They say all press is good press. That there’s no such thing as a negative mention.
They’re wrong. It really does matter how you and your organization appear online, both in venues that you control and that are completely out of your hands.
You can’t do as much about the latter, to be sure. But there’s no excuse for you to be lackadaisical about the former. To chase clout by any means necessary, even if it damages your brand in the long run.
With these seven web properties, there’s no danger of that. Here’s how to use them to build your company’s digital profile and enhance its brands — the correct way.
- TheOrg
TheOrg makes famously opaque org charts legible without revealing proprietary information — a nifty dance that private companies have long clamored for.
This company profile is a great example of the sorts of information you’ll find here: executive profiles with extensive work history, direct report and supervisor names, “related employees” at other firms, and granular details like “work style.”
TheOrg is much more than another highly visible search result. It has the potential to boost early-stage companies seeking talent or investment, address basic media queries without taxing public relations resources, and even helping current employees navigate the dynamics of larger workplaces.
LinkedIn needs no introduction, and you almost certainly use it already. But you’re probably leaving a lot of potential on the table — at least, if you’re not using LinkedIn’s surprisingly powerful publishing features or taking full advantage of LinkedIn groups.
LinkedIn makes it easy to see where your profile still needs work. It wants you to use these tools effectively. Set aside an hour this week for an in-depth checkup.
- Bloomberg Company Profiles
Bloomberg’s detail-rich company profiles provide vital stats on privately held and publicly traded firms alike: industry, sector, stock information (if applicable), employee count, key leaders, key functions, and much more.
This being Bloomberg, these company profiles also aggregate recent headlines and notable company events. The end result is a surprisingly comprehensive snapshot of each listed firm. Take a moment to check yours for accuracy today.
- Wikialpha
Not Wikipedia — Wikialpha. This “alt-wiki” has much looser guidelines for earning and keeping a listing, so it’s super-valuable for early-stage companies that don’t yet qualify for a Wikipedia listing.
The rules around who can create and edit Wikialpha listings are less strict too. There’s really no downside to launching yours today; just keep an eye on it to catch unauthorized updates quickly.
- Crunchbase
Crunchbase is a “who’s who” database for tech-adjacent companies and leaders. Like Bloomberg’s company profiles and TheOrg’s depth charts, you’ll find a ton of granular information about people and their employers here, along with relevant news and headlines.
An accuracy check is warranted to start, but you’ll want to make sure your listing isn’t missing any key details either. Crunchbase is particularly popular with investors, so you don’t want to omit anything that could influence a future raise.
- Google My Business and Bing for Business
These search engine business directories are as close to a guaranteed first-page listing as you’re likely to get. And they guarantee visibility on the engines’ respective maps too.
Don’t make the mistake of focusing only on Google. Yes, it’s the vast majority of U.S. search traffic, but Bing’s slice is every bit as valuable on a per-capita basis, if not more so.
- High-Authority Business Directories
There are so many that we couldn’t pick just one. And few are universal across industries and enterprise stages, anyway.
If you’re a customer-facing retail business with multiple physical locations in the markets you serve? Yelp is the clear market leader, along with Google and Bing for Business.
YellowPages (YP.com) is a close runner-up. YP.com is also appropriate for businesses without physical locations — it’s as close to a catch-all directory as you’re likely to find.
In the home improvement business? Angi and HomeAdvisor, which share ownership, are must-lists. They’re powerful lead-generation tools too if you’re able to curry favor with their algorithms.
The list goes on. Find the outlets best aligned with your industry and audience, and claim your spot.
Your Brand Deserves to Stand Out
It really does. So what are you doing wrong?
If you’re chasing clout by any means necessary — up to and including courting controversy to boost the number if not quality of your digital mentions — then you could be setting your brand up for failure in the long run.
By contrast, these seven outlets can help your company attract the right kind of attention. Even if it’s slow or boring or doesn’t seem to have much of an effect at first.
Use them wisely. And resist the urge to take shortcuts.
