Are you starting an online business, or maybe giving your ongoing business an update? Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in business for a while and ready to make a larger impact, you need to let potential customers know you are open and available to serve them.

That means getting the word out; and with some know how, you have plenty of options to successfully market your business to the masses.

1. Update your branding.

If you’ve been around for awhile, or wanting to attract new eyes on your website, consider if you need to update your logo and basic branding graphics. Spend some time fleshing out your images and settle on a design, colors and fonts that reflect the personality of your business and brand. Even if your blog or website has been around for a while, a rebrand using new colors, images and fonts will get people looking and listening for your new message. You’ll also be able to use your new look to increase awareness of your business on all social media platforms.

Once you have your branding visuals ready, begin your web and social media business awareness campaign. You’ll want to create a company blog before you do this, and you have plenty of workable options that don’t require much in the way of tech experience. Here are 5 basic online marketing methods to open up new accounts, upload your brand images, describe your services, and keep updated with your latest business news, events and offerings.

2. Your blog or website.

Fortunately, it’s not necessary to have a huge background in technology to manage your own business website or blog these days. Once you set up the basics like hosting, a domain name, and a platform you’re ready to get your message out. The next step is to launch your updated site. If you’re not confident to create and mange your own website, consider hiring a web designer from an online job site.

3. Your email newsletter.

It is totally necessary for you to have a basic way for people to join your mailing list in order to stay in touch with potential customer and sell products and services. There are multiple email providers out there ranging from the easy to complicated, depending on what you need. Some online business owners operate their entire business from the email lists. So choose a provider, such as MailerLite or Aweber. Make a list of  topics your targeted audience would be interested in learning about and start writing articles to post on your blog and social media accounts. When you share on your blog and on your social accounts, don’t forget to provide a link people can use to sign up for your email list. Then, start mailing to them on a regular basis.

4. LinkedIn and Facebook

LinkedIn is one of the best social media sites to share your business news, information and updates. Most everyone there has an account meant for professional reasons. So you can push your message out about your business, background and your offers without the distraction many other social media sites present. Facebook is getting rather congested these days, but you can start with a basic business page there. Seek out other social media sites based on your business model. However, don’t overdo at first. It’s better to focus and spend time on one or two relevant sites to gain traction before starting additional social media areas.

5. Professional Networks and Special Interest Groups

After getting started on the social media sites, research groups on the various sites that relate to the services you offer, the types of professional connections you seek, and the people who would want what you sell. Then join the  groups that have members of your target market. Start sharing relevant comments that highlight what you do to attract attention and show your expertise. Be sure to follow the group rules, but if allowed, post a link back to your site or to a relevant article on your blog where the person can find an opt-in form to sign up for your mailing list.

When starting a business or promoting one you’ve been in for a while, it’s imperative to get the word out to potential customers about what you do. These few tips will get you started gaining some visibility.