[Part 1] Claim your online territory

Plus, a TikTok-less marketing strategy

Author

Katelen Dusek
July 02, 2024

If you’ve found your way to my newsletter, you’ve probably been sitting on a business idea for a while. This week, we’re putting the “online” in “online business” by digging into one of the foundational pieces of your business - your online home.

🛑 Before we go any further…

This is a tech-focused newsletter. When writing this post, I’m assuming you’ve already taken care of 2 less-techy things:

👉 You have a business name and brand. You can hire someone to help you with this or go the DIY route. The good old Internet is full of branding advice, such as this article.

👉 You’ve done all the legal stuff to register your business. Do your research with sites like LegalZoom or talk with a legal expert (definitely not me).

One of the best things you can do for your business from the beginning is claim your online territory. Whether you have a full-blown website or you’re just testing the waters by posting on Instagram, I strongly recommend claiming your username on any platform you think you may use now or in the future. You don’t have to use them right away, but if/when the day comes, you’ll already have the name reserved.

But Katelen, that sounds like a lot of work.

Yes. But I’m about to make it 100x easier for you.

Work smarter, not harder

Ideally, when you name your business you’ll do a little googling to make sure no one else in your niche is using that name.

You can go to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, etc. and search one at a time, or you can use a tool like BrandSnag. It’s free, comprehensive, and easy to use. It searches the Internet for your desired name and generates a color-coded report of its findings.

BrandSnag in 3 steps:

1. Go to brandsnag.com

2. Select Personal or Business, depending on your purpose for searching

3. Type your name idea and hit search

Among the perks of having a uniquely spelled name: easy username creation

Katelen, the first result was a domain. Do I need that, too?

The short answer: It depends, but you’ll want to consider it.

Next time, we’ll chat about domains, including:

  • In non-technical words, what is a domain?

  • Do I need one?

  • What can I do with a domain?

  • How do I get one?

Feel free to do your own research in the meantime, but at least plant that seed 🌱 in the back of your mind.

📝One last thing...

Did the thought of creating all of those social media accounts make you tense up a little? Totally fair, I get the same feeling almost every day.

If you’re looking for a way to talk to potential customers that requires zero trends, zero selfies, and zero hashtags, try creating an email newsletter.

👉 Don’t just take my word for it - check out Why Creative People Should Start a Newsletter.

Happy 4th of July to those who celebrate, and I’ll see you next time!

-Katelen

P.S. What questions do you want answered next? Hit reply or leave a comment and let me know! 💬

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