The ever-growing number of businesses online means driving traffic towards your own business could be a tall order. You need to have a properly designed plan of how to market your brand. Most new entrepreneurs think of marketing in terms of an expensive budget. This general thought means that startups don’t stand a chance in the competitive online market, lets design a way out.
In a world with constant change and growth, to keep touch with the world is increasingly becoming a challenge. Marketing is all about getting your customers to notice your brand. They need to see your brand and remember it- you need to create a lasting impression. You must always be available online, in platforms where you’re are likely to be viewed everyday by new people.
If you’re in search of proven ways to market your business online, methods that are not that expensive but will still deliver results. The following are five productive techniques you could use to bring success to your online business.
Build an Inviting Website
Your website is where you will anchor your online business. It’s where almost everything you do in your business begins. Due to this obvious importance, it’s only right you have a website that sells your brand further. A good site puts your business out there a bad one kills it even before it starts.
Build an appealing easy to use website with enough information regarding your business. Ensure your site is always up to date with the new trends making sure you remain relevant to your customers at all time. Create an environment where you can connect with your customers, a place where they can tell you what they think about your services. Lastly, ensure your site is secure at all time.
Ones you have yourself a proper working website, there are actions you can take on this site to ensure it sells your business further.
Perform Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O) on Your Website
If you are to have any chance of success online, you must learn and understand search engine optimization. In simple terms, you should ensure your business ranks high on the google page.
Picture a site ranked on the 50th page of google and the other on the first page. Which one will get more traffic and customers? The answer is obvious, the website on the first page will get more clients- especially if you consider the fact that most people do not search past the second page.
Using S.E.O on your website is very important-it gives you the platform to grow your brand further. S.E.O provides more face time for your site- more views meaning more business. It also brings you the right viewers ones likely to need the service you offer. Lastly, it makes your business more reliable, further growing your brand.
Here are a few ways you can practice S.E.O on your website.
- Use relevant keywords– assume the role of a web visitor, what words are you likely to enter when searching for the service you provide. Make a list of those words and use them on your site. You could also use google analytics to determine the keywords.
- Establish Google Authorship– this ensures that google will recognize all your content when you post them online.
- Content marketing– provide your viewers with proper credible content, making them visit even more.
Start a Blog
There is no better way of connecting to your customers than blogging. It gets people talking about your business this way it markets itself. However, when blogging, be sure to remain relevant- you achieve this by frequently updating your blog. Provide your visitors with something new to read each time they visit.
The blog should have accurate information, make your readers trust the information you provide. This website provides a credible example of a working blog. One of the reasons for their great success is due to their reliable online presence.
Strong Social Media Presence
An online business needs a strong social media presence. It’s necessary to take time and create the right social media platform for your business. Social media comes with many benefits such as; it provides a platform for you to promote your business while still giving you a chance to interact with your customers.
There are a lot of social media platforms they include; Facebook, Instagram (buy real Instagram followers), LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. You need to choose which one to focus on more, the one that will favor your business. All these platforms have proven ways of marketing a business online. The following provides you with an idea off what to expect from each social platform.
- Facebook– A large percentage of adults and youths are on Facebook, so if you choose to use this platform, you are sure to have an audience. Create a business page, have a clear strategy- post frequently be it picture texts or videos. Encourage your customers to comment and always reply promptly.
- Instagram-most of the users here are youths between the ages of 18 and 34. Being a platform where pictures and videos are shared, it is only proper to create an account where your customers can view your products. If you build a strong following, it could be one of the best platforms to market your product.
- LinkedIn– If you are selling to businesses and professionals, this would be the best platform to use. It easy to create a community of potential customers, where you can share ideas marketing your business further.
- Twitter– this is another platform with a serious following. Here you can share messages, pictures, and videos. All this information could be re-shared, meaning, information moves faster here- which is plus for marketing purposes.
- Pinterest– if you have a food or fashion business, this is best place to set up. It allows you to share your images with your customers.
- YouTube– share your videos here as a way of marketing your business. You need to incorporate video into your business for it’s the most desired and enjoyable way of sharing content.
Email Marketing
Email is one of those secure ways to share information with your customers. You can communicate with your customers directly while they can also respond. The ability makes email marketing very reliable.
You could use MailChimp to create professional-looking emails and Active Campaign to build a network of emails to direct people towards a forthcoming sale.
You can share upcoming events information with your customers, for example, a press release or your business calendar.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of ways you can market your business online. The methods above are here to help you when you are just starting up and have a limited budget- although they will always remain relevant even when your business grows.