Honestly? If your online presence isn't landing, stop posting and take a step back. Ask yourself: who are you really trying to reach and why should they care? Most founders rush into content without thinking through the basics. However, unless you're clear on your voice and your value, none of it will stick. It just gets lost in the scroll. Once you know who you're talking to, pick one platform. Don't chase them all. For me, LinkedIn has been the most effective. I didn't try to be flashy; I just started sharing what I knew. Lessons from work. Things I Wish I'd Done Differently. Real stuff. That kind of content hits. People can tell when you're not faking it. One more thing: posting is only half the job. The real growth? It comes from conversations. Comment on other people's stuff. Reply to DMs. Start actual dialogues. You'll be surprised how far that takes you.
Founder & Fractional CMO for High Growth Beauty Brands at Digital Consultant & Creative Director
Answered 8 months ago
"Don't try to be everywhere. Focus on being unforgettable in one place first. A common mistake I see startup founders make is spreading themselves too thin across every platform. Instead, choose one channel where your audience is already active—whether it's TikTok, Amazon, or email—and go deep. For many of the beauty and wellness brands I work with, we built a strong online presence by starting with a single 'hero platform' and refining content, SEO, and retention strategies there before expanding. Depth builds trust. Scale can come later.
Here's one thing I've learned about building an online presence: Your homepage doesn't matter nearly as much as your Google results. Most early-stage founders obsess over their website—pixel-perfect design, fancy scroll effects, the whole thing. But honestly? The first thing a potential user, investor, or journalist does is Google your company name. If all they find is a dead Twitter feed, your personal LinkedIn, and maybe a Crunchbase stub from 2022, it sends a subconscious signal: "This company isn't alive." So instead of endlessly refining your homepage, go on the offense. Contribute thoughtful responses to HARO or Featured. Answer relevant questions on Quora, Reddit, or even TikTok if your users hang out there. Publish insights on Medium, Substack, or as guest posts. Set a goal: "Every month, five new high-quality links show up when someone Googles us." One weird trick we've used: we respond to UGC (even small ones—tweets, forum posts, blog comments) as the founder, not a generic brand voice. People remember that. It's scrappy, but also personal, and it makes your brand feel human in a sea of sterile SaaS clones. Bottom line: your online presence isn't your website—it's the breadcrumb trail that proves you exist, that you're active, and that you're not just another startup with a nice logo and no heartbeat.
My best advice for a startup founder struggling with their online presence is to stop trying to be everywhere at once. It's easy to feel like you need a polished website, an active presence on every social media platform, and a blog, but that's a recipe for burnout and mediocre results. Instead, I'd tell them to focus on two things: a niche and an email newsletter. Find the one specific problem your product solves for a very particular audience, and then build a simple landing page that promises to solve that problem. Your goal should be to get people to sign up for your newsletter so you can deliver that value directly to them. The email newsletter is a powerful but often overlooked platform for startups. While social media algorithms can be unpredictable, your email list is a direct line of communication with people who have already shown interest in what you're doing. This allows you to nurture your relationship with them, share your journey, and build a genuine community of early adopters. It's also where you can get invaluable feedback on your product before you even launch. This strategy builds a loyal following that will be ready to buy from you when the time comes, proving that a small, engaged audience is far more valuable than a large, passive one.
Don't underestimate the power of a 'build in public' strategy. Hop on your web cam, share your screen, do everything you can to celebrate wins, and share challenges, hopes and dreams. The more you can be on video talking directly to your ideal customer, the better. The feedback you get helps you build a better product focused on benefits, rather than useless features. For extra credit, use the video transcripts to create a blog. It's cheap, authentic, and a credibility builder.
Here's what I would do: Create one really solid long-form piece of content - a detailed blog post or video solving a real-life problem your customers actually have. Then work with AI to smartly slice it into social posts, email sequences, LinkedIn articles, Twitter threads, etc. The magic isn't really in the AI - it's that you gotta start with something worth actually saying. Don't create garbage at scale. Be smarter. Use it to multiply good ideas. One 2,000-word article becomes 20 social posts, three emails, and five video scripts. All of those pieces reinforce your expertise. Every platform gets native content. Nothing feels recycled because you're adapting, not copying. Quality at scale beats quantity without substance.
Instead of trying to be perfect, focus on being consistent. Many founders put off building an online presence because they're looking for the perfect brand or message. Start posting regularly on one or two platforms where your target audience spends time, like LinkedIn for B2B or Instagram or TikTok for DTC. People connect with real stories, progress, and lessons much more than with polished marketing talk. Also, put money and/or time into SEO-driven content in Youtube or a well-organized blog early on; it builds long-term visibility and gets better over time.
If you're a startup founder trying to build a presence online, my advice is to stop chasing visibility and start earning trust—one question at a time. When I helped launch a new pest control brand, we didn't start with big ad spends or influencer deals. We started by answering real, location-specific questions on the blog—like "How much does termite treatment cost in Lafayette?" Those posts didn't just get traffic—they converted, because they showed up at the exact moment someone needed help. The strategy that worked best was pairing helpful content with a strong, clear offer mid-article. We'd lead with education, then plug in something like "Get your first service for $79 in Lafayette" right where people were already engaging. That mix of relevance and timing made even a new site competitive fast. Don't worry about going viral—focus on becoming the most helpful, trustworthy voice in your space. That's what makes you worth finding.
The best advice I can give to a startup founder struggling with their online presence is to focus on showing *exactly* what you do and how well you do it, not just telling people. When I started Ozzie Mowing & Gardening, I didn't have a big marketing budget, but I had years of hands on experience, a horticulture qualification, and a clear passion for the work. I started posting regular before and after photos on Facebook and Instagram of real client jobs. I kept the captions simple but informative, always pointing out the gardening techniques I used or how I solved a particular problem. Over time, this built trust because people could literally see the quality of work and the pride I took in it. This alone generated a steady flow of inquiries and helped me build a community of locals who now regularly engage with the page. One specific example was a full garden restoration I shared where a client's overgrown yard was transformed into a low-maintenance native garden. I explained my plant choices, layout strategy, and soil prep approach based on my horticulture knowledge. That post alone led to three new clients who said they chose me because they saw I actually understood plants, not just mowing lawns. Social proof is everything. So my advice is, don't overthink the platforms. Use Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile well, post real work with useful context, and let your experience do the talking.
Here's what I'd tell any startup founder: own your Google Business profile like it's your storefront—because it kind of is. Early on, we spent too much time fussing over fancy website tweaks and not enough making sure our online listings were clean, packed with reviews, and updated weekly. Once we made that shift, calls increased, especially from mobile users searching for "pest control near me" in places like Ankeny and Overland Park. I'll never forget a customer who told me she chose us over a competitor because we had recent photos, clearly listed hours, and over 200 five-star reviews—while the other company's profile looked half-abandoned. That's when it clicked. Don't wait to get perfect—get visible. Your online presence isn't about having the prettiest site; it's about being easy to trust in 30 seconds or less. Start there.
If you are a seasoned professional launching their first business or even a Gen X moving into the startup sector, I have one main tip: Don't be afraid to hand online marketing off to a digital native. I've learned the hard way that trying to master every new platform, trend, or algorithm yourself can burn a lot of energy with minimal return. Building a strong online presence today isn't just about having a good website or posting occasionally, it's about understanding digital behavior, timing, tone, targeting, and analytics. That's a full-time job -- and one best suited to those who grew up online. Your job, on the other hand, is clearly understanding your value and audience, plus the story you want to tell. Get crystal clear on that, then hand the keys to someone who lives and breathes this space -- someone who can translate your business instincts into digital traction. You can still lead the brand, but let them steer the clicks. The internet rewards authenticity above all else. Hand this task over to someone who speaks its language fluently.
My advice is to focus on building a solid foundation with a user-friendly website and consistent, valuable content. Create helpful, high-quality content that speaks to your audience's needs, and post regularly. I've found LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to be the most effective platforms. LinkedIn is great for networking and showing expertise, while Instagram and YouTube help you connect visually and engage a larger audience.
One of the basic advice I'd give to any startup founder whose presence on the internet is a problem would be outreach. At Jumper Bee, it's not just about the products we offer and creating memories, but also about reaching out to our customers and the communities we cater to. Being established in the World Wide Web does not just mean self-advertising your company, it means listening, responding, and being involved with individuals who are discussing you. Facebook and Instagram make this easy. Share highlights, run contests, and celebrate to connect with followers. Work with local events and tag them to get noticed and show support. Lastly, optimizing for local search by keeping your Google My Business listing up to date and encouraging satisfied customers to provide reviews has paid its weight in gold. For location-based companies like ours, this often leads straight to bookings. Focus on engagement, quality material, and becoming where your customers are searching.
If I could give just one piece of advice to a startup founder struggling to build a strong online presence, it would be this: clarity beats complexity. Too often, founders try to be everywhere at once—every platform, every trend, every buzzword—without clearly defining who they are, what they stand for, and who they're trying to reach. That lack of focus dilutes your message, and people scroll right past it. When we started Zapiy, I felt the same pressure to show up everywhere. But what actually moved the needle was choosing one platform—LinkedIn, in our case—and committing to consistency, relevance, and real value. We treated our content like a conversation, not a sales pitch. We shared behind-the-scenes moments, lessons learned in real time, and insights that genuinely helped our audience navigate their own challenges. That transparency built trust. From a strategy standpoint, we leaned into owned content and storytelling. Instead of obsessing over going viral, we focused on building a digital reputation that reflected our brand's personality and values. A strong online presence isn't about reach alone—it's about resonance. You want people to come across your brand and immediately understand what you stand for. So, start with one platform. Nail your messaging. Be consistent. Speak like a human, not a brand. And most importantly, listen—because how your audience responds is often more valuable than anything you post.
Sometimes the turning point for a project comes in the unlikeliest of digital moments. I remember staring at a nearly silent feed, wondering if anyone out there even noticed what we were building. The usual approach of trying to mimic the biggest voices didn't move the needle for us. It wasn't until I started sharing small, unpolished moments, snapshots of our late-night work sessions, quick notes about what challenged us that week, that curious replies began to trickle in. With time, I realized how important it is to pick one digital corner and truly settle in. A growing presence doesn't happen by simply ticking off platforms; it comes when you linger and listen, finding where your own enthusiasm meets your audience's interests. For us, that meant sticking with one favored channel and nurturing it, learning over countless posts what sparked interest and what fell flat. The online world often feels overwhelming, like you're whispering into a storm. But when you show up with candor, share the oddities of your journey, and keep returning to a space you can genuinely call your own, that's when a real connection forms. Sometimes it's the quieter, rawer content that leaves the deepest impression and gently spins that web of trust and curiosity you need.
If you're struggling to build a strong online presence, stop trying to be everywhere and start by owning one platform really well. For me, it was my blog. I focused on SEO and writing content that actually solved problems my clients were searching for on Google late at night. That traffic led to real leads and honest conversations. Then I repurposed that content into LinkedIn posts and YouTube videos, which gave it even more reach without extra effort. The key is consistency and clarity. You need a clear message and a genuine reason for people to follow you. One thing that changed everything for me was documenting instead of constantly "creating." Share the behind-the-scenes of your process, post your wins and mistakes, and be human. You'll attract people who connect with your journey, not just your product.
Stop Chasing Trends. Start Owning Your Voice. If you're struggling to build an online presence, the first thing I'd say is: stop trying to be everywhere. Focus on one platform where your audience actually hangs out, and go deep. Master it. For many B2B startups, that's LinkedIn. For others, it might be YouTube or niche communities. The key is to show up consistently with a clear point of view. Don't just repost industry news. Say something about it, even if it's imperfect. What I've seen over and over is that founders who communicate like real people—sharing process, lessons, even setbacks—build trust faster than those chasing polished perfection. People follow clarity, not noise. Get clear on who you are, what you believe, and speak directly to the people who need to hear it. That's how you build presence.
One piece of advice I always give startup founders struggling with online presence: Don't chase followers , earn trust in focused niche. Many founders trying to "go viral" instead of getting strategic. The most effective online presence comes from one most relavant channel where your audience lives and share most consistent, high-value content. In my experience, some of the most effective strategies include: Building in public - sharing your startup journey openly on what's working, what's not, and the small wins along the way. It helps people connect with your story and builds trust around your brand. Content with intent - sharing posts that actually help your audience tips, lessons, or solutions to real problems. Don't post just to stay active. Focus on value, and let SEO and smart social posts bring in organic growth. Micro-community engagement - all about being present where your audience hangs out Reddit, Slack groups, Twitter, etc. Join conversations, attend niche events, and build real relationships. Being helpful beats being promotional every time. As for platforms: For B2B founders: LinkedIn + Twitter/X For consumer products: Instagram + TikTok For technical tools: Reddit + Product Hunt + GitHub Your presence online is just a reflection of your presence in your customers' minds. So start small, stay authentic, and let value compound.
Online visibility for my startup felt almost impossible at first. Each day, I watched my carefully crafted posts go mostly unnoticed, despite hours spent tweaking every word and image. The silence left me wondering if anyone out there was really paying attention. It started to feel like a lonely conversation with myself. Determined not to give up, I zeroed in on one digital space where my ideal customers seemed genuinely active. I focused all my efforts there, telling stories about my journey and the process behind the business. I still remember the night I shared a candid account of a misstep that taught me something valuable. Dozens of people replied, relating their own setbacks and cheering me on. Narrowing focus made all the difference. Instead of chasing attention on every platform, I built honest connections in one place. That intimacy became a springboard, leading to organic mentions and new customers I never expected. Giving myself permission to be specific, and vulnerable, turned a silent online world into a community where my brand had a real voice.
My one piece of advice to a founder struggling to build an online presence is to reject the pressure to be everywhere at once. Instead, pick the single platform where your ideal customers are in a professional, decision-making mindset and commit to becoming the most generous expert in that one space. For our personalized jewelry brand, that platform is LinkedIn. The most effective strategy we've used is not to "create content" in the traditional sense, but to simply "document our craft." This means I don't just post polished photos of finished rings. I share the real challenges and insights from our daily work: a post about the complex market forces affecting gemstone prices, a detailed breakdown of the 3D CAD modeling for a challenging design, or the story behind ethically sourcing a rare sapphire. We are documenting the expertise that already exists within our business and sharing it freely. Paired with spending just 15 minutes a day leaving thoughtful, value-adding comments on the posts of others in the luxury and design space, this "depth over breadth" approach has been most effective. It builds a reputation for genuine authority and trust, which is the ultimate currency and the foundation of our entire brand.