There are many methods used to market online. Some are more compatible than others depending on the business, what is offered, and how the method is utilized. The online landscape is exceptionally large and any online business can use more than one method to bring traffic and exposure to its online doors. Listed are nine ways to market your business online to bring maximum results.
#1 Local Listings and Classifieds
The online marketing environment encompasses a wealth of untapped potential for local businesses. Local listing advertising is a powerful, but highly under-utilized marketing method. Many new businesses may not understand how best to attract local clients.
Businesses that wish to delve into advertising through local listings should first ensure that the website is optimized by using specific keywords relative to the business. This helps customers find local businesses when they’re searching for specific products or services. You can make this action more effective by placing your local street address and business phone number on the landing page(s), content pages and each internal page of your website.
#2 Search Ads
Businesses use search advertising for customers to find them in the search engines or within specific web pages. Search ads can be modified to target particular demographics or specific consumer interests. The type of advertising most utilized, search ads can be targeted to specific groups, products, locations or topics. Using search advertising is highly profitable and can include paid or free campaigns for efficacy.
Businesses use search ads to attract consumers with specific buying interests by using targeted keywords in their marketing campaigns. When consumers launch specific searches, they are returned a list of relevant businesses. To make full use of this type of marketing, businesses should focus on advertising through the search engines and culling rich content that will draw traffic to the website.
#3 Contextual Advertising
The online consumer drives contextual advertising by providing the template that businesses use to pitch products or services. By using the information gathered through online search results, businesses can create specific marketing campaigns targeted at what the user is seeking. Search engines gather this user information that relates to specific search topics or products. The consumer drives this search because the engine is tracking a particular keyword(s) and terms.
To maximize the potential in contextual advertising, businesses should design ad campaigns that center around specific search terms. To broaden marketing appeal to a specific demographic of consumers, ad campaigns should include a range of media advertising methods that include video, text, and graphics.
#4 Geotargeting
Businesses can further maximize their marketing methods by utilizing geotargeting, a method of sending specific messages to consumers by using GPS location devices on smartphones and mobile devices. This type of location-based target marketing is used successfully by businesses that provide specific products or services to businesses that want to market to consumers in specific locations.
Geotargeting finds customers based on their location and funnels specific marketing content to them through various channels that can include online ads, video marketing or content-based marketing. It can include both organic and paid methods, depending on business goals and budgets.
#5 Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has been a popular marketing method for quite some time. It is rising quickly in popularity and businesses are starting to use this method to market online and draw more traffic to business sites.
To make social media marketing successful and flow easier, businesses should employ a social media manager software or tools like Buffer or Hootsuite. This will assist in a myriad of tasks like managing social accounts, scheduling posts or tweets and creating cohesion across all social media platforms.
Through this style of marketing, it is easy to connect with your audience, whether those are buyers, clients or readers. Establishing a connection is usually done through friend requests, requests to join groups, interacting on pages, or live forums. Even having others follow your business on social platforms can establish connections. After connecting, businesses should start interacting through blog posts, articles, video marketing or through a Q&A dialogue.
#6 Organic Content vs. Paid
The biggest difference in organic content vs paid content is how and at what speed customers arrive at your site.
Organic Content
While consumers may land on your site via search engines through organic content, paid content increases the chance that your content will appear on the first or second page of the SERPs. Organic content can also land on the first or second pages, but it will take longer and more work (building content, keyword focus, etc.). The question then becomes, how quickly do you want your business to appear on the top pages.
Paid Content
Paid content results will end when the ad expires. Organic results will continue because it has no dependency on advertising results.
#7 Display Advertising | Affiliate Marketing/Cross Promotion
Affiliate marketing is a method that benefits the affiliate marketer and the brand. When the affiliate promotes the brand’s product, he earns a commission. Online businesses will find this method easy to implement because it’s simply getting affiliates to market and promote your products to target markets.
Display advertising represents different formats that can include text, images, video or audio. Its main goal is to deliver the advertisement and content to site visitors. It’s important to use display advertising within context and couple it with methods that are conducive to the business.
Businesses can use cross-promotion activities to promote or highlight a particular product or service. Businesses use cross promoting methods that highlight other products and increase potential sales. As an example, this may include highlighting a study guide that complements or pairs with a textbook for sale.
#8 Online Videos
If videos aren’t already a part of your online marketing strategy, they should be. Videos are not only a great way to engage a customer. Depending on your business you may want to create videos that convey a message to your future customers reminding them why they want to engage your business or shop at your store. If you’re selling products online, product demonstration videos may be helpful to consumers as well.
Online videos are also a useful tool for search engine optimization. Typically videos that are viewed often and well-rated will rank higher than blog posts. The key to success with online videos is creating videos that are engaging and fun to watch while portraying the image that your brand represents.
#9 Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is growing very rapidly as consumers are using their smartphones more to shop, find deals or discounts, and connect. Businesses can capitalize on this growth by implementing mobile marketing in its online campaigns.
To reach more potential customers, ensure that there is a business presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. The business website should be continually updated and optimized for mobile marketing, making it easier to connect with your customers without having issues.
You can use mobile marketing to build and grow your email list as well. By using applications that integrate with your business email marketing program, you can capture email addresses (with permission) and create marketing messages to target your audience and specific demographics.
There are numerous options for promoting and marketing your business online. Each of these methods may not apply to every business model; however, it is reasonable to expect that application of a few them can yield profitable results. Some of them may require adjustments to fit your business model. Simply test each one that seems applicable to your business and develop the online marketing plan that is most successful.
To learn more about how to market your business online, contact the marketing experts at Blackstone Agency for more information.