Online businesses are now more common than ever before. We think it’s because the world realizes how much of a marketing influence the internet now has on us. How many times would you say that you browse online? Either for clothes, holidays, information, or gossip? Literally, anything that you could think about going online for, how often do you feel like you’re doing it? We know that most of you will have answered a few times a day, and that’s because we’re so addicted to the internet and how it controls our lives. (Image Credit: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay)
There are the random few people who would say that they’re not so into anything that the internet brings, but when it comes to wanting to buy something we know that most men and women will turn their phones on, or open up their computers, and have a little browse. It’s the businesses that recognize that this is now the way that the world is that is the ones that are succeeding. So as a business yourself, you need to understand the power that online marketing holds. It’s all well and good having a business website that you’re ready to sell products from, or provide information from, but how is anyone going to find you unless they know your brand? Well, this is what we’re going to talk about today because it’s all to do with the power of online marketing and how it influences business success.
Social Media Marketing
We wanted to start with social media marketing because we know how much of a stress it can cause businesses. There is such a battle between only using social media marketing, and not using it enough. So many brands seem to not be able to gain the traction their social media pages need to make a difference. However, that might be because they’re not posting enough, not understanding the algorithms, or not understanding what the public wants to see. Much like your website, your brand page is going to be recognizable to those that know your business. Anyone else is a bonus, and it’s that bonus that we’re going to try and win for you. So, the first power of social media is the people using it and the people influencing those that are using it. The key to success is giving the people what they want, and the people want to see tropical vibes, a buff guy or woman, and a product that looks great. If you were to snap just your product against a green screen showing a plain background, you’re just not going to get the attention. So, what you could do is focus on targeting social media influencers and seeing if they will promote your brand or product. You will usually have to give them something big in return. We believe this is only going to work if you have something that’s going to benefit the influencer’s life. For example, if you’re selling office phones you’re not going to be able to secure the same social media attention than if you were selling dieting food.
So, the other option you have is to hammer your social media efforts and turn your page into one that’s posting regularly, and at the right time, and you’re using tracking powers to see how your posts are doing. A social media report tool can show you what sort of reach your posts are getting and how you might need to change your posts. For example, if you’re posting at 9 am BST, you might not appear on anyone’s timelines in the US. The same goes for the other way around. You can also have posts boosted on social media which means they will appear on more people’s timelines, and you can pay for ad posts that will appear on timelines all over the world. You’ll always get some leads if you follow this strategy. Everyone is hooked on social media, so don’t miss out on the chance to promote your business well.
Becoming A Recognizable Brand
Any of your marketing efforts are going to be futile unless you can focus on creating a brand that everyone else is going to know. Fear not if you already have an established brand, even the biggest of brands go through a bit of a rebrand from time to time, and as a small business, you have the chance to do it more so than a bigger business. So, analyze your brand and find out what you could improve on. Are your colors dull? Do you have a brand mascot? Do you have a slogan? What really ties your brand to your business and makes it stand out? If you can say that nothing does, then it might be time for a rebrand. Just simple changes to your logo can make a standout difference, especially if you already have a little bit of business attention at the minute. You can also work with branding specialists who can create a brand the public wants to see. It will make all the difference to your marketing efforts.
Strong & Expensive Tactics
Now it’s time to pull out the big guns and see where you can start spending a little bit more money. Money is everything to a business, and you need to make sure that you’re getting more out of your spendings than you’re putting in, and the best area for that to happen is with marketing. So, don’t be worried about stretching your marketing budget to accommodate new strategies, chances are they’re going to bring you far more custom. The first one you need to think about is the Google Ads service. You can either pay a lot of money to have your business show as one of the first three businesses related to a keyword search. If you search ‘shoes’ for example, there will be three brands at the top with a little green ‘AD’ symbol next to them. Those brands have paid a lot of money for them to be the first one that you see. An excellent tactic if you’re a really niche business, or if you’re just looking for a fast way to the top. The second would be to use the other side of Google Ads, which is paying for your ads to be posted on websites that are signed up to the Google Ads service. They get a commission every time someone clicks on an ad that’s on their website, and you hopefully make money from it. Those are just two of the advertising services that Google offers. There are so many more such as SEO, PPC, YouTube advertising that you need to consider trying if you want to boost your marketing efforts.
Online Struggles
There are so many online struggles, and one of them is the worry that you’re never going to get noticed. When you search for a keyword on Google you will notice that there are millions of search results that come up. Your business is going to be one of those millions, and you might be so far back in the queue that nobody notices you. That’s why it’s important to recognize that marketing alone isn’t going to grow your business. Brand promotion, quality products or services, and a very strong business plan are all going to work alongside a good marketing campaign to grow your business. Always stick with it and keep ongoing. Don’t give up because every campaign only produces a few sales. It won’t be long until your marketing efforts will be bringing you in thousands per month as long as every other aspect of your business is solid.
Marketing Tips for 2021
Each year marketing trends change, and if you want your brand to stand out, you’ve got to keep up. Here are a few more tips to inform your campaigns this year:
- Use video marketing to boost conversions and engage with customers.
- Focus on CSR and demonstrate your values in your campaigns.
- Use customer generated content to improve your authenticity.
- Use content creators and influencers to boost the appeal of your brand.
- Brands should optimize content for both voice search and image search.
- Keep an eye on your competitors and aim to create better content.
- Use free marketing tools to save money on your campaigns.
- Create beautiful ad content using Creatopy banner making.
With the best marketing strategies, you’ll help your biz to stand out amongst the crowd. There’s lots of competition out there, which is why marketing is so important.