There is no denying the fact that the internet is changing the way we do business. More and more people are relying on the convenience and capability of the internet to find the products and services they’re looking for – whether that’s a gadget they need or an airline they want to travel on. With the internet playing such an important role in our lives, it only makes sense that marketers would want to take advantage of this new medium and implement an internet marketing strategy for their business.
What is internet marketing?
Put simply, online marketing is all of the activities and practices a business uses to get their content in front of potential customers and engage them to take action (such as make a purchase or sign up for a newsletter).
The most successful businesses implement an integrated marketing approach, which combines different tactics and platforms to achieve their marketing goals.
Why Internet Marketing?
The rise of the internet has changed the game for marketing and businesses must now adapt to this new environment. One of the best things about the internet is the ability to target the right audience – which means businesses can get much more specific about who they’re trying to reach and what they’re marketing.
This level of precision makes it much easier for businesses to connect with their customers and allow them to stay top of mind.
In addition, with the internet, businesses can literally be where their customers are – no matter where they are located. This is potentially huge, considering traditional marketing methods like TV commercials and magazine spreads only work if your target audience is physically located in one area. Now, with many businesses able to offer their products online, the line between marketing and selling becomes blurred. What’s more, many industries, such as eCommerce and travel, have moved to pure digital marketing – meaning they don’t rely on traditional marketing channels like TV commercials to get the word out about their products.
All of this being said, not all forms of internet marketing are created equal. There are several strategies and tactics that can be effective as long as they’re done right. Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent ones.
Conversion Optimization
Conversion optimization is all of the tactics and algorithms a marketer uses to improve the chance of a customer clicking a link, making a purchase, or signing up for a free trial.
The reason this is so important is that customers don’t always behave in the way businesses expect – meaning some of the practices below might not produce the results they’re looking for. By understanding how customers behave and using that to your advantage, you can improve the overall customer experience and boost conversion rates.
Content Marketing
If you’ve been around the block a few times, you’ll know that content is king (or queen) – whatever it is, people will always have an appetite for content. This means that if you want to grow your business, you need to get creative with your content and try different avenues to reach your audience.
Whether you want to publish a blog post, tweet about a particular topic, or take advantage of a new trend and create a YouTube video, you can’t miss the fact that content is popular and will always be in demand.
By constantly creating and publishing content, you give yourself the opportunity to grow and improve your audience which in turn, can lead to more business.
Social Media Marketing
While content is always important, so is social media. People love to connect with others online and using social media to engage with potential customers is a great way to stay relevant and top of mind.
The importance of social media in today’s marketing environment cannot be understated – it’s important to keep in mind that not all social media is created equal. Simply posting to social media channels won’t cut it, you need to engage with your followers and potential customers by sharing interesting articles, asking questions, and responding to comments.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If you want to get found when someone searches for your products or services, you need to optimize your website and make sure the search engines can easily find and rank your content.
Unlike a lot of businesses that think they can just throw a website up and people will magically find them, this is not how search engines work – at least not at first. You need to put in the time and energy to get found, which is why SEO is so important.
SEO stands for search engine optimization and it’s a form of internet marketing which involves optimizing your content (whether that’s a website, blog post, or social media profile) to make it easier for search engines to find and rank it.
There are various tactics you can use to optimize your website, including (but not limited to) getting linked from high-quality websites, creating content that the search engines love, and using keywords throughout your content. Many businesses think they can just throw up a website and have it ranked on the first page of search results – but this isn’t necessarily true, it takes a lot of work to get a website to that level.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Just because you have a Twitter account doesn’t mean you have to be limited to just posting about relevant news stories – you can use the platform to directly promote products and services you’re selling.
You’ll typically need to set a budget in advance so you can measure the results of your PPC campaign. When you set a budget for PPC, you’re not setting a limit on how much you’ll spend – you’re simply choosing to only pay for actual conversions (clicks that lead to sales).
If you want to get your product or service in front of the right audience and make sure they’re more likely to click on your ads than ignore them, sign up for a PPC account and begin experimenting with different offers and pricing structures. You can also run ads on other platforms like Facebook and Instagram – which can help you reach a wider audience.
When Should You Begin An Internet Marketing Campaign?
As we mentioned above, the internet is constantly changing and evolving – meaning if you want to implement an internet marketing strategy for your business, you need to start now.
Why? Because the more you wait, the more difficult it will be to tell which tactics and platforms will be effective and affordable. What’s more, unless you have a well-established web presence, it’s not guaranteed your target audience will even know who you are – or that they’ll remember you once you’ve disappeared from their screens.
On the other hand, the sooner you start, the more likely you are to stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies that can help you grow your business.
Creating A Marketing Plan
If you want to begin a successful internet marketing campaign, you need to take the time to plan out your strategy. This means creating a roadmap and following through with key tasks – such as publishing your first blog post or designing a website.
The simplest and most effective way to do this is with a business plan – by documenting your strategy, you’re able to easily track your progress and see if your plans are bearing fruit or if you need to make some adjustments.
A business plan can help you get investors, secure loans, or simply allow you to follow through on your promises – whatever it is you hope to achieve from your online marketing efforts. Creating a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated, you can use a template like the one below:
Sample Business Plan
Let’s say you want to open a bed and breakfast in England – a project that’s been long in the making. You’ve finally decided to make the plunge and put your plan in action. Or, maybe you’ve decided to expand your restaurant into a chain, starting with a single location in London. Regardless of your situation, you’ve decided that now is the right time to bring your plans to life.
To do this, you’ll need a business partner – let’s say, Jane. Together, you’ve brainstormed ideas for your business and have decided that creating a bed and breakfast in England is what you want to do first. Your plan is to take advantage of the tourism industry in a major English city and create a chain of B&Bs that’s both affordable and high-quality.