When I began my Notary business back in April 2010, I had no clue where to start. Having worked in the telemarketing and teleservices industry for over 15 years, I thought my future career growth would remain in that field, and I had no intention of starting my own business.
But ultimately, I needed a change of pace, and I was always intrigued by Notaries. One of the companies I worked for had a Notary on hand to notarize its lien paperwork, and when I saw the fancy-looking seal, I thought Wow, this looks very interesting.
Then I went to a website for people who want to get out of the rat race and saw mobile Notaries mentioned. There were four companies listed. I did a little bit more research and thought maybe there was some way I could make a living doing it.
I didn't know it would be so exciting, but once I started doing the work, it just stuck to me like glue. Over the years, I have built a thriving business, and a large part of my success has been because of online marketing strategies.
Building a website
When I first started my Notary business, I did research on the different website-building platforms. Even though I could have built one from scratch, I wanted something that was more responsive. I came across WordPress, which was excellent because not only was I able to build my website, I was able to install special features like a chat interface.
For the technologically challenged, there are lots of website builders out there.
Before you start building your website, I would suggest mapping it out first, so you can decide what you want the site to look like. Do a rough draft before you even touch whichever website platform you choose. Make decisions about the placement of your phone number, email address, and social media links on your website. Think about the type of font you want to use, as well as the font size for text and headlines.
As you play around with things on your website, remember to keep your audience in mind. Learn your audience as much as you can because if you don't, you won't know what they will respond to, and you can't build your website in a way that will fully cater to the people you want to serve.
For example, many of the people I serve are 60 and older and may be in the hospital or assisted living facilities, but the people who are actually looking at my website often are their children or grandchildren. So when you look at the content on my website, I customized it to the people who are looking at it — in this case, the family members of clients.
Maintaining a blog
An important strategy is maintaining a blog. It keeps your website fresh and lets your audience know that you're active. It also can help make it easier to find your website when people search for a Notary.
Some other ideas for blog posts may come from life experience and situations that I’ve run into during my time as a Notary. I'll inform the public of different things in our field, such as people asking Notaries to do things we're not supposed to do and cases of fraud in our industry.
No matter what you write about, you want to create crisp, engaging content. There are ways of writing that will bore people, so don't fill your content with so much legalese or make it so hard to read that people lose interest. Add a little laughter at times. I make my blog funny sometimes because without laughter, without joy, without cheer. No matter what you write about, you want to create crisp, engaging content. Even though our position as a Notary is serious, you don't always have to be serious in your blog.
Maintaining a social media presence
Being active on social media is another great strategy to build a business. It helps to be on several different social media sites, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and others, where potential clients might be.
When I began my social media venture, I was very skeptical at what any of it could do for my business, but it has helped get people to my website. Since I'm a bit shy, social media took some getting used to. I have never been outwardly boisterous or extroverted, so I let my social media be my extrovert. All of my social media reflects how I really am. It's all real.
But even though you want to be authentic on your social media, you should remember to keep it professional, too. If you wouldn't want your mother to read something, don't put it on your platform. Post items, photos, even videos about your business activities.
Adding a chat feature
I've incorporated a chat interface into my website so that customers and those with questions can contact me in real-time, and it has helped my business immensely. This is definitely a good idea for a mobile Notary who is always on the go because being able to answer customers' requests is the number one priority for retaining your customer base. Messages come directly to me, so I can talk to customers on my computer or on my phone. If I miss a chat, the program will send the message to my email, so I have access to the chat at all times.
Schedule online activities
I block out certain times to handle my social media and work on my blog content because if you're manning that stuff all day long, you're not working. Also, I write down as much as I can. Every time I get an idea, I write it down so I don't forget it and can act on it during my online time.
Running a Notary business is busy enough. When you add the tasks of blogging and social media to your plate, your online strategy can become its own monster. Don't let the monster take control of you. Preparation is key. When you are well prepared to face the day or week ahead, you're already ahead of the game.
Sonita Leak is the owner of Greenville Notary Services in Greenville, South Carolina.
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