Here’s some (hypothetical) good news. Your company has just been featured in the Business Journal. Your neighbor just told you that he read the article and thought it was great. While that kind of recognition probably makes you feel great, it won’t likely bring you any new business.

Luckily, there are easy ways to help spread content that appears online about your business, whether it’s a story written by one of our reporters or the latest Insights you wrote and contributed yourself.

• Take a minute to find the article on our website. Click the headline, and at the top of the article page you’ll see icons for LinkedIn and Twitter. By clicking on those icons, you can easily share the article to your LinkedIn and Twitter followers.
• Leave a comment with your LinkedIn article to explain why you’re sharing it – “We’re excited to be profiled in the Business Journal.” Or “The Business Journal quoted our president in an article on economic development.” LinkedIn gives you the option to share articles with groups, such as those you follow in your industry, or with your individual connections.
• Share your content on your business’ Facebook page. For most Insights contributors, that means linking to two Insights articles each month from your business’ Facebook account. Ask your followers for their feedback or comments. It’s a great way to learn what people enjoy reading; writing to their interests can boost engagement.
• Share content quickly. News that’s a month old isn’t news. We’ve made it easy for you to share content with the buttons at the top of each article.
• After you’ve shared articles on Facebook and LinkedIn, check back for comments. Social media at its best is personal and interactive. If a client comments on the article about your business, thank them. If someone asks how to get in touch with you, tell them.
• Check back on the Business Journal’s website periodically to see if a person has commented on the article or Insights about your business. Then respond – even a simple “thank you” to a positive comment shows engagement. You can sign up for Google Alerts (free) so that Google will send you an alert when its search engine finds content about your business. A free alternative is Talkwalker. Services that you pay for typically deliver better results, but these free services may be enough to help you get started.