If you are looking into creating an online marketing strategy for your business, you have probably considered a few of the many different methods that could be used to reach potential customers. You might want to experiment with social media, build a blog, establish an online store, or create YouTube videos to name just a few. There are many ways that a business can utilize the internet to gain support and engage with customers. However, you might not be sure which methods will be the most effective or affordable. That is where this article comes into play. We will discuss the key elements that you need to consider before beginning your strategy and how you can use free resources to build the foundation for your campaign.

Why An Online Marketing Strategy?

The world has changed. People are realizing the benefits of digital marketing and using online resources to discover information and make purchases. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, 66% of consumers said they’d rather read product reviews online than in traditional publications.

This presents businesses with the opportunity to reach potential customers where they spend the most time – online. Having an online marketing strategy in place can help businesses gain the support and engagement of consumers, drive traffic to websites, and enhance conversions.

There are a host of different reasons why you might want to consider creating an online marketing strategy for your business. Here are just a few examples:

1. Establish A Presence Online

The first and most important step in creating an effective online marketing strategy is to establish a presence online. This could be in the form of a website, Facebook page, or Instagram account. The content that you put out there will determine how people perceive your business. In order to create the best possible experience for your customers, you should use a hosting company that offers one-click installs so that you can get your website or Facebook page up and running in no time.

2. Build Awareness

Once you have established a presence online, you can begin to gain awareness through online marketing. This could include getting involved in online communities such as Reddit, answering questions on Quora, or establishing a blog – all of which can help drive traffic to your site. Establishing a blog is a great way to do this. You can use a free platform like Blogger or Medium to get started and then use affiliate marketing to promote relevant products that are relevant to your niche. For instance, if you are a fitness blog, you could develop a fitness product roundup featuring products that you’ve tried, liked, or recommended. When someone clicks on a product that they’ve never heard of before, you’re opening the door for that product to be purchased – as long as the consumer makes that connection.

3. Generate Conversation

With any luck, you’re now thinking that maybe this whole online marketing thing isn’t as terrifying as it seems. Your website or blog is probably already live and you’re wondering if people are actually reading it. If so, bravo! You’re on the right track.

The truth is that nobody really knows if you’re generating any kind of response to your blog posts. This is why marketers have adopted a strategy of continually pursuing new users, engaging with your audience, and creating conversations.

The good news is that you don’t have to sit back and wait for people to find you. You can go out there and find them. All you need is a reliable method of contacting potential customers that is also cost-effective. Luckily, there are tools and apps that can help you do just that.

4. Measure The Impact Of Your Campaign

Once you’ve established a presence online, you can continue to grow that presence through a series of digital marketing activities. These activities include measuring the impact of your website, blog, and social media platforms. It is essential to measure the results of your efforts so that you can determine if this is actually helping your business and if you’re spending your money effectively. You can’t manage a campaign that you can’t track and analyze.

5. Identify Areas For Improvement

Finally, it is essential to determine what you’re doing well and what you need to improve upon. Just because you’ve had some success at launching a digital marketing campaign doesn’t mean that you can’t do better. Keep analyzing the results of your efforts and identifying areas for improvement.

This is where a business strategist comes into play. By applying their experience and knowledge to the challenges you’re facing, they can help you make the most of your existing resources and improve the efficiency of your marketing efforts.

To get started, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you establishing a presence online?
• Is your website optimized for search engines?
• Are you using a hosting company that offers one-click installs?
• Is your email marketing system set up correctly? (i.e. Are you using a template, auto responders, etc.)
• Are you tracking your website’s performance in the right way? (i.e. Google Analytics, web traffic, etc.)
• Are you using the right social media platforms for your business? (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+)
• Are you connecting with users on social media platforms?
• Is your digital marketing budget okay?
• Are you using the right metrics to judge your efforts?
• Are you refining your strategy based on the results of your efforts?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, congratulations! You’re ready to build an effective online marketing strategy. But it takes time to develop good skills, so be patient.