The past decade has seen digital marketing take the world by storm. Today’s successful businesses are expected to do much more than just provide quality customer service. They also need to find time to create a compelling website and maintain an effective presence on social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram.
As a business that’s serious about online marketing, you’ve likely already built profiles on Twitter or LinkedIn, keep them updated and respond efficiently to posts you receive there. Now it’s time to take things one step further and add your company to an online business database, like CrunchBase.
Why should you list your company on CrunchBase?
Like LinkedIn, CrunchBase is a business listing site. However, unlike other business listing sites, CrunchBase places an emphasis on collecting and recording data that helps you and your stakeholders discover industry trends and news on both up-and-coming startups and established companies.
Additionally, it can be used to create valuable business connections, such as linking entrepreneurs who require funding with venture capitalists seeking investments. As the basic service is free and should increase your company’s online exposure, listing your company here is a no-brainer.
How do you write the perfect Crunchbase profile?
As with any social media marketing venture, following best practices is imperative if you want to be noticed and taken seriously within your field. That’s why we’ve put together a list of six tips for constructing the perfect CrunchBase profile for your business.
1. Fill Out Your Whole Profile.
A key part of creating the perfect CrunchBase profile is completing the whole thing. That sounds obvious, but a surprising number of companies post thin, poorly drafted information about who they are and what they do. A well-crafted profile should allow you to be easily found and understood, and it should add value to your business.
On CrunchBase, your profile can be divided into two major sections: the overview and company details. Use the overview section to provide a clear and concise description of what your company does and which areas you operate in. Listing your nearest major city will help locals find you through Google. As you can see from this Crunchbase profile, you can (and should) also provide links to your other social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
Once you’ve filled out the overview section, you can move onto filling in the rest of your company details. Here, you can expand upon your brand’s mission and the services you provide. It’s also the place to list information that investors may be interested in, such as the date your company was founded and the number of people you employ. Make sure to use descriptive keywords to improve your SEO ranking, but avoid broad marketing language like “most comprehensive.”
2. Be Consistent with Branding.
Think about some of the most famous companies: McDonalds, Amazon, Starbucks. The moment you read the names, the logo springs to mind. That is the result of years of consistent and clever branding by these companies. To create this strong connection between your visual branding and your company, you must be consistent. Ensure that your CrunchBase profile clearly displays your company logo and colors and that you don’t deviate too much from the branding you use on your other social profiles. Consistency will lend a degree of credibility to your brand and help you stand out from your competitors.
3. Keep it Professional.
Even if you’re channeling a playful persona on your other social media accounts, CrunchBase is the place to keep things professional. Your page will likely be viewed by prospective investors, competitors and even journalists, so you need to put your best foot forward.
CrunchBase recommends sticking to third person, which means you should refer to your company as by its name as opposed to “our company.” Not only does this sound more professional, but it is also important for SEO. You should also have a branded email address (@yourcompanyname) as opposed to @gmail or @hotmail, which can sound amateurish.
4. Don’t Forget to Add Visuals.
Recent studies have shown that when people hear information, they generally only remember 10% three days later. However, when a related image is added to the same information, up to 65% of the information is still retained after three days.
This highlights the power of visual content marketing and why you need to include images on your CrunchBase profile. Studies suggest that the best type of image you can incorporate is an infographic. Infographics can convey key information about your brand in an interesting and memorable way. Just as importantly, they are also “liked” and shared on social media 150% more than any other type of content.
5. Update Your Profile Frequently.
Because you’ll be listing information about your company size, management team, funding rounds and acquisitions, you need to commit to updating your profile as needed. If you let the information on your page get out of date, you’ll give the appearance of a blasé approach to management and may turn off potential investors. Updating your page to add recent news about your company shouldn’t be considered a chore, as it’s a fantastic way to add extra value to your page and a chance to showcase your latest products and services.
6. Monitor Competitors.
One clever way to keep on top of company page trends is to check out the profiles of your greatest competitors for tips and tricks. If you invest in CrunchBase Pro, you can scope out the competition quite easily by building a search of companies in your sector and adding them to a custom list. CrunchBase will then notify you of your competitors’ major activities, such as news and changes in management. Keeping a close eye on like-minded businesses will help you monitor trends and stay ahead of your rivals.
If you’re serious about taking your online presence to the next level, creating and maintaining a high-quality CrunchBase profile is vital. By simply following these six tips, you’ll be able to construct a company page that boosts both online presence and business.
