St Louis is famous for many things, including its food and its music. But perhaps the city is most well-known for its entrepreneurial spirit. Aspiring entrepreneurs flock to the area to make their dream come true, and the city is home to many successful businesses.
In recent years, businesses based in St Louis have achieved great success through online marketing. Thanks to increased access to the internet and social media platforms, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to spread the word about their brands and businesses, reach new audiences, and connect with loyal customers all from the comfort of their office or home.
Marketing your business via the internet can be done effectively and affordably, and with the right tools, strategies, and research, even small businesses can succeed in transforming their online presence and increasing their reach into new markets and geographies. In this article, we’ll discuss the many advantages of online marketing in St Louis, as well as how you can put this strategy to work for your business.
Why Should You Market Online?
The most basic answer is: because it’s always on. Whether you’re in the office, at home, or on the road, people have the ability to discover and learn about your business 24/7. The internet makes it possible to reach potential customers when and where you want, which allows you to make the most of limited marketing budgets.
You might not need to run ads to attain customers simply by posting about your services on social media sites. But without a sophisticated online marketing strategy, your exposure on social media alone can be ineffective and even counterproductive, as people might conclude that your business does not exist or is not legitimate without seeing any evidence of it in person or online.
In addition, without a web presence, a potential customer in St Louis might not learn about your business, as the only way they’d learn about you is if you physically show up somewhere and tell them about your services or products.
Having a website makes it easier for customers to discover more about your business, as they can simply type in your URL (uniform resource locator) into the search bar of their browser, which then redirects them to the homepage of your site.
This is also why it’s critical to have a company blog. A blog is essentially a website published to periodically provide readers with valuable and informative content that entertains or informs them about your business. The benefit of a blog is that it provides visitors with additional reasons to stay on your site and learn about you, your company, and your products. If you host a blog on a premium domain, like.com or.edu, you will find that your site gains credibility in the eyes of your target audience, as these are considered to be the ‘safe’ domains, where visitors are more likely to believe and act upon your content.
A blog post might also contain links to external resources, such as other websites, social media accounts, or product pages on Amazon, that you think might be useful or interesting to your readers. These types of links can help drive referral traffic to your site.
10 Examples of Online Marketing Done Right
To illustrate the effectiveness of online marketing in St Louis, let’s look at 10 examples of businesses that utilized this strategy and how they were able to succeed.
1. E-commerce Platforms
Electronic commerce (e-commerce) – the buying and selling of products or services via the internet – is one of the biggest industries in St Louis. Some of the city’s most recognizable stores, such as Buy Buy Baby and The Webster, have been able to grow their business significantly thanks to e-commerce.
E-commerce allows for businesses to have a wider reach into a larger audience, as people can now discover your offerings regardless of where they are in the world, which in turn makes the whole world their market.
2. Social Media Sites
The success of many businesses in St Louis can be attributed to the influence of social media. It’s an essential tool for any entrepreneur, as it provides a large, valuable audience that you can use to promote your business and attract potential customers. You can start by creating accounts on the major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, then begin posting engaging content that will keep people interested and coming back for more.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the ranking of your website or blog in search results. The higher your website or blog’s ranking, the more easily your site will appear when someone searches for terms related to your business.
There are lots of tools that you can use to optimize your SEO, but one of the simplest and most effective strategies is article marketing. Article marketing entails the posting of articles about your business, products, or services to online forums such as Medium, which then allows for the syndication of your content to other websites. When someone clicks on a link to one of your articles, they will then be directed to your site, wherein they have the opportunity to learn more about what you have to offer.
4. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Also known as pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, paid search advertising (PSA) is another form of online marketing that can be highly effective, as you only pay for each click of a link or button to your site that someone clicks on from an advert.
The advantage of PPC advertising is that you only pay for the results you get, which means you can test out different prices and gain instant feedback on the performance of your adverts. This allows you to iterate and improve your strategy, instead of investing in expensive television ads that don’t convert well, only to find out later that the price was too high.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing, a.k.a. digital marketing or electronic mail marketing, is the process of contacting potential customers through email. You can learn more about email marketing in general here.
The most recognizable email marketing platforms are mailchimp and sendgrid, though you can find cheaper alternatives, like mailjet. Email marketing is effective in part because it allows you to keep in touch with your audience, whether you have 100k or 500k+ subscribers. Through email marketing, you can announce new discounts, promotions, and special events, as well as provide customers with valuable information about your industry. This enables you to build credibility and trust with potential customers, as they know you’ll always keep their interests in mind.
6. Blogging
Blogging is a popular choice among business owners in St Louis, as it’s a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. When someone enters a keyword into the search bar of their browser, they will then be directed to your blog’s homepage, wherein they have the opportunity to learn about you, your company, and your products.
You can also use your company blog to advertise your business, as there are lots of tools, like Google Adsense, that can be connected to a blog, permitting advertisers to target audiences based on specific interests.
7. Podcasting
A podcast is a series of audio recordings that are typically associated with a website or blog. The advantage of a podcast is that it’s extremely easy to produce and can be curated quickly, allowing for greater engagement. It also means people can easily listen to your content wherever and whenever they please.
Podcasts can be extremely effective tools in establishing your credibility as an industry expert, as they present you as someone who is indeed knowledgeable about your topic. When you’re seeking advice from other industry experts, you can either listen to them via podcast or read their blogs, as they might also choose to speak with you about your industry.
8. Videos
Video content is becoming more and more important, as people are using their smartphones not only to browse the internet but also to watch videos, particularly short-form videos, such as those found on TikTok.
Videos can be a useful tool in promoting your business, as you can use platforms, such as TikTok, to have your video appear in the #1 spot of your community’s home feed.
9. Traditional Methods
While the above strategies utilize digital methods to market your business, you might want to consider more traditional methods as well, such as radio advertisements or newspaper and magazine articles.
For instance, many businesses in St Louis use radio advertisements to attract potential customers. Through these advertisements, businesses can share informative and entertaining content, while also promoting their products and services.