Last Updated on September 19, 2020 by Guest
Online or digital marketing is an essential part of any modern business’s marketing campaign, and if you haven’t yet started to implement it, it’s time you made a start. Without digital marketing, you could be missing out on a lot of business that would make a big difference to your profits and turn your concept into a successful one. If you’re not sure where you start with online marketing, this guide should help with the basics and give you enough information to at least help you get started.
Your Customers Need to Be Your Focus
Many business owners look inward at their businesses when it comes to creating a marketing campaign. This does make some sense; you do need to know how your business works, what it does, and how it will help people if you want to be able to show those people that you are there for them and can answer their questions.
However, you also – and perhaps more importantly – need to focus outward on your customers. You need to know what your customers want so that you can ensure you are giving it to them, and you need to know that they will buy from you. This can be hard, especially if your goods and services are going to appeal to a wide range of people, but this is where some good market research will help you immensely. Once you have more information about your potential customers, you can create a digital marketing campaign that speaks to them, and you can learn how to do this at Emerson College. This will gain you more customers and make your marketing budget go much further.
Have A Brand Story
People spend money for two reasons. One is that they are thinking rationally, and they need the product or service to solve a problem they have. The other is that they are thinking emotionally, and they are invested in the story the business is telling. Ideally, you want your customers to be buying for both reasons. When they do this, you will make a sale there and then, but you will also have a customer who is happy to return to you when they need something else, and who will tell their friends and family about you.
To capture the emotional side of people’s buying habits, you should have a brand story in place. With a good story, you are better able to connect directly with the emotional aspect of why people buy, plus they will be able to remember you when they want to come back and buy more or want to let their friends and family know about a great site they have found. The story needs to be engaging and exciting, and it needs to show the human side of whatever it is you do for the most impact.
Work on Your Website
You might have an excellent marketing campaign, and your social media feeds might be buzzing with excited potential customers who are keen to buy from you. What could put them off doing so if your digital marketing has worked in terms of letting them know you are there?
It is your website. Your website is another element of your digital marketing, although it’s one that can easily be forgotten. However, a good website is going to secure the sale that your digital marketing has almost captured for you. If you have a terrible website with broken links, one that is too cluttered, or one that offers too much or too little information, or is perhaps hard to navigate; those people who were happy to find you and excited by your products and services might decide that they no longer want to give you their business.
If your website is clean and straightforward, it has just the right amount of information on it to allow customers to know what they’re buying and what kind of contract they might be entering into and works well every time. Those people who followed your digital marketing campaign are much more likely to buy from you in the end. Your website is essential and should be set up correctly before you start marketing so that you don’t lose any potential customers – a positive first impression online when there is so much competition is all-important.
Use Social Media for Your Business
Whether you love or you hate social media for your personal life, it’s essential for your business. Many people will turn to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (among other social media platforms) to find out more about your business before they even think of heading to your website. In fact, your site might be the final place they go to, simply because this is where they can purchase something from you. This is because your social media presence will offer an insight into the ‘real you’; it will show people how well you deal with customers and how you behave daily. They will be able to see whether they are comfortable buying from you.
Therefore, it pays to ensure your social media pages are updated regularly. Offer information about what you do and specific products, but also write about the personal side of your business. People want to know these things, and it is all part of the story you need to tell, as mentioned above.
One of the best things about social media is that you can take your digital marketing to the next level using these platforms. They are set up to allow you to target specific groups of people with your marketing campaigns and spend your marketing budget more wisely. Your reach will be vastly extended, and you could find an entirely new audience.
Encourage Online Reviews
There are so many businesses in existence these days – thanks in part to low barriers to entry; this is a good thing – that you need to work extra hard to be noticed above everyone else. Online reviews are an excellent way to do this, so you should encourage your customers to leave them for you.
Many people will forget to leave reviews, or they won’t even think about it, even if they’re happy with the products that they received and the service that was given. However, just as many people are so glad to leave reviews if they are gently reminded to do just that. Think of the large companies such as Amazon and eBay; when you purchase something, you will also receive an email a few days later, reminding you to leave a review. It is this kind of model that you should follow. The more reviews you have, the more trustworthy you will look, and the more people will want to buy from you.
You may also receive some negative reviews. Not everyone is going to be happy one hundred percent of the time, and mistakes will sometimes be made. Although this is not ideal, how you respond could turn a negative into a positive. Never respond to a negative review in anger; take your time to come up with a solution that helps everyone.
