Vienna, the capital of Austria, is beautifully situated in the middle of the Alps and the Danube River. In terms of historical significance, it was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for over 100 years, the location of the Imperial Palace, and the place where Ludwig van Beethoven composed some of his most significant works. Not only is Vienna an important historical city, it also has a very modern outlook and culture.

Vienna is a very social city – frequently with the temperature reaching the high 20s, people are outside enjoying the fresh air and making the most of the seasonal changes. Outdoor cafes and restaurants line the streets, and the locals are very family-orientated with kids going to school until the age of 14 and then taking on apprenticeships. During the day, the bustle and activity in the streets is a sight to behold as thousands of office workers flood in and out of the city’s numerous buildings.

Considering the cultural richness of the city and its people, it is perhaps not that surprising that Vienna is becoming a hub for small businesses. After all, if you’re in Vienna, you’re close to the European Union and there are plenty of opportunities for international trade. In fact, the number of expats living in Vienna has risen by 62% since 2010, meaning there are now more people from other countries living in the city than there are locals. With a population of around 1.6 million, Vienna has an open door policy for trade and investment. In 2017, there were over 263,000 new businesses registered in Austria, and over 300,000 new businesses were registered in the EU as a whole. In terms of new businesses registered, Vienna was ranked third in the EU after London and Paris, and it ranked first in the EU for the number of new companies registered per 100,000 population.

If you’re a business owner or marketing director in Vienna and you’re looking to make the most of the EU’s most popular city, this article will guide you on how to market your products or services online. We’ll cover everything from SEO to content strategy, so you can ensure your digital campaigns are cutting through the clutter and can help you grow your business.

Why Are More People Choosing to Trade Online?

It’s well-established that people are increasingly choosing to trade online – whether that’s buying a product or service or completing an employment contract or enrolling in a university course. In the last few years, the appetite for online trade has continued to grow, with the likes of Amazon, Alibaba, and Google entering the market and offering consumers the convenience of doing business online. These businesses have also enabled smaller firms to flourish, as it has become easier for small businesses to participate in e-commerce. For example, in the UK 74.4% of online shoppers have bought something from a small business website. What’s more, 41.5% of those shoppers have done so on what is officially described as a ‘mini-vacation’ – a one-off purchase or a delayed payment that is not considered commercial activity.

The emergence of the sharing economy has also played a role in the rise of e-commerce in Vienna. Similar to the gig economy in other parts of the world, freelancers and independent contractors in Vienna can now connect with potential clients and earn money online through small businesses and platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Whether you’re a business owner in Vienna looking to make the most of the city’s position as the capital of the EU or you’re an entrepreneur searching for new opportunities in the city, it’s well worth your while to research how to market your products or services online.

How to Market Your Products and Services Online in Vienna

There are four steps you need to take if you want to market your products and services online in Vienna.

The first step is to identify the right audience for your product or service. In the case of product-based businesses, the audience is most likely to be other businesses or individuals interested in purchasing your goods. The same principle applies to service-based businesses, but your target audience are likely to be individuals seeking the service you offer. When establishing your target audience, bear in mind that different demographics are likely to use the various channels of communication differently. For example, millennials prefer to engage with brands through social media channels, while Generation X prefer to engage with brands through email marketing.

Step two: Set up email marketing

The second step in marketing your product or service is to set up email marketing. Email marketing is incredibly useful whether you’re a product or service business or a business involved in marketing and fundraising events. As a rule of thumb, you should always have a presence on at least one major social media channel for each of the major email marketing platforms (such as Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL). Not only do email services make it easier for you to communicate with your customers, but they also make it easier for your customers to find you. Creating a separate email list for each social channel is the simplest way to ensure you get relevant content into your in-box, while also making it easy for your customers to find you when they want to buy something from you or get involved in your cause.

Another important aspect of email marketing is to set up automated email campaigns. If you’re using an email marketing service like MailChimp, you can set up automated emails to send to your audience based on triggers you set (e.g. new subscribers, customers who have bought a certain product, or people who have clicked a certain link or filled out a form on your website).

Step three: Develop a content strategy

The third step in marketing any product or service is to develop a content strategy. A content strategy is a plan of action designed to generate content for your website. Although you might feel that you’re sitting on an endless supply of ideas, chances are you aren’t. Before you begin your content creation process, ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of this content?
• How will I use this content?
• Who is my audience?
• What actions can I take to make my content more relevant and useful?

For example, maybe you’re writing about fashion and you want to create pieces for a fashion magazine. Your content strategy might include creating a digital scrapbook showcasing fashion trends from major fashion weeks around the world. Or perhaps you want to create a video blog showcasing fashion trends and showing how products fit into different styles and trends.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can begin to form a clear idea of what content you’ll need to create. Be as specific as possible (e.g. ‘scissors dress’, ‘full-blown tulle dress’, ‘shearling jacket’), as this will help you identify the right content, and ensure that you create the right pieces to fit the needs of your target audience.

Step four: Measure your digital marketing success

The final step in marketing any product or service is to measure your success. This is important not just from a practical point of view (e.g. did our efforts result in an increase in sales?), but also from a strategic point of view (e.g. did our marketing efforts lead to a change in the perception of the brand in the market place?).

For example, if you sell organic milk and you want to promote sustainable living, you might want to look into launching a CSR (corporate social responsibility) campaign. You could highlight different ways your customers can help to improve the lives of animals all around the world, such as by reducing their food waste, or by choosing not to buy products containing animal products.

The EU has a whole department dedicated to measuring the social and economic value of online platforms. This department, named the European Commission’s Connected Consumer Office (ECCC), hosts an annual conference where leading experts from around the world come together to discuss the latest trends and technologies in digital marketing and e-commerce.

If you’re interested in improving your online marketing in Vienna, these four steps will help get you there.