Contents
Introduction
Since the invention of the world wide web in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee and the subsequent release of the first web browser in 1991 the biggest way to market your business has gone digital. Before this companies would spend a lot of money on TV/Radio commercials and sponsorships. However since the information age has come around companies have been able to expand a lot further for a lot less money utilising social media, PPC campaigns and video commercials intended to go viral.
Ways of marketing your business online
Whether you’re a car dealership or a wholesale cabinet distributor there are a number of ways you can digitally market your business but the most appropriate method will depend upon the reach and audience you expect to gain from your campaign and we are going to look at these different methods now and explain a little about each one:-
- SEO or Search Engine Optimisation – this involves optimising the keyword frequency in headers, tags and metadata on your website so that your business will show up higher on Google Rankings. There is already a way to see what your website scores and that’s through https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo which monitors both website traffic and analytics and will show your current ranking on Google.
- Social Media Networks – social media has been around for a while if we look back to the early platforms such as Bebo and MySpace however it was only used heavily for marketing when the giants such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat came along. As opposed to spending millions and millions on a TV campaign with a bit of smart marketing a video could go viral to millions within hours.
- PPC or Pay Per Click campaigns – the most common form of PPC campaigns are through Google Adwords. Simply put you will create an advert utilising keywords and intending for it to be catchy and straight to the point of what you’re selling. The intention is that you’re paying for every click your advert receives with the hope of some of these clicks eventually becoming buyers of your product or service.
- Email Campaigns – this is probably one of the longest surviving ways of digitally marketing your business. It involves a mixture of Social Media, Marketing and SEO in order to capture your audience’s attention from the title of the email getting them to open it and read what you have to offer rather than them simply passing it by.
- Video marketing – this involves creating a video with the intention to go viral. There are a few platforms to advertise your video with the two biggest being of course Facebook and Youtube.
Tips for marketing your business online
With the exception of word of mouth digital marketing is by the far the most cost effective method of advertising your goods or business. However with the convenience and reach you’re able to achieve from digital marketing comes the challenge of mastering it. It may seem easy to simply create a video or advert and have it go viral but many have tried and failed. It is advised to use digital marketing companies with experience in getting companies a huge reach from their adverts or paying a larger reputable company to give your company a shout out. However you choose to market your business digitally you must always make sure that you connect with your audience, many potential buyers see social media as a way for them to instantly connect with a company and ask a question rather than waiting for a reply to an email or waiting on hold over the phone.