In past years, the internet has allowed businesses to establish themselves without having to physically be in the same place. Today, the world of business is more global and interactive, and a company’s reach can extend far beyond the four walls of their establishment.

While this may seem like a good thing, it can also mean that a business’ customers are now much more likely to be found outside of their traditional sphere of influence. When this happens, it can make marketing much more challenging. Today, we’ll discuss five ways you can market your business online, using platforms like Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.

1. Create YouTube videos

Anyone can create videos and put them on YouTube. Even if you don’t have a professional-looking video recording device, you can use a service like YouTube to create and upload short videos (up to 15 minutes long).

The important thing to keep in mind about YouTube is that it’s a search engine, and when someone searches for your product or service, YouTube will show them your video first.

If you think that your product or service is interesting and you want to show it to the world, then YouTube is a great place to do that. Just make sure that you tell a story using valuable information, and make sure that you create videos that are interesting, concise, and well-produced.

2. Start a blog

Having a blog is a great way to establish yourself as an authoritative source on your industry. When someone visits your blog, they will typically be presented with a combination of relevant content and prominent calls to action, such as buying buttons, affiliate banners, and so on.

Blogs allow you to share your experiences, research, and tips and tricks for your industry. The most successful blogs out there have turned into massively successful businesses, so it’s definitely a viable option for those looking to build a brand name for themselves in their industry. Just remember that blogging is a very competitive arena, so you need to make sure that you’re constantly producing content that is both good and original, and that you promote your blog with social media platforms.

3. Use social media to follow, connect, and engage with people in your industry

The internet drives traffic to your website, and social media platforms allow you to get in front of your target audience, no matter where they are in the world.

You can use social media to follow the various people and companies that you’re interested in supporting, as well as those that are active in your industry. Doing this can help you discover content that is both interesting and valuable.

Engagement comes in many forms on social media, but generally speaking, you want to make sure that you’re constantly interacting with your audience. If someone is consistently relevant and engaging with their followers, then those followers are more likely to consider that brand valuable and relevant.

4. Start a podcast

If you’ve ever listened to an audiobook, then you know that they are a fantastic way to gain credibility and gain access to an audience that you might not otherwise have. Podcasts are no different, and with the right approach, they can be a quick, easy, and highly effective way to disseminate your message to the world.

What is a podcast? Simply put, a podcast is a regularly published series of audio files (usually shorter than an hour long) that are usually centered on a single topic, but can tackle multiple subjects.

Podcasts are fairly easy to get started with, and there are numerous platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud that make it easy to find and share your podcast with the world. Just make sure that you keep them interesting, entertaining, and informative.

5. Post on forums

Online forums like Slack, Discord, and Skype groups allow for some amazing interaction between businesses. They are a place for professionals to discuss business-related topics, including pricing, industry strategy, and so on. Many successful businesses see these kinds of platforms as important assets for their operation, as they allow them to keep abreast of key industry news, as well as provide them with a place to meet other professionals.

These kinds of forums are visible to anyone with an internet connection, so if you post regularly and engage with other users, it doesn’t cost you anything to do that.

You can use these kinds of forums to promote your business. If you have a relevant and valuable forum, then you can use it to establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry. Make sure that you choose relevant and interesting topics that will engage other users, and make sure that you moderate the conversation, ensuring that the quality is always high. This way, you’ll be able to build a credible audience that will trust and value your opinions on the various forums that you post on.

You don’t need to limit yourself to just these five platforms, as there are countless others that you can use to market your business online. Remember, the more you put out there, the greater your chance of attracting organic traffic and building a loyal audience. Don’t be afraid to try new things, as long as you keep challenging yourself, you’ll be able to continue evolving and improving your marketing efforts.