No matter what type of business you have, whether it’s big or small, you should be online and you should be utilizing all of the online marketing advantages that are there for you. The internet has opened up a host of outlets for businesses and for entrepreneurs to let people know about them, their products, and their services.
Like all things in technology, outlets change. One form of online outreach may become more popular as another goes to the wayside. As you read this you’ll find that you’ve likely heard a lot about using the first two as marketing materials, but the third one seems to be less used these days.
Keep reading to find out how can can use these three things to help market your business, and why it is you might be taking them for granted. Online marketing isn’t the same as buying an ad in the local paper. You need to do your footwork, not just pay someone to create and print your info.
Blogging
Do you spend a lot of time online surfing the net? If you do you’ve likely noticed that not all business websites have a blog, yet some do. The ones that do likely get many more repeat visitors and they probably find that the people that do visit spend more time on their pages.
This is part of the reason why it’s important to use blogging as a marketing tool. You don’t just want to post ad copy about your products or services, you want to give your readers information and the answers that they need, in relation to your products and services.
Blogs give your website more value. You can use them to introduce new products, share industry or company news, or simply as a way to reach your customers on a more personal level.
Social Media
Social media marketing is probably one of the easiest forms of online marketing. You sign up for free, you set up your profile, you invite followers, and you start posting. The key is to post regularly, but not to overdo it. You want to keep your readers engaged, but not annoyed.
Social media marketing allows you to connect with your fans on their level, and it helps you grow your brand’s recognition and loyalty from your customers, new and old. Make sure you reply to comments and stay professional. Just because it’s social media doesn’t mean you can stop being professional!
Email Lists
Email marketing is not dead, although many may think it is. One of the easiest ways to utilize email when you are working on getting your brand out there is through newsletters. You should always be working on building your email list, and it is a great way to directly introduce news to your customers.
Email can be a more personal and direct approach, but you need to make sure you are using customer names in your emails. You want to make it as personal as you can, you don’t want them unfollowing you because you seem to be spamming them. Put a little effort in and email marketing can still be a win!
Originally posted on August 13, 2015 @ 3:14 am
