No matter what kind of small business you have, online marketing is crucial. It’s the best way for any potential customer to discover your product or service. Even more important, you need an online presence to build credibility.
There are many ways to perfect your online marketing plan. But the six strategies below can be applied to any industry. Read on and be prepared to level up your business.
Establish a presence on at least three social sites
Haven’t you heard? Social media is all the rage. Whether you’re personally active on 10 social platforms or only have a Facebook to keep in touch with friends, your business needs to shine.
This means you need to create a separate business account if you haven’t already. There are more than a dozen platforms businesses can use. Take time to set yourself upon at least three of them – ideally Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Produce original content
We encourage small business owners to become comfortable in their niche. This means participating in conversations and sharing articles from the experts. But at some point, you need to become an expert.
You don’t have to be the smartest person in the industry. You just need to be willing to do a little research and organize your thoughts. There are many ways to do this. For example, a catering business may create content about purchasing seasonal produce or wine pairings.
Create a guide for your brand
If there’s one crucial aspect to successful online marketing and branding, it’s consistency. No matter whether you advertise on Facebook, a blog on your website, or share your coffee on Instagram, your brand needs to be represented.
The best way to achieve this is by creating a guide. If you haven’t already, design a logo for free and use it as your icon across all social sites. Figure out your color scheme, your tone, and your audience – then stick to it.
Explore influencer marketing
The last couple of years have seen exponential in the number of influencers. These trendy individuals have a massive following that trusts their opinion and are interested to learn about the products they use.
If you can identify a popular influencer in your niche, gather up your confidence (and statistics) and approach them. Create an offer that’s mutually beneficial and your business will gain much wider exposure.
Become a pro at SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the key to any website’s success. You may have the best content or the lowest prices, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows.
SEO might seem a little daunting at first, but there are plenty of guides for beginners available. Spend a little time each week adding relevant keywords, posting frequently, and casting your net a little wider.
Use email services to initiate and close sales
How skilled are you at walking up to a stranger, offering a handshake, and asking them to buy your product? Most people would be extremely uncomfortable to be on either end of such a straightforward interaction.
While it would be weird to do this in person, email marketing permits you to do the same thing. People who are aware of your presence but aren’t sold can leave their email addresses behind.
Use this to your benefit and reach out directly through email. You can connect directly, find out what your potential customers need from you, and close deals.
The Bottom Line
There’s no singular online marketing strategy that will carry you all the way. However, the steps listed above account for six major pillars of a powerful Online Marketing presence. Plan to implement them over the coming months and watch your customer base grow.
Editor by Janis Howell – Guest
