In today’s world, being online is almost obligatory. With so many people having access to the internet and Social Media, it’s becoming much easier to market products and services to potential customers. In fact, without intending to, you’re probably already doing it right now!
Since the beginning of time, businesses have been established to serve people. Now, more than ever, social media has made it possible for businesses to be found and served by people who are in the middle of their journey, whether they want to buy a gift or need some services.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or you’ve just recently started a business, understanding how to market your business online can seem impossible. If you’re looking to expand your reach and grow your business, this definitive guide will help you understand the theory and practice of marketing a business online.
The Basics Of Online Marketing
Before you begin your journey to market your business online, it’s important to understand the basics. Like many industries, the world of online marketing is constantly evolving. However, there are some tried and tested practices that never go out of style. These are the things you need to know before you begin.
Choose Your Platform
The first step to marketing your business online is to decide which platform to use. There are many different options, so think about what you want from a website and blog, and choose one that meets your needs. If you’re looking for a simple, easy to use site that gets the point across quickly, consider a blog platform like WordPress. On the other hand, if you want lots of features and want to keep up with the trends, consider a platform like Shopify or Squarespace.
No matter what your needs, there is a platform that can serve your purpose. With so much choice, it’s essential to understand what you want from a website and blog before you make a decision. Otherwise, you could end up with something that looks great but doesn’t perform as well as you’d hoped.
Make The Decision To Go Digital
Once you’ve decided which platform to use, it’s time to make the decision to go digital. Even if you already have a website, deciding to go digital does not mean that you have to choose between online and offline marketing. In fact, there are many benefits to digital marketing. But before you begin, it’s important to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages. Let’s take a quick look at each.
Advantages Of Going Digital
Although there are many advantages to going digital, perhaps the biggest advantage is that you have the ability to target the right audience. It’s crucial to understand that your audience is engaged with you whether they want to buy your products or want to learn more about what you offer. So, it’s important that your marketing strategy incorporates both online and offline strategies. In other words, if someone is on your website, they’re obviously interested in what you have to offer, but if they’re not, maybe you should consider showing them some love in the form of an inbound blog post.
The ability to target your audience and engage with them is one of the major advantages of going digital. However, this also means that you have to establish digital contact points with potential customers. When people are searching for your products or services, they’ll find your website, social media accounts, and email address. So, if you want to market your business online, you have to decide what you’ll offer your audience via these digital platforms.
Disadvantages Of Going Digital
Just because your audience is finding you online, it doesn’t mean that they’ll automatically become customers. In fact, there are many disadvantages to going digital. First, depending on how developed your digital strategy is, it can be difficult to determine how much traffic you’re actually getting. Moreover, if you establish too many digital contact points with your audience, it can be difficult to gain trust, as there’s always someone else to compete with.
Although going digital has its advantages, if you want to market your business, you have to prepare for the disadvantages. Just remember that with every advantage, there’s always a downside.
The Evolution Of Online Marketing
Now that you have an idea of what you’re working with, it’s time to look at the evolution of online marketing. Just like many other industries, the world of online marketing is constantly evolving to fit new platforms, new devices, and new ways of interacting with customers.
To best position yourself for the future of online marketing, it’s important to understand how it all started. Like many other industries, the world of online marketing started with word of mouth marketing. Specifically, people would hear about a product or service and decide to try it out, and then tell their friends about their experience. Now, with social media’s influence spreading awareness and opinions rapidly across platforms, this type of informal marketing has become much more effective.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen the formalization of online marketing as businesses, startups, and even individuals have taken advantage of the ever-evolving world of technology to establish online companies that provide valuable information to customers.
For example, when someone enters Dog Food Into the search bar on Google, they’ll see lots of results that direct them to online stores that sell dog food. However, if they click on one of the results, they’ll arrive on a website that isn’t focused on selling dog food but is rather a blog that evaluates and compares different types of dog food. This blog post was written with the intent of driving potential customers to a store that sells dog food, but it was actually written for someone who’s never heard of Dog Food Marketing.
As you look to the future of online marketing, keep in mind the basics. Just like many other industries, the world of online marketing is constantly evolving to fit new platforms, new devices, and new ways of interacting with customers.