Tips to Effective Online Marketing for your Small Business
Being smart in marketing ensures the success of your business by attracting more customers and keeping them. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to be good in online marketing.
Many small business owners are overwhelmed by the imaginable complexity of online marketing options. Sitting on the sidelines of online marketing becomes the only option. Though they are eager to get into the game, but they are confused about where to start.
Does this sound familiar? Are you looking for doing better? Or you are new in online marketing, I have a solution for you. Below are 11 tips to help you to effectively market your business online.
- Set goals
Definitely, online marketing can do so many things for you. You need to specify your objectives for online marketing. For example, gathering emails for a newsletter, generating more traffic to your to your website among other objectives.
- Identify your target
Be specific on your target audience. Get to know their interests. Also, consider their location, hobbies, gender among other specifics. Such information about your target audience will help you determine the best methods to reach them.
Focus on user experience. Make it easy for all of your product users to find your product online. Use websites that easy to navigate. Using complex websites will only make you lose business.
Let your audience be a priority. Then put yourself in their shoes and make sure the site you used for online marketing is easy to navigate.
- Set strategy
Take time to think of the best online marketing strategy. Analyse the available strategies and adopt one that can improve your marketing results dramatically.
Choose a marketing strategy that can work within your budget. It should also make sense for your target audience to commit time to manage it effectively.
- Get endorsed by a local or global celebrity
Let these celebrities know you would like to send them your products or services. Follow up with them to get their honest feedback. These responses can be very useful marketing content or blog.
- Get published on niche blogs
Spot about five blogs that target your market. Contact the creator and offer ideas of how you would like to bring value to his readers. Some of the ideas are;
Send blog posts ideas and explain why they would be helpful to blog readers
Ask the blog owners if you can interview them from your site. This may entice the blog manager to market your content since it highlights his business.
Offer the niche blog owner a free sample of your products.
- Create YouTube videos
This is a great platform for marketing your business online. Please go beyond posting random videos of your services or products. Create marketing videos with the following elements;
Keyword researched headline
A call to action
A clear editorial message
- Write great content
Ensure that your marketing content engages the reader. The content should also add value to your readers. Let the readers get what you are marketing with less effort.
- List your business on local directories
Some of the online local business directories are Bing/ Yahoo local and Google plus local. These business directories help people find your business faster.
Optimize the listings with your business descriptions. Let your audience know your address, working hours, what you offer and more about your business.
Consider linking the directory to your website. This way, you are assured of added benefit of referral traffic.
- Focus on reviews
Reviews play a very important role in online marketing. Everyone loves reading reviews to know other people`s opinions. Come up with a strategy to solicit reviews from your customers. Include the positive reviews in your marketing content.
- Use social media
Use social networks to engage with your prospective customers and communicate with them. Interview them and use the feedback to improve your products. Consider posting your products on these social media platforms.
- Monitor your online image
Google alerts May assist you to track when your business name or any other related search is found on the web. This aids you to know when you are being praised.
- Commit time
Create time for your online marketing exercise. Set aside 4 to 6 hours in a week to strengthen business online marketing strategies.
Online marketing is a great focus to incorporate in your business’ growth strategy. Follow the above tips and your business will have a great take off and compete favourably with larger businesses.