No matter what type of online business you choose to run, how you get the word out is important. How you market your online business is just as important as the business itself. Keeping up with the constant movement of today’s technology can be tricky, but it’s far from impossible. With the right marketing tactics, perseverance and consistency, you can make the most out of marketing and expand your online business’s ever-growing audience.
In a world where 76% of consumers make their purchases online, it’s critical to stay in touch with your audience’s needs and interests. The online world is constantly changing. And, as a business owner, you’ll need to be flexible so you can adapt and keep delivering what customers want. Staying relevant online ensures that customers never get bored with your content – or your company.
Here are some ways you can stay on top of marketing to make the most of your online business’s internet presence.
Blog Consistently
There is nothing less interesting than a company website with no dynamic content. This is made worse when the entire business is online. As soon as consumers visit your company website and see nothing but ads and product displays, they’re tuning out. Keep your audience engaged regularly with blog content. Consumers don’t want to feel like they’re being advertised toward; even if your blog content is field-related, it’s better than a wall of product placements.
Blogging is a great way to educate your audience as well as showing your expertise in your niche. It also provides you the opportunity to engage with your audience while also potentially collecting their contact information. This can be invaluable to a growing business. Ask site visitors to subscribe via email to your blog so that you can send them notifications later on. Additionally, allowing consumers the option to comment can mean a source of feedback for your brand.
Apply SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of using keywords to increase your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. Search engines employ algorithms when deciding what content to show web searchers. By using SEO in your website and content, you can guarantee that your site appears on Google, thus bringing your brand to consumers, instead of the other way around.
Studies show that the #1 result on Google’s search page receives 32% of all clicks. With SEO, that first result could be your brand. SEO is a powerful tool, and you’re missing out if you neglect to implement it into your web content. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a great beginner’s guide to setting it up.
Use Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a marketing arrangement in which affiliates receive a commission for each visit, signup, or sale they generate for a merchant. This essentially means that you would pay a sales commission to a website or affiliate marketer for every customer that helps generate a sale. Conduct some basic web research and look for companies in your industry with which you’re not in direct competition. Start a conversation about offering a commission for referrals from their platform or email list.
You can also join affiliate networks such as Share-A-Sale to find affiliate marketers that will help sell your products. The benefit of using affiliate marketers is not needing to hire sales representatives. Affiliate marketers are experts in selling products to an online audience and they usually have an email list where they can promote your product.
If you find the right affiliates, you can see your sales dramatically increase. Remember, affiliate marketers are online business owners, just like you. This means that affiliates will work hard if there is a worthwhile commission available. So, offering a low commission for a sale will most likely produce poor results.
Launch a Youtube Channel
You might think Youtube is just for the younger generation. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Youtube is being used as a marketing platform by more businesses every day – from solopreneur vlogs to Fortune 500 companies. Baby Boomers and Generation X are Youtube’s fastest-growing demographic – making this platform a great marketing opportunity for audiences of all ages.
Not only does Youtube offer a wide variety of viewers, but 73% of adults use it regularly. That’s actually 5% more people than those using Facebook, and it’s an absolute game changer. With so many people ages 18-49 using Youtube every day, it would be a mistake not to jump on the opportunity.
Launching a YouTube channel is cost-effective and easy to do. All you really need is a computer, your phone, and a message. However, it is best to have a camera that is great for video marketing. This will make your YouTube channel seem more professional.
Host a Contest
People are naturally drawn to fun things, especially when there are prizes involved. You don’t technically need a vendor setup to host a contest. You can set up a friendly competition or giveaway online, especially using platforms like Youtube and TikTok, where you can go live and viewers can participate in real time.
Hosting online contests and giveaways motivate viewers to stay connected and engage with your brand. It also creates an association between your brand and fun, which is great for publicity and your company’s reputation.
Build an Email List
Every successful business owner understands the importance of building a reliable contact list. This is especially important for online businesses. With a quality email list, you can send notifications, announcements, and offers to past customers. You can even send customers reminders about empty online shopping carts or new deals and sales, which can incentivize them to make a purchase.
It’s easy to build an email list when you streamline the process of gathering contact information. On your company’s website, there should be an easily accessible subscription bar where customers can quickly enter information. Making this process as visible and convenient as possible will increase the number of site visitors who end up coming back. You can reward them for signing up by offering a discount on their next purchase.
Influencer Marketing
You’ve likely heard of online influencers – vastly popular social media icons who use their social standing online to help market certain select brands. With some influencers reaching millions of subscribers and followers, it’s unquestionable that your business can benefit from their help. Not only does working with an influencer improve your brand’s visibility and reputation, but it provides some much-needed exposure.
When reaching out to influencers, don’t take the typical salesman approach. Influencers receive hundreds of thousands of messages daily, so you’ll need to make sure you stand out. Relate to them one-on-one and appeal to their personal interests.
Your business should be somewhat related to the influencer’s already existing content. An influencer who is already well-versed in the industry will be trusted significantly more by viewers. This can strengthen your company’s online reputation.
Conclusion
The internet was made to improve the connections between us. Utilizing the web as a marketing landscape has many benefits. And fortunately, with the addition of algorithms and social media, it’ll do most of the leg work for you. Before starting your online business, think about how you’re going to draw attention to it and how you’re going to get customers. The right marketing strategy can change everything.
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