Conflicting information is all over the internet. Despite how much we like to think it’s organized, the internet boasts a bit of a “Wild West” vibe, thanks to its ability to literally let anyone share content about anything at any given time. When it comes your online assets as a business owner, you have control over making sure that you’re not posting conflicting information about your brand or business. Keeping your online content accurate should always be a priority!
The truth about your online content
Want the truth? People generally trust whatever your website says as fact. Your hours of operation, your address and phone number and your product/service offerings as well as your pricing. Whatever it says on your website and social media pages is what your followers are going to reference.
If the hours are listed as 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, then that’s what people will go by when deciding when to come to your place of business. If you changed your hours six months ago to start closing at 9 p.m. instead of 10, and someone comes by at 9:10, you might get an angry message that says something to the effect of, “But your Google listing (website, Facebook page, etc.) says 10 p.m.!”
It’s great that people are paying attention to your digital assets—but with that pat on the back comes the responsibility of keeping your online content accurate.
The key to keeping your online content accurate
Being in the business of web content creation and monitoring, we are quick to think about updating this type of information on our clients’ pages. However, we know it’s not always at the top of mind for everyone.
If you don’t have a team of marketing professionals keeping up with changes in information, then what? In reality, the key to keeping your online content accurate is that there is no magic bullet. You’ve just got to stay on top of it!
Make it second nature to update your online assets any time you have a change. Find ways to remind yourself that will work for you—whether that’s setting a reminder in your phone to check the accuracy of your digital content once a month, or updating it immediately after business decisions are made.
Think about it. You wouldn’t leave a billboard up on the side of the Interstate that displayed an old address or phone number for your business. So why would you want your business to be associated with outdated or incorrect information online—especially when it’s so quick and easy to change?
Summary
Remember that the public information you display about your business online a) exists and b) is something that your followers do trust you to keep up-to-date. If you can’t find a good way to remind yourself to update your online info, then it may be time to start working with an agency. We’d be happy to help!
McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.
