Online marketing isn’t something that’s new for small businesses, but it’s still as important as it’s always been, especially with the evolution of social media and online streaming.
An online marketing strategy is nearly as important as a business plan, especially when you’re just starting out.
The most common excuse for small businesses not marketing online is that they “don’t have enough time”. We know that life is hectic, especially when you’re starting your own business, but here’s the thing:
Your customers (primarily) will search for you online. So you need an online marketing strategy plan.
How often do you browse the Internet? How much time do you spend on social media? What are the websites that you prefer to use most; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google+? Think about the answers to these questions, and then apply this to your customers.
If they see you interacting on social media, and can find your well designed, search-engine optimised website, then you’ve already won.
Top Tips for Online Marketing
- Research your clients, and what social media they’re using. This is crucial if you want to effectively marketing your business to them. Spending money on Facebook advertising isn’t going to work if your clients only using Pinterest or Instagram.
- Research your competitors. How are they interacting with their customers, and if they are, what are they saying? Is it an effective social media strategy, or could they make improvements?You need to take the time to research how established businesses have created their own online marketing strategy. This can pay dividends in the long term for your business. Take a look here at the time Waterstones successfully used their own social media to increase their brand awareness.
- Be memorable. Just search for #epicdancebattle on any search engine and see how being memorable can be just as successful as interacting with customers on social media.
- Bring together the offline and the online. If you have your own business premises, then think about running various promotions online. Could you run a competition on Twitter, with the prize being a coupon for your customers to spend in store?
If your customers are coming into your store, remind them to follow you on social media for “regular updates and exclusive offers”. This increases your online presence, and still increases the footfall of your offline business.
Remember, consumers have too much choice. If you haven’t fully developed your online marketing strategy, and haven’t designed your online presence around attracting new customers, then they will go somewhere else.
You need to attract, create a strong “Call to Action”, and encourage your existing customers to help promote your business online through their own social media circles.
So there we have it. Creating your own online marketing strategy doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. Do your research before you jump into the social media ocean, and you’ll be floating instead of sinking in no time.
If you’re still struggling with marketing, then take a look at our guide on what marketing actually is, and how you can use it successfully.
For more information, then take a look at our marketing strategies page, or if you just want to chat, then all you have to do is get in touch.
Hearted this. 🙂
Great you mentioned the offline strategy. While it’s no longer rare to find businesses that don’t display their social media accounts on their shops, it’s still useful to remind salespeople to tell customers about where you can be found on FB, Twitter, or Instagram.
Hi Don, glad to hear you enjoyed the post. I agree, most people are aware of displaying their social media accounts, but we find reminders are always helpful ?