Are you struggling to make your first sale? Or increase the number of sales? Whether you are a newbie or an incumbent looking to expand your business, there is one simple rule: Your revenue is proportional to the number of people you reach who are interested in your products. The rule applies to every business, across industries. And there is simply no better way to reach people than through internet marketing.
The key to success is increasing the reach of your business.
Find more customers with these internet marketing ideas
If you have a smartphone, you can promote your business online. Here are the top five strategies to try.
- A website (if you don’t already have one).
- Content marketing.
- At least one active social media account.
- Email communications.
Now let’s talk about each of these digital strategies in detail.
- A website (if you don’t already have one)
You cannot implement internet marketing if you don’t have an online presence. Having a website is the most direct way to get found on the internet It is also the most basic requirement for any business (big or small) these days.
On your website, you should mention all the necessary information about your business:
- Details about products or services
- Location and hours
- How to contact you
- The story of how your business began
- Links to your social profiles if any
Anything that can be crucial in the buyer’s decision-making process should be present on the business website.
- Content marketing
People are continuously looking for information and help on the internet. Content marketing refers to the practice of publishing content that would-be customers consider useful or entertaining. It helps in building trust and establishing a relationship by educating the potential buyer and helps them make an informed decision.
Content marketing can take many forms such as:
- Video clips
- Blog articles
- Podcasts
- Quizzes
- White papers
- Surveys
- Infographics
By sharing helpful or entertaining content that’s relevant to your customers, you can catch the attention of potential buyers who are already looking for this information.
- At least one active social media account
With a good website and customer reviews, you can easily convert website visitors to customers. But only people who know about your existence would search for you on Google using your business name. You need traffic from various sources to increase the number of customers who find your business online.
Social media marketing is a form of internet marketing. It involves creating and sharing content on social media networks to achieve your marketing and branding goals.
Choosing the right social media platform for your business depends highly on your customers. Study your target audience to learn the social sites where they hang out. Pick one and create content optimized for that network.
Know your audience
The key to effective social media marketing is understanding your customers.
Suppose you make beautiful leather bags and your target audience is females between 18 and 24 years of age. You might select Instagram as your social media channel, since 15 percent of global Instagram users in this age group are females. You can take high-resolution pictures of your bags and share them on Instagram. Be sure to include links back to your website.
On the other hand, if you are an auto service shop, your customers might like to understand basic maintenance through short videos. So, you could create YouTube videos on how to handle minor automobile issues on your own. Your video can lead them to your website, where they can learn about your location and services.
- Email communications
Sending regular emails to your customers (also called email marketing) is one of the most effective internet marketing strategies. It keeps your business top-of-mind among your customers. So the next time they need what you supply, they will naturally think of your business.
A list of customer emails is a real marketing asset for your business. It gives you access to people who already know and like you.
A significant advantage of email marketing over social media marketing is that you own the content and list of subscribers. Subscribers are the people who enrolled/agreed to receive information from you by voluntarily sharing their email address. That’s why people say, “Money is in the list.”
For growing your email list, you can ask your customers to sign up with their email ids. This could be done in exchange for some reward program or informational content such as a white paper.
Once you have built your list, the next step is creating email marketing campaigns. The objective of creating a campaign is to keep the subscribers engaged. Sending weekly newsletters or industry reports can help you engage your subscribers. An engaged community is more likely to react positively to your promotional offers and new product launches.
Regardless of the size of your business, use these internet marketing strategies to bring more customers to you. Remember, each one requires a consistent effort. So select one or two from this list, make a plan and stick to it. In time, your efforts will pay off in more leads and more sales.
Small businesses need to adapt to the changing business practices. By leveraging the online world in the right way, you can increase traffic to your business.