So you want to invest in online marketing. Congratulations! You are among the growing number of online marketers who see the promise of the internet and realize the importance of gaining an audience and making sales online.
The question is: How do I get started? How do I purchase internet marketing?
There are four ways to purchase online marketing that you need to know about. Let’s take a look. (And for more information on any of these four options, simply click on the link)
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Every piece of content on the internet has the potential to be discovered by someone searching for content on search engines like Google or Bing. Let’s face it, without internet search, we wouldn’t have discovered this article. So, it’s important to do everything in your power to optimize your content for search engines.
What is SEO? Simply put, SEO is the process of increasing the exposure of your website or blog in organic search engine results. When someone searches for your products or services on Google, you want them to find you. If they click on a listing, they’ll discover all the valuable information you have to offer.
You can use a variety of methods to perform SEO, including but not limited to:
- Creating lots of high-quality, valuable content on your website that is relevant and helpful to your target audience
- Using keywords in your content to make it easier for search engines to find your content
- Matching your keywords and content to relevant and engaging blog posts on social media platforms like Twitter
- Integrating your social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn into your content-writing efforts
- Optimizing your website for search engines
The advantage of SEO is that you’re not relying on any one source for traffic. Instead, you’re utilizing a variety of methods to reach your audience, which means your chances of gaining new customers are greatly increased.
2. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
While SEO focuses on attracting visitors to your website through organic search results on search engines, SMM focuses on growing a following on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Simply put, SMM is using online platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to grow your audience and gain credibility.
SMM makes up a large portion of any online marketer’s toolbox. Why? Twitter and LinkedIn each allow you to have a very specific audience that you can grow and engage with via your content.
The question is: How do I get started with SMM? How do I purchase SMM?
Like with SEO, there are four ways to purchase SMM that you need to know about. Let’s take a look at them.
- Creating content that people will want to share on social media
- Attracting potential customers to your website through social media
- Engaging with and gaining credibility with your audience on social media
- Extending your reach to a larger audience through social media
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways of reaching potential customers, whether you’re selling a product or service through email or want to simply promote an event or blog post.
Why? Email marketing allows you to reach your audience when they’re most receptive to your message. And remember: no matter what method you choose for marketing your business online, you’ll always need an email list to send out your messages.
You can use a variety of methods to perform email marketing, including but not limited to:
- Creating an email list (you can use tools like MailChimp to create and send out automated emails with pre-written content)
- Using email marketing to promote your products and services
- Increasing engagement with your audience via email through content such as case studies, how-to guides, and FAQs
- Using email marketing to grow your audience and gain credibility
- Using social media platforms like LinkedIn to follow and connect with industry experts
- Offering rewards to new email subscribers with free products or special discounts
- Using re-marketing emails or newsletter updates to remind people to visit your website
- Blogs and websites that provide useful information to your audience are often referred to as “curated content” sites. These sites often have contact forms, and/or offer social media engagement such as buttons or profiles.
The advantage of email marketing is that you can reach people when they’re most receptive to your message. If you want to purchase marketing, this is the type of audience you need to be targeting.
4. Display Advertising
The term “display advertising” may be somewhat unfamiliar to you. Simply put, display advertising is the practice of displaying ads on websites and blogs. When someone clicks on a display ad, they’re taken to the advertiser’s website where they can be further engaged with the content or product being promoted.
Why is display advertising important? Think about it from the point-of-view of a real estate agent. If they want to attract potential home buyers to their website, they may choose to include a map with directions to their office in the form of a picture within the ad. The picture may not be the most important part of the ad, but it’s certainly the most recognizable and likely to make a difference.
When someone clicks on a display ad, they’re taken to the advertiser’s website where they can be further engaged with the content or product being promoted.
The four methods of purchasing online marketing that we’ve discussed so far are essential in order to have the best chance of converting traffic into paying customers. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of successful internet marketers who don’t use any of these four methods. However, the greater the variety of marketing methods you utilize, the greater the chance of reaching your audience and making sales.