much time/energy you’re putting in on these platforms and whether it might be worth putting in more in some areas where you believe your clients would likely find you or be hanging out

• What might be missing from any of your profiles or sites where you appear

• What you might take out of the mix/spend less time on anything because you don’t feel your ideal clients would be looking for you there anyway

Now, go through each tool and determine the ones you plan to keep using or that you might want to start using. Look at the various features of these tools and consider whether you need to use them all (chances are, you don't!). Rule out the different features on each platform/tool that you can spend less time on and make a note of the features that are most likely to help you reach your clients. Consider features like daily posts, articles, video, direct messaging, communities and groups, ads, etc.

Prepare your next steps

Now that you have conducted your audit and have a good idea of where you need to make improvements, consider whether you need to learn more about any of these platforms before you start laying out your marketing plan for the year.

Where could you go to find more training/resources? When will you work on setting up or improving the different areas of your online presence? 

As you make a plan for the year, keep in mind that small, focused progress consistently over time is often more sustainable and effective than one-time bursts of unfocused work. Add some time to your schedule each week to make sure you progress in the areas you have prioritized for your business’ marketing efforts. If you want to complete a particular task by a specific date, clarify this in your planner or schedule so you have a better chance of achieving this milestone.

What goals do you have this year for your online marketing? How will you plan to reach them?

Related: Do you need help with your marketing plan for 2022? Consider an online presence coaching program.