Marketing your business is essential if you want your venture to survive. If you want people to know about your business, they need to be informed about its existence. There are several ways to market your business, but the most effective is an understanding of the customers you want to attract, what you’re offering them, and how your product or service compares with that of your competitors.
There are multiple different ways that you can advertise your business, but establishing an online presence is the first step. Most consumers either shop online or make their purchasing choices online – via reviews and web research – before they head to the store. So its best to make sure that you're doing everything you can to paint the best picture of your brand online.
Why Invest in Digital Marketing?
Social media and online marketing are not only popular because they target large numbers of people. They are popular because they are also highly effective. There are a number of reasons for this, but here are a few of the main ones:
- Digital marketing establishes credibility
- Improve rankings with relevant keywords
- Spread news faster with sharable content
- Increase customer engagement
Digital marketing establishes credibility
At a very basic level, a website signals to customers that you exist and are acting as a business. It also enables customers to find you. Generally, when people go to make a purchase these days, they will do a quick Google search first. If your website pops up on their hunt – or better still on their social media – they are more likely to take an interest.
Improve rankings with relevant keywords
Digital marketing lets you boost your visibility and rankings on search engines (like Google) because of the availability of keywords or SEO content. By adding keywords to your site content and social media posts, you can get more eyes on your site. What’s more, you’re more likely to reach people who are already looking for your products. Search engine algorithms also tailor what they show people to match their search history. Strong digital marketing strategies always include keywords as one of their main plays.
Spread news faster with sharable content
Good news travels fast, and nowhere is this more true than on the internet. Good internet marketing strategies encourage the creation of highly appealing and sharable content. When it goes viral (or even partially so) it can work for any marketing reason from new products to luxury business services, promotion of people, or even events like a rocket lab launch.
Examples of sharable content include:
- Blog posts
- Instagram photos
- Videos
- Tweets
If people are happy to share, this means that more people will see your products. On top of this, people are more likely to click on links shared by people they know. This adds an additional level of credibility to your marketing and is an excellent reason to include regular online updates in your digital marketing plans.
Increase customer engagement
Customers are no longer as remote as they once were. Thanks to the internet, we can now see what clients and potential customers make of our brands in real-time in the comments or in online reviews. While this can be daunting, it is actually great for devising marketing strategies.
Engagement with customers makes them feel valued and helps them to trust the brand. It also increases memorability and openness among reviewers. This allows businesses to read honest responses to their products and tweak things as and when needed in order to increase sales.
4 Essential Marketing Strategies
Wondering what types of marketing strategies work best for your business? It generally boils down to employing a range of different strategies across various online platforms. Consider using a combination of some or all of these online marketing strategies to help boost your online presence and reach a larger audience.
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Content marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
Email marketing
Email marketing is one of the best B2B marketing strategies for businesses that offer professional services. Marketing campaigns allow you to offer highly targeted promotional content, which works well for B2B services or for products that have a very narrow market. Email marketing also allows you to keep return customers updated on relevant services and products. You can also automate your email marketing, letting you update clients regularly while taking away some of the work.
Social Media
Social media sites generally have some awesome tools for businesses now. Facebook ads and business pages allow you to monitor your engagement and performance and help you reach a wider audience. You can also set up Instagram business pages with special functions like Instagram Messaging for Business, Instagram ads, and an Instagram store. Perfect if you need a place to post links and promotional content or if you want to sell products directly to your followers.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a great way to engage your audience and build a brand persona. You can use any type of content to run an effective campaign, such as:
- Blog series
- Video ad trails
- Webinar series
Content marketing works best when it is structured and targeted. Each piece of content should build upon the previous one and help construct an image of your brand that fits how you want to be perceived online. This is ideal if you have a strong creative team and is one of the best marketing strategies for small businesses in creative industries.
Search Engine Optimization
An SEO strategy can fit well with the previously mentioned campaign styles and can also work in isolation on your website. Search engine optimization basically refers to the use of keywords in your links, posts, or content to help boost your position on search engine rankings. This will help more people see your posts and will help your content stand out.
Just be sure to avoid cheat methods, such as keyword stuffing, as this is generally caught by sensitive search engine algorithms now. Opt for inserting keywords into your content in a natural way instead. This is the best way to improve your rankings and grow your audience.
Final Thoughts
Marketing strategies are essential if you want to run a company that’s built on growth, improvement, and success. Tailoring your marketing strategies to suit your business is extremely important and will help you assess your performance overall. This, in turn, can help you devise new ways to market yourself and to improve your products and services for the client.
Final Call: How do you plan marketing strategies for your business? Does this change drastically depending on what you’re advertising? Share your thoughts with us!
Marketing Strategies FAQs
How can digital marketing improve my online reputation?
Your online reputation is greatly affected by the level of effort you put into your digital marketing. Since digital marketing controls your online presence, your reputation can improve with it.
What are the benefits of digital marketing?
Digital marketing can improve your online presence in the following ways: establish credibility, improve rankings with relevant keywords, spread news faster with sharable content, and increase customer engagement.
What marketing strategies should I incorporate into my overall marketing plan?
At a minimum, your business should be doing: email marketing, social media, content marketing, and Search Engine Optimization.
