As case studies continue to roll out that show the undeniable importance of online marketing in the modern world, small business owners and mobile app resellers must examine their own marketing efforts to ensure that they are gaining sales in the most cost-effective way possible. The tips below will help you get started with online marketing and ensure you spend your online marketing dollars effectively:
1. If You Don’t Have a Website, Get One
This should go without saying at this point. There are very few businesses that can survive without a website in this day and age, and they are very special indeed. If your business is one of them, however, there’s no way of knowing when the day will come that this will no longer be true. And by then, it may be too late to change.
Moreover, if you’re not online, you may not know what you’re missing. In fact, customers may be submitting reviews online about your business that are having a massive negative impact on your incoming leads, and you wouldn’t even know it.
A simple website is free to create, cheap to maintain, and couldn’t be easier to get up and running with ready-made site templates like WordPress. Think of it as an online business card, at first. Then, once you’re comfortable, keep developing your site and online efforts, and find the ocean of new leads from people looking for your products and services.
2. Understand the Value of Each Social Media Channel
The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that only 24% of businesses have waded into the social media waters, stating that most owners simply don’t know where to start. They advise that, instead of trying to learn everything all at once, spend a little time getting to know each platform (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) each week. Then, once you’re familiar with them, there are a couple of simple things you can do to participate. One is to “follow” or “friend” influential people or businesses in your industry, and the other is to post or share information or content that is relevant and interesting to you.
3. Know How Customers Spend Their Time Online
There are five main ways people spend their time online, and they’re all about even in terms of time spent. The activities are:
• Social Networking
• Online Searches
• Reading
• Sending Messages
• Watching Video / Shopping
Keep this breakdown in mind when allocating your online marketing budget to various channels. This doesn’t necessarily mean that each should represent equal spending, as effectiveness of ads and content varies from each channel and depends largely on what industry you are in. That said, it’s important to be aware that a consumer is just as likely to be spending a given minute on social media as watching video or pulling up a search engine. Spend accordingly.
4. Don’t Ignore Mobile
People love their mobile devices, and usage continues to climb. Soon, mobile usage will overtake desktop usage, according to certain projections. As important as a website is, a mobile-optimized website has become a necessary companion item. Put it on your list!
5. Buying Ads Online
Pay-per-click campaigns are ad campaigns whereby you place an ad that appears in search results (on Google, for example), or on a popular website (a local newspaper’s site, for example), and pay a very small amount each time someone clicks on it. A basic ad placed in the right online location can drive a decent amount of traffic to your website, and is worth testing out. There are many popular services that can help you get started. Google AdWords is the mainstream solution, and is a great place to begin.
6. Email Campaigns
Email campaigns are the modern equivalent of sending postcards and letters to prospects in your area. There is still a place for both, but it’s worth noting that email campaigns are far cheaper to run and much easier to coordinate.
As with other solutions above, there are excellent tools and programs available to help you get started. MailChimp and Constant Contact are two popular ones. Resources like these will allow you to gather a list of email contacts, schedule message transmission, and manage/analyze responses.
Don’t be sacred to get online and start promoting – the (virtual) world awaits!
