With more and more customers starting online to research products and services, creating a strong online presence is more important than ever. But it’s important to know where to invest your time and energy online to get the best returns on your efforts.

In this article, we’ll look at five tips to help you create a winning online presence in today’s digital marketplace.

1) Social media presence: Stay active

Posting regularly on your social media accounts is key to attracting followers and keeping them engaged. Not only does that increase your chances of appearing in their social media feed, but it also gives your business consistent exposure.

Your social media “cadence” will help customers know when they can expect to hear from you, and even encourage them to seek you out.

2) Branding strategy —Stay on-brand

Keep your messaging aligned with your branding strategy. That doesn’t mean every social media post is a sales message, but it does mean that your content should align in some way with your business, products, and/or purpose.

Be sure to add in personality and a splash of entertainment now and then. Customers like to be reminded that you view—and can relate to—them as people, not just prospects and leads.

3) Pick the right social media tools

Different social media platforms attract different types of audiences. LinkedIn is primarily a business and professional networking platform, while Facebook is great for consumers. Instagram is an image-based platform and TikTok is a short video platform popular with millennials.

Invest your time in platforms where you’re likely to find your audience and make the most of its format. If it’s a visual platform, post attention-grabbing images. If it’s networking-based, create content that your followers will want to pass along. Which brings us to…

4) Create shareable content

Creating content your followers can share is an effective strategy to help grow your social media audience. Test different types of content to see what gets the most shares. Is it colorful product images? A series of customer testimonials? A content or sweepstakes? How-to articles or top 10 tips?

Figure out what’s most attractive to your audience and then get creative. The bigger you can build your social media following, the more people you can reach with your next big sale or product launch.

5) Revisit your website

While a website isn’t part of your social media presence, it plays a critical role in your online presence. If a potential customer discovers your business or product through social media tools, the first thing they’ll do is check out your website.

So, review your website and update areas that need it. Does it feature your most current messaging? Showcase the right products and/or services? Offer valuable information related to your products or the problems they solve? Give customers a way to purchase from you or contact you for more information?

Ensure your website is delivering everything it should to keep your customers in your sales funnel.

While cultivating your online presence will take time and energy, it’s definitely worth it. Don’t underestimate what might bring new customers in your digital “door” and the steps you can take to put your business’s best foot forward. And if you reach the point where your energy doesn’t seem to be paying off, remember: test, test, test. Figure out what works and capitalize on it.