There’s a lot of competition in business, and standing out from the crowd isn’t easy. To ensure that your business stands out above the rest, you’ll need to develop and implement an effective marketing strategy that will connect with your target audience.
Often, small businesses get stuck in the habit of thinking that running a web site or having a social media account is enough to attract potential customers. While these are essential facets of marketing your business, you should also be considering other areas of digital marketing.
Here, we’ve listed the top five ways that business owners and marketers can use the internet to grow and maintain their businesses.
1. Product Research
One of the first things that prospective customers will do when they are interested in your product is to conduct quick internet searches. This is where you as a business owner or marketer come in; you’ll need to get the information that they need and want from the online world to make a purchasing decision. You’ll need to perform detailed research on your products, analyzing pricing, comparing features, and much more. You can’t expect your customers to come back to your store first time again if you don’t know what you’re selling.
One of the best places to do your research is the marketplace. On eBay, for example, you’ll find a variety of products from which to choose. Instead of conducting your search on a single platform, such as Google or Bing, use multiple platforms to get the best results. By incorporating key words and phrases into your product descriptions and headlines, you’ll be able to attract the right audience to your site. Once they have landed on your site, take advantage of the information that you have on hand to convince them that your product is what they’re looking for. With your product in hand, you can take them to your store for a physical tour.
2. Content Marketing
What are your customers talking about? How are other businesses competing for their attention? By analysing past conversations and future expectations, you’ll be able to create content that is useful and inspiring to your target audience.
Think of the last time that you were searching for something online. Chances are that at some point, you landed on a website that had relevant and useful information that you needed. If you’re finding that most of the websites that you visit are selling you something, why should you visit them? Create content that is beneficial to your target audience and that will encourage them to come back for more. Inspirational content that teaches or informs can work well for B2C businesses, whereas, entertainment content (such as memes or GIFs) can work for B2B businesses.
3. Social Media Marketing
With more than a billion active monthly users worldwide across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, social media has become an essential tool for any marketing campaign. The beauty of social media is that it’s free and available to anyone with an internet connection. You don’t need an expensive marketing budget to launch a social media campaign; you simply need to be willing to put in the time and effort to grow your audience. Once you have attracted a decent audience, you can use social media to engage with and inform your followers about your business. For example, you can upload a product video to YouTube to have the world know about your product. You can also use social media to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry; by sharing expert insights, relevant news, and industry trends, you can become an expert in your field and gain credibility.
4. Email Marketing
Did you know that 98% of people who receive an email remember the message and are more likely to take action? This makes email marketing a powerful tool for business growth. Not only will you be able to target the right audience, but you’ll also have the opportunity to engage with them on a more personal level. You can use email marketing to grow your audience and eventually, convert them into paying customers and brand advocates. You can also use email marketing to send out important notifications and updates about your business; by establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry, you’ll be able to gain credibility and trust with your audience. In summary, email marketing is a great choice for marketing because it’s effective, affordable, and more importantly, it’s personal. Your emails will be treated as individual messages rather than a broadcast. This may sound like a small detail, but it can make a big difference. When customers feel that they’re receiving special treatment because they’re subscribing to your email list, you’ll be able to build a lasting relationship.
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Did you know that 75% of people who visit a website leave after just three seconds? To have someone stay on your site for more than three seconds, you’ll need to work on your search engine optimization (SEO). When a customer is looking for information on your topic, they’ll enter keywords into the search bar. To have your website show up when someone types in those keywords, you’ll need to optimize your pages and posts for the search engines. To have someone stay on your site for more than a few seconds, you’ll need to work on your SEO. To have someone stay on your site for longer than three seconds, you’ll need to work on your search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but the benefits are more than worth it. Having an effective SEO strategy will put you miles ahead of your competitors who aren’t taking the time to learn about search engine algorithms and how to play the game effectively. If your site isn’t showing up in the top three search results when someone is searching for your product, you’re losing potential customers to your competitors who are taking the time to learn how to play the game.
In summary, using the internet to market your business isn’t a new concept. In fact, many businesses have been doing this successfully for years. The trick is to find the tools that work best for your business and to learn how to use them effectively. Don’t get caught up in the trend and forget about what’s truly important to you; your customers, your industry, and your brand. What are your thoughts about online marketing? Let us know in the comments below.