One of the biggest complaints that small businesses have is that they have to compete with larger companies for traffic, customers, and funding. However, the fact is that no matter what size your company is, you still have the ability to compete for customers online. This article will discuss some of the lesser known sources of traffic that your small business can exploit for cheaper than you would think, allowing you to remain a one-person-shop and compete with the big boys.
The Long Tail
Often times, larger companies will get involved with marketing a brand or product that is more popular in one country or area than another. An example of this would be Coca Cola featuring the British variant of the drink as their “brand ambassador” in countries like India and Thailand. One of the biggest names in the long tail marketing field is arguably Google, where you will often find brands like Burberry, Armani, and Hugo Boss sponsored ads alongside regular Google ads.
These are massive companies with global reach and budgets, allowing them to fuel profitable advertising campaigns that help support their businesses. However, not all long tail marketing is created equal – your target audience for these products and brands might not be interested in what is being offered, resulting in wasted money and resources.
Sponsored Reviews
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, blog owner, or content creator, it’s quite common for you to be approached by businesses interested in sponsoring your content, either for cash or valuable products. While this might sound like an easy way to make money online, you should never, ever give away your honest opinions for free – whether you’re reviewing a product or service that you’re compensated for or not.
Even though it might be tempting, never let money influence your reviews – no matter how much you’re being offered, it’s always best to say no to any type of advertising or sponsorship.
If you’re being compensated for writing a review, it usually means that the product or service is of poor quality – and you’ll be hurting their brand’s reputation if you write about it positively.
Social Media Ads
Whether you’re familiar with them or not, ads on social media are probably among the most effective marketing tools that you’ve never heard of. This is because many people these days get their news and social media feeds from their smartphones, allowing businesses to target their product or services to them directly.
Instead of trying to force people to come to your website from a sponsored post or ad, you can use social media to draw people in who are interested in what you have to offer. Facebook ads, for example, are quite popular because they allow businesses to target the right audience for their products.
With so much competition in every niche, it’s essential that you find a way to stand out from the crowd. While you might want to explore the above-mentioned sources of traffic to see if any of them are worth promoting, you’ll find that the best and most effective way to make money online is through affiliate marketing. This is where you promote products or services that are relevant to your audience, and when somebody buys a product or service through your affiliate link, you will receive a commission.