If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either an owner of an online store, or someone who wants to own one.
From the outside, it may appear easy. Just launch your store, and people will magically start shopping online from your store. But the truth is, marketing your new store online can be pretty difficult.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most effective strategies for marketing your online store.
Focus On The Basics
You don’t need to be an expert at marketing to be able to successfully market your new store. All you need is a basic understanding of how digital marketing and SEO work, and the willingness to take the time to learn.
If you’re launching a store for the first time, it’s virtually certain that you won’t have any existing customers to guide you. Which means you’ll have to rely heavily on search engine optimization and digital marketing to attract potential shoppers to your site.
From day one, you should be strategizing to drive as much organic traffic as possible to your site. This entails doing everything from making sure your site is structured and has the appropriate content to enticing terms used in your SEO strategy.
Guest Posting On Other Blogs
Blogs are a fantastic way to establish authority, generate interest, and gain credibility with potential customers. But you need to be smart about where you post, what you post, and who you post it to.
If your store is focused on a particular niche, such as fashion accessories or clothing for women, you can use blogs in the niche to build credibility and interest in your product. The most effective strategy for gaining prominence on a blog network is to guest post on other established blogs in your niche.
When you guest post on other blogs, you’re basically giving away free content to attract potential customers to your store. But you’re also giving the host blog owner credit for directing readers to your site, which in turn generates more traffic and leads to more sales.
So basically, you’re trading SEO clout for exposure on another blog. But if you do this effectively, it’s a great opportunity for exposure and growth.
Create A Blog Around Your Product
If you decide to create a blog around your product, you have two options. You can either do this alongside your store, or as an alternative means of marketing.
The first option is to create a separate blog for your store. If you’ve ever shopped at Nordstrom, you may have noticed the luxury retailer implements a similar strategy. The Nordstrom blog covers beauty, travel, food, and fashion stories, but also features product reviews and promotions from the retailer. This strategy makes sense. A blog that promotes your product is more likely to convert than one that’s simply a repository of news articles.
But if you decide to create a dedicated blog for your product, you need to pick a platform that’s easy to use and has a large audience. In 2019, the most popular blogging platforms are WordPress, Wix, and Bluehost.
Marketing On Social Media
Speaking of blogs, you also need to consider establishing a presence on social media. This is where most of your customers will be, so it makes sense to establish a credible presence here. But you don’t need to rush into creating thousands of followers to be effective. Start with a small audience, and engage with your followers by sharing relevant content and engaging in conversation.
To be considered a reputable source of information in your niche, you should have a significant social media following across platforms. But this doesn’t mean you need to have thousands of followers to be authoritative. Even a small social media following led by a single individual can be considered a credible source of information if that individual is known for their expertise in your niche.
For example, if I had a clothing store, and I’m known for my expertise in fashion, even though I only have 100 followers on Instagram, people will often come to me for advice on fashion trends or items they’re looking for. With the popularity of TikTok rising, businesses are taking note and using the platform to gain credibility and build trust with their audience. If you’ve got a niche product or service, consider using social media to establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
Get In The News
Even when people are looking for information online, they often still turn to news organizations for trustworthy content. So if you’re looking to gain credibility and interest in your product, establishing yourself as an expert in an area that’s covered by news publications is a great way to go about it.
But again, to be considered a credible source of information, you don’t need to have thousands of articles written about you. A small amount of media exposure can go a long way, as long as it’s related to something that you’re an expert in.
Product Reviews
Product reviews play an important role in establishing your credibility as an expert in your niche. When someone is trying to decide which products to buy for their home or office, they’ll often turn to reviews for guidance. So if you’re reviewing products related to your niche, you’re essentially marketing your product while also establishing your authority in the niche.
To effectively review a product, you need to be familiar with the lingo and jargon used by people in your niche. If you’re not familiar with these terms, do your research, and familiarize yourself with them before starting your review. Then, when you write your review, use these terms as often as possible, to give your review legitimacy.
For example, if I owned a medical marijuana dispensary, and I’m very familiar with the products and terminology used in relation to medical marijuana, I could review products specifically for patients, and use terms such as ‘affections therapy’ and ‘medical marijuana’ a lot in my review, giving it more credibility.
As you can see, these are pretty basic tips for marketing your new online store. But they can be the difference between failure and success. So take the time to learn, and don’t be afraid to try something new.